Roles of the Self-Publisher

It's late, and I probably should be getting ready to sleep, but I wanted to quickly share some of the interesting blog posts I've found this month on the topic of self-publication. I think it is very important to go into an enterprise with a full array of research and an open understanding of what is involved.

So whether you're considering self-promoting your work, or pursuing traditional publication, there is something to be learned from each of these authors:

Enjoy! Oh, and if you get a chance, tell me what you think!

(Please note, these are in no particular order)

S.R. Johannes put together a eye-opening list of the various roles played by a self-published author. At first, the list sucks the romance out of the vision you keep in your head of the newly emerging ever evolving definition of Indie Authorship. Once you get over the initial shock, you realize that some of the roles that seem so overwhelming are still required by major publishing houses. Not only that, but when all is said and done, the work is worth the achievement of a dream, right?

J.A. Konrath is a name I've heard floating around a lot this month, so I had to check out what the buzz was about. I quickly discovered why he has become a guru of the Indie market - over the Christmas season, he sold $100,000 worth of books. And, he'll tell you how and why, in his opinion, self-published authors can find the same success.

Amanda Hocking is the next stop on my mini-tour. If you haven't heard of her, don't despair - I hadn't either, until three weeks ago. But she quickly caught my fascination with her amazing tale of do-it-yourself success.

Susan Kaye Quinn has put together a great post that gives advice and encouragement to any one trying to market their own books. She includes anecdotes relating her experience with her self-pubbed book, and I found this article very informative. She brings to the light seven questions you should ask yourself - and answer honestly before you decide to take the leap.

NiNoCon Ninja Self-Publishing Conference

If you are someone who has ever considered self-publishing, or, if you are always on the lookout for an opportunity to learn more about your craft, I have a link to a great conference opportunity:

Ali Cross and some other talented writers are helping to put on a conference to discuss certain aspects of self publishing and writing. The beauty of this conference is three fold:

1. It's free

2. It's online (which means you can come in your pajamas)

3. It features authors with experience (which is the best source for correct information)

Ali is an author with a background in martial arts, and she has connected this to her love of writing. Therefore, NiNoCon stands for Ninja Novel Conference, and is a fun blend of the two different worlds. If you want to join the ranks of writing Ninjas, head on over to NiNoCon on Saturday, February 4th, 2012. I am unaware of the time the conference begins or its duration, but I'm sure Ali will keep us updated as Saturday draws closer.

Hope to see you there!

A Self-Publishing Surprise Success Story

How's that for alliteration? And I just want to begin by clarifying that I don't mean it's a 'surprise' that this book is successful, more a 'surprise' at the unexpected momentum with which it rose to the top.

When I heard the story of Regina Sirois and her newly released novel (very, very new - as in January 2012) On Little Wings, I knew I had to include it in my monthly discussion on self-publishing. In trying to find a way to contact her for an interview, I stumbled upon her blog, and I must say, I think I've developed a tad of a writer's crush on her. Okay, I admit it, I'm smitten.

I'd love to tell you her story, but I think she'll do a much better job, and with greater eloquence.

Meet Regina Sirois.

"I am really happy to get to tell my side of the story because I think there are many misconceptions floating around about me.

Misconception #1: I have made it big in the publishing world. the truth- I haven't. Not even close. I was contacted by two very talented agents in New York this week and I have decided which one I am going to sign with. That means she will try to sell my book to publishers. That does not mean they will buy. She feels good about our prospects, but there are no guarantees in this business.

Misconception #2: I just lucked out.The truth- this is almost entirely true. If you count working on my manuscript for years, sending it to many test readers, enduring harsh critiques, querying everyone and their mother and finally giving up on myself as lucky. Because that is what happened. I worked as hard and tortured myself just as long as other writers. The difference is I believed the silence from the agents and gave up on myself. I put my manuscript in a drawer and refused to talk about it or look at it for over a year. I stopped writing. And I made peace with that. So then how do I explain you knowing about my book? Well, I got a gift. A teenage girl who test read the book for me almost two years ago asked for a copy. I told her "no, don't worry about it. It's not any good." She told me that she loved it and had been thinking of it for months. She asked if she could please read it again. I brushed her off and went back to life. But it got under my skin. I kept hearing her say she missed it. So one day I timidly pulled it up on the screen. It was like making up with a friend after a big fight. It took some time to get comfortable with it again. And I started working. I worked for weeks. I neglected all my chores and wrote. And then, right before Christmas, I finished. There is a great amount of luck involved in any literary success, but it doesn't take unless there's a thousand times more work than luck.

Misconception #3: I had a marketing strategy. Truth- what is a marketing strategy?I decided to give my book away for free to any friends who wanted to peruse it and print up copies for my family as gifts. On January 4th I put a post on my blog and told my handful of followers that I wrote a book. I announced it on facebook. I worried people would think I was bugging them or bragging, but I did it anyway. I decided if I worked that hard I should at least tell the people who cared about me what I did. I did not think I would make a penny. I didn't really want to. That wasn't the point. I'm not sure what the point was, to be honest. I just wanted to stop being afraid to try. I don't know how 14,000 people found me in five days. I really don't.

Any marketing tips or strategies? I refer you to my last answer. :) I believe that free is a great way to plant your book. If it really touches people and lands in fertile ground it might just grow. Just remember that there will be no word of mouth if it doesn't resonate. No one says, "hey I downloaded a mediocre book for free. You should get it." Let your work speak for itself and see if people pass along the word. And say a mediocre book does make it big online. When an agent reads a copy, then what? They will say, 'what the heck is this?' You have to have a product that stands up to the most critical eyes. Self publishing is not a short cut! It is just another path through the jungle. For me it was an accidental path. But trust me, I had tried to get through the jungle before I self published.

How long have I dreamed of being an author? I fought being a writer for a long time. I always said that writing is a crap shoot. It doesn't matter how good you are because even dogs write books nowadays. Dogs! So how do you compete with that. And if you knew me you would know that if I have a competitive bone in my body it is my pinky bone. Or maybe one of those tiny bones in my eardrum. I fight hard with myself but I hate competing with anyone else. When I finally gave in and decided to do this it was because I was sick of telling my husband, "If I ever write that book..." It sounded so lazy and stupid to me. I told myself, "Just write it if you're going to write it, or shut up about it." (See, I told you I can be hard on myself. But in a good way) Every time I wanted to give up (there were many) I told myself to write it to my daughter. I can do for her what I cannot do for myself.

The most exciting part of this experience? The first time a complete stranger blogged about my book. I found it by googling my title. She said I was a master of the English language. Another woman called me a "wordsmith." I looked at my husband and said, "I'm a wordsmith?" Then I covered my mouth and cried in the kitchen. Cried happy, happy tears. Seeing that people who don't know me and are not trying to be nice to me care about what I wrote is the biggest reward."

Okay, this is Mandi speaking again. I know, I'm sorry, I was completely hypnotized by her writer's voice as well, and almost forgot I was supposed to be writing this post. If you haven't read this book yet, don't miss it! If you don't believe me, go check out the 20/22 five star reviews on Amazon! There is a reason this book has gone from zero to sixty in under ten seconds, but I'm not going to tell you what.

I'll let you read it and find out for yourself...

A Self-Publishing Giveaway

Have you ever had this experience - you start to think or dwell on a topic of issue, and you suddenly notice the answer is all around you? I've been mulling over this whole field of self-publication in my head for two months now (as you've heard about over and over and quite possibly are getting sick of), and it seems that everywhere I turn, it's already being discussed! It's fantastic, really, to see so much positive press on the issue.

As it turns out, there is a post on the Mormon Mommy Writers blog by author Linda Boulanger who runs a business called TreasureLine Publishing, and if you follow the instructions on the post, you can earn an entry in the giveaway for one of three fabulous self-publishing packages. How cool!

Linda also talks in depth on the topic of self-publishing from her own experience, and why she got into the business. Lots of good information - go check it out!

Book Review - Matched, by Ally Condie

Wow - my first book review of the new year, and so excited about this one. I have to just say, my first reaction when I finished and closed the book was to hug it tightly to my chest and say "Where have you been all my life?". While my husband thought I was crazy for proposing love to a book, I soon relaxed and realized it may have been a tad over-dramatic.

I wasn't too sure what to expect when I picked up the book: the cover was a definite draw in (who can resist that luscious green silk dress, and the simplicity of the glass bubble - it still makes my skin tingle) but I'm also not a big one for hype, because I find it too often doesn't deliver. And this book has hype. A lot of it.

However, I was not disappointed. I was instantly sucked into Cassia, Ky and Xander's dystopian world in which an all powerful government makes all the decisions for you - what you own, where you work, who you marry, when you die and how you feel about all of that.

I've read a few reviews on Amazon and Goodreads that seem to believe this book is just a rip-off of Lois Lowry's The Giver. While I can see where they are coming from, I don't agree in the least. Is it a similar concept to Lowry's award winning book? Yes. But how many versions of the Cinderella story are there? Or Pride and Prejudice, for that matter? Nobody gives those authors a hard time for plagiarizing Austen and Anderson, and I don't think it's justified in this case either. The stories may be based on the same concept, but they are totally different stories with vastly different characters.

This book was also quite widely correlated with The Hunger Games series as far as quality goes. I say Yes to Condie's ability to pull you in to the story and keep you hungering for more. However, it doesn't have the same depth of plot as Hunger Games. The pacing, writing, characterization, plotting, hooks are all stronger, but it is pretty much a singular, linear plot. At least that's the way I see it.

So all in all, what do I say?

Well, I'm still trying to sort out my book rating system for this site, so when I do, I will come back and update my thoughts on this particular book. In the meantime, I gave it a 5/5 on Goodreads, I will definitely be purchasing this book for my book shelf (I don't do that often, as space is very rare on my shelf - I have to love it that much to buy it hard copy instead of e-book), and I've already put in a request for the sequel, Crossed, which was released in Nov. 2011. According to the library site, I'm hold number 94 on 36 copies. That says something, doesn't it?

In summary: Don't miss this one!

Self-Publishing Forum Transcript Goodies

The other night I participated in an online forum that had been advertised on the Indelibles site, and I'm glad I did! I went because the topic piqued my interest, and fit in with the focus of my blog discussions this month - self publication.

Indelibles is a website that has brought together 25 YA and MG authors who are either Indie or self-published novelists. I didn't really understand what those terms meant until I attended the event. To learn more about these authors, and their books, please visit their website - it will be worth you time!

You can also access the whole transcript on their site. For interest sake (and mostly to remind myself) I have cut and pasted a few of the comments that best answered some of the questions that have been stirring in the back of my mind. At the end of January, I will revisit my own thoughts on this topic, but for now, here's what some of these experienced authors had to say:

srjohannes:
as some of you may know - the indelibles is about 25 indie authors that have banned together. Our goal is to help each other and support the indie community.

Comment From Kris Asselin:
I'd love to hear how you all came to the decision to self-pub. Thanks!

Megg Jensen:
Fellow Indelible, Karly Kirkpatrick, told me about Konrath just over a year ago. I read up on epublishing and jumped in feet first. Love it!

Susan Kaye Quinn:
I decided to self-pub Open Minds because of: price, creative control, and writing diversification (I was prev. pubbed with a small press). And to get it out quickly!

G.P. Ching:
My books did not easily fit within a genre. Not Christian enough to be christian but more religious than mainstream was comfortable with. Megg Jensen convinced me to self-pub.

srjohannes:
in a nutshell - i spent 2 years with agent and submitted the first 2 books I'm publishing now. they got to acquisitions but never were bought. I figured they were good enough and I was tired of having someone else run my destiny.

AuthorCKBryant:
For me it was a no brainer. I'd already had BOUND under contract with a publisher (who has since gone under). I'd waited long enough and the book was ready. I was ready. So why not send it out into the world to be read and shared?

Sarra Cannon:
I had too many traditionally published friends who spent years trying to get agents and when they finally got published, they were unhappy because their books were changed so much by their editors. I wanted to keep control of my own work.

Lisa_Nowak:
After five years of trying the traditional route, I heard agent April Eberhardt speak on how ebooks had changed the industry. I was researching the subject when I finally got an offer from a
small press. By that time I'd learned enough to know I wanted to do it myself, so I turned them down and went indie. Never regretted it for a second.

Comment From laurapauling
What started me thinking about it was Nathan Bransford's post that said midlisters could make more money self publishing. That and posts by kris Rusch who pointed out that authors were really getting a bum deal with ebook royalties.

Sarra Cannon:
Good point Sara! If you are Indie it's so much easier to experiment with genre, cover art, price, everything.

Comment From Mandi Thomson
You've mentioned the best part of self-publishing: the control. What is the common consensus on the worst aspect of self-publishing (or is the experience very different for everyone?

srjohannes:
not really a worse side but a hard side - doing it all on your own. it gets lonely. sometimes I would love to have someone get y back if something slips.

Sarra Cannon:
Great questions Mandi! I think the experience is different for all, but for me the worst part is that it's ALL on my shoulders. I love the control, but sometimes it's just so hard to be responsible for every aspect of it and to know there's nowhere to blame but me if I fail.

Jessie Harrell:
@Mandi - it probably is diff for everyone. I am finding that marketing the book has sucked away months of my life. not that it hasn't been fun, but like Shelli says, it's hard work.

RaShelle Workman:
Mandi - I do believe it's different for everyone. As an indie, you work your strengths and hopefully have good people help with the weaknesses.

Stacey WB:
The feeling that you have to market yourself 24/7 or you're going to lose any readers you have. That is the worst. It's a crazy cycle b/c then you don't have time to write!

AuthorCKBryant:
I'm a writer, not a marketer, not a publisher, not a graphic designer, not a business woman, A WRITER. But with self-pubbing you have to be all of those things and the worst part is that sometimes your writing has to take a back seat.

Susan Kaye Quinn:
@Mandi Worst is having so much on your shoulders - very hard to balance all the promoting with writing (not that I think this is much different for trad pubbed)

Comment From Kris Asselin
I'd love to know the difference between self pub and indie pub. Is there a difference or do you use the terms interchangeably?

Megg Jensen:

Indie pub means going through a small press. Self-pub is self-publishing

srjohannes:
technically indie pub is an independent press

Karen Hooper:
Kris, I'm "Indie" pubbed meaning I'm published with a small press. So it's a little different than self-pub. I do have help with edits, cover, some marketing etc

ali: For me personally, I think I'm happy with self-publishing and won't attempt a traditional publishing path anymore/again.

srjohannes:
i think trad pubbing is for some and indie is for others - you have to figure out what that is for you. I just dont think one is better than the other.

Lisa_Nowak:
I think there are a lot of people who shouldn't self-publish. Those with demanding jobs, or who don't like to self-promote, or who only want to write.

Comment From Mandi Thomson
This may be a loaded question, but I'm just curious - if any of you were ever to make it real big, and I mean REALLY big through self-publishing, and got deals from major publishing houses to pick up your books, would you ever consider the switch? Have you ever contemplated this scenario?

Lisa_Nowak:
Okay. One more. Mandi, it would take a LOT of money to make me go traditional. Bye now.

(Note - for whatever reason, I can't get the hyperlink thing to work. To see the forum on the site, go to the following):

http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/2012/01/writers-chat.html

Indelible Self-Publishing Chat

Right along with our topic of discussion this month, I have just learned that a new group site featuring Indie authors will be hosting a writers chat this Wednesday night to talk about several topics of interest for writers, self-publishing being among them.

To learn more, go to the Indelibles site. Hope to see you there!

Author Heather Justesen on Self-Publishing

I'm very excited today to introduce my first guest author, as promised in my previous post, to talk about the topic of self-publication. Heather Justesen has joined us to answer some of the questions about the self-publication industry that I had mentioned earlier.

You can learn more about Heather by clicking here, which will take you to her blog. Here are two of Heather's self-published works:

Shear Luck, by Heather Justesen :

Chelsea Robison has never forgotten the older boy next door whom she crushed on as a teen, so when she runs into him at the restaurant he’s preparing to open, it’s a delightful shock. And learning he’s available again is more than a little tantalizing.

Vaughn Krenshaw had never seen his neighbor as more than a nice kid—but Chelsea had definitely grown up in the decade since they saw each other last. He’s attracted to the feisty red head, but still struggles over his wife’s death the previous year. And then there’s his five-year-old daughter, Molly, who really liked Chelsea—until she realized the woman was dating her dad.

As Chelsea starts to wonder if their love for each other will be enough to make things work, a specter from Vaughn’s past rises, making her question whether she really knew him at all.

Blank Slate, by Heather Justesen:

Adrianna Mueller may be a world-renowned concert pianist, but when she wakes from her coma after a serious car accident, her ability to perform has disappeared as completely as her lost memory.

As she recovers from her injuries, she struggles with the expectations of everyone—her family, friends, and fiancé, Brock—who all want everything to go back to the way it was. Everyone except Gavin, Adrianna’s brother’s business partner, who finds himself drawn to the woman she is now. But he has his own problems. As he tries to get a handle on a former employee’s embezzlement, he fights his growing feelings for Adrianna. And then a trip to the emergency room shakes everything up, leaving her to stumble as she tries to regain her footing all over again.

Why did you choose to self-publish?

I did submit my book to my publisher first and several other publishers after, and I considered submitting it out to other publishers outside of my usual market, but just felt like self-publishing was the right option for that story (with Blank Slate). As for self publishing a novella, I only intended it to be an ebook, unless I do an anthology later. Though traditional publishers are terrific for getting books into stores, I didn't feel like the advantages of using a publisher for an ebook was stronger than doing it myself--especially since ebooks never die.

Which company/business did you work with?

I printed with CreateSpace, but I did my own cover and typesetting on "Blank Slate," thanks to my background in desktop publishing. I did use a cover designer at create-imaginations.com for "Shear Luck."

Would you recommend them to others? Would you be a return customer?

I'd definitely use CreateSpace again and Paul was a terrific designer to work with who took some information I gave him about the book and came up with a much better cover idea than I had on my own. And he worked his guts out for not much money.

In your opinion, what are the pros to self-publication?

Being in charge of it myself, having creative control and seeing it come together under my own control.

In your opinion, what are the cons to self-publication?

Being in charge of it myself...okay, really trying to get the word out when I couldn't afford much in the way of advertising was a major drawback, and even though authors have to do most of their own publicity regardless of whether they have a publisher or not, there's definitely still extra pressure if you're doing it all yourself.

What’s one piece of advice you’d offer authors considering this option?

If you're doing this wanting to be taken seriously as a professional, then you need to treat it as a professional would. Make sure you have a good cover, that the formatting looks like traditionally published books, and that you've edited the heck out of it. The details are what prove that you're a professional, so pay attention to them.

Thanks to Heather for stopping by and answering some of my questions! I haven't had the privilege of reading her work yet, so I will have to get reading to see the fruits of her hard work. You can find Heather's books on amazon, or at her webpage: www.HeatherJustesen.com.

More authors, with more answers, yet to come: stay tuned!

To Publish or Not To Publish: That Is the Question

Have you ever thought much about the possibility of being self-published? And when you did, was it always your 'back-up plan' or last resort?

I’ve never thought much about the process of self-publication. In fact, if I was quite honest I would admit that I probably have the same misconceptions of the process – and reasons for – pursuing this form of publication. That, and I’ve never reached the stage of submission, so it just never really occupied much space in my mind.

At the end of NaNo in November, one of the prizes listed on the Winners goodies page was six free copies of your manuscript in book form from a company called CreateSpace. Intrigued, I looked through their website, which began to stir a little mini-fascination with this facet of writing I had never explored.

Then I read a couple of articles of several authors in the past decade who shocked the publishing world with their self-published books that sold in the hundreds of thousands, and went on to be picked up by agents and traditional publishers.

After all of my reading and research, there is one thing I’ve come to realize – self-publication doesn’t abide by the same definition that it might have years ago. Now there were new questions and curiosities tumbling through my head, and as much as I tried to Google the answers, I continued to find a lot of conflicting advice – including from some who’d never been self-published. That’s when the answer hit me: I needed to turn to those who have experience.

For the rest of January (and possibly beyond, if there are still some unanswered questions or hot topic debates) I would like to explore this topic of interest, and have reached out to several others who have chosen the route of self-publication for at least one of their novels.


I asked them to answer several questions about why, and how they self-published their books. Because the general consensus among the reading & writing population, from what I can infer, is that those who self publish do so because they can't get accepted by a traditional publishing house. Therefore, the quality of their work is poorer, or their writing talents weaker, or their marketing prowess less developed and therefore they end up with a spare room filled with books that won't sell and that have little but bad reviews.


While that may have been the case a decade or more ago, it seems less likely to be the black and white answer today. In fact, self-published books, in some respects, are doing so well, are so successful, that the major publication companies are actually being given a run for their money. Obviously there are many shades of grey to this story.


I wonder what my readers think? What are some of the opinions, and misconceptions and unknown facts about self-publication? Would you ever consider the possibility?


And a question I have still yet to answer, would I?


p.s. If you are a self-published author and would like to weigh in on this topic of conversation, please drop me a line. You can make a comment and leave your email, or send me an email to maybemandi at gmail dot com. If not, then at least tune in for the answer to some of these questions...

Author Maggie Stiefvater On A Writing Education

One of the best parts of being a writer, is that you have to read - a lot! In fact, as beneficial and important as writing classes, conferences and tutorials can be, the most growth we as writers can make comes from seeing, and doing. The doing includes nothing more than gluing yourself to your chair and getting to work.

The seeing comes from studying the work of the great authors that have come before - and sometimes from the not so great.

If you are a writer of fiction, the best textbook you will find is other published fiction. I use this as my excuse when my husband says something like "you're reading that book again?". Of course I'm reading that book again - I'm studying! In fact, I've never loved studying so much in my life!

But what of the need for formal education to become a successful author? Does one need a college degree to enjoy success in the writing world?

Maggie Stiefvater, an author I've just recently been introduced to, touches on this subject on a recent blog post. She talks about the importance of getting to work and actually writing, to improve your ability to write. Her is one of my favorite quotes from her post:

My sister read and chatted with me about OUTLIERS: The Story of Success, by
Malcolm Gladwell. In it, he talks about the 10,000 hour rule — he postulates
that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in any field. I think
this is key. You need to learn everything you can about not only writing, but
reading, and everything you can find out about the industry and business. I
would say that 10,000 hours of writing sounds about right. But I think that
there are lots of ways to accomplish those hours. You can self teach. You can
apprentice. You can take classes. You can workshop. You can get a writing
critique partner. You can steal someone else’s brain. ~ Maggie Stiefvater

If you would like to read more of her work, or learn more about her books (which I'm hungrily delving into even now...) than click on her name, or the picture above.

Resolutions

Well, it's that time of year again, when we make all sorts of crazy resolutions so we can break them in about 15 days time, right?

I actually enjoy making goals for myself - I'm sort of a list person. I love to cross things off a neatly columned lined paper. It makes me feel good. And I love deadlines. I know, I'm crazy.

But this year, I decided to do something different. Usually, my resolutions are pretty par with what you hear of other's goals - eat healthy, exercise more, read more, try to do the dishes when you use them, not the next day when the food is crusted on, etc., etc.

This year, I've taken a long hard look at where I am, and where I want to go.

I've always been a writer - ever since I could hold a pencil. In the third grade, I joined my first writer's group, at lunch time, in my classroom, with four other kids who loved to tell stories, and I have files and files of paper full of plot and character, spanning back over fifteen years or more. Writing is my release, it is my growth, it is my passion.

But it's time to move beyond that - it's time to start down the path I've always dreamed about, but never dared to really explore, probably because I wasn't truly ready. I want to be more than a writer. I want to be an author.

I took the first important step this past November: I have entered Nanowrimo three years running now, but never made it past 14000 words - always with 'good' excuses. But this past year, I knew I had to do it. When the clock hit Dec. 1, I had finished Nano. That's when I realized it's time. I've (metaphorically) grown up enough to take my writing to the next level.

So my New Year's resolution is to start down that road. I don't know if it (publication) will ever happen. I'm not worried about that right now. All I can do is try, and either way, the effort I put into the task will be rewarded with the most important prize: growth. My writing will improve.

Here's how I plan to achieve this goal:

1. Finish my nano manuscript (I figure I have around 10, 000 - 20, 000 words to go)

2. Complete edits & rewrites of my manuscript

3. Submit my manuscript (it doesn't matter if it gets accepted or rejected - its all about overcoming that first hurdle)

I have till Next October 1st to complete this portion of my goal. At that point, I will switch into gear for the second part of my goal:

1. Outline a new story for Nanowrimo 2012

2. Complete 50,000 words for story between Nov. 1 2012, and Nov. 30 2012

And finally, the last part of my goal to take my writing to the next level:

1. Find a creative way to network in the blogging world

2. Attend my writers group with polished work ready to go every month

3. Read 25 books by next Christmas

When it's written all out like that, it seems like a rather intimidating goal, but I feel confident that I have the support and drive to make it happen. And not only that, but I'm excited about it!

So, I guess I better get off my blog and get to work, because the kids are napping right now, and we all now how precious those moments of quiet can be each day.

Wish me luck, or better yet - hold me accountable!