The Old Owls’ Tales

Much like humans find wisdom and advice in the tales of the Old Wives, animals have the Old Owl’s knowledge which is widely shared when growing up. These tales were shared with me in the past few months in relaxed, yet intimate conversations with some very lovely owls in an undisclosed location.

Illustrations can be followed on my Instagram account leahrennes (and will be posted on WordPress sometimes too) and they are a celebration of a goal I set only in August of this year and I think have achieved quite well so far.

Before August, I would draw a cow and it looked more like an elephant. After doing the 30-day challenge by Mark Kistler “You can draw in 30 days” book, I not only realized drawing is something that can be taught (and don’t necessarily rely solely upon talent) but I also gained great confidence drawing. Suddenly, I can draw images for my stories which is something I though would be never able to do. Sure, I still need to practice but I have come a long way.

“The Old Owls’ Tales” are a result of the learning process and confidence I gained in the last two months. I hope you enjoy the illustrations and don’t be shy to follow.

And as a slight preview of today’s post- bring an umbrella if you see a worried bunny- according to the Owl tales, it means it is most likely to rain.

 

Can an author sell books at all without harassing friends/family for likes or paying for promo?

It’s been a year and I have not sold a single book yet. I’ve had free promotions on Amazon and people have read them. You see, when I started out I decided I was not going to harass my friends to like my Facebook page or have them write reviews for me on Amazon. I wanted to do it clean. I wasn’t going to pay for ads to get my book out there. So many online blogs recommend having a blog to get readers, make sure you format the book right and have it proofread…. and you’re set.

When I got my first and only review, I cried. It was positive, but apparently they still found mistakes. I ran proofreading program more than a dozen times and mistakes still happen. I’ve been editing the book to make it better.

When I came out with children’s books and had free promotions I asked for reviews (good or bad) but there has not been any feedback. It is so hard to not feel like my books are just a needle in the Amazon hay.

I guess what my question to those successful authors out there is (assuming my books don’t suck) is what else do they recommend doing? Or should I cough up the money for promotions?