1 Reply by cookbooklady

(4 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Take care, and best wishes to the bride and groom!

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2 Reply by cookbooklady

(9 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Thank you for this change. smile

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3 Reply by cookbooklady

(4 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

<body>
<p style="color:#FF0000;">
  A pop star runs from her life in the spotlight.
</p>
</body>

It works in my Jules summary.

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4 Reply by cookbooklady

(136 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Ah, I see. Three reviews per chapter is doable. Hopefully, we get can this sorted soon. Maybe we can say that too in the membership sign up--ratio is approximately 3 reviews per chapter posted so we only get serious new members.

Thanks, Lauren

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5 Reply by cookbooklady

(136 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

cookbooklady wrote:
Dirk B wrote:

Hey, Sol. Any ETA as to when you'll reduce the ratio of words reviewed to words posted from 5 to 1 down to 3 to 1? Right now we have one of the most onerous ratios of workshop sites I know of.

Thanks
Dirk

I'm in a lot of writing groups and would love to push this site (in fact, I just did today), but the ratio is a huge turn-off and why I left the first time. I had 136 points which is why I'm back now.

Hi Sol,

Here is the follow up message I received from the guy I recommended the site to:

Hey Lauren,

I tried to post on the next big writer, but you need A LOT of points to post it seems. But I finished my rewrite! I got a handful of beta readers through a freelance website called Fiverr. It's a good way to get more eyes on it and it's a lot quicker than swapping

-------
So we are absolutely losing writers to the points problem. I suggest we also maybe start them off with 25 points instead of whatever they have now so they can give them a chance to post 3-4 chapters, get addicted, and then read some stuff to stick around. Just a thought. I know I wouldn't have come back if I didn't have 136 points in the bank, and I might not stick around once I run out. I read every day and I'm down to like 115 points even with that big of a lead.

Thanks for your time and attention to this matter,
Lauren

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6 Topic by cookbooklady

(2 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Hey everyone,

I've got a busy health week and a case of bronchitis and I'm super far behind on my writing schedule, so I'll be offsite for 3-4 days so I can get caught up.

I'll be back!
Lauren

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7 Reply by cookbooklady

(10 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

I am eligible for SSDI and Medicare because I have a terminal illness. If they take it away, I lose Medicare, and by that time, they may have done away with Obamacare and the pre-existing conditions clause. So I would quite literally die in a matter of months.

Literally an unelected sociopath as judge, jury, and executioner. How the hell did we get here?

I third sending Musk to Mars.

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8 Reply by cookbooklady

(5 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

Randall Krzak wrote:

Good name choice.

I expect Felon47 to do a lot of bragging this evening and blaming Biden for anything that might be negative. When are the Republicans going to do what they were elected to do, and stop playing to Trump's ego?


Republicans were elected to enable the orange abomination and they're doing a great job. I have no hope they'll wake up at all but if they do it could still be too late. I can't handle watching that fool and his sniffing and posturing and the lackeys' applause. I'll read about it in the morning. He makes me sick.

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9 Reply by cookbooklady

(3 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

Ugh. So many nasty things going around--take care!!

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10 Reply by cookbooklady

(9 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

I couldn't listen to it. Just watching was bad enough. We're already the most hated in the world, and I can't believe how snowed half the country is and how easy it was to do. It's frightening as hell. I don't doubt for a second a WW is coming. Will it be nuclear, I don't think so, maybe, but it will be bad.

I saw a tweet last night that said, "Can somebody PLEASE just do it already?" and instantly it was understood what the poster meant. It had thousands of likes. I couldn't push the heart fast enough.

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11 Reply by cookbooklady

(136 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Dirk B wrote:

Hey, Sol. Any ETA as to when you'll reduce the ratio of words reviewed to words posted from 5 to 1 down to 3 to 1? Right now we have one of the most onerous ratios of workshop sites I know of.

Thanks
Dirk

I'm in a lot of writing groups and would love to push this site (in fact, I just did today), but the ratio is a huge turn-off and why I left the first time. I had 136 points which is why I'm back now.

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12 Reply by cookbooklady

(17 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

Well said, Vern. Couldn't agree more.

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13 Reply by cookbooklady

(17 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

I couldn't watch the video--his voice makes me want to scream. But there's no doubt he's Putin's bitch.

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14 Reply by cookbooklady

(17 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

Love it!

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15 Reply by cookbooklady

(5 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

Marilyn Johnson wrote:

BTW, for what it's worth, another "peaceful" thing is being tackled this Friday, Feb. 28. It's a movement to not log onto Facebook that day since Zuckerberg is in donald's pocket, and the other thing is to not buy anything anywhere. No gas, food, groceries, or Amazon, especially. Just go dark that day. I think if enough people do that and keep doing it on certain days, it will get attention since Fridays are normally busy days for stores everywhere.

I've heard this and fully plan to participate. No purchases, no social media (which might kill me, haha) and no Amazon (which also might kill me) but this administration will DEFINITELY kill me, so I shall refrain.

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16 Reply by cookbooklady

(17 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

OMG, this is getting absolutely ridiculous. Even Hitler didn't seize control this fast. How is this happening when EVERYONE saw it coming, and NO ONE did a thing to stop it? (Merrick Garland, Biden, DNC, etc.) Are there ANY decent members of the GOP? Can anyone stop what's happening? Sorry to panic, but seems like panic is in order.

He should've been in prison January 7th, 2021. Weak Dem leadership. We go high isn't working, folks. Get in the mud and fight!

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17 Reply by cookbooklady

(1 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

Good. Do it!! Love those guys!

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18 Reply by cookbooklady

(9 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

B Douglas Slack wrote:

One would hope that a good, solid majority (better than 98%) of military members would refuse an illegal order to suppress any civilian disturbance simply at the order of one person (the President). The legislative branch must pass an approval vote to such use before I'd ever lift a finger.

Bill

I think this would be the case, too. The morals of the individual and not the whole and definitely not our government will be the only thing to save us.

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19 Reply by cookbooklady

(9 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

In addition, the Insurrection Act allows the president — with or without the state government’s consent — to use the military to enforce federal law or suppress a rebellion against federal authority in a state, or to protect a group of people’s civil rights when the state government is unable or unwilling to do so.

The Department of Justice has for years asserted that the DC Guard can operate in a non-federal, “militia” status, in which it is not covered by the Posse Comitatus Act. By this interpretation, presidents can use the DC Guard for law enforcement whenever they choose.

In this way, the Trump administration brought a large, federally controlled military force into Washington and used it for civilian law enforcement, all while skipping over the procedures in the Insurrection Act and evading the political costs of invoking it. That is exactly what the Posse Comitatus Act is meant to prevent.

These three passages have me very worried. Laws don't matter to that son of a bitch either, so I'm doubly worried. It's a great thing in theory, but nothing is sacred anymore, least of all the Constitution. Nothing would surprise me anymore.

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20 Reply by cookbooklady

(9 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

Once they have the military, we're done. His coup will be complete, and we'll no longer be a democracy. I'm sickened and sad, and I can't even imagine how you must feel, Bill, having served for so many years. The only thing I can hope is that if the military is ordered to open fire on protestors or oversee concentration camps (like the one in Guantanamo right now) they will refuse to obey or blow the whistle and expose the atrocities. I don't know what we can do, I really don't. I'm surprised there are not more protests in the streets, but my fear is Trump would declare martial law and assume total power. We are witnessing the end, and I hope like hell I am alive to witness his end.

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21 Reply by cookbooklady

(33 replies, posted in We're All Ears)

Marilyn Johnson wrote:

Make America Germany Again. Wow! Never thought I’d see that in my lifetime. And nobody has the balls to stand up to the dictator.

It's terrifying right now. Once he has the military we're done. He's not even hiding it (3rd term posters) and the CARE act (voter suppression, especially women) and buying the post office (controlling mail in ballots) calling himself a king...

I don't know why the Democrats aren't sponsoring their own podcasts, interviewing fired employees (under anonymity if necessary).  every day running TikTok videos, FB ads, YouTube channels, non-stop interviews and stories about medical research being affected, etc. How effective would it be to interview actual researchers who can say exactly how their research will be affected? Or interview parents of child cancer victims, or adults whose clinical trials have been shut down, or seniors who can't get Meals on Wheels? Where are all these voices and why aren't they being heard?

Why aren't the Democrats shouting from the rooftops? Twitter posts aren't doing it. TALK TO THE PEOPLE AFFECTED AND SPREAD THEIR STORIES! Especially the MAGAts. Yes, they FAFOd, but I guessing many are converts now. Let them convert the faithful and open their eyes.

My driving force is outliving Trump and seeing our country on the road to healing, but nuclear damn war could be right around the corner. The worldwide impact this asshole is having is beyond dangerous. I don't even think a bullet would help because he's not in charge - Project 2025 is and we're screwed if we don't rise up. Doesn't look like that will happen.

Happy Saturday!
wink

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22 Reply by cookbooklady

(9 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Ooh, I remember that one! Loved it!
I'm horrible at writing reviews, but I'm on it!

Congratulations!
Lauren

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23 Reply by cookbooklady

(16 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Congrats, Dirk!
Just read it--fun story!!

Lauren

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24 Reply by cookbooklady

(3 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Thanks, everyone.

Dirk, I love Seabrass's newsletter! Have been getting it since the beginning. Good idea to ask him. I think he did a free giveaway which I've done, but not sure about paid. I thought about doing different options...maybe I'll consider again. Will keep you posted!

Kdot, thank you for the blog. So if I'm reading correctly, option two or three would be my best bet. The books are totally different genres with different pennames, so I don't think there's any danger of clicking around, but I could be wrong. 21 out-clicks is so low!! And I've probably tanked my own books by checking obsessively for reviews. I uploaded WriterWatch on Chrome to check for me, but I still can't help myself. Good to know!

Okay, so I guess I'll go option 2 for the EI series and option 3 for Daisy.

Now I need to remember how to do the tracking thing to see which site the sale came from. Good luck me!

Lauren

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25 Topic by cookbooklady

(3 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Hi everyone,

I am planning two paid newsletter stack marketing $.99 campaigns for this spring. I have three options (well, I have a gazillion options but I've narrowed it to three) and I'd appreciate feedback.

1) stack the 3 promo sites all on one day: apparently this gives you a spike in sales and can land you on the Amazon Top 100 page which then brings organic sales and gets you in the algorithm and search engine, but it only lasts a day or so.

2) run 1 site per day for three days in a row (F/S/S): this would potentially give me a three-day spike or lift in sales but without the power of the three sites working at the same time, I might not get into the Top 100 page, but the search algorithm would have a tail of extra days.

3) run 1 site every 5 or so days (F/W/Su): this would potentially give me a long tail and maybe keep me in the search algorithm for weeks. But I don't know if I'd get the sales for that with only 5 reviews on one and zero reviews on the other.

The first book I'm promoting is For the Love of Daisy Chamberlain which is a contemporary rom-com. I did a free promo on Amazon earlier this month and gave away 640 copies, so I know the cover and blurb work at least a little bit.

The second is a 2-book box set for Express Investigations series (books 1&2), an 11-book historical mystery series. I also gave all 11 away a few weeks ago for five days and I think the first book was like 400 downloads and the rest were like 250. I don't have the box set listed on Amazon yet, but I'm working on it.

All told, I gave away almost 4,000 books. However, that did not translate to reviews unfortunately--I've only had two. So boo on that, but I did have some KU readership and someone bought 4 paperbacks by mistake, haha.

I'm planning on Bookspry, Bargain Booksy, and ENT for Daisy and Historical Reads, Bargain Booksy, and ENT for EI.

What say you, hivemind?

Thanks, Lauren

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