Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 91 of the podcast and it's November 16, 2022 as we record this. Main Topic: Nitty-gritty of self-publishing  PATREON:  No new patrons this week,    A big squeezy hug and Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in us and in the podcast.  This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.  Comments:  Update:  Stage one of formatting for the ARC and sent it to the book blubber and to Ali. Announcements: Tickets for the Writer Craft Writing Retreat and Workshop go live today. Priced at $900, but patron price is $825. Monthly payments are an option. Send me a message Valerie@valerieihsan.com for a unique PayPal link, or go to the shopping page on my website to purchase at full price.  Writer Craft Writing Retreat is scheduled for next August 24-27, 2023. Tickets are $900 this year and include all lodging and gourmet meals, plus instruction and coaching and retreat time on the river, in Marcola, OR. Payment plans are available, and registration opens November 1st, 2022. Patrons receive a hefty discount AND can buy early, making their monthly payments even less expensive. Go to valerieihsan.com/retreat for more information.   Just finished:     I'M READING: Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton,  Confessions of a Bookseller (memoir/diary) Up Next: The Nesting by CJ Cooke  Erick's Reading:  All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Murder Bot series) Artificial Condition (Book 2) Skippy Dies Show Notes: Canva.com K-lytics.com Publisherrocket.com Bowker.com   Next Episode: gratitude for the author life   Resources:  The Shades of Orange (Rachel, Book Blogger on YouTube) for book recommendations SF/Fantasy/Horror Contact Erick for business-starting advice. Contact Valerie for book coaching for help writing your book. Other Resources: Thomas Umstattd Jr, at Novel Marketing Podcast. Ep255: How to Create an Email Onboarding Drip Campaign Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor Russell P. Nohelty and Monica Leonelle's book, Get Your Book Selling on Kickstarter.   The Author Life Community Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link) Discount Code: VALERIEO866 ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)   Find Us:   Valerie’s Services: https://valerieihsan.com Valerie’s Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com Valerie’s Facebook Page and Instagram account   Erick’s Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com Erick’s free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n Erick’s Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com Erick’s Facebook Page and Instagram account  Writer Craft Facebook Group Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan   Some of the Books We've Read This Year:South of the Buttonwood Tree by Heather Webber (magical realism) and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell (literary mystery) Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness Essentialism by Greg McKeown The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black Dowery of Blood ST Gibson  Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes   The Cloisters  Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor Death Masks by Jim Butcher  Drinking Games A Prayer for the Crown-Shy.   How to be a Good Creature Billy Summers by Stephen King The Dude and the Zen Master  How to Write Light Novels and Webnovels by R.A. Paterson The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin Run, Rose, Run by