Category: Authors

Happy Bookaversary to Me

Authors, books, Christmas Gifts, Self-Publish, social media, Uncategorized, writing
Photo of the book cover of Terror In The North Tower

Happy Bookaversary to me!

The number eight

Today marks eight years since I had my first book hit the market. When my book first came out I write a blog post titled  I Wrote A Book. 

Since then its first publication, over twenty books have been sold.  Don’t be sad.  I am just happy that I had book sales. 

Self Publishing

After having gone through the self-publishing experience,  I can honestly tell you I’d never do it again!!  Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher.

Marketing Plan

Maybe it’s because I didn’t take making a Marketing plan as seriously as I should have.  I didn’t have a “marketing plan” in place. My plan consisted of zero advertising, word of mouth, social media posts, book giveaways, and writing blog articles. Next time a publishing company can do it all. I’d be happy to attend book signings.

Writing The Sequel

Writing the sequel has been a challenge over the last few years. Life has gotten in the way of actually sitting down, and pushing forward to get it done.

My goal is to finish things up by the end of this year. Stay tuned.

#happybookaversay to me

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please like and leave a comment. By all means, feel free to buy my book.

Gain The Advantage,

Alicia Osmera

Have You Published A Book

#bloggers, Authors, books, Products

If you are an avid reader of my blog then you already know that I wrote a book.  

Terror In The North Tower came from my background as a respiratory therapist.  This is a suspenseful fictional thriller with more twist than Grey’s Anatomy . 
The Challenge To Edit And Publish

After much searching, phone calls and email I was starting to realize publishing wasn’t going to be so easy.  Through the Power Affiliate Club I met Monna Ellithorpe.  Known as The Blue Jean Writer, she helps other author’s edit and publish wonderful works of words.

Once she was done with editing and I approved it we set out sites on self publishing through Amazon.

Purchase Terror In The North Tower here.

Publishing hasn’t come without it’s challenges. 

1. Marketing – self marketing is hard work .  Researching places that may or may not put your book in their businesses . 

2. Social Media – getting the word out on social media is a time saber and huge benefit.  According to Search engine land

Social media marketing refers to the process of gaining traffic or attention through social media sites.

 The Hubspot shows marketing statistics 

  • 61% of global Internet users research products online. (Interconnected World: Shopping and Personal Finance, 2012) Click to Tweet
  • Using this blog is one way of using social media.  Your reading this post right now.  Is it making you think?
  • Lastly blogging

Blogging gives the writer a chance to express themselves, showcases thoughts and ideas .  Yes I’ve published my first book and I’m working hard to market it.

Have you ever published a book?

Gain The Advantage, 

Alicia Osmera 

 

I Wrote A Book

Authors, Healthcare, Home Health Care, Respiratory therapy, Uncategorized

image

The journey that led me to write comes from a deep passion for reading and writing.

I started writing this book in 2011 after getting laid off from my job with a DME (Durable Medical Equipment ) company after twenty-something years in the medical field as a licensed respiratory therapist.

What does a respiratory therapist do?

Respiratory Therapists are important to patients that have trouble breathing. Lung diseases like Asthma, Emphysema, and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) just to name a few. The main responsibilities are to keep patients breathing. They perform anything from a nebulizer treatment to administering a Bipap or CPAP therapy, as a major part of a person’s care in the intensive care unit.

image

Now, where was I? Oh, that’s right I was telling you about my journey to writing my first book, Terror In The North Tower. One day I sat down and just started typing on the computer. Words just seemed to flow onto the page. Then after about six months, they stopped. All in all, it took me a year to write this work of art. The writing wasn’t that hard, it was finding a publisher I could afford.

Publishers cost money!

Zondervan and Xulon Press are just a few that I checked into. They both said; “Oh yes, we can help you publish your book but it’s going to cost $$$ dollars”. I didn’t have that kind of money? Finally, after four years I had the opportunity to meet Monna Ellithorpe. She’s a member and co-founder of the Power Affiliate Club PAC and a published author herself.

What an amazing experience it has been working with the  Kindle platform.

What’s the book about?

It’s science fiction, murder mystery, and love story with a twist that the readers won’t see coming. This story’s main theme is about a respiratory therapist in a hospital setting. Many books like this one are written by a doctor or nurse, never by a respiratory therapist.

Now I want to make something very clear. This fictional thriller is just that. Fiction!!!

I love my profession as well as my peers. And the men and women that have a passion for it also.

***Terror In The North Tower was released on Saturday, May 28, 2016. Purchase the book here.

I hope that the person reading this blog post will order the book, read it, share this article, and spread the word.

Gain The Advantage!

Alicia Osmera

https://a.co/d/3UvpQBUhe North Tower https:/https:///a.co/d/1Pl5gx4

Writer’s Block How Does One Get Through It?

Authors, Blogging, writing

writers-block

I was sitting down at the table looking at a blank piece of paper wondering what to write down. Nothing was coming to mind. Could it be that I have writer’s block?

Writer’s Block How Does One Get Through It?

Why do we get stumped with writing?  Have we used up all the creativity in our brains?

I recently read an article by Maria Konnikova titled “How To Beat Writers Block”.

In it she states that; “Writer’s block has probably existed since the invention of writing, but the term itself was first introduced into the academic literature in the nineteen-forties, by a psychiatrist named Edmund Bergler”.    Edmund studied writers who suffered from “neurotic inhibitions of productivity,” in an attempt to determine why they were unable to create—and what, if anything, could be done about it.

Basically “neurotic inhibitions of productivity ” is a scientific name for writer’s block.

Throughout the year’s many studies have been done by psychologists to determine why and how writers become unproductive.

The Center For Writing offers suggestions to aid writers with breaking the cycle of blockage and keep the creativity flowing.

Taking Notes   —  Keep a notepad handy at all times.  Jot down ideas when they pop into your head.   Look at your list, gather the information and start creating.

Brainstorming   —    Just as you did in high school or college, begin the habit of brainstorming thoughts. Eventually, the best ideas will pop out at you, allowing the next article to be written.

Piecework – It might be easier to get started if you are jotting down the beginning, middle, and endings to an article or a book that you are wanting to write.  Once you’ve gained the confidence back, picking up where you left off becomes easy.

Tricks To Use – Start keeping a journal by your bed.  Pull it out whenever the words start coming into your head.  Just write down whatever comes to mind. Once you start reviewing it, there may be a storyline or other things you can find to write about.

When does the mood strike to write anything down? In the morning, afternoon, or evening.  What distractions are you facing?  Cell phone, TV shows, children, spouse?  Try to create some time out of your schedule to just sit down and write.

My desire is to provide valuable information to my readers.   If you find value in my blog please comment.

As Always,

Gain The Advantage!

Alicia Osmera