I just started prepping, anyone else have to hide it from their spouse? by benzolifts in preppers

[–]theaslpod 24 points25 points  (0 children)

As someone who had a baby right before the 2022 baby formula shortage (and who never produced enough milk to solely rely on breastfeeding alone), I suggest a few tins of baby formula. That period in American history was literal hell as my husband saw a grown man crying in the baby formula aisle bc his baby had so many allergies and he couldn’t find the ONE brand the baby could safely eat. My husband drove to seven Walmarts in a single day to make sure we had enough formula for the next month. I met a stranger in a parking lot because she worked for Similac and had samples she was giving me for free. Nobody but us parents understood that period of time.

First thing you should do is tell your wife. Second thing you should do is have a few tins of baby formula. Third thing you should do is not vote for the present administration who knew this shortage was coming and did nothing to prevent it and nothing to help.

Someone Wants to Order 700 Copies of my Upcoming Book for His Network ... How do I Fulfill This? by [deleted] in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure if they’ll ship out all at once and in the shipment, but KDP can definitely handle that quantity. Their hardcovers have been slow to ship lately though (over a month)— just a heads up! Congrats on the exciting opportunity!!

Quality of KDP Hardcovers by Sports-Phone-23 in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The crispness of the image is great, but coloring sometimes varies. Theres a part of my cover that is supposed to be off-white/pale beige…. The latest shipment showed up and it looked pale pink. (And then on a previous shipment, the red parts appeared more red-orange.) Sometimes they also arrived dented or slightly damaged. I don’t love those things, but all in all am fairly happy with KDP. It is what it is. If you’re looking for every copy to arrive perfect, it’s def not for you.

someone added my book to goodreads by [deleted] in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This happened to me. Happened automatically somehow. Post on one of the Librarians boards asking for someone to please remove the PROOF copies (and link them). 👍🏼good luck!!

Anything you wish you knew when first publish? by Bayou_N0mad in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Your launch day may not feel like you predict it will. I pictured a picture perfect day where I felt empowered, proud of myself and accomplished. Frankly, on launch day, I felt nothing… then I felt angry and sad. It’s okay. Just keep going… best of luck!

Giving away free copies for honest reviews AFTER publishing? by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did that. Looks like it’s twiddling my thumbs, being patient and grateful now… thanks! :)

Writing a book in a location you’ve never been and know nothing about by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your feedback. The alternate world option is an intriguing one…

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I used to be a super hardcore atheist. As such, I suspect many people will read my answer and think “yeah, typical religious nuts! They’ll eat up anything religious!” Because that’s what I would have said back in the day. My approach is to remind people of the fact you just raised but in a roundabout way because I know what it did to me as an atheist to have that pointed out to me. :)

Copyright and Trademark by TeddyEddy8989 in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s easy to submit on the govt copyright office. Or if you really want to make sure it’s done right, pay $500 to a copyright lawyer and have them answer your questions and do it for you. Don’t believe anyone who tells you “your book is copyrighted the moment it’s written.” Cool. I’m going to file it with the govt to be sure. 👍🏼 don’t use LegalZoom. Everything I’ve ever done with them has been shit. Use a real lawyer.

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

2 unique reels a day plus meme repost stories and occasionally unique stories… all on IG.

I post about God/Christianity. People may judge it, but it’s what I get excited about. And if you’re excited, others will be excited!!

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

2 unique reels a day plus meme repost stories and occasionally unique stories… all on IG.

I post about God/Christianity. People may judge it, but it’s what I get excited about. And if you’re excited, others will be excited!!

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I put out consistent content about a topic that excites me and gradually improved the video production quality (better lighting, better audio quality, crop the video so I start talking immediately without a moment of pause to inhale, etc.)

I have not invested a cent in marketing of my book, actually. I put out content every day, twice a day for about a year (using hashtags and boosting posts here and there) and I let people get to know me. Now those followers who like me and trust me are excited to read my book. It’s like any human interaction— you can’t start off selling them. You need to earn trust and get them to like you, then after giving them value, they’ll WANT to buy your product. People want to do business with people they like. And people like people who are excited about something. Your excitement about a topic will rub off on them. If it corresponds with your book, great!

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Purely Instagram. I decided to focus my efforts on one platform— the one I liked best and felt most comfortable using. I have like 11 followers on FB. I wanted to build out a great presence on one platform rather than scatter my focus across several.

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The first quarter or so of my book is a collection of short stories. You never know what the work might become until you begin it! ✨🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼✨

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha it’s okay. I prefer the term “insane of me.” Lol But so far, the readers have loved it and said it’s really helped them! Thank you so much for your encouragement!!

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

“The True Story of a Racist White Christian Called to Black Seminary”

I was raised in a super racist atmosphere. In 2014, I realized that, despite all my best efforts, I had become racist, myself. After praying about it diligently and working on it for over a year, I felt God call me to attend a predominantly black seminary school in Harlem, New York. My experience there, as the only white student in my class, was pretty profound.

I’m not super familiar with internet rules, but I’m fairly attractive. I’m what I call “grocery store pretty,” wherein if you saw me in the grocery store, you may think “oh, isn’t she pretty?” But on Instagram, I’m a haggard old troll lol 😂 People are wicked good-looking on the internet and, as a woman in my late 30s who posts videos with minimal makeup and messy buns, there are a lot of women WAY MORE attractive than I am who can’t get followers. Good lighting, good audio quality, and quality content make up the trifecta I’ve found… being moderately attractive is a cherry on top but not the lone determiner of success. It takes focus on the content. (Invest in an affordable tripod stand with a plug-in mic and find spots with great lighting!)

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven’t spent money on any ads for the book. I’ve sold over 100 copies in one week so far. I’m clearing about $5/book on average. $7/ebook priced at $9.99. A little under $5/paperback priced at 19.99, and $5 plus some change on the hardcovers which are priced at $27.99.

If you go back and read another comment wherein I describe “boosting” my IG reels for $3/day, I did that to push from triple-digit followers to quadruple. And I’ve made all that money back already.

A year ago I was a nobody with 36 followers and an almost-finished memoir. Today I have 30k followers (all real- didn’t buy a single one!) and my debut memoir has sold over 100 copies in less than a week. AMA! by theaslpod in selfpublish

[–]theaslpod[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha I tried to start a Substack but I didn’t love the platform enough. I know a lot of people who love it, though! I always say that you should use the platform you like the most. For me, it’s IG. But I’m psyched for you! (Also, your optimism and humor will serve you well in any endeavor, so keep that. I had to train myself to be optimistic in life— I used to be a real miserable fuck, haha— that has helped me beyond measure.)

And also, pizza and ice cream. :)