This episode is brought to you by: a shower, a hoarse voice from dictating, having grand and great plans I had to adjust due to fatigue. All of that got me thinking about ROMO. The Reality of Missing Out. Not FOMO. Not JOMO. The third thing.

I thought I'd made up the term. Yes, really. I was really proud of myself. I Googled it. I had not.

I talk about many things in this episode, including:

• dealing with declining profits from one year to another in my self-publishing business;
• the Kickstarter I'd love to do for Cancer Is Not My Brand (my upcoming nonfiction book) and why I'm not doing one right now, knowing my latest one for # The Leftover Bride audiobook Kickstarter didn't get fulfilled, but this isn't the only reason. I;
• about not going to InkersCon or the Write Better, Faster Academy digital conference this year, even though I really recommend both.
• about Ines Johnson's Romance Write Club Kickstarter, which I just backed, and how I'm learning that it's possible to look up to other authors and also not chase what they're doing (still learning that one).
• about how the reality of missing out, for me, is twofold...sometimes it's I cannot physically or emotionally do this right now, and sometimes it's I cannot financially or time-wise do this right now because it's not the best for my author business, and those are different. And then there's a third thing, which I figured out while recording (as one does, right?), which is realizing you're not actually missing out at all, because it may not be what you need at that moment.

If you're going through a hard time, I hope you feel a little less alone. That's the whole thing, really.

Links and resources mentioned:

• InkersCon — www.inkerscon.com (I think Golden Angel has a $50 discount code)
• Write Better, Faster Academy — https://betterfasteracademy.com/
• Becca Syme on author business phases:

- Phases for Author Business: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGX7gDqtvCM

- Deep dives on each phase: https://www.patreon.com/beccasyme/shop

• Ines Johnson's Romance Write Club Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/romancewriteclub/page-turner-craft-a-complete-page-turning-story-blueprint/description
• Cleveland Clinic on FOMO, JOMO, and ROMO : https://health.clevelandclinic.org/understanding-fomo
• Psychology Today on the reality of missing out: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/a-deeper-wellness/202506/understanding-and-managing-fomo
• Qamber Designs (cover designer) : https://www.qamberdesignsmedia.com/

If you want to tell me what you're missing out on or if you're currently more in a FOMO, JOMO, ROMO phase or all of the above, don't hesitate to send me an email: authorelodienowodazkij@gmail.com

Happy writing. Happy reading.

My website:

www.elodienowodazkij.com

This is a numbers episode. I'm going back to the archives a little bit (back to the future, kind of) to talk about a book I released in 2015 that had 23 preorders and became one of my most read books.

A Summer Like No Other launched at 99 cents. I had a whole plan — cover reveal with Xpresso Book Tours, NetGalley, YouTube videos, a blog series called The Making Of, emails to readers who had reviewed my first book. I got 23 preorders. In the first three months I made about $200.

That same book has now been downloaded 66,550 times in English: 40,279 audiobooks, 24,414 ebooks, and 1,360 paperbacks. Best month was May 2024, with 7,930 downloads.

The French version, Un Été Pas Comme Les Autres, had 20 preorders. It's now perma free, has been downloaded 48,368 times, has 1,843 ratings on Amazon France, and the translation got picked up by a publisher that was part of Hachette — which is how I became a hybrid author.

So preorders really don't make or break a book.

I also talk about:

• Dictation finally working for me — two days this week with more than 6,000 words, which hasn't happened in forever
• A very funny dictation fail from my walk
• Last week's newsletter (Elodie Now): 205 subscribers, 48.19% open rate, 0.49% click rate, one unsubscribe
• Fun fact: more than 50 subscribers across Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and I didn't know that until this week. Thank you

The two YouTube videos that helped me with dictation:

• Real Time Dictation Session: Dictate and Edit a Scene With Me — Alyssa in the Books https://youtu.be/I7rpvAGPgv4?si=4Oju1Ob5MjjukVNc
• Book Dictation for Beginners — The Courtney Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVQ2vd_w1M

The Margie Lawson Deep Edits packets:

• Deep Editing, Rhetorical Devices, and More: https://www.margielawson.com/product/deep-editing-rhetorical-devices-and-more/
• Make Endings POP! Deep Editing Style: https://www.margielawson.com/product/make-endings-pop-deep-editing-style/

PublisherChamp:

• https://www.publisherchamp.com/

If you'd like to tell me you're listening and where from, I would love to hear from you: authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com

This post is about grief. An update. Going back to write. An excerpt of my next rom-com. And a donkey.

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)

This episode is a daily mashup of behind-the-scenes of my self-publishing life including: libraries buying my ebooks, regaining my B&N vendor account, releasing a book (YAY!), but no words on my manuscripts (I did write bonus scenes).

Also: trying to invigorate my Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55359987.Elodie_Now

As always if you enjoy this podcast make sure to subscribe and leave a review.

Thank you so much for listening!www.elodienowodazkij.com

Writers talk a lot about the “Book of My Heart”: the story that feels deeply personal, the one you carry close.

But there’s another book, too.

The F***-It Book.

The book where you stop worrying about what’s expected, or tidy, or “on-brand.”

The book where you choose joy anyway.

Or choose whatever you need to write because you’re ready to.

Sometimes the F***-It Book and the Book of My Heart are the same book.

Sometimes they overlap.

Sometimes they’re cousins who share snacks and chaos energy.

I don’t know the exact category here.

But I know Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That At Christmas is my F***-It Book.

The one where I say:

Yes, she had cancer.

Yes, she gets the holiday steamy rom-com.

Yes, this is still allowed to be fun and tender and ridiculous and warm.

Nice Guys Don’t Kiss Like That at Christmas is that book for me.

And today, I want to tell you why.

Visit my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com

Want a copy? Email me at: elodie@elodienow.com

Otherwise, this book: https://books2read.com/NiceGuysDontKissLikeThat

I'm releasing my next book on November 7th... Goodreads doesn't remember my name. Oh, and B&N decided to reject my vendor account?

Everything is good.

Everything is good.

Behind-the-scenes and the ups and downs of self-publishing...

Mentioned in this episode:

- Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That At Christmas

- Anne Victory - NetGalley co-op

- Wide for the Win Facebook Group: https://victoryediting.com/services/netgalley-co-op/

A quick update. I'm now in Belgium and thinking about thinking...

No, thinking about my to-do list and whether to start a Patreon about my self-publishing... oh and I reached 1000 subscribers on my Patreon. And I have an Italian translation coming up and...and... and...

Welcome to my first audio AND video episode - yes, you can finally see my face (and probably my cat)!

I'm diving into the messy reality of splitting my books into two pen names and why updating newsletter automations is a lot of work.

I'll share how I create those bonus scenes readers love (epilogues, wedding scenes, even deleted diary entries), why I'm thinking about making Sweets for Love free, and give you a behind-the-scenes look at my current Sophie and Liam story where I just left them in a very interesting situation involving a surprise daughter.

Plus, I'm sharing details about InkersCon 2025 - use code Golden25 for a discount!

Check it out at inkerscon.com.

Grab your coffee, water or whatever and stretch - let's chat about the ups and downs of self-publishing!

Visit my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com