So Much Happening! by Paty Jager

 The end of summer, the start of fall. The end of hot weather (hopefully) and the start of cooler temperatures. My mind begins to think of settling in and getting writing projects finished to make the goals I set in December of last year. 

This year, I won't be able to settle in too deeply to the writing. September and November are busy months for me. That will leave October and December to get most of my writing done.

First is an online blog tour to showcase the new covers on all 8 books in the Halsey Series- Halsey Brothers and the Halsey Homecoming. It runs from Sept. 4th - 11th. You can follow along with that here: https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-halsey-brothers-series-book-tour-and-giveaway There is a giveaway by going to the various blogs and entering your email. 

Then I'll be at the Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel, OR selling books at the NIWA (Northwest Independent Writers Association) booth from Sept. 14th-17th. I'm in the process of sewing another Bavarian dress so I don't have to wear the same one every day. 

Last year with my puppy, Nia.

I'll be with over three hundred authors who have signed up to take part in Isn’t It Romantic Book Club’s Fall Into a Book Giveaway on Facebook. This fantastic and fast-paced event is your chance to meet authors, play games, and win lots of prizes, including books, gift cards, and swag! Isn't It Romantic Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/isntitromanticbookclub be sure to join the page ahead of time so you don't miss out on all the fun.

That is my busy September! Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it. 

I also start the month off with my annual trek to Sumpter Oregon to sell books at the Sumpter Flea Market. I do this every Labor Day and Memorial weekend with my author friend Mary Vine. This year we have a new venue to sell from. In the past, we've met on Thursday to put up a tent that we used for our booth. With books you have to be careful of rain, wind, and dust. In the past we've been cold, wet, and some weekends miserable. I had a dream for several years of making a book trailer. Hubby and I finished the project before Memorial Day and that was the inaugural event for the trailer. Mary kept saying she felt like a queen sitting in the trailer staying dry when it rained, and we didn't have to keep moving books to keep them dry. Here's a photo of the trailer. 

I used it for a local fair as well this summer and it was fun to pull in, set out books, and start selling. I'm pretty happy with my trailer! 

I hope you all have a wonderful September! 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 55 novels, 8 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

https://www.patyjager.net 

Evaluating my Year by Paty Jager

It's that time of year to start evaluating if I need to change up my goals or if I'm on track with what I'd decided in December of last year. 

First here is a list of the goals I'd set for 2023. 

Professional: 

Release 2 Hawke books- Bear Stalker is written, will write #11 Damning Firefly

Release 2 Spotted Pony Casino Books = The Squeeze and The Pinch 

Hawke ebook box set of books 7-9

Spotted Pony Casino box set of books 1-3 

Get caught up on the Hawke large print books

Catch up on the Shandra Higheagle audiobooks. 

working on promoting my audiobooks. 

Personal: 

Continue walking 5 days a week 

Watch my carb and fat intake 

Travel 

Keep up my personal blog 

Do more horseback riding

Here is where I am at:

Professional: 

I released Bear Stalker and will release Damning Firefly on September 15th. 

The Squeeze was published, and I still need to write The Pinch.

Both the Gabriel Hawke and Spotted Pony Casino ebook box sets have been released.

I am caught up on large print books for the Gabriel Hawke series.

We are working on 14th audiobook in the Shandra Higheagle Mysteries, with only one more to go to finish the series. 

Promoting audiobooks, I've done horrid at. I can't seem to find the time to dig in and get out the ads and schmooze with audiobook listeners. I REALLY need to work on this harder going forward. 

Personal: 

Most weeks I do get in at least 5 days of walking, more times than not I get in 6-7 days. 

I am on the keto diet and have lost 12 pounds. I'd like to lose 10 more to feel at my best. 

I have traveled some this year and have a trip set for this month to Hawaii. I'm going with one of my best friends and we are going to chill and relax and enjoy. We went to Alaska for a week for our Grandson's graduation and wedding. And I have attended a powwow and gone on a couple of research trips. You can find out about those at my blog Writing into the Sunset.

This brings me to keeping up my personal blog. I have been doing a pretty good job. I post twice a month with all different types of things. Some writing related and some my life. 

My gelding Jan (John in Dutch)

As for horseback riding...my gelding didn't come out of the winter in good shape. I've been slowly getting him to look like he can carry me for a ride. A granddaughter used him for a 4-H horse camp and I plan to get on him before you read this post. 

I believe I'm on track to attain my goals. I did slip in a short story for the Windtree Press anthology releasing in October and I decided to write a Christmas novella to give my readers closure on the Shandra Higheagle Mystery series. My goal is to have that finished by the end of August and get started on The Pinch, book 5, in the Spotted Pony Casino series. 

And in between all of that, I have my trip to Hawaii, two several-day events I'll be working at the NIWA booth, and I'm attending a conference in November to help me do better at marketing. i.e., get those audiobooks selling. 

My evaluation is I am not nearly as behind this year as I have been the past two years. This makes me happy because I'm hoping to put together a month-long trip next year and want to make sure I can do it without messing up too much of my output. More on that in another post. 

 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 54 novels, 8 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it. This is what Books a Plenty Book Reviews has to say about the Gabriel Hawke series: "The blend of nature tracking, clues, and the animals makes for a fascinating mystery that is hard to put down."

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Ten Growing Years by Paty Jager

 

I want to thank the blog queens, Sarah Raplee and Judith Ashley, for asking if I would like to do a guest post this month. It seemed fitting that I did, because 10 years ago, not only did I join this blog but I took a huge leap into self-publishing. So not only is this a 10^th anniversary for this blog, it is my 10^th anniversary of being a self-published or Independent author.

It took several other authors I admire to talk me into going Indie. I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with all the details the small press I was published with took care of for each book. But on the other hand, I hadn’t been happy with the covers and when you work with a small press, you learn a lot about the whole publishing process. It also helped I had been an editor for the press for five years and had learned how to format both print and ebooks. All of that and my friends saying you can do more promoting and make more money by going Indie.

Because at that point- 5 years of being published with 10 books, what I made still wasn’t covering my writing expenses. I was glad I not only was editing but had a job with the 4-H Extension Program. One year after going Indie, I was paying my writing expenses and tucking some money away.

Being my own boss wasn’t a problem for me. I’ve always been driven to get things done. However, I had to learn to give myself time for more than writing and researching a book. I needed time to write the back cover blurb, work on metadata, purchase ISBNs, run the books through my critique partners, then a beta reader, and then a line editor, and finally a proof reader. Then I had to format and give the number of pages to my cover designer. But, of course, that is after we had settled on the cover design which can take a bit of back and forth between myself and the designer until we are both happy with the outcome. 

Once the cover and book have been formatted and are ready to publish, I have to upload them to the ebook and print vendors. Another thing I had to learn. I was thankful for author friends who were willing to help. I started back when it was mostly me reaching out to another self-published author and asking questions.

My goodness, in the last ten years there are now companies who will do all the work for you or you do the work and they will upload the book to the various vendors. There are books, workshops, webinars, Facebook groups, and authors all over the internet who will help you with learning how to self-publish.

When I started, I’d write the back cover blurb, send it to my CPs, then to another person and that was it and is pretty much how I work now. But these days there are people who will write your blurbs, or help you write your blurbs and there are always workshops on how to do it.

The best organizations I’ve found for Indie authors are:

Alliance of Independent Authors- ALLi - https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/

Northwest Independent Writers Association – NIWA - https://www.niwawriters.com/

Maggie Lynch has a box set of books to help someone who wants to self-publish. The Secrets to Becoming a Successful Author  She also has a POV Author Services. 

I’m also thankful I was asked to become a member of an author co-op. We are independent authors who have a website where readers can purchase our books and learn more about us all in one place. Windtree Press - https://windtreepress.com/  This co-op purchases ISBNs that are used under the Windtree Press name and logo. So while I am an Independent author – which means I do all the work and spend all the money to make my book published, I have the Windtree Press as my publisher and use the logo on my books.  Because I purchase the ISBN from the co-op and it (the co-op) is down in the International Standard Book Number identifier as the company that recorded the number.

Again, this is all information I had to learn as I became a self-published author. I encourage you to do the same, if you have been writing and find you tend to write outside the box.

The journey has been challenging and rewarding, and I wouldn’t change a minute of it.

This month, I’m not only celebrating my 15^th year as a published author, my 10^th year as a self-published author, but also my 50^th published book!  And to celebrate this ?? in my career, I’m hosting a month-long Facebook 50 Book Bash party where I’ll be talking about the 50 books I’ve published and giving away prizes every day to people who stop by and visit with me. Here is the link to the Facebook page. I suggest you click on plan to attend so you get notices when the party starts which is today!  https://www.facebook.com/events/887343232080078

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 50 novels, 8 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

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