The results of the MyriadLifebooks February notebook giveaway. Subscribe to be in with a chance of winning a notebook in March.
Entries for the February giveaway have now closed and three lucky winners have been notified by email.
Please pop by and subscribe to MyriadLifeBooks.com to be in with a chance of winning a notebook in March. UK subscribers only (sorry!)
I will announce the March giveaway on 16th March so keep your eyes peeled!
Every month I create a giveaway and subscriber’s emails go into my magical Rainbow Mug to be picked out. The idea of the giveaway is to show you how beautiful and useful my notebooks are. All covers and interiors are designed by @myriadlifephotoart – all have tactile softback matte covers.
Check out the new Colour my Cover notebooks – the collection is growing fast!
While you are here, be sure to check out my greeting card collection too. The perfect way to send handwritten messages to your family and friends.
Coming soon: prints. If you love Norfolk, coastal scenery and wildlife, you will soon be able to visit my online gallery. I will post as soon as they are ready.
Monthly notebook giveaway – this February it’s Norfolk Notebooks. Subscribe to win a free notebook. UK subscribers only.
I will be drawing three lucky winners from UK subscribers to this website on Monday 28th February so don’t miss out!
See more about the Norfolk Notebooks I will be giving away to three lucky subscribers via my blog post, link below. Please share so your friends will be in with a chance too.
All you need to do is fill in your email address and hit the subscribe button below to be in with a chance. Stay subscribed as I create a giveaway every month and the March one will be announced soon.
While you are here, please keep reading…
I have been busy adding my Norfolk prints to this website so you will be able to buy prints as well as notebooks and cards very soon. Perfect for all you Norfolk lovers out there who would like some Norfolk scenery for you living or work space. Even if you don’t know Norfolk, I am sure you will enjoy the views. You must come visit!
The prints are of the coast, Norfolk Broads and our fine city of Norwich. I have lived in Norfolk since my twenties but I’m not going to tell you how long that is, I will just say it’s a very long time!
I hope that seeing Norwich and Norfolk through my eyes, you will come to love it just as much as I do (if you don’t already).
As well as colour photography, I do like to shoot in black and white. Street photography is a secret vice for me. I may sell some of those prints here too in time.
You will find the odd nature/wildlife print too, I am not a wildlife photographer but if an owl, swan, goose or of course a seagull, presents itself, I am usually ready with the camera.
For me, photography is a huge part of my life. I hope you will enjoy the images and keep me in food and clothing by buying some of them.
Check out my alter ego author self @PetraKidd too. If you love quirky short stories, she has a few to tell. Visit PetraKidd.com to find more and subscribe there too to keep updated with Petra’s book news.
Notebooks for writers, including: Creative thoughts, Novel ideas, Work in progress. Tactile softback books to get creative with.
This week I have been working on a new collection of notebooks specifically aimed at writers. Being an author myself (PetraKidd.com), I really do know the value of having a good notebook to hand to make sure ideas never go astray.
I love a notebook to be tactile and easy to write in. Good quality paper that helps the ink glide is a must too! There is a certain pleasure in seeing characters, plots and random thoughts laying within a notebook in my own handwriting. It is too easy to lose the art of handwriting if you don’t use it everyday. I spend an inordinate amount of time tapping away on my Mac so it is refreshing to physically jot characters, plots and new story ideas in my notebooks.
With my scatter brain, if I open new files on my computer or phone to record notes, I often forget what I named the document or where I filed it and I end up wasting time trying to find it again. On the whole, I am pretty organized, but it is easy to get distracted and lose things in the millions of folders set up to make life easier!
My notebooks solve this problem, or at least they do for me, so they may do the same for you. I find it much easier to find what I am looking for in a notebook and somehow, seeing it in my own handwriting makes it more personal. It’s lucky I don’t have handwriting like most doctors!
This new trio of writer’s notebooks have a writer’s quote on the inner front page and 160 lined pages inside. Simple and effective.
I hope you will enjoy using them if you decide to get one for yourself. The images on the cover are by @MyriadLifePhotoArt (yep I am also a photographer). Lately, I have been enjoying more black and white photography so I thought I’d use it for this series. I like the simplicity and the idea of thoughts and ideas flowing like the tide. The swan is to symbolize new ideas taking off for a ‘work in progress.’ The grey is for the grey matter in our brains that we use to form genius thoughts and create stories.
You can buy a writer’s notebook by clicking on the images above and below.
Subscribe to keep updated with new notebooks & journals. Every month I create a giveaway so it’s worth subscribing to be in with a chance of winning a free book!
Creative thoughtsWork in progressNovel ideas
If you are an author and would like to be featured on this website, please email me at myriadlifebooks
Another week has flown by and here I am drinking green tea (part of my new intermittent fasting regime), staring at the screen, still trying to fathom Amazon Ads.
I told myself to be patient and not expect fast results but then I did get a fast result, however, I am always suspicious when things happen too quickly. Experience has shown me that if you get a quick sale, it’s likely to be the only sale for quite a while. It’s some kind of weird law of the universe.
I am still very much in the experimental phase of Amazon Ads. Every day I read my book by Deb Potter – Amazon Ads for Authors 2021 and I watch YouTube tutorials. I have a creative brain rather than an analytical one so I am training myself to understand logistics, statistics etc… From what I can gather the experimental side of it never truly changes. Even the most experienced Amazon advertisers are constantly monitoring and devising strategies.
When I got a sale via one of my ads I felt very smug. It only cost 10p out of my £2 daily budget. Instant success! I have to assume my keywords for that book are good. Having said that, it sold a few days ago and no sales since. So it could just be a fluke. This is the most likely scenario in my sometimes pessimistic mind. So I’ve raised the daily budget to see if that makes a difference. So far, no, but I am trying to be patient. We are only talking a few days.
It seems you have to have your eye on the ball all the time, working out what does and what doesn’t work. It feels fairly daunting at this point but I am determined to succeed. I have worked hard and created around a hundred books already, so I have plenty to experiment with. It’s one thing to create, but another to sell. I concentrate on quality over quantity and I’m devoting equal time to creating and marketing at the moment.
The important thing is to keep an eye on profit. This is tricky when you are experimenting and speculating to accumulate. I made a profit with my sale which is great but I will have lost money by not getting the formula right with other books. So it has to be balanced off.
The good thing is, while I am intensely focused on the mysteries of Amazon Ads, I don’t think about food. The intermittent fasting is working extremely well, far better than I imagined it would. I know this is off topic but in a way it isn’t. As I feel lighter and sharper, the more able I feel to work effectively and absorb information. Intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone but it seems to be working for me, which is great.
One of the YouTubers suggested you need to wait a week to see how your ads do. I’m not finding this easy so I prefer Dale’s suggestion of checking every day. What I don’t want to do, is become too obsessed but it is fascinating to check in to see how many impressions each book gets and try to work out what I am doing right, or wrong. What I don’t want to do is lose too much money in the experimental phase so I think checking every day (not every hour) is a good thing to do.
If you’d like to see some of the books I have created, you can check them out here or at Amazon via MyriadLifeBooks and MyriadLifePhotoArt. Any money raised helps me keep this site going, so please support this indie author by buying one of my lovely notebooks or cards if you can.
If you’d like to share your experiences of Amazon Ads I’d love to hear them.
I will give an update of my progress (at least I hope it will be progress…) next week.
Please hit the subscribe button if you’d like to be updated with my blog posts. Sometimes I even give notebooks away to my subscribers… worth keeping an eye out for!
I write as PetraKidd.com so please check out my short stories there:
This week I made the decision to sell my car. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love driving but now I live in the city I simply can’t justify it anymore. The recent fuel crisis really brought it home that it was a no-brainer to get rid of it. Also, with all the climate change issues, I don’t need to be adding to our planet’s problems. I can easily hire a car if I need one or grab a taxi if my legs are aching from cycling or walking.
It has been a few days now, but so far so good. I wasn’t using the car much anyway. I already feel fitter and check out my new wet weather cycling gear in the video below!
I grew up in Cambridge so cycling is second nature to me. Norwich has gone a long way to improve the cycle paths so that helps, I can cycle almost anywhere barely having to hit the road.
Exercise certainly seems to help creatively, my mind already feels clearer. My current work in progress is another book of short stories. I’m hoping to publish in March 2022 so keep an eye out for updates. In fact, I’ve really plunged myself into it this week so this blog has been a little neglected. Not for long though because soon I will be featuring more authors. If you are an author (indie or otherwise) and would like to be interviewed here, please email me at myriadlifebooks@gmail.com. I’m not quite as crazy as I appear in the video so don’t worry…
The other thing I had to make a big decision on this week was to buy a new pc. My old one has given up the ghost so I am typing this on my laptop. This has slowed down my progress designing notebooks, but I will be back in action with that early November when the new computer arrives. In the meantime there are plenty to choose from here on this site or head to Amazon, you can find them under MyriadLifePhotoArt, MyriadLifeBooks, GavintheGull. Go fire up your creativity, they are beautifully tactile. For UK only
It’s about time I did another giveaway too so please subscribe to be in with a chance of winning a notebook or a copy of The Isolation Sex Stories. Visit my writing site PetraKidd.com to find out more about them.
If you have any comments, questions etc, please do get in touch. Until next time… dance like no one’s watching 😉
It’s a beautiful Norfolk day as I sit here on my balcony writing this. Instead of sunbathing, typically I’m writing, well actually I’m doing both but one by default!
Today I want to share with you some of my methods to motivate and block out negative thoughts, mostly learned during lockdown. This is connected to writing but can be applied to most life situations.
Luckily I’ve never struggled much with motivation. If the idea of a story bites, I’m off, burning to write it. For me, that works with any idea, as soon as I think of something, I want to make it happen. But like many other writers, I do sometimes struggle with self belief or a need to organise myself or I have to stop myself avoiding the jobs I hate.
When the COVID 19 pandemic hit last year, it came as a blessing in disguise. Suddenly I found myself getting up early, doing yoga, learning to meditate, finding out how to do simple coding, completing a cycle challenge for charity and writing a book of short stories – The Isolation Sex Stories. Instead of life getting in the way of the things I really wanted to do, suddenly, I simply did the things I wanted to do (within the safety guidelines of course). Lockdown gave me time to breathe, enjoy my own space and company and evaluate what I really wanted from life.
I know I was lucky, COVID has been a cruel visitor to so many.
When I spoke to friends, I found that some of them had quite liked the first six weeks of the world shutting down too. The later lockdowns were more difficult to get through. Now that peaceful time has well and truly passed and I’m back to trying to organise myself to get as much done as possible which isn’t easy with all the interruptions and distractions of the outside world. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, I’m enjoying a lot of the normality that has returned but my mind races again as I race to achieve all I want to and it can be frustrating.
I’ve learnt to look for answers from others on how they cope with the onslaught of everyday living, achieving goals and fulfilling ambitions. During my search on YouTube I came across a lady by the name of Mel Robbins. I watched an interview with Mel who came across as extremely honest about the troubles she had endured and how she now makes decisions using the 54321 method. I have in the past used a different method to avoid doing things I know I shouldn’t, like drinking wine every night or thinking of someone who has annoyed me or to avoid a horrible memory. I used to call it ‘switching’. The minute I thought of something I knew I shouldn’t think about I’d switch the thought to something more positive. It’s easier said than done but if you practise it, it really does work. It works in reverse too. If you procrastinate or put things off, which I admit I used to do from time to time, you simply switch your thoughts to getting that thing done without letting any negative thought enter or pull you back. You force the positive thought into your mind before letting the negative thought take hold. Mel will no doubt explain it better than I have so take a look. (Caution: Mel uses some colourful language at times so be warned!) Mel Robbins
Like everything else in life, this can be applied to writing. If you are thinking, ‘I don’t have a good idea for a story.’ Replace that thought with, ‘where can I find a good idea for a story?’ If you think, ‘I’m not a good enough writer,’ switch to thinking of something you have written in the past that you are proud of. If you think, ‘I can’t face promoting my work,’ switch to thinking, ‘how can I find a way to promote my work that I will enjoy?’
Ali Abdaal, again a YouTube motivator says that you need to work at the jobs you feel weakest at or like the least rather than always turning to the ones you find easiest or like the most as that’s the only way you will learn. This is very good advice. I always hated maths at school and whenever I have to do something figure related it gives me an unpleasant feeling deep in my gut. When I set up my first business I made myself learn spreadsheets and how to do figures. I even had to present a business plan to the bank. This was way out of my comfort zone but with support and determination I did it. I had to switch from thinking, ‘I hate maths,’ to forcing myself to be interested in it. Instead of avoiding figure related work, I don’t think too much about it, instead I try to throw myself into it before I think too much and end up avoiding it. This must be one of the most useful techniques I have ever had to learn!
What does maths have to do with writing? Well, if you are an indie author, unless you are doing it as a hobby, it is like any other business, the figures will have to add up. You will need to study marketing, how to promote yourself and your product. Some people are natural at this but many are not. There is a lot of advice available, but you will need to separate the wood from the trees or you could lose a lot of time and money.
Learn to love promoting yourself and your work, it can be fun.
Something I never used to do was ask other people to help. I was so shy and I still find this difficult. This time when I published my short stories I still felt shy about promoting them but with the help of a very talented professional I actually did the launch live on Facebook. It was nerve wracking to begin with but once I started reading, I began to relax and even enjoyed it. Seeing the comments from the viewers afterwards was one of the best experiences ever! They had been discussing the book between themselves as I read. It was heartwarming and gave me huge confidence in going forward to promote the book. I’d never have done this without help so if you can find someone who will help you, do it.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other writers. I find Twitter a great platform to meet other authors and book reviewers. It seems to be the most interactive and supportive. #Writingcommunity is a useful tag to visit and use. By reading the experiences of others, you can only learn.
Every week I will share what I hope will be useful information for you.
If you are an indie or traditionally published author and would like to be featured on this website please email me at myriadlifebooks@gmail.com for further details. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
I hope you enjoyed this post, if you’d like to get regular updates from MyriadLifeBooks please subscribe using the form below. Please go ahead and comment if you’d like to share tips or information on this subject.
This week on the balcony… the tomatoes have been coming thick and fast now the sun has finally made an appearance. I’m waiting for my chilli peppers to turn red but I’m not sure they ever will! It hasn’t been a good year for strawberries, maybe I didn’t get them early enough or there hasn’t been enough sun.
Autumn is creeping in and soon I won’t be able to work out here (unless I buy a heater…) so I’m making the most of it. If you write outside, send me a picture and I’ll feature it on the website, I’m always interested to see where people create their masterpieces!
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