Born in Cuba and raised in Puerto Rico. I was shaped by the tropical breezes and waves that bring color and laughter to our islands, where difficulties are danced through and afternoon siestas cannot be touched by evil. A writer by vocation and heritage, in nearing my sixth decade I have come to add many titles to that description: woman, widow, daughter, sister, mother, grandma, retired advertising executive, translator and simultaneous/consecutive interpreter. My gypsy spirit has lead me to live and experience great places such as Puerto Rico, US, Dominican Republic, Panama and Mexico. This has shaped me and taught me to be a free thinker. I work hard at looking past my horizon, seeing the world through different eyes and I thank  ”El Sueño de Gina” for letting me do just that.

Biografía de Ileana Silva

Traductor

Nacida en Cuba, pero Boricua de corazón, crecí arrullada por las brizas tropicales y las olas que traen color y risas a nuestras islas, donde bailamos hasta no acordarnos de nuestros agravios y los demonios realmente no tocan nuestros sueños. Una escritora por vocación y herencia que al acercarme a mi sexta década me he ganado los títulos de mujer madura, viuda, hija, hermana, madre, futura abuela de Kai en junio 2014, publicista retirada, traductora e intérprete de inglés consecutiva y simultánea. Mi espíritu gitano me ha llevado a vivir en lugares exóticos e interesantes que me han formado y enseñado a no conformarme con la respuesta obvia; Puerto Rico, Estados Unidos, República Dominicana, Panamá y México. La lección aprendida es importante, mirar más allá de mi horizonte, más aún. Por esto agradezco la oportunidad de hacer la traducción de ”El Sueño de Gina” que me ha brindado la oportunidad de ver el mundo a través de los ojos de la autora.

I find a lot of customer service functions provide a poor response.

Weebly's response to my query about my website stats was not accurate nor did it provide any information I did not already have. Plus, there was a time lag in getting the reply.

I have now asked about why I can not find my website in an internet search. It's not like I don't know how to use the search function or metadata. But, not a hint that I have a website on Weebly. It is published. I can find it if I use the exact URL but when someone is looking for something, they never have the exact URL. The purpose of the search is to find the exact URL.

While it was wise to spend time researching marketing tactics and making a plan, it has been exhausting.

I mean blogging, tweeting, participating in forums, 

The best advice I have found, so far, is find out where your audience goes and go there. But, how do I really know who my audience is? I mean I wrote an adult science-fiction/romance that doesn't have much science-fiction or romance, so maybe it's just fiction.

So far, I figure my audience maybe blue-collar, baby boomers, sometimes called the Third Age. Then, there's probably a few from the science-fiction crowd and maybe some of the romance group. Of course, for the eCookbook, it's for non-cooks and frugal cooks.

Where do they go? I have no idea. When I look at where I go -- I don't meet a lot of Baby Boomers, it's often 30 & 40-somethings.

Everything is so self-designed. My twitter is more like a telegraph of one-liners from news organizations or journalists.

My head is so buried in the quest for knowledge, I am no fun. Fun is where people go.

Just trying to interpret stats from four websites is time-consuming. Currently, the stats don't say much because of low traffic and sales. But, it is still interesting to see that people do like the free eCookbook.

One thing I have learned from all this is that I may be more of a publisher than an author, so to speak. During this process, I have found two people whose expertise would make great books, so we plan on working on an eBook project to see where they go.

But, marketing will be key with that venture, too.

An internet search using Ria Stone or Gina's Dream does not find this website. So, I am making a page with metadata to see if I can improve the search results.

Ria Stone
Gina's Dream
Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook
Boomer Lit
Baby Boomer
Blue Collar
Science Fiction
Romance
Frugal
Cookbook
Cookbook for non-cooks

Whew, what a trip! After getting the idea for creating a free cookbook from Ted Summerfield's The Backward Approach to EBook Success, I attempted to resurrect an old cookbook I had started. It was a challenge and a huge education in ebook formatting.

Note, I am not a cook, so not only did I face the task of researching, writing, and formatting the cookbook, I also had to select and re-test my own recipes, not as easy it sounds since I had not used many of the recipes in the last two years and my kitchen appliances were different.

The whole experience has almost disappeared in a fog of terminology, multiple software programs and publishing platforms as well countless revisions and versions.

All I remember is gathering up my old cookbook and some articles on menu development I had written for non-cooks and creating the first draft of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook. That draft went through many revisions as I wrote personal insights into cooking from a non-cook perspective and added, subtracted and revised recipes.

Because this was going to be a free cookbook, I included a page here and there about Gina's Dream with a cover image and links to the book and website.

At first, I thought I would create an .epub and submit it to SW, that was why I was working in iWork Pages not MSWord because Pages offered an epub conversion.

Meanwhile, a fellow writer "beta read" the cookbook and offered several helpful suggestions which I incorporated and created a new version.

But, when I submited the .epub to SW, it was rejected for: lack of a TOC, tabs, and links to other book retailers.

It was the tabs error that threw me. I had chosen the .epub format in order to preserve the "format." Long story short:

• Converted the Pages document to a Word .doc
  
• Learned belatedly into the process that my Pages "Times New Roman" had converted to "Times"  in Word, had to reformat styles;
  
• Created an NCX TOC that needed a few corrections including removing hidden bookmarks;
  
• Changed the tabs to "fixed spaces" which solved my problem because the tabs in question were important to create ingredient lists;
  
• Removed all other tabs and reformatted the text;
  
• Removed all links to other book retailers;
  
• Highlighted words that had lost italic and bold typefaces and reformatted;
  
• Renamed images with names without spaces; and 
  
• Finally, something I should have done from the start -- I verified the formatting using the Styles toolbox that included showing Styles Guides and Direct Formatting Guides
  

Somewhere in this mix, Styles and I were bumping heads, I was trying too many changes and Styles was doing unexpected things like changing alignment. In the end, there was one problem I could not solve but had not existed in all the past revisions, now my Kindle (mobi) version had block indents.

During the revision process, I was downloading various eBook epub readers like Calibre, Adobe Document Edition, AZARDI and more trying to preview my final product before I resubmitted it again to SW. While the eCookbook looked nice not sure the final product resembled what I saw in those epub readers. Not sure about this part yet.

Then there was my eBook cover. This was a free book; so I stubbornly refused to purchase the services of a professional graphic artist to make an eBook cover. Come heck or high water, I was going to make a nice cover myself. I tried various software manipulation packages like: photoscape, GiMP and others but in the end I found an article by Michael Canfield, How to Create a Quick EBook Cover Using Pages that allowed me to create a nice eBook cover. In addition, I am thankful to Wikipedia for offering great public domain artwork. I created an eBook cover I liked and SW liked. Do not ask me why this cover worked and all my others did not, I have no idea. Also, I did provide attribution on my copyright page for the source of the artwork.

Ok, a little breather. I did try one more time to fix the problems with the SW book by making one more resubmission but no change, so I have accept to the final product as is.

So, now, you can find my FREE eCookbook, Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook on Smashwords.

While I enjoyed re-testing some of my recipes, the downside is I gained 10 pounds ;=>

Enjoy!

PRESS RELEASE
10/29/13
MERIDA, MEXICO -- Expat, Ria Stone has published her first Smashwords fiction eBook, Gina’s Dream.

In Gina’s Dream, Kit Brennan, SETA’s (Space Exploration Through Astronomy) Assistant Director, meets an unusual woman at a convention. She claims she is an alien. What is he to believe? What is he to do?

Kit’s co-worker sees her as a threat, first to his friend and then to humans. The co-worker seeks to discover Gina’s secrets to stop her.

Gina has broken the emissaries’ primary rule by telling Kit who she is. But, she is here to defend her world from a future invasion by humans. As Gina’s safety is threatened, what will she do to defend herself?

Caught in the middle between his co-worker’s fears and her defense, Kit has few choices but to let Gina follow her dream.

What would you do if you met an alien?

Bonus: Includes article -- My First Editor.

Description:

Category: Fiction
Genre: Science-Fiction/Romance/Predictive Fiction/Social Commentary
Audience: 12+ Adult 
Length: Novelette
Language: English
No illustrations
Includes Bonus Article: My First Editor

During my marketing research, I tripped over this ebook on the SWForum.

Ted Summerfield's Free eBook The Backward Approach to eBook Success offers some clear, direct advice on how to market your ebooks. While not everyone will be able to use Ted's advice, the information about making money via eBooks is valuable.

Once I decided to finish my novel and self-publish it, I joined several writers groups which I recommend to others but you need to find the writers group that works for you.

After I published my eBook on Smashwords, I looked for websites and forums that talked about epublishing and marketing. One site I joined was the Smashwords Forum (Independent Forum for SW authors etc.). 

On the SWforum, you can find other SW authors who may have questions/answers or resources to assist a author in various stages of their writing.

I meet one SWForum user, Sally Ember, Ed.D. who was having problems formatting her eBook, This Changes Everything. I tried to help but had no success. Later, Dr. Ember found her answer and shared it with me. Along the way, we got acquainted. I was surprised to find that our enovels shared similar themes. Compared to my novelette, This Changes Everything is an opus with several books in the series, where Dr. Ember generously elaborates on many themes.

You can find Dr. Ember at:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SallyEmber
Website: http://www.sallyember.com
Twitter: sallyemberedd
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sally-ember-ed-d/1/282/894
Wattpad: sallyember
Blog: http://www.sallyember.com/blog

Dr. Ember is a delightful person, full of energy and ideas. I do recommend her book because it is a delightful mix of fiction, fantasy, stream-of-consciousness, and humor. She is the Alice Walker of the Spanner generation.

Whew, did I say self-publishing was an education!

I am happy to say that my book, Gina's Dream can now be found at Barnes & Noble and in iBooks.

As I add to my experiences, I hope they help those considering self-publishing and new self-published or indie authors, a bit, to find their way through the thicket of information, procedures and processes.

Again, I credit Mark Coker, Smashwords founder, for helping guide me through the process. But, each author will have their own set of questions to research and their own set of snags they hit along the way.

I also found, the Smashwords Forum (see Bulletins for link). There you meet other SW authors who may have similar experiences or questions and can offer advice.

But, I also had to rely on internet searches for answers to some procedural questions. One recent question was "How do add my iBook link to my blog?" I got my answer at Stackoverflow.com. You can see my iBook link under GF Bookshelf with Gina's Dream, for an example.

Now I am, in essence, doing a brain dump of much of the information I gathered in order to self-publish for a future presentation. One fact I found that surprised me was the demographics of eBook purchasers/readers. Who are we? We are: mostly caucasian, 34-55, highly-educated suburbanites that use Kindles for the most part.

Another surprising fact was the number of eBook reading devices and applications, too numerous to list and most were unknown to me. You can find that info on Wikipedia for a start.

Marketing and Research continues. Keep writing.

8/25/2012 -- Gina's Dream is being prepared for an editor. Hope to publish soon.

7/6/13 -- as you can see, there is a large time gap between entries. I went to a writer's conference in October 2012 and what I learned there, plus my experiences in finding and working with an editor put me into a tailspin. As I interpreted the advice, the entire novelette needs to be rewritten. How depressing.

7/26/13 -- a bonus article, "My First Editor" will accompany Gina's Dream. My First Editor is my story of trying to find and work with an editor for Gina's Dream.

7/26/13 -- taking care of numerous details has delayed publication but this is a learning experience and the delays have given me time to improve my novelette. One detail I considered was getting my novelette translated into Spanish. Advice I was given was find a native Spanish speaker. Looks like it won't get done because it is expensive.

7/26/13 -- waiting on book cover art and to setup Paypal account. Details, details, details.....

9/8/13 -- received cover art and I love it. Target date for publication of Gina's Dream is October 28, 2013. Also working with a translator who is willing to work for the "fun" (pay is peanuts) of it to create a Spanish version which will be published in 2014.

9/8/13 -- Tasks let to finish:

Polish novelette, again.
Submit novelette to LOC copyright office.
Setup Paypal account.
Submit to Smashwords.
Add ISBN number to account.
Launch Marketing efforts.
Work with Spanish translator.
2014 -- Publish Spanish version.

9/8/13 -- Marketing efforts will be extensive.

9/8/13 -- I want to thank all my friends who have listened to me talk about this novelette for over two years. Plus, I want thank those strangers and friends who have offered support and advice.

I particularly want to thank Sue J. She has been a steadfast friend and sounding board for all my ideas. She edited the Bonus Article: My First Editor. Plus, I want to acknowledge Writer's Digest, the WritersForums.com, the James River Writers, and many other writers and organizations who offered advice on how to write fiction. My novelette is so different from when I started, I learned so much but it took a year for all that information to gel. While Gina's Dream has all the earmarks of a first novel, the experience is bound to make my next novel better.

9/9/13 -- Well, an early mistake -- launched BitsBitesBooks Twitter account and tweeted about Gina's Dream with a link but the book has not been published yet. I am a bit ahead of myself in marketing. Opps.

9/9/13 -- just created a simple powerpoint presentation for Gina's Dream as a YouTube Book Trailer. It is simple. It was fun to make but I am no Book trailer artist/producer.

10/25/13 -- setting up a paypal account was confusing. Plan to launch website today and publish Gina's Dream 11/2/2013 in conjunction with a Book Launch Party and marketing efforts.

10/25/13 -- after uploading slideshow to Youtube, I hit a snag, "copyright infringement", because I used a sound effect I bought from iTunes. I thought the purpose of "sound effects" was for use in other media productions. Currently, seeking clarification from iTunes, etc.

10/25/13 -- it was my first time to use Yahoo Invite. While creating a Yahoo invite for the Book Launch Party, I, unknowingly, sent the invite at least two times with incorrect information. Had to send a regular email to recipients to apologize for the multiple emails and confusion.

10/27/13 -- still polishing novelette and amazed at the little improvements I needed to make.

10/27/13 -- the countdown has begun. I want this novelette available by 11/2/13. Let's hope I got the formatting right for Smashwords meatgrinder. I hope some will find my back flap quotes funny in the manner intended.

10/27/13 -- Oh the errors I made when scheduling the Book Launch Party. Too late to make changes, will have to wing it.

10/27/13 -- I think after the initial marketing blitz, I will find a workable marketing pattern.

10/28/13 -- more problems with Yahoo Invite, had to delete it from the calendar and this generated an automatic cancellation sent to my group. Had to email them to say, No, Book Launch not cancelled. Ugh, but if Yahoo Invite is the only disaster, then I am doing well.

10/28/13 -- I have butterflies.... so close to publishing....so many details.......

10/28/13 -- YouTube video does not work now. Tried to add slideshow to this website and upload photos did not work. In my imagination, I fear that 20 years from now technology will be more of a nightmare.

10/29/13 -- I gave up on making a Book Trailer. I managed to get a video up on Vimeo but the audio does not work for half the presentation. Three days of work for very little. I did learn a lot and was able to convert a personal video for family use.

10/29/13 -- Registered Gina's Dream with the Digital Copyright Office.

10/29//13 -- I did publish Gina's Dream today on Smashwords. While it is available on Smashwords, the ebook is pending review  for the premium catalog for greater distribution. The review could take a few days.

10/29/13 -- I still have butterflies but I am relieved. I never thought I would reach this point. Details, details.... now onto marketing.

11/2/13 -- Just added Blog Function Page. Learned something new.

11/2/13 -- Just came home from Book Party Launch. It was wonderful.