Lately, I've been receiving emails from young writers (both sexes) wanting to know what their options are for getting their works published. I've been meaning to write this entry for them but life and work's gotten in the way.
Eventually though, I've realized that life and work will always get in the way until I make time to write this entry. So here I am, and apologies for the delay.
Now, I've actually rewritten this post in my mind several times, trying to think of how to best explain the difference between traditional and self-publishing is. But now I'm thinking I don't have to do that. Other experts have already weighed about the difference between as well as the pros and cons of self-publishing and traditional publishing, and their explanations are way better than anything I can ever come up with. 
So no, I'm not going to bother with that. I do recommend you read Courtney Milan's take on it as well as this and this by Jane Friedman.
(Note:  I know that PH's publishing industry is different from the publishing industry in the US but there are also enough similarities for the aforementioned posts to still be applicable.) 
Anyway, what I'll be sharing with you now is a questionnaire that I hope can help Filipino authors determine whether it's traditional or self-publishing they're more suitable for.
Now, the rules:

1. Each question is answerable by YES or NO.
   
2. When you're done, tally your answers.
3. If you have MORE YES answers than no then you're more suitable to self-publishing.
4. If you have MORE NO answers than yes then you're more suitable to traditional publishing.
5. This questionnaire is ONLY meant to be used as A GUIDE. 
6. It DOES NOT GUARANTEE SUCCESS in publishing.

1. Do you want to own copyright to your work? (Note: It's possible that you'll still own copyright to your book when it's traditionally published, but it's something you usually have to negotiate with the publisher. The advantages of owning copyright is that you DON'T need to ask anyone's permission when you want to promote or alter your book in any way. BUT if a publisher owns copyright to your work then you may have to ask their permission for just about, well, everything. Keep in mind as well that when you sign your copyright to a publisher's, it's very hard - in most cases - to get those rights reverted back to you. In worst case scenario, these contracts can actually STOP you from self-publishing your other works.)
2. Do you want / are you more comfortable with having more control over your book covers? (Note: With traditional publishers, they often will consider your opinion but they almost always have last say over your books, and yes, that means they can choose to ignore your output. On the other hand, more control means YOU have to PAY for your OWN COVER. Then again, you can always make your own covers, and sometimes - depending on your skills - that could work, too.)
3. Do you want / are you more comfortable with having more control over the editing of your books? (Note: I know a lot of authors who self-edit their work and are still able to sell a lot of copies. You need to be honest with yourself, though, and figure out on your own if you need professional help with editing. The main advantages with working with a professional editor: it frees up your time to write more AND your book is less likely to suffer from poor editing since you are working with a professional. However, this also means having to find a good editor to work with and paying for their services - something that traditional publishers typically do for their authors.)
4. Do you want / are you more comfortable with having more control over the marketing of your books? (Note: It used to be that traditional publishers would spend a lot of money on every book they release. Now, that's no longer the case. Only a few handful - really few, to be honest - get to enjoy huge marketing campaigns. Of course, you can still do your own marketing even with a traditionally published book but if that's the case, you should be publishing your own work. On the other hand, being indie means you have to DEVELOP and PAY for your own marketing campaign.)
5. Are you READY to think of WRITING AS A BUSINESS? (Note: You can no longer think of your writing as just art. You also need to see it as a business - in every aspect. You still need to write what you LOVE, absolutely, but you also need to make sure that what you love is what readers will love as well. This may mean tweaking your plot, setting, even your characters' names. This also means thinking about the right pricing strategy and how to package your work.)
6. Are you ready to work on spreadsheets? (Note: I'm NOT asking you to be an accountant, but you do need to keep track of your expenses to figure out the ROI of each book. You will also need to monitor results every time you conduct experiments on your books in order to figure out what you need to keep doing and what you need to change with your strategy.)
7. Are you OKAY with NOT having your books IN BOOKSTORES? (Note: It's possible for an indie author to get his/her books on local bookstores on consignment, but you'll need to negotiate your own contract and take care of all the logistics. It's not easy but not impossible either. Also, having your book in bookstores is considered an important milestone by many authors. Are you willing to let go - even temporarily - of this opportunity?)
8. Are you READY to take FULL RESPONSIBILITY for your book? (Note: As an indie publisher, the buck will always stop with you. No ifs, no buts - whether it has to do with your writing, cover, editing, or even formatting - you're accountable for it. BUT then again, everything that's right about the book is also because of your own efforts.)
9. Do you want to enjoy INCREASED CHANCES of EARNING? (Note: I say increased chances of earning because I can't guarantee that you'll earn from your work. However, if you take a look at AuthorEarnings.com, you'll see that indie authors out-earn their traditional counterparts in general. Primary reasons for this include being able to have higher royalty percentages for authors and indie writers being free to publish as many books as they want.)
10. Do you want to START EARNING NOW? (Note: Amazon et al has a 2-month delay for royalty payments. What you earned this September, you will be paid with a check late November. For us Filipino authors, this check will be mailed and reach us early to mid-December. OTOH it takes publishers months to a year or even more to pay you royalties.)
11. Are you comfortable with working on your own? (Note: Indie = independent, and most of the time you will be working all by your lonesome.  There won't be anyone to prod you about deadlines, no one to look after your interests except yourself. If you're the type who needs supervision while working then indie publishing may not be for you.)
12. Are you good with TIME MANAGEMENT? (Note: You need to know your priorities as an indie publisher. You need to learn how to say 'no' to people or opportunities in order to FIERCELY PROTECT your writing time. Marketing and networking with other writers is important, yes, but it's not as important as getting the next book out.)
13. Do you write FAST enough? (Note: The main advantage of working independently is being able to publish as many books as you want. But if it's an advantage that you don't think you want or intend to make use of, then you may be better off signing with a traditional publisher.)
14. Are you comfortable with and excited about WRITING TO TREND? (Note: Imagine having watched this week's blockbuster movie and finding it so inspiring you want to write something like it, with your own twist. Imagine having read this week's NYT bestseller and again feeling so inspired by it that you want to write your own version. That's what writing to trend is all about: you're writing what's CURRENTLY POPULAR, regardless of your motivations. This used to be an ill-advised move in the past because then, we only had traditional publishing. Since it usually takes 1 to 2 years for a book to go out from the time you signed your publishing contract, there's no point writing to trend. By the time your book's out, the trend's no longer popular. BUT IT'S DIFFERENT NOW. Depending on how fast you write and how passionate, excited, challenged, and inspired you are about the trend, it's more than possible to get your next book out while the trend's still hot and readers are EAGER to pay for books that cater to that trend. Don't you want to be the author who gives these readers what they want?)
15. Are you comfortable with approaching readers or reviewers about your work? (Note: I consider this as an inevitable and necessary part of self-publishing. With traditional publishing, your publicist or your publisher's marketing department will do it for you but since you're indie, you'll need to do this on your own. You'll need to come up with a system for determining which reviewers are best to approach, following them up, and monitoring reviews.)
16. Are you READY to SPEND money on MARKETING? (Note: This is also something I consider inevitable and necessary. While there are many ways to market your book for free, in the end there are also instances when you just HAVE to pay for marketing, in order to boost your book's visibility.
17. Are you FLEXIBLE? (Note: I still believe the ebook / digital publishing industry will continue to experience growing pains for quite some time, and because of that we as indie authors need to be ready to work with whatever changes that are sure to come our way. An example: KU changing its payment policies, which totally took me by surprise, but I've moved on and I'm already working on my next strategy. We can't waste time crying over spilled milk. We just need to move on, work harder, and keep writing.)
18. Are you READY to face the STIGMA that still comes with SELF-PUBLISHING? (Note: People's take on self-publishing isn't as bad as it used to be in the past, and yes, I thank God for that. BUT it's not completely gone. There will still be people who won't consider you a "real" author because you don't have a book in bookstores. There will still be people who think you don't have a "real job". If you're not ready to deal with such stigma in a positive manner then you may not yet be ready to self-publish.) 

Now that you're done with the questionnaire, go ahead and tally your answers. Remember, though - THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER. How you publish is a matter of choice and suitability. ;)
Hope this helps!

Earlier today, something happened (in my personal life, mind you, nothing to do with work) that required me to make a choice: to let righteous anger rule me (because we were in the right) or to just let it go and wish God's blessings on them.
It took a full minute, but eventually I saw the light with God's grace and just wished them luck. Well, okay, not quite. First, I told myself this.

I wanted to take justice in my own hands but I knew to do so wasn't right, and that's why I tried to focus on that quote.
Secondly, I counted my blessings. And I realized that with so many things to be thankful for, it is ungrateful and unappreciative of me to complain of the little things. Besides, maybe they have a reason for doing what they've done. Maybe in their eyes, they're doing what's right. 
In the end, I managed to do what I thought for one minute was impossible.
I let it go.
And the miracle took place almost right after.
You see, I've been worrying about what direction to take with one of my stories, and it's one I've been quietly panicking over for almost a week. Today, however, almost immediately after deciding to just let God do what He wills with my "situation",  I just suddenly knew what to do. It came to me so clearly and I wrote like I was possessed. I. Couldn't. Stop. Writing. It was like watching a movie in my head and so I didn't need to think. I just wrote what I saw, and I was so moved by how the story was shaping out that I found myself crying for more than ten minutes while writing. (Note: I'm the type of writer who can read my own work like I wasn't the one who wrote it. So, yes, I can and do often cry over my own work)
When I was done, I just knew it was God's way of telling me that it's okay to let it go. Even if the other people in my life thought they won and that I lost, it's okay. It was never a battle to begin with.
This belief was further reinforced when I went to attend the 10th anniversary of Father Ron, who's a friend of the family. The Bishop of Cubao Honesto Ongtioco was the one who gave the homily, and one of the things he discussed was St. Monica (today's her feast day) and how she prayed for 19 years for the conversion of her son, who would later be known as St. Augustine. 
This, the bishop said, was what God wants us to do, despite all the tragedies and evil taking place around us. That we continue to pray with HOPE and with FAITH. You see, I was telling AT earlier that it would be easy to give up on some people changing for the better but we can't. We wouldn't be doing God's will if we gave up.
Naturally, this isn't just about giving up on the people we hope to change. It's about giving up in general - such as when bad things happen to us. The bishop reminded us of how a child asked Pope Francis during his visit to UST why God allows evil things to happen to innocent children. There was also another child during the pope's visit in Leyte who asked him why God's taken every member of her family away from her. 
The pope's answer: I don't know.
However, this doesn't mean we simply surrender when facing such hardships. I think I've used this quote before but it's really worth repeating.

And of course, not giving up also has to do with work. Perhaps, like me,  you find yourself struggling with your writing or maybe you find yourself at a crossroad of sorts in your career and you don't know what to do.
No matter what happens, you don't give up.

Bishop Ongtioco also offered three reminders or principles that he hopes Father Ron will practice as he continues with his priestly journey. I think these reminders are something we can also apply in our daily lives.
1.  How you do (one thing) is more important than what you do.
You're one of the richest persons in the world, but did you cheat other people to accumulate such wealth? You're considered successful in your career but on your way up, did you always treat other people with kindness and respect?
2. What Christ does through you is more important than what you (believe) you have done yourself.
For me, this is a twofold message.  
a. Let's not allow our egos - which can swell without us knowing it - make us forget that there is nothing we can do without God. He's the one who gave us life. Everything that happens now won't happen if He didn't give us life.
b. Our mission and purpose in the world is not to achieve personal success but to do God's will. It may seem hard, but it's also the only way to true happiness and contentment.
3. Value the CROSS because this is what gifts us with true life and NOT the success brought about by human talents and efforts.
Bishop Ongtioco says that EVERY DAY we are INVITED to CARRY the cross with and for Jesus. 
Every day means we don't just remember God's presence in our life when we feel blessed or desperate. It's something we must do every minute of our lives.
Invited reminds us that God will never take away our personal freedom for His will to be done. It must be our choice to serve Him.
Carrying the cross, however, mustn't be a responsibility we resent. We should, in fact, embrace it. And yes, that means we should take every trial that comes our way as a part of life and sharing in God's burden. We should offer our suffering to the Lord and when we do...that's when we achieve the fullness of life.
In other words, that's when we realize that life is so beautiful, letting ourselves dwell on thoughts of evil for a single moment is a huge waste. 
We must instead promote life as a gift of God. Simply put, we must be happy and help others become happy.
Do this and your joy will spill over every other aspect of your life. 
I know this to be true because it's happened to me. It doesn't mean my life is perfect - it isn't. It doesn't mean I no longer stumble - I still do. But even with all the ups and downs, my life has never been better because I've been blessed to realize that devoting yourself to making other people happy and helping them is what gives me the greatest joy and, yes, the greatest blessings.

Today, I slept at around 3AM and had to wake up 6AM to attend a seminar that my dad organized. 
(P.S. For those wondering, this is NOT the reason I wasn't able to attend the first F2F of #StrangeLit >.< Sorry, that was a personal decision. I'm just very shy. :( Sorry!)
Anyway, for maybe a second – seriously, it was just one moment – I considered excusing myself from the seminar because I was really still sleepy, tired, and I had work to do. But with the grace of God, I found the strength to shove thought away. First of all, I made a promise to my dad, and secondly, this was a seminar about God. How can I not go?
So I did, and you know, that was one of the first points the seminar drove home.
NEVER SHALL A DAY DEDICATED TO THE LORD EVER BE A WASTE.
The seminar we attended was called Life in the Spirit. I honestly thought this was something started by a small group of Filipino Catholics – like a local, special version of a Bible group – but nope. As you can see here, this seminar is also being conducted outside the Philippines.
LSS was so much more than what I expected that I really feel excited to share what I’ve learned from it. To be honest, I should be sleeping by now. As much as possible, I try to avoid “overworking” my eyes…
(Quick story: My stepbrother’s mother-in-law is now half-blind because she’s unable to completely open her eyes, which is – basically – a result of washing her face every night even when her eyes are tired; anyway, she warned us to avoid eye fatigue, and seeing how much she’s suffering, it’s definitely a lesson I do my best to keep in mind)
But in this instance I’ll make an exception. I’m afraid I’d forget everything I learned (although I did take notes) if I sleep on it.
The LSS (Life in the Spirit Seminar) my dad organized is a full-day event, but upon researching online I’ve discovered that other seminars take place in the course of several weeks. In any case, it’s definitely something you can also organize for your family, friends, or co-workers. While its main objective is renewing one’s Catholic faith, I sincerely believe anyone with open-minded views about religion and spirituality will benefit from it.
Now, it may not seem like it at times, but everything I write here is meant to either directly or indirectly help you with your writing career. For me, the stronger and deeper my faith is, the better writer I become. I hope it’s the same for you, too. As such, here are the major points I’ve learned from the seminar.

Lesson #1
There were once two neighboring shops that sold the exact same type of jewelry. The first shop, worried at how the newer shop was steadily gaining a bigger slice of the pie, decided to hire a burglar to turn things around. 
The burglar, however, wasn’t there to steal the other shop’s merchandise. Instead, the burglar was tasked to switch the price tags of the other shop’s items so that come next day, people who paid the high price tag were actually those who ended up with expensive jewelry…and vice versa.
The moral lesson: The Devil pretty much works the same in its attempt to deceive us with what’s important or not.   

Lesson #2
Imagine an open garbage bin in front of you. Flies would converge on it if you don’t constantly wave your hands about and try swatting them away. The moment you stop, they go back.
The moral lesson: It’s not enough to attend seminars like LSS or even going to mass regularly to keep evil spirits away. You need to constantly work on your faith and consistently do good deeds. And no, this analogy isn’t meant to say we’re trash, but there is trash inside us, and this consists of our evil thoughts and intentions and the sins we’ve committed, continue to commit, and plan to commit. Evil is attracted to that, and the only way to keep the Devil away from us is to strive to be good.

Lesson #3
Can a tiny coin conceal something as enormous as the sun? Yes, it can. All you have to do is to lift it up and place it in your line of sight, which then blocks your vision of the sun. Or you can just place the coin over your eyes, forcing them to closed. That’s it. 
The moral lesson: Allowing the coin to block out the sun is akin to focusing on petty problems to the point that you fail to appreciate just how blessed you are. How many times have you remembered to thank God just for the mere fact that you continue to have eyes that can see? That you have a body that’s able to function on its own? The eyes are designed for us to discover and appreciate the beauty of God’s creation, but do we really use our eyes for this purpose? Should we not be thankful that even though we fail to use our eyes the way they were meant to, God remains generous and understanding enough not to take His precious, invaluable gifts from us?

Lesson #4
A Japanese doctor named Masaru Emoto conducted a water experiment in which two jars of water were subjected to the exact same conditions. The two jars had only a single difference: one jar was labeled “I love you”. The other jar was “I hate you”. Check out the link above to find out what happened.
The moral lesson: Never underestimate the power of labeling. Never let anyone refer to you in any derogatory term. 
My personal take: This lesson struck a chord in me because there are so many times when I can’t help thinking how shamefully lazy I am. I always feel I can do or should have done more, and every time I think that I feel guilty about my slothful ways. This lesson made me realize, however, that it’s my negativity to blame. Instead of thinking or even claiming to myself “I’m so lazy”, I should have thought the opposite. Thanks to God, I’m hardworking. Thanks to God, I’m effective at managing my time. Thanks to God, life is stress-free. 
Now, I thankfully know better, so I’m determined to practice this from here on.

Lesson #5
One of the speakers at the seminar shared with us his visit in the Vatican, where he learned of numerous stories of miracles that took place in the Holy City. Curious, he asked the priest there why was it the Catholic Church wasn’t actively trying to publicize such miracles?
The priest’s answer: Our church doesn’t want its people to serve because of the miracles they’ve learned or witnessed. Our church wants the people to serve because they love God.

Lesson #6
The same speaker shared with us how, one day, he was made short-tempered and depressed because of his problems in life. This was further aggravated when, while he was riding a jeep, a man seemingly started mocking him by singing. Or at least he thought it was to rile him up until he listened to the words the stranger was singing. Those lyrics seemed like a message for him, and he realized all of a sudden that it was God talking to him through the song.
Moral lesson: Not one day passes by that God doesn’t make an effort to tell us we love Him. We just need to listen.

Lesson #7
John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Interpretation: It’s your personal relationship with God and not your choice of religion that saves you.

Lesson #8
In the Bible story of Daniel and the lion, despite knowing he faced imminent death while in the lion’s lair, Daniel still found the courage to sleep and fight off depression. 
Moral lesson: The lion represents the greatest causes of depression and frustrations in our life, but no matter how big these problems are, they can be easily be vanquished by our faith.

Lesson #9
Whatever you have right now, there’s surely one other person at least who is smarter or better than you are and, as such, are more deserving than you. 
Moral lesson: Again, be thankful for what you have. If there’s something you need, you don’t even have to ask. Just claim it because God knows from the start what you need. Also, read the Bible as this is the true source of prosperity and success.
Source: Joshua 1:8
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
 
Lesson #10 (my favorite of all)
A young boy – a beggar – asked an old man for alms, and the man, upon opening his wallet, saw that he only had P24. He gave the beggar P23 and left P1 for himself. The beggar thought to himself, ‘The old man must be crazy’. After all, he could have given the boy P1 and kept the rest of his money to himself.
While enjoying the food he had bought with the stranger’s money, he saw the old man enter a beautiful house across the street. He began to feel discontented, thinking of the P1 left in the man’s wallet.
In the end, he decided to break into the old man’s house to steal the P1. Inside the man’s bedroom, he quickly made a grab for the man’s wallet, which caused the P1 coin to fall. The sound woke the man up, and of course the boy was caught stealing.
Now, what do you think of this boy?
At the seminar, we were quick to answer the following: greedy, without conscience, evil, etc.
The moral lesson: The old man is God, who holds our lives in His hands. The P24 in His wallet is the number of hours we have in a day, 23 of which God is happy for us to use as we see fit, and He only asks that we give one hour each day to Him. 

Confession: I used to be something like a teacher's pet when I was querying agents. I followed the rules rigorously and didn't even think there was an alternative to it. 
However...when I started self-publishing, I have to say that's when I've really found my voice. I've made conscious decisions to break certain rules, and I don't regret doing so because, in a way, those "violations" are also what made my writing distinct from other people's works, in good and bad ways (subject to personal opinion of critics, reviewers, and readers).
That said, we come back to this new mini-series of posts that I thought would benefit you guys. If you're like me when I first started, you have this bone-deep need to please everyone with your writing - to the point that you'll end up losing sight of what you want to say with your story and how you want to say it. 
Note: The Writing Rule Violations series is for you to see the alternative to blindly following the usual rules for writing. It is NOT meant to encourage you to violate them.

First, here's an in-depth analysis of whether or not to capitalize the first letter of the Internet.
But for those who don't have the time to do so, the long and short is that for as long as dictionaries continue spelling the Internet with a capital I, style guides like AP will most likely follow suit. 
What does this mean for you?
If you want to be technically correct with your writing, you need to use capital I. 
If you don't care to be technically correct, then feel free to spell 'Internet' with a small i since people who actually do this also have a valid argument for their decision.
Up to you!

Just read another report featuring Anna Todd's epic rise to fame. FYI, she's the author who wrote 1D fanfic on Wattpad, which eventually scored her a six-digit deal with traditional publishing. Paramount has also optioned it for filming. If you don't know much about her, you should read the article. My favorite part of the article - which this post is about - is how she basically shrugs off all criticism with this:

And I can't stress how much I agree with this.
Confession: I used to be a grammar Nazi. I used to be a snob when it comes to people who didn't spend enough time editing and polishing their work. But the more years I've been in indie publishing, the more time I spent studying bestselling books and the readers' reactions to it, I realize that my standards - even my perception of writing - have been largely dictated by traditional publishing. I'm not saying everything they believe in is wrong - DEFINITELY NOT - but there are new rules now, brought about by digital publishing, and writers today shouldn't be faulted just because they happen to thrive in those new rules.
I'm getting too vague, aren't I?
*Deep breath*
I'm going to be honest.
I no longer mind when a book I read has poor grammar and/or editing. I just find myself enjoying the story as it is, and I don't begrudge the author at all for his/her success. The thing is, many readers today don't even seem to notice or at least they don't seem to mind that the book hasn't been properly edited and proofread. All they care about is the story, its characters, and how the book made them forget, even for a little while, about how stressful their day-to-day living is. 
Same goes for cover design. I used to look down on books whose authors obviously didn't spend enough time conceptualizing the covers for their work. There has to be a connection at least, you know?
But now, I just ignore the unattractive cover and focus on the story. It's the blurb that grabs my attention the most, anyway. If you have a great-sounding blurb, I'll be most likely sold on your book regardless of your cover, title, and even your writing style.
Does this mean you shouldn't bother with professional editing and cover design?
NOT AT ALL. 
I still work with my editor and cover designer for every book I put out. But that's MY choice, and that's what makes it right for me. As for you and your work, it's all about your choice, too. 
These days, I've come to think of authors as being one of three types.
The first type is the author who would always have his/her "writer's hat" on. This type of author enjoys the intricacy, exactitude, and harmony of word play. This type of author focuses primarily on the beauty of word and doesn't care about the potential (or lack of) commercial value of his/her work. Work of this type of author has a high probability of eventually turning into a literary classic.
The second type is the author who works with his/her "storyteller's hat" on. This type of author is all about the story. Literary critics may be predisposed to dislike the work of this type of author because of the way it violates almost every rule of writing. On the other hand, given the right niche, platform, and enough marketing effort, this type of author has good chances of enjoying commercial success. 
The third type is a hybrid of both.
Whether you're Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3 - there is no right or wrong choice. Ultimately, it's about choosing what makes YOU happy and what meets YOUR publishing goals and emotional needs. 

Don't be too sensitive about your work (more about this in a future post). No matter how nasty other people are, try to find something positive in what they've said and remember that, not the negativity.
Also, there's always the chance that you may be a Type 1 today but you could turn into a Type 2 or 3 down the line...and vice versa. It happens. It happened to me. I used to be a Type 1, but in the end I found myself being more a Type 2. I can't even say I'm a Type 3 because these days, my #1 priority is story and I've also made a deliberate attempt to write simply so that more readers would be interested in reading my work. Don't mistake this for dumbing it down (but I won't kill you if you want to think otherwise; you're entitled to your own opinion). Rather, I'm doing this because I have a lot of readers who read on the go (during one-hour lunch breaks, train commutes, etc.). Readers have told me how much they love that my work is a fast and easy read, and how it's able to take them away from the real world even just for a little while. They don't read my work to think. They read my work to feel. And I love that because that also happens to be my goal as an author. As a storyteller.

Again, though. This is just my two cents, and this is what I did with my work. If I want you to take away something from this post, then it's to write from the heart. Forget about what everyone says. Just write from the heart, pray to God for grace, and that's it.

I figured I should write something fun before I pull out another all-nighter. So anyway, here goes...
First up is my bag. My #1 requirement: needs to be big enough to fit my laptop in. Also, sturdy design. Coz I bring my work with me.

The blue purse (a gift that comes w/matching bag) is where I have all my receipts, IDs, and cards. I use the bag's inner pockets for cash and change. I don't have a wallet w/me most times because I find them too bulky.
The white one, I bought in HK or Macau and it's where all my meds go.

I have one last pouch (it's actually the travel bag for my quick-dry towel but obviously I'm using it for something else), and it's where I keep all my cables, earphones, and other tiny miscellaneous stuff.

I always have notebooks and pens with me, and I use it mostly for outlines and computations hehe

Lastly, scattered inside my bag are---

• iPad and iPhone (but not in pic)
• My extremely old NERD brush that the boyfriend uses more often than I do haha
• Two power banks
• The silver slide box is where I keep my plasters and extra hairpins
• Rosary box
• Mints (brand differs)
• Handy dandy alcohol

And there you have it. What's inside yours? Would love to see it. :)

But first, let me ask you one question.
Do you have this unshakable dream 
that your works are meant to be read 
by people around the world?
If so...keep writing.
That's the secret.

Every time I write a post about writing and marketing books, I’ve always had this niggling worry at the back of my mind, asking me if whatever advice I was offering would really help.
After all---
·       When I first started, I had a publisher to do marketing for me.
·       By the time I started self-publishing, I had a small but growing readership.
·       I received additional promotion from the boxed sets I had the fortune and privilege to be a part of, many of which made it to NYT and USAT bestselling lists.
·       I had mentors, whose advice was golden.
Now, a question: what if I wouldn’t be able to have any of this if I hadn’t started out with a publisher?

This has always bothered me…or at least it had until an experiment with another pen name has challenged me to put my money where my mouth is. So I applied my own advice, and I’m happy to tell you that the results have been astoundingly positive.
For a breakdown of the entire process, let’s start with what I did prior to releasing the book---
1.      I picked a trend in romance that I figured would still be hot by the time I finished writing.
2.      I worked on an outline for a trilogy with a possibility for continuing the series if there was a demand for more books.
3.       Each installment was about 10k words or less, and they had the dreaded C word for readers: cliffhangers!
4.       I ordered covers patterned after the latest bestselling romances targeting the same trend.
5.       I decided to price everything at $.99 and enroll all three in KU.

Books 1 to 3 were released in quick succession, the first 2 just days apart and the last one a week or so after. I made sure to do a bit of free marketing such as---
1.      Making use of Amazon’s free days for Book 1
2.     And reaching out to Facebook page owners while Book 1’s free to download, asking them if they could the post the book for me and offering them ARCs for reviews and/or giveaways.
3.     (Indirect marketing of sorts) I asked readers to let me know if they wanted a Book 4.

 Once Book 3 was out, I was earning approximately our daily minimum wage (net total for all three books), and almost all of it is from KU borrows. I was incredibly happy with the earnings, but I felt like I should also give paid marketing a try. So I did, and the results were even more overwhelming.
Let’s just say that for every $1 spent on paid advertising, I earned it back and $3 more. I do have to warn you, though: I was only able to enjoy this level of ROI with a medium-range budget for marketing. 

I’ve thought about this long and hard, and personally, I think it’s okay not to do paid marketing at the start. Just see how things work out first. You have to be patient though; this is definitely the longer and harder road to profitability. I also have to admit that I only invested in paid marketing because I could afford it.
But if I didn’t, I’d have done things a bit differently.
·       Outline, write, and finish a series of novel-length standalones (length requirement  is because of KU's new payout structure).
·       Release in quick succession.
·       Enroll everything in KU, with the first one at $.99 and the rest at $2.99
·       If I don’t earn enough from KU, I’ll ditch it after three months and release wide.
·       I’ll set Book 1 free and reach out to Facebook page owners about it.
·       If and when I could afford it, do occasional paid marketing (low budget).
Rinse and repeat until I’ve grown my own readership.
And that’s it. If you have questions, feel free to post a comment below or email me. I know I’ve simplified things too much, and I haven’t talked about how to write a “good” book that would sell and all, but here’s the thing. I don’t think it’s my place to tell you what’s good or not. What works for me may not work for you, so I’ll just leave that part for you to figure out.
Always keep writing! 

I've been thinking lately that I've been working too hard, and it's making me proud. :(

As breadwinner (by choice), I've a lot of responsibilities. I welcome them because nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing my loved ones happy. However, more responsibilities mean I have to earn a certain amount. I work hard to earn beyond this target, work so hard that I forget it's not about what I can do.

You know how, when Manny Pacquiao's always asked about his accomplishments, he always say it's because of God? I believe that's true. I believe my work is because of His grace but because I work so hard and worry so much, I end up feeling like it's all up to ME. When it's not.

Whatever I accomplish now is because of God and I need to remember how NOT to worry. Worry is one of Satan's tools because it makes you focus inwardly and doubt God's plans for you.

And it's funny really, but where I am now is so much better than where I was before and yet I realize I worry more today than I used to. It's because I feel I have more to lose when in actuality, nothing's different. Everything I had or have is God letting me be a steward of His blessings so really, nothing's changed.

I pray to God that through this post I may be free of worry and re-learn humility. I hope that you - and I'm still surprised whenever I find out people read this part of my site haha - will not make the same mistakes I've made.

Trust in God's plans. Cease your worries. :)

P.S. Also, listen to your editor when she tells you to stop worrying. :P It's another kind of worry altogether, but still.,

So a few hours ago, I watched The Breakup Playlist (first day, yay!), and I have to say - it's my #1 fave movie of both Sarah Geronimo and Piolo Pascual so far. TBH I've only watched a few of PP's movies but dear God, he's won my respect with this one - he was so good at crying, there was this scene where his tears fell like RAINDROPS. I. Kid. You. Not. 
The pacing is a bit too slow for someone like me (I'm all about instalove), but that's just MHO. It's not that there were scenes I think should be cut. There weren't. It's really just me, and the way I like my movies and books even.
Anyway, on to the stuff that I loved as an author (it's why I'm writing this review here)---

• Characters were imperfect but still likeable; I also loved that they showed growth.
• Scenes that made me cry (spoiler alert! highlight if you wish to read): Sarah getting kicked out of her house, Sarah wanting to make it up to her mom, Piolo's crying scene, Sarah learning how to forgive (the part where she was listening to Piolo's apology CD), and Piolo saying ILY through album covers
• HEA!!! Because I hate - goddammit I totally hate - it when you make me think I'm watching a rom-com and then the film ends with the H/h not getting back together (I'm looking at you, Kimerald! Toni/Piolo's an exception coz I asked for spoilers for that one).

That's it. Definitely recommend everyone to watch this movie. ;)