A self-published author's diary

Well, I did a very raccoon thing this morning. 🦝 Instead of recording the episode I'd planned, I created an entirely new Patreon for The Raccoon Author Diary. Because apparently, I needed another project. So, we're pivoting! This week, I'm sharing the ups and downs of my self-publishing week: an invitation to record a Spotify Wrapped video, September royalties that are down overall bu...

I’ve posted 14 Instagram trial reels over about three weeks, and… the results have been mixed. Let’s put it that way. In this episode, I’m sharing my actual numbers: views, likes, saves, who’s seeing my videos, and whether any of it seems to be translating into book sales. I talk about posting in English and French from Belgium, cross-posting to TikTok and Facebook and Pinterest. There’s also a li...

Short episode as all the plans are in my head and they need to get on paper. But also... I am finally organizing my office and the print raccoon author I got commissioned has the words "But what if it works?" Which made me smile so I thought I'd share it with you all. As always my Patreon (there's a Raccoon Author tier) https://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnook and my website:...

I started listening to Abbie Emmons’ Make Your Story Matter, and one question she mentioned authors should ask themselves is "Why does your story matter?" And that immediately got stuck in my head in a loop. In this Dear Raccoon Author Diary episode, I’m talking about writing and why and working through things, lots of things—what I want readers to feel, what I sometimes work through mys...

This podcast episode was recorded outside of Venice and this is just me, the Raccoon Author, giving you an update on... not writing and not working. Because I did take a break for a few days before starting up again on updating my social contributions in Belgium and refilling the creative well. www.elodienowodazkij.com

A few days in this Raccoon Author’s self-publishing life. 🦝 On September 8, I’m once again trying to figure out what the heck is happening with my Facebook Ads account (the saga continues…), while also revising, answering tax questions, working on BookSprout and replying to readers. Then on September 12, my brain goes from AuthorScale to listening to Lucy Score on the SPA Girls Podcast, to Gallup...

87 books sold. Less than $100 in royalties. And… I’m actually not panicking about it? 🦝 In today’s Raccoon Author's Self-Publishing Diary, I’m getting into the numbers behind My Christmas Wish List , my Christmas rom-com that came out at the end of July — including its veryyyyy long road to publication, the pre-order I canceled, why I eventually put it back up at $0.99, and what that meant fo...

I’m trying something new! Alongside the deeper-dive episodes, I’ll also be sharing shorter Dear Raccoon Author Diary episodes—honest little snapshots from the messier, more emotional side of the self-publishing life. Today’s entry was recorded on one of those publishing days that felt a bit harder. I talk about disappointing royalty numbers, Substack, the comparison game, and how quickly one diffi...

What exactly is a Raccoon Author, and what does that have to do with author branding? In this episode of The Raccoon Author’s Self-Publishing Diary, I’m reintroducing myself, talking about how I think about branding as an indie author, and why the raccoon has somehow become part of mine. I’m also sharing where the raccoon idea came from, how it connects to the way I write and work, and why brandin...

If you're an indie author self-publishing wide, or specifically on Amazon KDP, and you're based in the EU, this episode is for you (or at least, it's for you to commiserate with me). I walk through my ongoing, unresolved, and occasionally maddening experience trying to figure out EU VAT reporting for my Amazon royalties as a Belgian-registered sole proprietor and US citizen self-employ...

This one's a numbers-and-behind-the-scenes episode. I share a full preorder update across all five of my current books, platform by platform, the good and the zero, and where I'm at ten days into a thirty-day TikTok experiment in 2026 (I know, I know). The BookTok part is genuinely interesting to me: one video crossed 2,000 views and somehow racked up more than eight hours of total watch time, whi...

I had different plans for this episode. And then I ended up in a Belgian ER at 6:45 in the morning with hives and a lip that decided to start swelling. So... change of plans. This week, I'm taking you behind the scenes of three days in my life as a self-published author: the writing, the taxes, and yes, the ER. I talk about: My ER stories as a writer (and former cancer patient) in three countr...

This One is About Amazon Blocking One of my e-books - one that had been up for ten years. In today's episode, I share how many returns that book got over years, the sales number, the reviews, what I decided to do. I also talk about moving a pre-order, and a little bit about craft - thinking about how to improve my books. Mentioned in this episode: - How to get your Amazon account back: https:/...

This episode is brought to you by: a shower, a hoarse voice from dictating, having grand and great plans I had to adjust due to fatigue. All of that got me thinking about ROMO. The Reality of Missing Out. Not FOMO. Not JOMO. The third thing. I thought I'd made up the term. Yes, really. I was really proud of myself. I Googled it. I had not. I talk about many things in this episode, including: d...

This is a numbers episode. I'm going back to the archives a little bit (back to the future, kind of) to talk about a book I released in 2015 that had 23 preorders and became one of my most read books. A Summer Like No Other launched at 99 cents. I had a whole plan — cover reveal with Xpresso Book Tours, NetGalley, YouTube videos, a blog series called The Making Of, emails to readers who had re...

This post is about grief. An update. Going back to write. An excerpt of my next rom-com. And a donkey.

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts) This episode is a daily mashup of behind-the-scenes of my self-publishing life including: libraries buying my ebooks, regaining my B&N vendor account, releasing a book (YAY!), but no words on my manuscripts (I did write bonus scenes). Also: trying to invigorate my Goodreads profile: https://www.goo...

Writers talk a lot about the “Book of My Heart”: the story that feels deeply personal, the one you carry close. But there’s another book, too. The F***-It Book. The book where you stop worrying about what’s expected, or tidy, or “on-brand.” The book where you choose joy anyway. Or choose whatever you need to write because you’re ready to. Sometimes the F***-It Book and the Book of My Heart are the...

I'm releasing my next book on November 7th... Goodreads doesn't remember my name. Oh, and B&N decided to reject my vendor account? Everything is good. Everything is good. Behind-the-scenes and the ups and downs of self-publishing... Mentioned in this episode: - Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That At Christmas - Anne Victory - NetGalley co-op - Wide for the Win Facebook Group: https://vi...

A quick update. I'm now in Belgium and thinking about thinking... No, thinking about my to-do list and whether to start a Patreon about my self-publishing... oh and I reached 1000 subscribers on my Patreon. And I have an Italian translation coming up and...and... and...

Welcome to my first audio AND video episode - yes, you can finally see my face (and probably my cat)! I'm diving into the messy reality of splitting my books into two pen names and why updating newsletter automations is a lot of work. I'll share how I create those bonus scenes readers love (epilogues, wedding scenes, even deleted diary entries), why I'm thinking about making Sweets for...

Have a coffee with me, this short self-publishing podcast episode is taking you my thought process on whether to put my Gavert City series in English in Kindle Unlimited or not... Also mentioned in this episode: Golden Angel's Presentation: Money Matters for Authors with Golden Angel You can sign up and watch it live online or for 90 days after here: https://marylandromancewriters.com/mrw-even...

This episode is NOT a how-to on how to get your Facebook Ads Account back as a self-published author... it's a lot of me venting and explaining what happened. Visit my website: www.elodienowodazkij.com (www.dasdog.net) or www.elodienow.com

My Facebook Ads Account has been restricted and, well, this hasn't been fun. As an author, I had been using Facebook ads to reach both KU readers in the US, Australia and UK and French-speaking readers who read on Kobo, Apple, Google Play and more... I don't know why my account has been restricted. Also mentioned on this episode: My YouTube channel (if you love audiobooks :-)): subscribe h...

In this episode, I open up and look back about navigating life with cancer back in 2017—receiving tough PET news, seeking second opinions, and finding support in unexpected places. I talk about how therapy really helped, how romance novels reminded me to escape into stories, and how creativity (not necessarily mine) brought moments of light during some of the hardest times. This episode explores t...