Blog by VONNIE DAVIS -- International, Award-Winning Romance Author: Adventurous...Humorous...Amorous.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Monday Musings--Facing Something New

Doing something new puts me in a panic. I can't say it's an age-related issue. I mean, we all know I'm barely 39.  *shifty eyes*  Truth be told, I've always been that way. Fearful of trying and failing. I like my comfort zones, thank you very much. Although I've been known to push those limits, expanding them like my jeans size.

Promo experts--and I have no clue what puts a person in that category--say the best thing for a writer to have is a newsletter. I ignored it the first time I heard it. As the experts kept pushing the issue, I got an itch in the middle of my back. How would I put one together? More importantly, WHO would I send them to? I won't do spam.

I put a page on my website to sign-up for my newsletter. I offered a couple prizes to those who would, the winners chosen at random by a third party. I looked at newsletter sites. I wanted quick and easy. I kept telling myself I didn't have time for a big learning curve on how to put one of these things together. It had to be simple for a simple-minded fool. A skeptic, I still wondered if anyone would even read the darn thing. Or would I be wasting my time.

Saturday I fiddled with writing my first newsletter. I had no clue what to put in it. I briefly told what sub-genres of romance I write, mentioned my various series, and wrote about my newly released Indie book, showing its cover. I talked about my humor in my writing, too, as well as hinted at my heat levels. Looked good to me. Then I rewrote it 5 times.

Yesterday, I entered the people who'd signed up for my newsletter into the mail program I was using. It took me all day and several eye drops to enter all 1408 email address and names. Initially, I had signed up for the free program which was for under 1000 people. I scoffed at the time. Pfffftttt, I'll be lucky to get a couple hundred. This should do fine. Suddenly I was updating to a version with a higher limit at a cost of $10. a month.

I reread the newsletter. Thought it was lame, but by then all I wanted to do was get it off. So, I hit the send button. I'd faced the fear of doing something new. I can't say it was fun. I can't say I learned much. Will it prove as fruitful as all the "experts" claim? That remains to be seen. 

Today, I can go back to fictitious Sonas Isle off the eastern coast of the Scottish Highlands and my bear shifters. In my comfort zone of kilts, annoying bear halves of dual personas, and that delightful Scottish burr.


6 comments:

Unknown said...

Soooo glad you stepped out of your comfort zone.....it always encourages me to do, be, breathe in new adventures and ALWAYS makes my heart smile. Thanks sweet girl;)

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Thanks so much, Cathy. Muah!!

Unknown said...

I read it twice! Congrats on self-pubbing Storm's Interlude!

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Thanks, Melissa. I think Storm's Interlude is the best book I've ever written, but then it was my first. There's always something special about your first.

Angela Adams said...

I thought your newsletter looked great!

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Thanks, Angela. You're always so encouraging.