#growing audience

[thefirstjoman]

I’m going to attempt a Marbles on Stream sesh tonight! Starting in an hour, come join me for some low-stakes fun 😊

Use command “!play” in Twitch chat to get involved!

Twitch

Twitch

I’m also launching a new website for accessible at-a-glance details:

TheFirstJOman Landing Page

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Help me foster a fun, loving, and fun-loving community! ✌️

[melissaacraven-blog]

On becoming a true indie author

Five years ago, I lost my mind and started writing Emerge. Two years later, I completed my rough draft and got to work revising it. Then I thought it might be a good time to research the publishing process. You know, since I was almost done.

 I quickly discovered that I was far from done. Emerge was much too long for a debut novel. But I kept plugging away at it because it was literally my favorite thing to do.

Two years later, I’d taken it as far as I could on my own. It was time to seek the advice of an editor. But I also knew I’d learned enough to help others craft their stories. I began content editing and proofreading, earning enough to pay for my own editing. Now, who was I to edit for others when I knew I needed an editor myself? It’s simple. Even editors need editors, and authors should NEVER—EVER be their own final word in editing.

Today my manuscript is finally nearing pristine completion. Sure, I could have self published a long time ago, and might have even garnered some success. But it was not ready. I owe it to myself, my book, and my family to do this the right way. When Emerge is published next year, I want it to shine, completely indistinguishable from those traditionally published works on display beside it.

I’ve learned a lot in this venture—I certainly know the best ways to NOT write a book. I still have a lot to learn about publishing…but I also have a lot to teach about writing. Look for my upcoming blog series on the most common mistakes new authors make. I made them all myself, but I learned to overcome them and I can teach you how to avoid them as well.