Delicious Surrender-Counting Down to Launch
Where is Luce?! She’s working hard to launch her debut novel, DELICIOUS SURRENDER!
There is a good reason you haven’t heard from me in the last month. This self publishing pursuit has given me plenty of challenges to navigate – and I think it would be cool to share a bit of the adventure with you.
So you’ve heard me say I will launch in December, in time for Christmas and Chanukah! But, what will it take to get there…
- Developmental Editing Done by Kristen Corrects✅
- Review edits, tweak and return for round 2 and 3✅
- Register my LLC – Live Life Juicy Books✅
That stuff was pretty straightforward and I bumped along and got it done. When I created my to do list back in June, I thought I’d captured all the pieces of this giant puzzle. Not even close! How can you know what you don’t know?
Talk to experts, that’s how! Start with friends with countless fabulous contacts : Kimberley Clarke! Amazing authors who have been down this road : Allison Graham & Beth Gelman! Indie Publishers who have done this loads of times : Jeanne Martinson, my book coach!
Did you know that the person who designs the inside of the book is different from the outside of the book? Yup. Internal matter needs a skilled formatter : Christine Lee! Front cover, back cover, Kindle cover all get designed by a professional Cover Designer : Kari March!
What if you want something truly original? What if you have scoured the royalty free photo sites and the best pictures are already on lots of other books in your genre?
Then you think outside the box and open a conversation with a gorgeous, professional model. “So, what do you think about being on the cover of a juicy erotic romance?” I don’t want to say too much right now and jinx things. I promise to let you know if this wild idea comes to fruition.
More tasks showed up on the list:
- Hire experts to navigate Social Media!✅ Hurray for Sweet Honey Marketing!
- Source a Contract for Image Rights ✅ Thanks Google and Creators Legal!
- Buy a DocuSign license and fiddle with it for half a day✅
- Purchase a Package of ISBNs ✅
Did you know that each and every format of a book needs its own ISBN (the 13-digit International Standard Book Number)? You do now. Digital, paperback, hard cover, audio, special editions etc.
I almost forgot to mention the critical vendors that will get the book into a buyers hands!!
- Open account at Kindle Direct Publishing✅
- Sign up at Ingram Spark so it’s stocked at Barnes & Noble, Target & more ✅
As I sipped my coffee this morning, I contemplated all the things that never occurred to me when I started jotting down the story of a feisty gal with juicy dreams and a hard-edged entrepreneur with trust issues. Things like cover color schemes, fonts, paper weight, chapter styles, binding…the blurb, the bio, the BLOG, oh my!
You know there’s more, but I don’t have time to lay on this couch and ruminate. I need to finish this blog and get on Instagram!
For more on Delicious Surrender and how to Live Life Juicy, follow me @lucesutherlandwrites. And if you like this blog, please share it with your friends!
xo
Luce
Live Life Juicy – The First Principle
We could call this is a public service announcement for women mainly, but it is important for men, too. Don’t be shy, read on!
As I share the precepts of how to Live Life Juicy, know that I do so in the hopes that you will laugh, then share, and eventually consider them for yourself.
The first principle of LLJ, the thing that could change your life, the key to your long term wellness, a practical rule of thumb, or middle fingers, even the palm of your hand… This first fundamental edict, is:
Masturbation is good for you!!
Don’t take my word for it. I checked my facts before diving into this topic. The Cleveland Clinic (cited article here) and many other reputable sources agree!
Don’t panic, I am not about to go into detail about the HOW, I’m only here to tell you the WHY. You might be shocked to learn there are more than 13 reasons why.
- Reduce stress and relieve tension
- Improve sleep
- Increase your focus
- Boost your mood
- Alleviate aches and pain
- Enhance your sex life
- Prevent anxiety and depression
- More orgasms!
- Higher self-esteem
- Increased sexual desire (libido)
- Greater satisfaction for you and your partner
- Orgasms = dopamine and oxytocin. These work to counteract the stress hormone called cortisol.
- Relief for menstrual cramps
- In perimenopause or menopause, it could help reduce dryness and decrease pain during intercourse.
If you don’t like that M word, if it makes you cringe, call it something else. You owe it to yourself to investigate. And visit that place.
- Tend the garden
- Have some LLJ time
- Boost your mood
- Butter your muffin
- Tiptoe through the tulips
You get the idea, this should be FUN!
If you haven’t lately or haven’t ever, you are missing out. If you were ever made to feel ashamed or guilty, its time to banish those thoughts now. This is perfectly normal and perfectly wonderful.
Perhaps you don’t know where to begin?
Start with indulging your fantasies. Spicy romance books can help! Write to me and I’ll provide recommendations. 😉 Maybe its a tattooed bad guy, or a hunky handyman, a man cooking you dinner in just an apron, or a dashing dominant Scotsman demanding your compliance. It is no coincidence that DELICIOUS SURRENDER will have the Scotsman, the handyman and a tattooed bad guy! No, not all at once, this isn’t a reverse harem romance!
The bottom line is it’s different for everyone and very personal. Just know that we all fantasize. And when something stirs you, don’t ignore it. Find your happy place and live life juicy.
xo
Luce
