Happy New Year! This technically is the December newsletter, but given that my irresponsible ass, once again, got too busy to release this on time, you’re getting it in January and let me tell you— what a fucking weird year this was for me.
I’m going to start with the more negative stuff, just to get it out of the way. I got laid off from my previous remote job during the release week of AVC, which ruined the whole week for me. I spent 2 whole months looking for a job and found one near the end of the year, which I had to dedicate a big chunk of my life to while I adjusted to the change and recovered financially.
I also lost a beloved family member this year, the family dog Pablito, who I considered my little brother. He lived a good, long, blessed 20 years with us and I know that wherever he is, he is finally resting. It was a difficult decision to come to terms with, but his little bones just couldn’t give anymore. I hope he’s enjoying doggy heaven. I miss him very much.
On the other hand, this was my debut year, and that alone is worthy of celebration! 🥳
I had been often warned that publishing was hard, that going the self-pubbed route was going to be even harder because all of it relied on me now— and they were right, but there are some caveats I feel like we need to address.
I decided to self-publish AVC to the world because I saw it as the best way for me to release this story. I don’t regret it— not even a little bit. It was been an experience for growth, education and to gain experience overall.
Some things have sucked though— the book didn’t sell as much as I thought it would, I paid for a stupid expensive marketing campaign with BookTok/Instagram girlies that didn’t produce a single fucking sale, the book got shadowbanned and received a lack of promotion due to the ever-changing horrors of The Algorithm™ of Instagram, TikTok and “Twitter” and I even found AVC in a pirated books website.
It’s been difficult not to let these things affect me, especially the promotional tour one. That one screwed with my head because I kept watching the reels that I paid for and people commenting things unrelated to the book on those posts and I couldn’t discern whether the problem was how they promoted the book or the book itself. Were people not interested? Was the premise boring? What if people just weren’t interested in non-fae romantasy? Was I out of my depth?
And then the book was available free, for an entire week, on Kindle.
I cannot explain to you guys properly how blown away I was by the response. Turns out a lot of people's trepidation to give new authors a chance is money.
And honestly? That’s fair.
As a woman who grew up in poverty and currently lives paycheck-to-paycheck, I understand the struggle. Most of the books on my shelves are either second-hand or thrifted from used bookstores. And while I do buy from bookstores and I like to support my Indie Author friends by buying their copies, both physical and ebook, I understand that not everyone can do that.
I’m a new author, so people are going to be more hesitant before spending money on someone whose work they’re unfamiliar with— but my heart does soar knowing that 542 saw the free promotion going on, hopped on Kindle, and immediately downloaded AVC. These downloads don’t guarantee reads or reviews, but they do guarantee me an answer. It told me that I wasn’t a fluke, that my premise wasn’t boring— that maybe, just maybe, there is interest and hope for me after all.
And why shouldn’t I think that? Despite my debut year not going as intended, the wonderful support and encouragement the indie community has given me has been enough to have me crush those crawling feelings of anxiety and imposter syndrome. Here are a few of the lovely blurbs by fellow authors regarding AVC.
I’m going to leave stuff like lists of favorite books or movies for the January newsletter when I properly write it. For now, know this— thank you.
Thank you all for your support, your kindness, and your enthusiasm. Thank you if you’ve ever read, enjoyed, rated, or reviewed AVC— Thank you for making this year more than what should have been for a little, no-name author like myself. Without this community, without readers, I never would have found the courage to go out there and dare to live, to dream. Thank you all for helping me make my dreams a reality.
Here’s to more of that in 2024! 🥳🥂
Currently Watching (TV)
One of my favorite battle couples is BACK, baybeh! SPYXFAMILY s2 is just as good, if not better, than its first season. I’m slowly catching up due to all of the Life Stuff that happened, but coming back to the Forgers is like coming back home and getting a warm, gentle embrace. I hope Loid and Yor fuck nasty raw at some point or I will sue
Currently Watching (Film)
After being slightly disappointed at my mixed feelings towards Ridley Scott’s NAPOLEON, I refused to let the year end like that so my friends and I hopped into our closest “limited screening” theater and watched Yorgos Lathimos’ POOR THINGS. I have never been more sure of a decision. Frank, earnest and highly sexual, POOR THINGS is a perfect amalgamation of eccentricity, sensuality, and a sense of discovery and self-awareness rarely explored in film through a female perspective. Check this one out if you’re one of my people (the sex-scenes-in-movies defender brigade) ✊🏼
Currently Reading
I finished my Goodreads challenge at 55/55! That’s something to celebrate. My overall reading stats for this year were: romantasy, historical, queer, and mostly indie.
The Sanguine Sorceress by Camilla Andrew. If Cammie has million fans, then I'm one of them. If Cammie has one fan, then I'm THAT ONE. If Cammie has no fans, that means I'm dead. Full review available on Goodreads here. 5/5 ⭐
Stealing the Troll’s Heart by Lyonne Riley. It is a cute, steamy, and fun action/adventure romance that gives me the boost I need whenever I want to read romantasy, but not have fae. Lyonne Riley is a writer whose backlog I am very excited about reading. 4/5 ⭐
Double Exposure by Rien Gray. Absolutely stunning, cannot wait to read the rest of Rien Gray’s work. Full review available on Goodreads here. 5/5 ⭐
The Prince’s Dearest Guards by Beau Van Dalen. Fun, exciting, and low stakes, TPDG was just what I needed to relax after a long day’s work. Very excited to see the rest of the adventures Kaiser, Hal, and Elwood get into 🤭 4/5 ⭐
Christmas with the Horned God by Aveda Vice. The only thing that I have to say about this is that Aveda Vice NEVER misses. 5/5 ⭐
A Vermilion Curse by DC Guevara. Yeah, I know— this is cheating, and don’t worry, I didn’t count it toward my GR goals for 2023, but I put it on the list because I have been re-reading it to get ready to hop back into #ProjectRyessida2.