Posted in event, News, promo, writing inspiration, Writing tips

Welcome Sweet September!

https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

Well, I have done it again. I have allowed myself to get so busy that I am running around chasing my tail. You would think after taking the HB 90 Bootcamp and following Sarra Cannon’s Heartbreathing YouTube channel that I would understand the perils of burning myself out, but I guess for me it seems to be feast or famine. For a few months I lollygag around taking my time doing everything by the book or procrastinating (which is probably closer to the truth). Then I decide I want to do this NOW! So, I leap in with both feet or way too often, headfirst and before you know it, I’m drowning in all the things I have to do. On top of that, I’m a control freak. I’m trying to be better about delegating. I know I don’t have to do everything myself. I have other people willing to do what I ask (if I’ll ask), and I just have to trust them to do their part.

As an indie author or small businessowner, many of you understand being hands on. When we are first starting out, we know we are the only ones who can do the jobs because we can’t afford to pay anyone else. So, we write the books and find the Beta readers, find the editors, design our covers or seek those who can design them for us, find proofreaders, publish to all the sites, keep up with sales, market the books, social media, and write more books. And all of those little things that crop up that we don’t expect or know about until they demand our attention. 

As an indie author and the chairperson of the Pamlico Writers’ Group and VP of Communications for the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers I often feel like I’m juggling puppies. I can’t let one fall but maybe I just need someone to hold this one for a minute. This is where Sarra’s HB 90 Bootcamp has helped me the most. There are only 24 hours in a day, and only 7 days in a week. If I have goals that need to be met within each month, and overall goals for each quarter, I can divide them up into tasks. Breaking these goals into manageable tasks that can be completed to help me reach that bigger goal doesn’t seem as overwhelming as I’ve got to do THIS!

We can’t always plan for obstacles that derail our plans. Life happens. This month was supposed to be a very busy month but because my part-time helper and work-husband has to have surgery plans had to be changed. A little scrambling and we found a way to make most of what was on my schedule for September work and the rest just has to fall by the wayside. It cannot be helped.

I have learned to love journaling.

I think one of the hardest things for an indie author or an entrepreneur who is still working a “real” job is we have to carve out time for our passion. We have to use our precious little time for everything from writing the stories (or crafting the beer or painting or whatever you’re doing) to publishing to marketing to making ourselves known on social media. All of this when all we really want to do is that thing that gives us joy, our passion. But to turn that passion into a dream of success and that dream into reality, we have to do the other work. Yuk. But we still only have 24 hours and 7 days. We still have to sleep, spend time with family and friends, take care of bills, run errands, go to the doctor, etc. and if we work 8 hours, how much time do we really have to pursue our dream? That is what Sarra’s HB 90 Bootcamp has helped me see. We have to take a realistic look at how much time we really have to work with and how to make the most of it.

Join us September 11th through 17th for this round of bootcamp. Sarra will have a live kick off on September 11th at 3 pm via Facebook or YouTube. Enrollment will close at noon on September 11th.

Sarra has broken the payment plan down into three choices: Pay in full (best deal) $199, a 3-month plan of $75 per month over 3 months, or a 6-month plan at $38 a month for 6 months.

As an alumnus, I get to take the course again for free. Pay once, and then take a refresher anytime she offers it, but you’ll also have your notebook and lessons you’ve learned to help you when, like me, you fall back into bad habits.

Learning to set goals and limits hasn’t been easy.
Posted in event, inspiration, News, promo, writing inspiration, Writing tips

HB90 Alumni and Sarra Cannon Fan

https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

I probably sound like a broken record when I talk about Sarra Cannon and her Heartbreathing YouTube Channel. What Sarra does for indie authors is unequaled. Other author channels teach the fundamentals of being an indie author or of writing a novel. But Sarra gives us tools to help deal with some of the more difficult subjects facing an indie author. Namely burnout. Authors, especially indie authors and possibly new traditionally published authors, tend to overextend themselves. We are often overwhelmed by all the things we believe we must do to be successful.

Sarra’s HB90 Bootcamp taught me to plan for the life I wanted. Her method breaks things down in 90-day goals. I would suggest this course for anyone who is a small business person or entrepreneur. I don’t use everything she taught me in the exact same way she taught it, I have adapted Sarra’s method to fit my life. That is another thing I love about Sarra. She realizes all of us have our way of viewing the world and we have to take what works for us from her method, and fit those ideas into our crazy lives.

Sticky notes and journals are my friend. Making lists, breaking things down into smaller, bite-sized pieces or more accurately into achievable tasks to reach the overall goal. Sarra also insists on adding mental health breaks and physical breaks into our plans. Planning to succeed means being happy, healthy as well as making money. I believe the happy and healthy falls by the wayside in our race to sell books.

One of the reasons I am affiliate for Sarra’s HB90 Course is because I believe in it. I believe in her. I have a tendency to believe I can do everything but there are only 24-hours in a day and I need to sleep sometime. After taking the HB90 the first time, oh, as an alumni I can take the class anytime it’s offered and continue to have access to the information even if she makes changes in the material or videos.

Course Information: Enrollment is open now! Feel free to share!

Course Dates: September 11-17th with the live kick off call on the 11th at 3PM EST via Facebook or YouTube

Course Price: Students have a choice pay in full at $199 (best deal), 3-month plan of $75 a month for 3 months or a 6-month plan at $38 a month for 6 months.

Enrollment will close at Noon EST September 11th.

Yes, I get a small commission if you use my affiliate link but even if I didn’t I would still promote this course. If you’re not sure about taking Sarra’s HB90 Bootcamp then check out her YouTube Channel. It’s a great way to get to know Sarra and decide whether she’s a good fit for you. I find her uplifting and real, she makes me think and fills me with hope for my future success.

Posted in Uncategorized

I’m a Proud Affiliate of HB90

https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

I’m a proud affiliate of Sarra Cannon’s HB90 course!

Many of you know how much I love Sarra Cannon’s YouTube videos. I met Sarra at a Heart of Carolina Writers’ Conference. I had heard of her from my fellow HCRW members who remembered when she lived in North Carolina and was a member. Sadly she had left the area before I became a member or at least before I began knowing my fellow members. The group talked of Sarra’s Heart Breathings channel on YouTube as well as her books, her Publish and Thrive course and her HB90 Bootcamp.

Sarra has an uplifting spirit which is a balm to many a weary and overwhelmed writer. I listen to her YouTube videos over and over because they give me courage and guidance. She sooths my worries with her insight and candor. Sarra doesn’t mind sharing her own mistakes or weaknesses, she allows us to see the real her.

Her HB90 course is a combination of things she’s learned from trial and error, as well as things she has learned from other authors, planners and other business people. She has taken everything and condensed it into an easy to learn program designed to help writers and other entrepreneurs succeed by planning.

Before you say “I’m not a planner,” you should know, I’m not either. Sarra’s HB90 course changed how I think about planning. Being able to plan in bite-sized pieces just what you can actually accomplish within 90 days had done so much to keep me from getting overwhelmed, even with battling the extra crazy year that has been Covid 19 2020.

Sarra has expanded the course from 3 days to a full 7-day course to give people more time to get through each assignment and to give more support along the way! Sarra has a Facebook group for her HB90 students and one for her alumni. Another great thing about taking Sarra’s course is being able to audit the class whenever it’s offered for a refresher. I know I need to go back and relearn a few things, as I said, I’m not a planner.

If you sign up for the HB90 course using my affiliate link I’ll get a commission and I’ll receive a free Q1 Planner designed by Sarra.

There is also a bonus for the person with the most enrollments. I’m saving up to have my books put on audio.

My Affiliate Link: https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

Course Information: Enrollment is open now, so feel free to share!

Course Dates: Sunday, December 13th-19th with one live call on the 13th via Facebook. There is no closing call for the current course.

Enrollment will close Midnight EST on December 12th.

Thank y’all for sharing my affiliate HB90 link. I believe in Sarra’s program but if you can’t afford to take her course at this time, check out her Heart Breathing channel on YouTube. She is an awesome source for writers and indie authors.

And if you just want to feel good, check out Sarra Cannon on YouTube and see what she’s been up to during quarantine. She has been reading her books and sharing her life, trying to make things a little better for us during this pandemic. It is her love and generosity that has made me so passionate.

https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

Posted in inspiration, quarterly goals

Q2 and Covid-19

My Q3 Goals

Quarter Three Begins

As I plan my goals and tasks for Q3, I stop to look over what I have and have not accomplished in Quarter 2. For those of you who aren’t sure what I’m talking about, I took an online program with author Sarra Cannon called HB90. In her HB90, she teaches us to break our goals down into manageable pieces to be completed over a three-month or 90-day period.

Last quarter was my first full quarter since taking the course and Covid-19 derailed a lot of my plans. I know that sounds like an excuse and it is. Like any self-employed business owner, you have to find a way to work even when the world is turned on its head.

That being said, I am still proud of what I accomplished. Some of which wasn’t on my original plan but due to the virus I altered it after I made it to try to salvage as much as I could. So, I’ll take you through the original breakdown and then tell you how I compromised.

Goal #1: Learn KDP Rocket and Increase Sales, Promote Older Books financial goal of $200, $300 or $500 (name has changed to Publisher Rocket)

https://kindlepreneur.com/

I tried to watch the training videos, but I needed to be at my computer in order to follow along. Not something I could do while at work. Excuse: too tired after selling booze all day to people who were staying home and drinking. Compromise: KDP YouTube Videos as well as D2D YouTube Videos and several other writing-business videos. I also joined All Author where I am promoting three of my books and I took out an ad with Bargain Booksy for Chrome Pink selling over 100 eBooks in one day.

My approximate sales for the quarter were $430, mostly in paperback sales locally. My Ebook sales were the best they have been: D2D: $14, Amazon: $50.

My AllAuthor profile page

While I met my second goal and wasn’t far off of my highest goal, the virus kept me from having a book signing and really promoting Red Steel, the book that came out in February. I’m going to count this goal as a win, but I will be watching those videos this quarter!

Another part of this goal was learning about SEO (search engine optimization) and META data. I think I’m getting a little better at this, but I still can’t say I understand it. This is all about the words you choose to describe your work in order to get the most attention. People cannot read my books if they don’t know they exist. So, promoting my books and my blog are an important part of the marketing I’m trying to learn.

Goal #2 Finish, Publish & Promote New Book to Increase Sales $200, $500 and $1000

Well, I finally finished writing, editing re-editing, editing again and last night I uploaded the printed book… Janie’s Secrets to KDP and ordered proof. I haven’t yet formatted and uploaded the eBook. I’m only about a month off of my goal but Covid! I really allowed myself to get derailed for about a month. At first, I was a little freaked out over the news, plus I was extremely tired both physically and mentally. People were coming in the store buying a lot of liqueur so afraid they’d close us down. It has just now started slowing down some but it’s still not back to normal.

The name was changed several times during the writing process until I settled on Janie’s Secrets. I’ve already worked out the title for the next book and I’m playing around with the third. I’m a little bit ahead here as I’ve already started planning the next two books. I’d like to be able to put out four books a year but right now, I’ll settle for three.

Since I just finished the book, I’ve not made any money from it or even planned any ads. I have started the cover reveal. I have a few things planned but I’ll add those to my Q3 goals. Have you seen the cover? I am so proud of the cover. I’m so thankful to my daughter-in-law Katelynn Hollister for taking such an awesome photo and to her friend, Raven Rayann who is such a lovely young woman and a perfect candidate for my Janie.

I love this cover!

Goal #3: Start a Newsletter, Get a following and Increase Blog following by 100, 200, or 500

Ha, ha! Yeah! Okay, I did the newsletter and I’m proud that I started with 14 and now have 48 in only three months. I call that a win. According to my website I have over three thousand followers but only 252 on WordPress.com, 14 have signed up to receive email notifications and nearly three thousand follow me on social media. Interesting and much more than I expected. I think they must include my followers on Facebook and Twitter.

Part of my goal was to have book signings and other appearances. Just before Covid restrictions I’d taken books around to different places hoping to get my name out and then everything shut down.

My author interviews for my website have increased this month with a free promo group I joined on Twitter, Shameless Self-Promo. I even had my own interview with Rebellion Lit. I submitted Red Steel to Kindle Review Reader’s Choice Award. If you get the chance, I’d appreciate your vote, I’ll post the link.

https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/2020-readers-choice-awards/

Thriller, Sherri Hollister, Red Steel

While I may not have accomplished all of my goals this past quarter, I feel that I have succeeded in accomplishing the bulk of them.

I’m working on this quarter’s goals and hope you will continue to be my inspiration and cheerleaders. My goals so far are to finish publishing Janie and start on her sister, Roxy’s story. I am determined to understand more about META data and SEO, and the business of writing and marketing. I’m hoping to build up my newsletter and social media following, and of course, sell more books!

Thank you all for you support. It means so much to me to have you on my team.

Proofs arrive next week!
Posted in event

Sarra Cannon’s HB90 Bootcamp

Many of you know I recently took Sarra Cannon’s Publish and Thrive course followed by her HB90 program. I have talked a lot about how much I love Sarra’s YouTube videos but they are only a small part of what she offers in her course study.

Sarra is getting ready to offer her HB90 program again. It starts Sunday, June 14th and goes through June 20th. This started out as a three-day program but Sarra expanded it to seven days. I took the seven day course and honestly, there is so much to learn, she may have to expand the program again.

One of the great things about signing up for Sarra’s courses is being part of her family. She has not only her YouTube videos for Heart Breathings but she has started doing live programs three days a week where she reads some of her work, answers questions or just offers a respite from life. This has been especially uplifting during this time of Covid-19. Sara also has Private Facebook groups that are specific to her HB90 and her Publish and Thrive courses. These are set up to help students help each other as well as for Sarra to continue to stay connected with her former students. It has become a big family of writers who support and encourage each other. If that isn’t enough, you, as an alumni of Sarra’s courses are invited to attend each time she offers the classes allowing you to take a refresher course for free, be updated on the newest, most relevant information and have another dose of Sarra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9uO6gTjuq8

Sarra is the most uplifting and inspiring person you will meet. She shares her struggles and allows you to see inside to the person behind her stories and business. She makes you, the entrepreneur, feel that you matter and with hard work all things are possible.

Who is HB90 for? Anyone who needs to learn to take things one day at a time. Sarra teaches us to accomplish our goals in 90-day increments. She gives us tools to help us stay focused on the tasks we want to accomplish. The HB90 is a quarterly approach to goal setting that is broken down into bite-sized pieces.

My HB90 Board

If you are like me and want to do everything RIGHT NOW but know you can’t, this program will help you learn how to prioritize your goals, set the tasks to accomplish them and how to deal with it if you do not. Sarra isn’t about beating yourself up, she wants you to succeed and teaches you how to find what works best for YOU.

You can enroll using my affiliate link.

My Affiliate Link:  https://heartbreathings.teachable.com/p/hb90-bootcamp/?affcode=145068_lea8l-18

The course is open for enrollment now, the cost is $199.

Course Information: Enrollment is open now, so feel free to start sharing!

Course Dates This Round:

Sunday, June 14th through June 20th with only one live call on the 15th.

There is no closing call for the current course.

photoSarra Cannon
Heart Breathings, Make Money Writing What You Lovesarra@heartbreathings.comwww.heartbreathings.com
Posted in inspiration, Thoughts

Celebrating Small Accomplishments

My First Quarter Goals

January 2020 started with a lot of promise and hope. I am still trying to hang onto that feeling. It is not easy during this time of Covid-19 to keep up that optimistic spirit. Like many of you, I am still working and though there are safety measures in place, I don’t have a lot of faith in them. It is nearly impossible to protect ourselves 100% from the virus if we are out in the public, but are we, or am I making myself crazy worrying about something that may never be a problem for me or won’t be that bad if it is. I am trying to be cautious and smart but I’m also just trying to live each day. I have allowed myself to get overwhelmed and overwrought, it is time to take back control. Today, I’m celebrating each new milestone I have made in my writerly journey. So, join with me and celebrate your journey too. Tell me what this quarter has brought you. What did you do? Big or small, it is important to celebrate each day and each accomplishment.

Ad came out just as everything was closing for quarantine!

One of the greatest things I did this quarter was take Sarra Cannon’s Publish and Thrive Course. I wish I had taken it sooner. This was an awesome program for indie authors. Even after publishing five books, there is still so much I needed to learn. After her Publish and Thrive Course, I decided to take her HB90 Bootcamp. Now this program isn’t just for authors, it is for anyone trying to get organized, but it does have a strong focus on authors because Sarra is an author too. She only offers these programs a couple of times a year but once you sign up for the program you can sit in whenever she is giving the course. She sends updates to her previous students and she gives free video lessons on YouTube or you can check out her website http://www.sarracannon.com. I know, I sound like an ad for Sarra Cannon and perhaps I am. Sarra is such an uplifting person, listening to her YouTube videos has been a great help to me during this pandemic scare. If you are looking for a great YA story, check out her The Witch’s Key videos, she has been doing live all month.

My notebook for Publish & Thrive

In Sarra’s Publish and Thrive Course she suggested authors have a newsletter to stay connected to their readers. As we have recently seen Facebook and Amazon do little to help us reach our readers and keep them informed. I started out with three people receiving my newsletter. My first official newsletter for April had 15 (two of those myself), and I have now increased it to 22 real followers. Nine of those in the last month. Thank you for supporting my efforts and I hope you like the new short story I wrote just for you.

While I have been struggling to write the new story (not because I don’t know what happens but because I am exhausted and just have no energy to write), I am happy to share some of Mike and Janie’s back story. It was fun to go back in time and write about how their romance started and tanked. I plan to use some of this in the novel but for those of you who signed up for the newsletter, you have all of the details.

writing Mike and Janie’s romance both past and present

Another part of the struggle is I have three stories planned and as a pantser I’m having to plan or plot my stories because it is too much to do in my head. I want to weave these three together and it feels like I am trying to unknot a necklace chain with low light. I know how to untangle it if I could just get a hold of it. I do have about 20K of this new novel written, that is probably a third of it. So, I am hopeful I can finish it this month. I just need to focus.

My HB90 Board

There is so much to learn when you are an indie author. After five books I still feel I do not know how to market or promote myself and my books well. I am constantly searching for ideas that will work and not cost a fortune. Those of you who repost my book promos and post reviews on my Facebook page, Amazon, Bookbubs or Goodreads, thank you. Your efforts do more to help me than anything I can pay for. I still believe that word-of-mouth advertising is the best advertising there is. Thank you for supporting my dream.

home for lunch, I can’t believe I won

Many of you saw where I won The Heart of Carolina RWA’s Christine Hyatt Service Award. When I opened my box and read the letter, I cried. The award is for my work as moderator or as I call it, host of the Book in a Week challenge. This is a monthly writing challenge where participants set their own writing goals and we try to encourage each other to achieve it. We are mostly a group of women, with an occasional brave man joining us. We share our triumphs and our challenges. While I try to be cheerful and encouraging, I know there are times I drop the ball. When I do, there is someone else who takes up the slack. I couldn’t do this every month without the rest of the group. Some months there are only a few of us and others we fill the board, but many who aren’t even participating still take the time to cheer the rest onward. Being a part of this group has allowed me to reach my own writing goals.

Before I end this celebration, I want to thank the handsome firefighters and EMTs who recently bought my book, Red Steel. The book was a love story to the men and women who volunteer. I admire our local fire and rescue station. They were there for my family when we lost our home to fire and when my father died. They are true heroes. When one of the young firefighters sent me back a message that he loved the book and wanted to read the rest of the series, I felt I had accomplished my goals. I’m celebrating today, not a million sales. I may only have a hundred or so, but that’s okay, because I love writing the books and you like reading them, so I’m calling it a win.

I appreciate your support!

Thank you all for celebrating with me as we close this quarter. I may not have reached all my goals but that’s okay, I still have plenty to be happy about. I hope you do too.

If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter please do, you do not want to miss Mike and Janie’s teen romance. If you have read my stories and you like them, please don’t forget to write a review, it makes a HUGE difference.

Newsletter button below!

https://mailchi.mp/25b327a3db97/httpssherrilhollistercom?fbclid=IwAR2hPuEhZq–scBNEXJjNgB2BNgqMjLa64yqq43LU2_yx-GO9nKPUo9Shpk

Posted in inspiration, my books, Thoughts

I am a dreamer…

I am a dreamer but I also believe in working for those dreams. Nothing happens without a little work-equity. I have been taking an online class to help me reach my goals of becoming a better author and entrepreneur. If you are a writer or a small business owner I suggest following Sarra Canon’s YouTube videos Heart Breathings or better yet, take her online author course, Publish and Thrive or her HB90 organization course designed to de-clutter your thoughts and help you focus on what is important. What do you truly desire? How can you make it real?

One of the first things Sarra tells us to do is to envision the life we want to have. She instructs us to build a vision board. Above is my dream for the future. Thought in truth, I already have the life I dreamed of. No, I haven’t got a movie deal and I still have to work my “paying” job, but I’m writing and I’m publishing my books.

There was a time not too long ago when I did not believe I would ever be a published author. I was terrified of self-publishing. With good reason, it is a lot of work, and truthfully, the burden of success or failure falls solely on your own shoulders. It is daunting at times. Once I became a published author, I’m no longer just a writer. I’m now a business owner. I am a book designer, book-formatter, cover designer, promoter, marketer, seller, and advertiser. Sometimes I have so many balls in the air I cannot even count them all.

Even after five books there is still so much I do not know. Oh my goodness, five books, really. Wow…I have to just stop and absorb this a minute. Five books. Before I published the first book, I’d written several books but I’d hidden them in spiral notebooks under my bed or in the bottom of my closet. In December of 2017, I published Chrome Pink. Less than two and half years ago I published my first book. Sometimes I feel like I’m moving at a snails pace. I want it all and I want it yesterday. In my haste I have made so many mistakes, some of them costly. Like many other indie writers, I juggle a real job, family and home along with everything that goes along with being a published author. Sometimes the learning curve is a little slower for my foggy old brain but I’m happy I’m still learning. I’m still moving forward. It maybe at the speed of a turtle but I’m still moving.

I appreciate all of you who have been with me since before the first book launched. You saw the seed and have watched it grow. Thanks to you guys, I still believe in the possibilities. I still believe that someday that vision board might come true. But whether I get the dreamed-for movie deal or sell a thousand books, no matter what happens, I’m thankful for the journey and for each of you who have been a part of this dream.

Thank you for your reviews.