Alexandra's Year in Review

Wow! 2014 is coming to an end so soon. My next post, it'll be 2015...so here's a year in review for me. 2014 was a wild ride....it had it's ups and it had it's downs. Some days I'm really not sure what 2015 is going to look like for me or for SPE, those days are rough.

Let's start with the highlights:
Twisted Redemption came out with Ellora's cave
Black and White finally made it's SPE debut
SPE survived another year and will be hitting it's three year mark in 2015
I've gotten a beta team started
I'm finally getting a handle on marketing.

The lows:
A Demon's Heart was shelved
There's a lot going on with EC


That's about all there is to 2014. SPE had some great articles and I hope that we continue next year to provide insight to those who find it helpful. As for me? I'll see you guys in the new year! Cheers!

Alexandra's Year in Review

2013 surprised the hell out of me. There was more than I expected in one year. It's been a wild ride and I couldn't have thought of anyone better to share it with than Mia.
-SPE is still hopping. What started out as a whim has taken off. I hope to better it in the coming year with more reviews and author interviews.
-I survived not one, but two rounds of the Fairytale blog. Mia did a wonderful job putting that blog together and keeping it afloat.
-I have landed two contracts with Ellora's Cave, one which has caused us to switch focus a bit on this blog.
-Alexandra has taken off more than I expected.
-We are half way through with our first co-written book in a new series.

What I've learned
-Drama is everywhere, just do your best to avoid it.
-More can be accomplished in numbers
-Being two people can get crazy and sometimes it feels like I'm being ripped apart.
-Marketing, Marketing, Marketing
-Everyone has their bitchy days, and some times we all need and ego boost.

And that's my year in review! Thanks for sticking with us guys! Happy New Year and I wish you the best in 2014!

Mia's Year In Review

2013… Oh how you fickle and frustrating you've been. Now that we are facing 2014 I thought I'd do some reflections, because as stressful at 2013 was it was also equally exciting. So let's get down to the milestones of this past year for me:

-          The SPE blog has been a success as an outlet for me on my self-publishing journey.

-          The Twisted Tales blog turned out better than I had imagined.

-          I signed a publishing contract with Ellora's Cave (which was completely unexpected)

-          I self-published my first book: Waking Up In Bedlam

-          I have managed to keep my author page free of any drama, which keeps my brand professional.

-          NaNo wasn't a complete loss. It helped me get a good start on Waking Up In Chains.

-          I submitted a short story for an Anthology. The deadline was Dec. 31^st, I got it in Dec. 26^th. I feel very accomplished to have hit that before the deadline, not much before it, but still… It's progress.

-          I have my schedule laid out for the next six months with new releases coming near summer.

What have I learned:

-          I have learned that marketing is definitely my weak spot. Which is good to know, it will be an area I really work hard on in this next year.

-          Word of mouth can only get you so far, the rest is up to you.

-          Haters gonna hate, that doesn't mean you have to let them drag you down to their level.

-          Nothing beats the support of friends, family and fans.

-          Love what you do and do what you love.

So that is my year in a nut shell. Next year will be happy, exciting, and prosperous. <3