Congrats!!!

And it's from Facebook page activity that I get paid.

https://www.facebook.com/LKFWilson

My blog is accessed from my Facebook page and its for Facebook page activity that I get paid.

https://www.facebook.com/LKFWilson

Here's the blog link:

www.afrobougieblues.com/blogs/

I only get paid if people go through Facebook, BUT!!!! I am happy to have people read it at all!

So feel free to go straight to the link. I usually post Thursday morning, but it's definitely up by Friday.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The link to the blog on the Facebook page is on the left hand side of my page under the banner in the Intro section.

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Here's the link:
https://www.facebook.com/LKFWilson/

Here's the blog directly.
https://afrobougieblues.com/blogs/

Can’t wait to read some of these pieces. I always enjoy your writing.
Good that it is being noticed.

Thank you!

I wrote a sci-fi book that I'm working on self publishing. I'm setting up my own website. So I'm hopefully in the same boat.

1.) If you have the time, do as much as you can yourself. BUT!
2.) Get a professional to design your cover.
3.) Hunt around for a critical editor, and whatever they say to fix, do it.
4.) Have an advertising budget and don't go over it.
5.) Identify 10 people who will read/review your book for free, and be very, very nice to them. Have them read the final draft and if they spot anything, fix it.
6.) Plan to pay for one professional review.
7.) Consider doing cons like Readercon - I know a woman who makes most of her money going to cons.

8.) DON'T GET SUCKERED. Anyone who guarantees book sales is lying. Anyone who guarantees major reviews is lying.

Wishing you all the best!

I have an editor editing my book right now. I'm also working on the sequel.

When it comes to professional reviews, Kirkus is the most well known. I think they run about $600. I found a few other less well known companies for $300.
- BookViral
-ManyBooks
- Reedsy (free)

What's annoying about professional reviews is that they take up to 2 months. So if it's possible to get them an advanced book copy, do it.

Expect them to find something "imperfect". If they pan it for some reason, take the comments seriously and consider making edits.

BTW, I ***LOVE*** what you post.

Good luck. 💕

One piece of advice. Be sure you have two step ID verification set up through Facebook. My personal account of 15 years got hacked and I lost access to my business page where I had just started getting paid for activity on the page. Now I have to start from scratch all over again and it had taken me years to get the following that I had.

Facebook doesn't appear to have any real human customer service anymore and a lot of people have lost personal and business accounts due to hackers.

I hate two-step verification, but I can see how it would be a good idea in this case.

how frustrating and devastating it was. In the process of trying to retrieve my account, I found out I was not alone and even people with long established business accounts lost everything. It appears that even lawyers won't help. They say there are no people left at Facebook that can or will help. Everything is automated now and often it just sends you around in endless circles.

In general I find trying to get things resolved with Facebook to be extremely frustrating.

Losing the account would sadden me, and I would would have to rebuild my following, but it's not a business, so I could recover. For a real business, it must be beyond devastating. I am so sorry that it happened to you.

Mine wasn't a regular business account as well. I posted restored and colorized vintage photos and Facebook paid me (not a lot) for certain activity on that page. I started a new page, but it will take quite awhile to get things going again. Meanwhile, my photos on the original page are still there, but I have no control over them anymore.

My personal page of course is completely gone. You think you'll remember most of your "friends", but apparently not. Facebook has certainly changed and not for the better, but in the meantime, there is nowhere else that I can get the traffic I got for my vintage photos.

P.S. I "liked" your page! So interesting.

Edit to add: I went to Amazon to check out your book and realized that I'd already read it last year! Great read.

Oh no, your personal page!!!!! I have a personal group and not only would it devastate me to lose it, but I would really worry about the sensitive things on it.

"Don't trust Facebook" says my husband.

But there's nothing like it in the world.

We certainly cannot trust Facebook, but for now, there definitely is nothing like it.

I didn't lose any of my restored vintage photos, as I have them all on my computer, but I have no control over the ones that I posted to my first "Vintage Photos in Color". So that page is an orphan floating around in Meta world. I was in the process of redoing some of the older ones and reposting them. There were quite a few that I wanted to delete.

I've really fallen behind on the new Vintage Photos in Color page as I've been sick. I still have a ton of photos I can post.

A few of my original Facebook friends and family have since passed away, but their pages were still there as a memorial that I could visit on birthdays or holidays. Well, obviously I cannot friend request those people now.

I have 5-10 Facebook friends who have passed away and I don't want to delete them.

Be well.

Good luck on your page and your blog!

Fifteen years down the drain and Facebook does absolutely nothing to help in those situations.

I looked into how to do it - I may already have it. I probably ought to memorize my password...

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I'm definitely excited.

Getting PAID is high professional compliment. You go!

Should be interesting to see how much I get.

I always appreciate your support.

know how hard you have worked/are working. We are so proud of you!

You have been a great support - much appreciated.

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Congrats.

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Congratulations!

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And how she would be proud.

I didn't know until today that she had been a mayor.

I have been shocked and amazed at how many black women mayors we have. I think it's because it's so regional.

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Im going to clean the garage today

But DU is so much more fun.

Thanks!

Have fun!

I am bouncing off of walls.

We need you. Best wishes and congratuations again.

If you can think of anything special I can do for Pride Month, let me know. I was going to do something about Marsha P. Johnson, and maybe intersectionality.

I love fruit.

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Post a link when you get set up!

The Facebook page is:
https://www.facebook.com/LKFWilson/


The actual blog is:
https://afrobougieblues.com/blogs/

I've been blogging for nearly two years now, but it's only recently that I've made progress in getting a following.

I see that you're in Brooklyn, MD. I'm down in Laurel.

Maybe some Saturday or Sunday. Elleng is in Maryland too.

I appreciate all of your support.

That's wonderful news!

I am quite excited!

How exciting. Wish I knew the names of your books!

Afro-Bougie Blues: A Collection of Short Fiction.

Sadly, I don't think there will be another one. I write stories when I'm experiencing bipolar mania and I'm on some VERY good drugs, and it rarely happens. I tried cutting back and my suicidal tendencies ramped up and they are incredibly annoying when they happen. (I don't mean to downplay the experience, but when you know it's going to go away in a few hours, you just kinda ride it out.)


Thanks for the congratulations. I really appreciate it.

The world needs your voice! Brava!

I appreciate all of your support.

Congratulations!

Make us proud!!!

I will do my best.

Trust me, I am amazed by all of the recs.

That’s just wonderful! I followed you on FB, too!!

Much appreciated!

What is the name of your book and blog?

Last edited Wed Mar 13, 2024, 09:25 AM - Edit history (1)

The book is Afro-Bougie Blues: A collection of short fiction.

The banner on my blog says, "From the Desk of Lauren Wilson"

But I generally call it, "Lauren's Blog".

Here's the link.

www.afrobougieblues.com/blogs/

It generally has African American topics, topics about other minorities, feminism, technology and the occasional personal post.

...but this one does:

https://afrobougieblues.com/blogs/

I added an "s". No idea what made me do that.

I really appreciate the fact that you added the correct link.

Thank you.