Winter Update – End of 2018

Hi all, 

I am going to do something different for the end of December, Winter Update.

Rather than talk about book news, I am going to talk a little bit about myself. 

Being an author is not . . . profitable, not when you’re first starting out. 

There’s a lot of learning to do, a lot of mistakes to make. Writing a book isn’t only about writing, it’s about building a fan base. These things take time. 

But time is not a luxury you can afford when your bills are due. A sale of 5 dollars for a royalty of 3 dollars isn’t going to pay your $130.00 utility bill. The $3.00 isn’t even going to be in your bank account until 2 months after you’ve made the sale. 

So, like everyone else, you have to work. 

Unfortunately, I ran into a problem where I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. 

I thought my long-term career was video production or motion graphics. Editing video and creating special effects in After Effects were my passion. In my dreams, I saw myself on a film studio or TV set. Then I got older and my priorities shifted. I wanted to spend more time with my family and friends. 

All I knew was how to edit video and write a story. Skills and experience in other fields were non-existent.

I spent a huge chunk of 2017 and a portion of 2018 soul searching. If I couldn’t be a full-time author and I didn’t want to edit video, what could I do? 

Hopelessness hit me hard.

If I didn’t like employment at Rockstar Games, where the heck did I want to work?

I went from earning $15,000 bonuses to barely making $800 a paycheck. 

Without a Bachelor’s degree and experience in other fields, no place wanted to hire me. I felt worthless, valueless, and powerless. The only thing that kept me away from complete depression was writing. In fact, if you look closely, you can see elements of my struggles written into Cindy’s life. 

Anyway, I was pedaling nowhere, fast. 

Only one thing kept me moving forward and I’m not talking about the writing. 

I wanted A Bitter Winter to outperform my previous two novels. In order to do that, I invested some time and money into creating advertisements. I bought Facebook ads, Amazon ads, Twitter ads, and I experimented with copywriting. I realized that I could write an attractive ad copy. One phrase could lead to more sales. 

To my great surprise, I also had the ability to sell my book face-to-face. I didn’t have to push or twist anyone’s arm. I told them what the book was about and how much it cost. That’s it. 

As an introvert, I found it weird to discover how much I enjoyed selling my book. 

I’m not saying my dream was to become a salesman. But a copywriter? Mm, maybe. 

I registered for a free 30 day trial of Skillshare and searched for Copywriting courses. This led me to an excellent instructor by the name of Alan Sharpe. As a result, I fell down the rabbit hole of education. 

I discovered blogs, youtube videos, online training courses, and so many other wonderful opportunities to expand my skillset. 

After stumbling so long in the dark it was nice to find my light. I wanted to become an online marketer. 

Whenever I had an opportunity, I would go online and consume hundreds of hours of educational content. I completed Alan Sharpe’s copywriting course and moved onto Dan Lok’s Youtube channel, The Futur youtube channel by Chris Do, and gained great insights into the vendor/client relationship thanks to Jon Stark. 

Links to all of these guys are here: 

So 2019 is going to be a year of change. I plan on going back to school to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. I am also chasing down certifications in Google Analytics and to become a Certified Technology Specialist. The more skills you have as an individual the more valuable you become as an employee. 

If you’re stuck in a similar rut, ask yourself the following questions: 

What do I enjoy doing? 

What is my goal? 

How do I achieve my goal? 

Once you have a goal everything else will fall into place. 

Hope you have a great holiday and I’ll see you next year! 


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The Silver Ninja: A Bitter Winter in 2018

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She thought a prototype suit would turn her into a superhero. It did. But it also unleashed a desire to kill.

A Bitter Winter – The Silver Ninja [Vol. 1]

A Bitter Winter – The Silver Ninja [Vol. 1]

E-Book: 4.99 | Paperback: 12.99
Author:
Series: The Silver Ninja, Book 1
Genres: Action Adventure, Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Superheroes
Publisher: Silver Pencil Books
Publication Year: 2018
Format: Paperback | E-Book | Hardcover
Length: Novel
ASIN: B07DD8GFMV
ISBN: 9781732221307

A disgraced cop takes matters into her own hands when the murderer who killed her partner comes after her family. To stop him, Cindy Ames fuses with a prototype suit and transforms herself into a superhero.

But the suit has a mind of its own and is determined to execute its hidden agenda.

The puppet has become the master, and the hero has become the monster.

Super powers can save a city but break a hero.

A Bitter Winter is book 1 of The Silver Ninja series.

Buy now!
About the Book

The ultimate weapon is a woman with a vengeance. In this action packed superhero fantasy, the powerless becomes the powerful.

As the Manhattan snow fell on her shoulders, Cindy Ames stared in disbelief at her bloodstained hands. Her fingers ached from violence. All she wanted was revenge for what happened to her sister.

She stole a prototype suit and absorbed its incredible power. With it, she tore through criminals and terrorists in search for the killer who ruined her life.

But something went horribly wrong.

The red liquid pooling in her hands didn’t belong to her or the criminals. The suit has taken control of her mind and is using her body to fulfill its own purposes. The puppet has become the master, and the hero has become the monster. Can she regain control before she takes another innocent life?

“It’s refreshing to read about a character (especially a female superhero), who isn’t perfect and has actual problems she must overcome.” – Kitiera Morey, Author of Meant to Bleed.

“Wilmar Luna has taken the usual superhero saga and deconstructed it, shattering any expectations of the ordinary lawful good hero. Cindy isn’t quite an anti-hero, but she is certainly not playing things by the rules.” – Valerie, Cats luv Coffeez blogspot.

Curious if this is the right book for you? Read a sample chapter and see for yourself!

 

A Bitter Winter 2018 promo artwork by Alexander Chelyshev

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About the Author
Wilmar Luna

From the time he put on Superman pajamas and leapt off a flight of stairs, Wilmar Luna has been captivated by stories of heroes saving the day. As he grew older, his fascination with 90's pop culture, video games, and movies filled his overactive imagination with fantastical worlds and legendary heroes.

He found an outlet for his creativity by studying video editing and motion graphics design at Mercer County Community College. After graduating in 2008, he freelanced throughout New York City and has edited numerous indie films, freelanced for the NFL, and also worked with the cinematics team at Rockstar Games. He assisted with the launch of Grand Theft Auto V and was also involved in the creation of cutscenes for Red Dead Redemption 2.

After years of watching his name scroll in other people’s credits (please don’t remove me), Wilmar wanted to develop his own projects and ideas. He decided that if he wanted to tell stories of empowered female characters, paranormal detectives, and ghost stories, he would have to venture off on his own.

Wilmar published his first novel in 2012 and his second in 2014. He also published several horror short stories on Wattpad, as well as concept ideas for a gothic fantasy novel. In 2018, Wilmar completed his novel The Silver Ninja: A Bitter Winter, fulfilling his childhood dream to create an empowered, independent, brand new superheroine for a generation of readers hungry for new stories.

For updates on his latest projects, please visit https://thesilverninja.com or follow him on Twitter @WilmarLuna.

Other Books in "The Silver Ninja"
Look Inside
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Wilmar Luna

Wilmar Luna

Couldn't be a superhero in real life so he decided to write his own. When he's not creating empowered female characters he can be found watching films, reading books, and playing lots of video games. Buy his books here: https://www.thesilverninja.com/purchase/