Alien Lovers UNITE, ,
Welcome to the smuttier side of romance books with alien peens and the mates that love them.
Recently, I read a newsletter from another indie author that was trending towards the true cost of indie author burnout. It was one of quite a few emails that showed a downturn in their motivations levels to continue being an indie author at all. And essentially teetering on the edge of quitting being an author all together.
This indie author discussed the cost of continuing to write indie books, and how without a boost in sales they are essentially paying people to read their books. This is legit, but I'll discuss this pit fall in mindset a little further.
The second point of discussion, which I believe is the BIGGEST reason for their burnout, is not feeling like they have the support of their readers.
Before we get into the newsletter! SURPRISE SALE! Both books in the Treasure of Trillume universe are on sale for 99 pennies! Grab it today before it counts up to 1.99, then back to 3.99. (For those of you who miss the surprise sale, please know that your support helps the continuation of writing more books in the universe, and I thank you for being part of my author journey!)
Jewel of the Alien Bandit on KU & Audible: https://books.steviemarie.com/jotab
Her Alien Prince on KU: https://books.steviemarie.com/heralienprince
Don't forget that Her Alien Savior is part of this universe but is in a separate series Necia Alien Warriors because they are human-alien matings part of the alien exchange with Earth! Check it out here: Https://books.steviemarie.com/heraliensavior.
Indie Kindle Unlimited Friday Highlight!
Brooks: Waking up from cryostasis alone in an unfamiliar place is bad enough, but the holes in my memory make things so much worse. I had a mission - protect the research team. Only, I can't remember who the research team were, what they were researching, or what lead to me being frozen in the first place. All I know is there are monsters here - green skinned, with fangs and claws. If I'm to stand a chance of surviving, rescuing the other frozen women and getting off of this planet, then I need to steer clear of them. The problem? One of them is following me into my dreams, and the more I learn, the more I remember, the more I'm starting to question who the real monsters are.
Maldek: I am a warrior who failed in his duty to protect his sister, but in her wisdom, Lina still grants me a mate. My Brooks is the most magnificent female I have ever seen, but there is great distance between our heartspaces. More so than my brothers have experienced with their linashas. More troubling still, my Brooks knows what her old tribe Mercenia were doing in Lina's forests, but with her memories missing thanks to her long frozen sleep, she cannot share this knowledge with my tribe. I must do everything I can to help her find her way to her lost past. I only hope that in doing so, she might also find her way to me.
There are plenty of fun reads to discover in today's newsletter in the indie temptations if you scroll down, from firefighting tiger shifters to alien healers!
Back to our regularly scheduled newsletter!
Every indie goes through that tough struggle of balancing the cost monetarily of bringing a book to life and paying people to read their book
Based on the cost to bring something out to the world, I attribute this monetary cost to be part of start-up business costs.
Did you know that most small businesses fail within the first five years? And the reason why is that they don't have enough funding to push through the cost of starting a business. MOST small businesses do NOT make money in the first few years of business, it's all money that goes back into building the business.
Average is 2-3 years to be profitable, but it varies from business to business.
So, the whole song and dance of paying readers to read our books in the beginning is very legit, because it's true. Technically speaking every indie author is paying out money for people to read their books, and it's unlikely in the first few years that they've made any money at all for themselves, (most do not even pay themselves a salary from their business) but if it's treated like a business, and the expenses are managed as any business would, then that is the cost of starting a business and building a brand.
Yes, earning out a profit on your books is definitely a motivator to continuing to bring out the next book, so definitely help support indie authors you love by becoming a verified reader by grabbing their books, but I'll be honest with you it's really the ARC team and first readers that review a book, or buy the signed copies that are the book heroes that help keep an indie author from going through indie burnout and potentially quitting all together.
That's right, the author I mentioned above, is considering quitting and she only just put out her first selling book, My Jurassic Mate this year in March, and her next book coming out July 12th.
Now, with a business mindset, they are only in their first year of business, just like me! My first book I put out Jan 31st and my second May 1st, my third August 1st. I have NOT gone from red to black yet in my business. I have a whole spreadsheet on my expenses to bring my books to life, and I can tell you those first two books cost more to bring to life than the next books in a series.
Why? Because there is a learning curve, and because it takes more effort to market in the beginning of putting a new book world together and gathering readers who love it.
In business school, I go into my writing business knowing that there is a loss on the first few products put to market. I actually don't plan on making my money back on my first book for a few years! That's right, it might take me YEARS to recoup the costs on book one, Jewel of the Alien Bandit!
But, based on my accounting, I WILL break even with book two Her Alien Prince in a couple months, and THEN that profit on book two can be used towards investing in the next book release!
Based on this, what I'm trying to say is that it's just part of business to not be profitable for the first few years, and most businesses quit before they reach that mark because they didn't account for the cost of starting a business and do not have the funds to push through the first few years.
I did say that money was ONE motivator for indie authors to push through their burnout, if they are making enough money on their books, people are reading their words, then they have a motivator to continue to put out the next book.
But that isn't the MAIN reason authors quit before their author business becomes profitable.
It's the feeling like they are wanted, and people want to read their books. THIS is the true motivator that gets an indie author through those first few trying years of turning a small business into a successful and profitable business to continue to produce the books you love to read.
One thing that stuck out to me the most in this indie author's newsletter was how they kept disparaging themselves about how they are focusing on the reviews that say "the MC was unlikable" "there was too much arguing" and how the author feels "nobody's going to post or rave about them." The "them" being the characters they spend so much time and love creating.
But, they focus on those negative reviews instead of the positives like having over 140 reviews with an average of 4stars on the zon! Like this peachy review: "I started reading this book last Friday before I had to leave for work. Just a chapter in and I was hooked. I didn’t want to put it down. I love monster and alien romance which should be of no surprise to anyone on my Goodreads or Bookstagram account so this was right up my ally."
They have supporters out there, but it's hard to see that in the middle of author burnout. So, I hope some more people who love their work take a moment to share happier thoughts with them and help push them through the doubts. I was on their ARC team myself, and read My Jurassic Mate. I gave it a 4-stars, it was an enjoyable read and my only complaint was the confusing beginning with focusing too broadly on too many characters, and not having that save-the-cat moment to help endear the MC to people, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me, and I think her books will only get better, and she's already started a great fan base!
So, really, the main reason they might quit isn't money, because they are only in their first year of business. Sure, money is motivation, but what this author really needs are cheerleaders!
It is very, very important that if you love an indie author's work and you want to read more from them then shake your ass and give them a cheer.
How do we do that?
- Read those KU pages
- Become a verified reader by grabbing their books
- Smash that star button after you're done
- Leave your thoughts on the book in a review, if you have criticism then wrap it in a kindness sandwich and let them know that you still want to read more and are excited to see where the next one goes. Because like any skill it becomes better and better with every release!
- Become part of their Street Team, or an ARC reader to help them launch their next book!
- Support your indie authors when you can, share their social posts with other readers that you think would like their stories!
It's the cheerleaders that keep me going, and also my business mindset of preparing my mind to know that it takes time to become profitable.
This year I started with NOTHING, no fans, no one knew about me, and now there are over 5,000 people on my newsletter! Thank you to everyone on my newsletter!
My very own book heroes are the reason why another book gets put out into the world! And I can honestly say that it is for the fans that the next book in a series gets written.
One of my favorite alien romance authors Jennifer Julie Miller, author of the House of DaR series, told me that her first book DaR, was a standalone, and she had no intention of continuing the series (That currently has the 8th book in the series released and book 9 on the way!)
Can you believe it? That at one point in time, a book with a 4.4 average rating with OVER 2,000+ ratings was close to being the ONLY book in a series because there wasn't enough support for the book... YET! I LOVE this series, and I've already read Books 1-4 and book 7. I started with book 7, then went back and read from the beginning! Love this universe. I can't imagine the series only being one book!
So, if it wasn't for the fans and the readers that expressed how excited they were for more, then there wouldn't be any more of that wonderful universe.
You, as a reader, are extremely powerful. Your support and excitement brings author's worlds to light instead of keeping them stuffed in our digital computer folders to disappear into the pixel database of abandonment.
You, and other readers like you, are the reason why there are 9 books in the House of DaR series, because she wasn't going to write anymore, but your support kept her love of writing alive!
Just like you are the reason why I have the motivation to write the next book in the Treasures of Trillume series! Bringing more necia warriors to life, and exploring the universe of Trillume and all of its mysteries and romances!
Every pre-order on the zon for Her Alien Savior is another poke that says, "Hey! I'm excited to see what you write next!"
Every review and rating on GR and Amazon is another digital nibble that revs my finger juices into action and pulls me out of self-doubt that I'm writing this just for me, but also for all of you!
It's true, I will always write, and the books will always come out of my fingertips as I rub out another romantic story of exploration and acceptance, but it is because of you, and your excitement, your support, and your cheerleading as you share my books with others that I put on all the rest of the hats necessary to bring my books to publication and toss them into the world for consumption.
So, this is for you! This newsletter is for you, grabbing those sexy book covers is for you, commissioning fun artwork is for you, making fun stickers to share is for you, and without you, these stories would continue to live on my computer consumed only by me.
That is what you mean to me as an indie author.
Thank you!
I'd like to highlight some lovely reviews that have really helped motivate me in pushing through all the life hiccups to bring Her Alien Savior out into the world!
"Absolutely amazing story can’t wait to read more." Shirley on Her Alien Prince
"Loved the twisting story line, it was clearly different! Great job with the editing, no spelling or grammar errors that I found, which is unusual." Margaret on Jewel of the Alien Bandit
"I can't wait to keep reading this series because it has become one of my favorites of this year! And I can't wait to see who else gets their HEA." Alma on Her Alien Prince
"I liked the building of the trilluime adjacent universe. The Jewel was good and her Alien Prince even better. Can’t wait for the next one and the continuing stories." Jan
Both Her Alien Prince and Jewel of the Alien Bandit have 72 ratings/reviews on the zon! They are tied! And I just can't believe that the retention rate on my series has been so wonderful!
It's actually very common for there to be a decline in reviews from one book to the next in a series! Usually around 60% of the people who read book one of something actually come back to read book two, and I have been blessed to see that people continue to come back for more, if a reader starts with book one they read book two, and if they start with book two they go back and read book one!
They are both standalones, but they are a parallel of events. Both stories are technically happening at the same time as the other just two separate couples.
If you haven't given them a try yet, please dig it out of your e-reader or add it to your Kindle Unlimited borrows and check them out! They can be read in either order. Some like Her Alien Prince more, and others Jewel of the Alien Bandit, and honestly, my goal is to make each book better than the last. So, I'm excited to share Her Alien Savior soon!
You can support Her Alien Savior by pre-ordering the book set to launch August 2023 from the zon: https://books.steviemarie.com/heraliensavior
"I'm not whole, Riley." He bend over to rub his nose against mine while his hand cupped my chin to keep me in place. "You stole my hearts the moment you told me, don't move. You stole my purpose to protect you the moment you drew first blood. You stole my taste for anything but you the moment you gave me your juice between your elloslip, and the sweet sound of your pleasure stole the desire to hear anything else but the need to be the reason you scream such beautiful music." -- Direl from Her Alien Savior
Don't forget to catch up with the Treasure of Trillume Universe with Trent from Her Alien Prince with wings, and telepathic link with his fated mate! Or with Vareo with mating runes and a dark past with Jewel of the Alien Bandit on KU, and today they are on Kindle countdown for 99 pennies!
Jewel of the Alien Bandit on KU & Audible: https://books.steviemarie.com/jotab
Her Alien Prince on KU: https://books.steviemarie.com/heralienprince
And for those of you who follow my other books for romantasy, Taking Medusa is out to ARC readers! There are 11 reviews on GR and 5 on the zon so far with an average of 4.78!
You can check out my new Instagram Reel on the hardcovers that just came in!
So, if you happen to not only like Alien Romance but also a monster retelling from Medusa's POV a Greek Myth retelling with romance and adventure then help support the series by pre-ordering on the Zon! It is not as naughty as my alien romances, slow-burn romance, but I swear you'll still get all the feels. https://books.steviemarie.com/takingmedusa
You can pre-order the signed Hardcover + art print here: https://payhip.com/b/oDOMj
I plan on adding gold foiling to the signed hardcovers, including the art print on heavy stock with shimmer from the same place that makes the art prints for Sarah J. Maas, so it's great quality, and also a romantasy sticker! The gold leaf foiling and extra goodies are for my first print run, so be sure to grab yours to lock in the pretty, and you get to read the book EARLY. Yup, the hardcovers are ALREADY launched, and arriving at my house by the 30th, so you could see your copy at your doorstep by early July, instead of waiting until October!
But if paperbacks are more your speed, you can pre-order a signed copy in my author store and get special goodies for that first print run as well, to be launched around October release date.
Check out some indies below to get excited about for JUNE!
LAST INDIE BOOK TEMPTATIONS for JUNE!
I spend months dreaming of the beautiful man who visits my office every day. I finally work up the courage to ask him out, but little do I know he carries a dark secret that could ruin everything.
DESTINY
“He’s well over six feet tall and has smoldering green eyes set underneath hooded brows. His features are chiseled as though cut from marble, and his hair and beard are a brilliant reddish-brown color that shines like fire in the sunlight.”
Dylan Graystorm is the most perfect man alive.
He’s as sexy as his name, tall, handsome and strong.
And he’s a firefighter!
I’ve hit the jackpot.
It takes a while for me to work up the courage, but I finally ask him out.
When I do, I learn that he has a secret.
He doesn’t tell me what it is, but it consumes him.
I try not to think about it, but how can I have a future with a man who hides things from me?
Finally, I find out what he’s hiding.
Can I convince him to leave his past behind to build a future with me?
Find out in Vengeful Tiger’s All-Consuming Passion! the next exciting tale in the sexy, steamy shifter romance series Company 417 Fireman Shifter!
Brooks: Waking up from cryostasis alone in an unfamiliar place is bad enough, but the holes in my memory make things so much worse. I had a mission - protect the research team. Only, I can't remember who the research team were, what they were researching, or what lead to me being frozen in the first place. All I know is there are monsters here - green skinned, with fangs and claws. If I'm to stand a chance of surviving, rescuing the other frozen women and getting off of this planet, then I need to steer clear of them. The problem? One of them is following me into my dreams, and the more I learn, the more I remember, the more I'm starting to question who the real monsters are.
Maldek: I am a warrior who failed in his duty to protect his sister, but in her wisdom, Lina still grants me a mate. My Brooks is the most magnificent female I have ever seen, but there is great distance between our heartspaces. More so than my brothers have experienced with their linashas. More troubling still, my Brooks knows what her old tribe Mercenia were doing in Lina's forests, but with her memories missing thanks to her long frozen sleep, she cannot share this knowledge with my tribe. I must do everything I can to help her find her way to her lost past. I only hope that in doing so, she might also find her way to me.
Callie visited another planet hoping to find her one true mate. Instead, she found two...
I'd only dated a few guys on Earth, and they'd all been immature and only looking for one thing from women. Was it so wrong that I'd wanted to save that one thing for someone special? For someone who would love me and let me love him in return?
So when I'd heard that the men on the planet Klurux were looking for life mates, and that human women were a suitable match, of course I knew I had to go. Nothing seemed more romantic or special than the idea of having one true mate who you were destined to love.
But my visit to Klurux didn't go to plan, and I found myself at the Healer's Office just a few days after arriving because I was stupid enough to try and pet a wild animal who had looked a bit like a cat. I ended up with bite marks on my arm that required medical attention.
When I first laid eyes on my two healers, though, it was difficult to think about the wound on my arm or the animal that had bitten me. Zenith and Vega were gorgeous with a capital G, and my body reacted to them in a way that I had never experienced with anyone else.
It was obvious they felt something too, and every time one of them touched me, sparks shot through my entire body.
I knew in my heart I was meant to be theirs, and it was time to give myself to them fully...
Taken By My Stepson
Clarissa is a 29-year-old trophy-wife who hasn’t been laid in months. Her millionaire husband has been on a business trip. She’s a dutiful wife until she finds out she’s only one of his many playthings.
James is her horny, athletic 18-year-old stepson.
Things get hot, steamy, wet and hard after Clarissa crashes her stepson’s pool party. Things get more than flirty as Clarissa and James enter a forbidden relationship, and taboo erotic love affair.
For readers age 18 and up only.
NEWEST RELEASE by Sky Robert on Kindle Unlimited!
For one queen to rise, another must fall, and keeping her is the highest cost of all... his soul.
Rejected from the mating ceremony, Mabel finds a unique way of making her dreams of a family come true, though she may have to defy the leader of her planet to do so, and work with a species that isn't known for playing fair to have everything she desires.
Trent is the prince of his planet Krelis, and his mother, the queen, is on the verge of issuing a hostile takeover of yet another planet. The only way to stop a war and stop the hemorrhaging of his warriors is to seek a political mate bond with the future leader of Estreldez, but the one that stirs his mating glands is an advisor outcast from her clan.
Fans of Grace Goodwin, Laurann Dohner, and Ruby Dixon will love this steamy new series featuring strong, respectful, possessive, alien warrior heroes and the sassy, powerful women who save them!
Book two in the Treasures of Trillume series. A prince, a rejected advisor, a brewing war, forbidden love, telepathic mate bond, knotting, steamy stand-alone alien romance with twists and surprises that will have you devouring every page towards their HEAFN. You do not have to read book one to enjoy book two!
Here are some tropes:
Knotting
Primal play (cave chase)
Horns and wings
Dark Alien Prince x Strong Alien Scientist FMC
MMC with Non-human Anatomy
Fated Mates
Mind link/mind connection
Conspiracy / Political intrigue
Forbidden romance
Possessive MMC
Some scenes of OW and OM
He calls her "My Queen"
Miscommunication
Size difference
Ways to support indie without spending a dime:
Supporting indies:
1) Share their books on Social Media, and with your reader buddies
2) Join an indie ARC team (Advanced Reader Copy Team) Ever want to read a book for freesies? Just join a team, and most are happy to give you previous ARCs if you need to catch up with the world before getting into the next one. Reviewing, and sharing the book is one of the best ways to support an indie! If you find my book outside of BookSprout/BookFunnel/Amazon then please be aware it might be pirated, want my books just join my team and send me an email. I swear I only bite when it's consensual.
Join the ARC team here for Her Alien Savior: (If you have already joined and were part of Her Alien Prince, you do not have to reapply): https://forms.gle/VgSSY2sQgKobptd39
3) Be a Beta reader and catch typos and errors before they reach the ARC team.
4) Join the Street team: commit to sharing marketing posts once a week and on launch days and get special perks for being part of the team that shares the love! Join Sky's Street Team here: https://forms.gle/8jLAgMKxD3C5PYCp8
Share my books and tag me on socials ^_^
Stevie McCoy (@authorsteviemarie) • Instagram photos and videos
(2) Sky Robert is writing spicy alien peen (@SkyRobertAuthor) / Twitter
I appreciate your help in shaking our asses as one large mass of alien excitement! It means a lot to indie authors like me simply to share the book around and leave a rating on the zon after you're done reading!
Chat soon!
~Sky (Author of stuff and things, mom of humans in training, including my husband.)
https://linktr.ee/skyrobertromances
PS: Did you enjoy this email?
Happy Reading!
Let's be buddies!
Books By Sky Robert:
Support Indie, and the next book by Sky Robert by becoming a verified reader on the zon, grabbing a signed paperback or sticker from the author store, or sharing your love of the universe with other readers!
Her Alien Exchange! Free for joining this newsletter, if you missed your welcome email to grab yours: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/yj4qodplqv
Jewel of the Alien Bandit on KU & Audible: https://books.steviemarie.com/jotab
Her Alien Prince on KU: https://books.steviemarie.com/heralienprince
Grab Her Alien Savior pre-order: https://books.steviemarie.com/heraliensavior
Join the Facebook Reader's Group Sky's Smut Between the Pages here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/541334578200113
Check out my Author direct shoppe for signed paperbacks and stickers: Broken Books Publishing - Payhip
Disclaimer: You are on this newsletter because you joined a book giveaway with AuthorsXP, BookThrone, Booksweeps, another author sponsored giveaway, read one of my books, grabbed that free book Her Alien Exchange, or found me somewhere on the internet and thought, "hey, that author sounds fun!" Either way, you clicked a marketing consent box, and this newsletter is GDPR compliant, does not sell your information, or does the doing of the spam. This newsletter is DOUBLE opt-in. This newsletter does occasionally use affiliate links to help cover the cost of producing this newsletter, at no extra cost to you. So, please be respectful of the people who love to hear from me, and do not click the spam compliant button. I am a hoooman, feel free to email me anytime. This newsletter is for you!
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Thank you for being part of my author journey! <3 I look forward to your thoughts on Her Alien Prince newly released on MAY 1st and excited to share with you Her Alien Savior on August 1st!
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