NaNoWriMo 2019!

NaNoWriMo 2019 is starting this Friday, Nov. 1! This will be my ninth year entering and so far I've got a streak of four years won in a row. Last year, you might recall that I finished my book in 12 days. That was The B-Boy, which was published and released in August.

My first NaNo was in 2011, when I wrote My Best Friend's Brother/The Summer I Turned into a Girl. I published that one the following summer and have since published a sequel. 

This year I'm hoping to tackle a few projects. Yup, you read that right. I need to get more words written than the requisite to win NaNo. I do have a complete novel that I plan to write during the month (more on that later), but I also have a couple of novellas and another book to finish before the end of the year. And what better time to get those done than during November?

Other things happening in November: both Outside Edge and Hooked are coming out near the end of the month, which will wrap up my Knockout Girl series! I'm excited and I'll probably find some fun way to celebrate. I'm also a little sad to say goodbye to Knockout Girl. So...don't be surprised if at some point I say I've got another book for the series, but it won't be any time soon.

 

I have a new project I'm working on but I can't elaborate on it just yet. I've mentioned it before, though, so if you scroll through my past posts and find anything related to spaceships and other planets...you might have a piece of the puzzle.

Anyway, if you're even remotely interested in doing NaNo this year, head on over to https://nanowrimo.org/. It's loads of fun, even if you don't make it to 50k words. There are local write-ins, chats with other writers, pep talks from published authors, and badges to collect! If you're trying it this year, feel free to add me as a buddy. Just search for Natasja and you'll find me.

Happy writing! I'll check in at some point next month.

- Natasja

Homework help - Amazon book descriptions

I'm writing a new series of blog posts called "Homework help" where I post about things I've learned during my self-publishing journey in hopes of helping other aspiring indie authors. I'm starting this series with Amazon book descriptions because I've seen enough self-published authors struggle with this. If you've published with Kindle Direct Publishing and you're having problems with this, you've come to the right place!

The thing about the Amazon descriptions is that if you copy and paste from wherever you have your blurb written down, it's not going to look as pretty as you want. You're probably looking to have your blurb broken up into easy-to-read paragraphs and maybe a bolded or italicized tagline, right?

For this, KDP supports a simple list of HTML tags you can use. Using these tags is super easy and will make your Amazon book description look nice. But remember, when you open a tag you have to close it, or it won't work. For example, when you want something bolded, you have to put the word you need between the tags like so: <b>[important words here]</b>. That will make it look like this: [important words here]. Alternatively, you can use the tag <strong></strong> for the same purpose. If you wanted to italicize something, use the tag <i></i>.

When you want a space between your paragraphs, you need to use the tag <br></br>. Remember to always close it, otherwise your faulty code will show it and it still won't have a break between paragraphs.

Here's an example of the description I used for The B-Boy followed by how it looks on Amazon:

<strong>Follow the rhythm of your heart.</strong><br></br>Now that high school's over and he's left his life as a bully behind, Red finally has time to focus on what he wants: boxing. For as long as he's able, that's what he'll do.<br></br>Zara's passion for dancing is rivaled by none, but her dreams are shattered when her dance partner sprains his ankle weeks before their showcase. With no other options, Red's cousin and Zara's best friend suggests they team up.<br></br>Now Red has a tough decision to make: stick to what he's always known or find the courage to love something new?

Follow the rhythm of your heart.

Now that high school's over and he's left his life as a bully behind, Red finally has time to focus on what he wants: boxing. For as long as he's able, that's what he'll do.

Zara's passion for dancing is rivaled by none, but her dreams are shattered when her dance partner sprains his ankle weeks before their showcase. With no other options, Red's cousin and Zara's best friend suggests they team up.

Now Red has a tough decision to make: stick to what he's always known or find the courage to love something new? 

One other important thing to note is that Amazon doesn't allow you to put links in your book descriptions, so even if I wanted to give you the HTML for that, it wouldn't help you. They'll just tell you there's a problem with the description and tell you not to do that. Sorry! 

I hope this helps someone out. It's really not easy to self-publish on your own and knowing these little tips and tricks can really make the experience easier and better. Thank you, once again, for going on this journey with me!


- Natasja Eby