My Thoughts · poetry

The Progress of My New Poetry Book: It’s Moving Along!

Larada Horner-Miller
Progress

The progress of my new poetry book has been slow it seems. The dog attack set me back tremendously, but I’m pushing forward! I see daylight today!

E-book Cover Progress

The e-book cover is finalized and I love it! In reality, it has been done since June 26, 2024, but needless to say, my writing life has been diverted for the last ten weeks. I worked with a cover company, 100Covers.com, who created my last two book covers. From the information they requested, they created an inspiring cover. I’ll give you a hint! I collect feathers and have for years, and I didn’t mention that to them. Right now, I have a huge stack of turkey feathers on my buffet in my house in Branson, Colorado my brother saved for me! I just need to clean them up!

Paperback Cover Progress

The paperback cover requires more information because it needs the page count, the color of interior paper, and the book description, a short author bio and an author picture for the back. When I originally worked with 100 Covers in June, I had one page count, but after thinking about it for the last couple months, I changed my mind, and 100 Covers has patiently worked with me and accepted my change. What an amazing company to work with!

Interior Design

I use the Mac app, Vellum, to lay out the interior of the book. I’ve used it for years and love it. In my confusion over the last month or so, I had labeled a page “Table of Contents,” but I had not selected the correct content page. When I finished my book a couple weeks ago, I generated the .pdf copy and it produced no Table of Contents. The program automatically creates the Table of Contents.

So, I contacted the tech support from Vellum and had several emails back and forth about the problem. I even sent the Vellum file to the tech support. They couldn’t figure it out!

One day this last week, I looked at my Hair on Fire file and saw the difference in the item name and realized what I had done! So, I solved it and let the tech support know! Now it produces the Table of Contents perfectly!

KDP Keywords

Last night, I used another amazing app I have in my repertoire of writer’s tools—Publisher Rocket—to research the keywords and categories I will use when listing my new poetry book with KDP.

When an author lists a book on KDP (Amazon’s self-publishing site), you have to provide seven keywords or phrases. Each keyword can have as many as 50 words in it though, so you have to be wise how you list your keywords. I respect David Chesson at kindlepreneur.com and his findings because he has made my life so much easier with Publisher Rocket.

Here’s an article on his site about keywords I found helpful!

7 Kindle Keywords: Use All 50 Characters or Not?

KDP Categories

Amazon has thousands of categories and sub-categories, so the author’s job of find the ones that match your book is daunting. Amazon allows the author to place a book into three categories; however, you can have different categories for your paperback and your e-book.

Again, Publisher Rocket helped me identify which categories match my book the best and which have more possibilities for success for my book.

During the research for the keywords and categories, I created a spreadsheet to capture the information gathered. I’m excited about the results from my research for both the keywords and categories for my paperback. I have to finish the research for my e-book categories.

Finally,

I’ve tried to work on this book project this whole year but I got sidetracked with my wound. I see progress today! I look forward to a successful book launch in the next couple weeks, and as we speak, I’m organizing my poetry for book #2, #3 and #4 in this series!

DOG ATTACK UPDATE:

Last week, I had three appointments. On Monday, I continued my work with a therapist to deal with the trauma of the dog attack. I’m facing EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). I will keep you updated on the outcome of this type of therapy.

On Wednesday, I returned to the Wound Clinic for my weekly appointment. The wound is healing and shrinking. I don’t have to wear a compression sock all the time now—only when I’m up on my feet a lot. Also, I don’t have to return to the Wound Clinic for two weeks; however, Lin has to change the dressing twice a week. He changed it this afternoon and does such a conscientious job!

Also on Wednesday, I had two MRI tests: one of my foot and the other of my ankle. I will get the result of the tests this Thursday at my orthopedic doctor appointment. I hope the tests have some explanation for the severe pain I have in my foot and ankle.

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Published by Larada Horner-Miller

Larada Horner-Miller is a poet, essayist and accomplished multi-genre author who holds a bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in Spanish and a master of education degree in Integrating Technology into the Classroom. She is the accomplished author of eight award-winning biographies, historical fiction, memoir, and poetry works and three audiobook’s plus three self-published cookbooks. Her most recent book, Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry is a finalist in the Global Book Awards. As is our book released last year, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir. Horner-Miller has also been a past national presenter at the Women Writing the West Conference and is currently the creator of Memoir Workshops for others who want to share their family’s legacies through words. Larada and her husband, Lin, enjoy being nestled in the mountains above Albuquerque, New Mexico, near the village of Tijeras. When not writing books, this passionate, energetic, and enthusiastic woman loves to spend time kicking up her heels at square dancing gatherings, traveling, knitting, and reading. As co-manager of her family’s southeastern Colorado ranch, she enjoys spending time exploring her family’s historic ranch and reminiscing with her brother and his children about their mom, dad, and granddad.

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