Rina Brown's Blog
December 12, 2023
London or Local, what works?
Greetings lone Reader! I apologize, it has been a while since my last entry.
I have had some exciting things happen the last couple of months that have kept me from blogging, not that I ever though I would be consistent anyway.
My new book, Truth At Sea, is done! FINALLY. It releases Christmas Day, and is the third installment in the Isle of the Dark series. This one was emotionally taxing for me, a character near and dear to my heart dies, and it was a struggle at times to write it. The fourth book will tackle this event, and I have a feeling it will take me more than a few boxes of tissues to get through the manuscript.
In other news, I was recently interviewed by a magazine in London! My mind is blown. I don't even know how they heard of me, let alone thought I would be cool enough to interview, but here we are. Once it is out, I will let you know how to find a copy.
My question is, will it help me sell books? Exposure, glamour, and London is all great, but I am having more luck selling my books at the local Holiday Market. I have a beautiful little booth set up next to a tea vendor, and I get to talk to people all day.
Young or old, it makes no difference, I am happy to tell you all about my world, and invite you to join me.
This year has taught me a great deal, and I have a lot of big decisions coming up. Forgive me if I am not as verbose as usual.
Wishing you and your a happy holiday season, Dear Reader, until we meet again.
I have had some exciting things happen the last couple of months that have kept me from blogging, not that I ever though I would be consistent anyway.
My new book, Truth At Sea, is done! FINALLY. It releases Christmas Day, and is the third installment in the Isle of the Dark series. This one was emotionally taxing for me, a character near and dear to my heart dies, and it was a struggle at times to write it. The fourth book will tackle this event, and I have a feeling it will take me more than a few boxes of tissues to get through the manuscript.
In other news, I was recently interviewed by a magazine in London! My mind is blown. I don't even know how they heard of me, let alone thought I would be cool enough to interview, but here we are. Once it is out, I will let you know how to find a copy.
My question is, will it help me sell books? Exposure, glamour, and London is all great, but I am having more luck selling my books at the local Holiday Market. I have a beautiful little booth set up next to a tea vendor, and I get to talk to people all day.
Young or old, it makes no difference, I am happy to tell you all about my world, and invite you to join me.
This year has taught me a great deal, and I have a lot of big decisions coming up. Forgive me if I am not as verbose as usual.
Wishing you and your a happy holiday season, Dear Reader, until we meet again.
October 19, 2023
Overwhelmed
When I tell people I am an author, they get this special twinkle in their eye. "A writer! How amazing, you are so young!" Followed usually by the inevitable "I've thought about writing, have a book in my head, always meant to write, my mother's Uncle Joe wrote a book once."
Everyone has a good story in them, of that I have no doubt. Getting it out on paper is the least of the mountain of challenges an Author faces.
And that isn't exactly easy.
I find that once I start a project, I have a million others crowding my mind, and I really, REALLY want to abandon what I am doing and hop to something else. Ug, I don't want to write about Ranger and Isle! I have all of these really interesting people rattling around begging to be on paper. Inevitably, I know I would abandon them in favor of someone else even shinier, so I better stick with what I started.
Drat.
So, after I shove everyone back into a closet in my brain and lock the door, (they sneak out in dreams, I can't be held accountable for that!)
I focus and get my story told. Yay! Easy street, here I come.
Nope.
I need to edit, figure out cover art, format, upload, publish, get copies (cha ching!) then market.
Market? Can't someone do that for me? If I was rich maybe, but no one has really discovered the genius that is me yet. So, where to begin?
I could bore you, Dear Reader, with all the things I have Googled, sites I have signed up for, Social media I have posted on...but I won't.
I keep getting ads that say "Famous Author Blah Blah did THIS and had overnight success, here's how!!" (only ten billion dollars per class) Or, Internet sensation yadda yadda was
discovered on Twitter (OK- not Twitter anymore, but you knew what I meant) Yadda now travels the world on her yacht sipping champagne with Taylor Swift! It was all so easy!
I am here to tell you, it isn't. Did you know that recently, Amazon had to put a limit on how many books someone could upload a day? AI has given people the opportunity to upload a book an hour. A book an HOUR?? I only put out 2 a year, 3 if I am really lucky. How can I compete with that? How can I get myself in front of more people?
I have done book tours, farmer markets, online marketing, Amazon ads, bookstores across the U.S. carry my stuff...but no one has a clue who I am. I look at my friends, Todd and Fleur , who are WAY beyond me, and people don't really know who they are either.
Blah.
What these past few years have taught me, is that every author has a different journey to take. I'm not going to lie, I get overwhelmed. I don't know if I will ever be sipping something bubbly out of a fancy glass, but what I do know, is I am proud of the fact that I am chasing my dream.
I hope that you get the chance to chase your dream, Dear Reader. It can make you crazy, there are highs and lows, but it's all worth it.
Thank you for being here with me.
https://rinabrownauthor.com/
Everyone has a good story in them, of that I have no doubt. Getting it out on paper is the least of the mountain of challenges an Author faces.
And that isn't exactly easy.
I find that once I start a project, I have a million others crowding my mind, and I really, REALLY want to abandon what I am doing and hop to something else. Ug, I don't want to write about Ranger and Isle! I have all of these really interesting people rattling around begging to be on paper. Inevitably, I know I would abandon them in favor of someone else even shinier, so I better stick with what I started.
Drat.
So, after I shove everyone back into a closet in my brain and lock the door, (they sneak out in dreams, I can't be held accountable for that!)
I focus and get my story told. Yay! Easy street, here I come.
Nope.
I need to edit, figure out cover art, format, upload, publish, get copies (cha ching!) then market.
Market? Can't someone do that for me? If I was rich maybe, but no one has really discovered the genius that is me yet. So, where to begin?
I could bore you, Dear Reader, with all the things I have Googled, sites I have signed up for, Social media I have posted on...but I won't.
I keep getting ads that say "Famous Author Blah Blah did THIS and had overnight success, here's how!!" (only ten billion dollars per class) Or, Internet sensation yadda yadda was
discovered on Twitter (OK- not Twitter anymore, but you knew what I meant) Yadda now travels the world on her yacht sipping champagne with Taylor Swift! It was all so easy!
I am here to tell you, it isn't. Did you know that recently, Amazon had to put a limit on how many books someone could upload a day? AI has given people the opportunity to upload a book an hour. A book an HOUR?? I only put out 2 a year, 3 if I am really lucky. How can I compete with that? How can I get myself in front of more people?
I have done book tours, farmer markets, online marketing, Amazon ads, bookstores across the U.S. carry my stuff...but no one has a clue who I am. I look at my friends, Todd and Fleur , who are WAY beyond me, and people don't really know who they are either.
Blah.
What these past few years have taught me, is that every author has a different journey to take. I'm not going to lie, I get overwhelmed. I don't know if I will ever be sipping something bubbly out of a fancy glass, but what I do know, is I am proud of the fact that I am chasing my dream.
I hope that you get the chance to chase your dream, Dear Reader. It can make you crazy, there are highs and lows, but it's all worth it.
Thank you for being here with me.
https://rinabrownauthor.com/
October 8, 2023
What a rush!
I was traveling this weekend to Narrow Gauge, a bookstore in Alamosa, when it occurred to me how lucky I am. The wonderful people at this really cool bookstore were holding an event for me, a relatively unknown author. This was the second event they have hosted for me, giving me the opportunity to meet existing fans, sign autographs and connect with new people. It made me think about the first event I ever did, and I had to chuckle to myself.
When Isle of the Dark came out, I never dreamed I would be doing anything like this. I am a pretty shy individual, and the prospect of talking to strangers made my toes curl in horror. My mom came up with the idea to start a YouTube channel, and a show called the "Isle Of" to get me used to talking in front of an audience. I could do this from the comfort of my own kitchen, rather than being tossed in front of a group of random strangers and having the overwhelming urge to pee my pants. Each week I had to interview a new person, some I knew, others I didn't. She found artists, musicians, comic collectors, scientists, a body builder, teachers...you name it. We came up with questions that related to their expertise, and I had to interview them. The show ran a year, and I learned a lot, met great people, and came out of my shell a bit. But even that didn't prepare me for my first live event.
There is a really cool bookstore in Castle Rock, CO called Sudden Fiction Books. They are right next to a candy store, so every time you go in it smells wonderful, and they are really nice. I went in to see if they would carry my book, and they mentioned an upcoming event with multiple authors, and invited me to be a part of it.
Holy cow! Me? Meet people, talk about my book, hob nob with other authors? Nail bite, nail bite.
Boy, did I learn a lot that day! There were three independently published authors, and one traditionally published scheduled to attend. The traditionally published author even had a movie deal, whoa! He was totally famous!
We were all set up in individual corners in an outside courtyard on a gorgeous Fall day.
I got there early, had shirts to give away, a poster, and no idea what to expect.
One of the owners pointed to a table, wished me luck, and out I went. I was petrified. Luckily, my whole family came to support me.
I set up my table, had a bowl of candy to hand out, and anxiously awaited to see what the other authors were like.
One was a shy gentleman who set up to my left, the other a beautiful young lady who arrived with a friend, also sporting candy. The event started, but no famous guy... Bummer!
My mom spoke to the owner about the shirts as a possible give away, and they came up with the idea to get emails for the bookstore mailing list. I watched her march back and forth across that square, telling people about the giveaway, getting emails, and pointing at me. Gulp, here came a lady.
She bought my book! I got to sign it! Adrenaline burst through me, what a rush! EEEEEE! Then she sent over a group. Pushing past my nerves, I chatted away and sold more books.
Famous guy finally showed up, slapped a couple books down on his table, and grumpily sat in his chair. I found myself wondering why he even came if he was so miserable? I was having the time of my life! Fans of his came, looking for autographs, and he didn't even bring a pen. Snickering, I took him one of mine.
I was thrilled to have the busiest table that day, with friends, family, and even a fan driving quite a ways to come and meet me.
I've held onto that experience throughout the years, and remember that grumpy guy, swearing that no matter what happens at my event, whether it be crowded or deserted, I will always have that rush of joy to be there.
I no longer get nervous at events. I have traveled from Kansas to Florida, Texas to Colorado, meeting amazing people along the way. Maybe, someday, I will meet you, and you can say "Hey, I was the one guy to read your blog, it was great!" and this will have all been worth it. :)
When Isle of the Dark came out, I never dreamed I would be doing anything like this. I am a pretty shy individual, and the prospect of talking to strangers made my toes curl in horror. My mom came up with the idea to start a YouTube channel, and a show called the "Isle Of" to get me used to talking in front of an audience. I could do this from the comfort of my own kitchen, rather than being tossed in front of a group of random strangers and having the overwhelming urge to pee my pants. Each week I had to interview a new person, some I knew, others I didn't. She found artists, musicians, comic collectors, scientists, a body builder, teachers...you name it. We came up with questions that related to their expertise, and I had to interview them. The show ran a year, and I learned a lot, met great people, and came out of my shell a bit. But even that didn't prepare me for my first live event.
There is a really cool bookstore in Castle Rock, CO called Sudden Fiction Books. They are right next to a candy store, so every time you go in it smells wonderful, and they are really nice. I went in to see if they would carry my book, and they mentioned an upcoming event with multiple authors, and invited me to be a part of it.
Holy cow! Me? Meet people, talk about my book, hob nob with other authors? Nail bite, nail bite.
Boy, did I learn a lot that day! There were three independently published authors, and one traditionally published scheduled to attend. The traditionally published author even had a movie deal, whoa! He was totally famous!
We were all set up in individual corners in an outside courtyard on a gorgeous Fall day.
I got there early, had shirts to give away, a poster, and no idea what to expect.
One of the owners pointed to a table, wished me luck, and out I went. I was petrified. Luckily, my whole family came to support me.
I set up my table, had a bowl of candy to hand out, and anxiously awaited to see what the other authors were like.
One was a shy gentleman who set up to my left, the other a beautiful young lady who arrived with a friend, also sporting candy. The event started, but no famous guy... Bummer!
My mom spoke to the owner about the shirts as a possible give away, and they came up with the idea to get emails for the bookstore mailing list. I watched her march back and forth across that square, telling people about the giveaway, getting emails, and pointing at me. Gulp, here came a lady.
She bought my book! I got to sign it! Adrenaline burst through me, what a rush! EEEEEE! Then she sent over a group. Pushing past my nerves, I chatted away and sold more books.
Famous guy finally showed up, slapped a couple books down on his table, and grumpily sat in his chair. I found myself wondering why he even came if he was so miserable? I was having the time of my life! Fans of his came, looking for autographs, and he didn't even bring a pen. Snickering, I took him one of mine.
I was thrilled to have the busiest table that day, with friends, family, and even a fan driving quite a ways to come and meet me.
I've held onto that experience throughout the years, and remember that grumpy guy, swearing that no matter what happens at my event, whether it be crowded or deserted, I will always have that rush of joy to be there.
I no longer get nervous at events. I have traveled from Kansas to Florida, Texas to Colorado, meeting amazing people along the way. Maybe, someday, I will meet you, and you can say "Hey, I was the one guy to read your blog, it was great!" and this will have all been worth it. :)
September 30, 2023
Putting myself out there, yikes!
When I wrote my first book, I had no intention of publishing. I was writing for my brother, and maybe my friends. When I was in High School, we were given the assignment to "write a book." Well, I already had a bunch of chapters just sitting there, so my sneaky brain thought, muha! I will take what I already have, string it together, and get an easy A! And, that is exactly what I did. Sure, I edited it, and got valuable advice from my teacher, tweaked a few things, and skated into A-ville. Then I had an actual book. It was kind of cool, and maybe I thought, I could slap it up on Amazon and make a buck or two. Didn't Matt Damon find that MARS book on Amazon and make it a movie? That could be meeeeeeee! Fame and fortune danced before my eyes.
Alas, I had absolutely no clue how. Around that time, my mom had a friend who just got her book published through a small publisher in Texas. She pulled a few strings, got his contact information, and before I knew it, I was stuttering on the phone with someone willing to help me get my book into the hands of the public.
GULP.
It is one thing to have your brother and parents to think your story is good. It is entirely different when the Twitter Turds get ahold of it and ripped it to shreds. Was I ready for that?
Expressing my hesitation to my mom, she said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
I took a deep breath, and went for it.
That has been my motto ever since.
It doesn't always work to my advantage. I've gone to plenty of book signings where my mom was the only one to show up. I've traveled the United States, greeted by snobby bookstore owners (I'm looking at you Florida, cough) stood in the rain trying to get people to notice me, sat in a gymnasium watching every other author sign autographs for genuine fans while I got the "Wow, you are only 19, I'm so proud of you! Keep going!"
But, I have also met a bunch of really amazing authors, and learned that most of them are really supportive. There are some who are traditionally published and love to gloat about it, especially since I am Independently published now, but that is not the prevailing attitude. No matter how they are published, how many books they have written, or what they write, each author has a journey to take.
And it takes courage.
There will always be critics, someone who Twitter trolls, but I have made peace with that. (Am I going to claim I won't cry over a pint of Ben and Jerry's? Nooooooo)
I have every intention of pushing forward, with Ben and Jerry at my side. I will continue to venture, write, meet new people, travel, and pursue my dream.
Look at me ...blogging even! It will be a miracle if I keep this going, but hey, I believe in miracles.
To the one person reading this, thank you, you are appreciated.
Alas, I had absolutely no clue how. Around that time, my mom had a friend who just got her book published through a small publisher in Texas. She pulled a few strings, got his contact information, and before I knew it, I was stuttering on the phone with someone willing to help me get my book into the hands of the public.
GULP.
It is one thing to have your brother and parents to think your story is good. It is entirely different when the Twitter Turds get ahold of it and ripped it to shreds. Was I ready for that?
Expressing my hesitation to my mom, she said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
I took a deep breath, and went for it.
That has been my motto ever since.
It doesn't always work to my advantage. I've gone to plenty of book signings where my mom was the only one to show up. I've traveled the United States, greeted by snobby bookstore owners (I'm looking at you Florida, cough) stood in the rain trying to get people to notice me, sat in a gymnasium watching every other author sign autographs for genuine fans while I got the "Wow, you are only 19, I'm so proud of you! Keep going!"
But, I have also met a bunch of really amazing authors, and learned that most of them are really supportive. There are some who are traditionally published and love to gloat about it, especially since I am Independently published now, but that is not the prevailing attitude. No matter how they are published, how many books they have written, or what they write, each author has a journey to take.
And it takes courage.
There will always be critics, someone who Twitter trolls, but I have made peace with that. (Am I going to claim I won't cry over a pint of Ben and Jerry's? Nooooooo)
I have every intention of pushing forward, with Ben and Jerry at my side. I will continue to venture, write, meet new people, travel, and pursue my dream.
Look at me ...blogging even! It will be a miracle if I keep this going, but hey, I believe in miracles.
To the one person reading this, thank you, you are appreciated.
September 28, 2023
Who knew I would blog?
Hello everyone!
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Rina Brown, and I am a 22 year old author. I started writing when I was very young (younger than I am now!) I always loved to write, and decided to tell my little brother the ultimate story about monsters, heroes, and adventure. I based one of the main characters on him, and we had great fun together seeing what would happen to Isle (A young teen turned into a monster called a Datsoe) next. Before I knew it, the story was over 400 pages, and I thought, what am I going to do with this? I know, I will put it up on Amazon and sell millions of copies! HA!! If I only knew then what I do now.
Writing is the easy part.
Fast forward a few years, and a few books, and I can tell you I have learned so much. I have been on tour, done book signings, experienced the joys of meeting fans, being recognized, and the devastation of having no one show up to an event, or someone giving my book a terrible review.
In a vast sea of amazing authors, I am paddling my tiny canoe the best I can to get my name out there. I have a booth at my local farmer's market, a website I am terrible about keeping up with, a list of bookstores that support me, and an Amazon page that I fight with daily. How do you read stats? Is that really what I make from a sale?
How do I advertise outside of Amazon? How can I get my books to more readers? Wait, I have to pay taxes on the 4 books I sold last month?
I work part time in a cute, trendy breakfast place with a staff that supports my dream. They even let me set up a little library in the waiting area to promote my books, which has been a big success. People donate, borrow, and share the love of the written word over scrambled eggs and waffles. It is terrific!
At this point, I have no social life outside of work, bookstores, writing, self promoting, and guest starring on my brothers popular YouTube channel. (Shout out to you BBA99, we started this journey together xxoo) but I have a great relationship with my cat, who does everything in her power to distract me with her adorable antics.
I have no idea if anyone will even read this, but I feel great writing it in my spare time. I would love to connect with any of you, answer questions you may have, talk about cats, or even about waffles if that strikes your fancy. You can check out my website at: https://rinabrownauthor.com/
to see photos of my signings, books, art, and other adventures I'd like to share.
To the one person who might read this, thanks. I hope to see you again soon.
:)
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Rina Brown, and I am a 22 year old author. I started writing when I was very young (younger than I am now!) I always loved to write, and decided to tell my little brother the ultimate story about monsters, heroes, and adventure. I based one of the main characters on him, and we had great fun together seeing what would happen to Isle (A young teen turned into a monster called a Datsoe) next. Before I knew it, the story was over 400 pages, and I thought, what am I going to do with this? I know, I will put it up on Amazon and sell millions of copies! HA!! If I only knew then what I do now.
Writing is the easy part.
Fast forward a few years, and a few books, and I can tell you I have learned so much. I have been on tour, done book signings, experienced the joys of meeting fans, being recognized, and the devastation of having no one show up to an event, or someone giving my book a terrible review.
In a vast sea of amazing authors, I am paddling my tiny canoe the best I can to get my name out there. I have a booth at my local farmer's market, a website I am terrible about keeping up with, a list of bookstores that support me, and an Amazon page that I fight with daily. How do you read stats? Is that really what I make from a sale?
How do I advertise outside of Amazon? How can I get my books to more readers? Wait, I have to pay taxes on the 4 books I sold last month?
I work part time in a cute, trendy breakfast place with a staff that supports my dream. They even let me set up a little library in the waiting area to promote my books, which has been a big success. People donate, borrow, and share the love of the written word over scrambled eggs and waffles. It is terrific!
At this point, I have no social life outside of work, bookstores, writing, self promoting, and guest starring on my brothers popular YouTube channel. (Shout out to you BBA99, we started this journey together xxoo) but I have a great relationship with my cat, who does everything in her power to distract me with her adorable antics.
I have no idea if anyone will even read this, but I feel great writing it in my spare time. I would love to connect with any of you, answer questions you may have, talk about cats, or even about waffles if that strikes your fancy. You can check out my website at: https://rinabrownauthor.com/
to see photos of my signings, books, art, and other adventures I'd like to share.
To the one person who might read this, thanks. I hope to see you again soon.
:)
