Lord, help me to hold out...

The Holidays are coming.  Every year I try to figure out some way I can go to sleep on October 31st, and wake up in late February so I can skip right past all of the holidays that make me miss family and friends who are not here to celebrate the holidays with me.  So far, it has not happened.  Why have I chosen late February as my wake up date?  So I can skip Valentine's Day, too!

I know I am not alone with my "Lord, here comes the Holiday Season, help me to hold out" lament.  As the years have passed, I have found it harder to look forward to Thanksgiving, with so many places around the table no longer filled by loved ones; family, friends, and strangers to be family by the end of the day.  All of the kids are too big for a tree filled with presents, and there are no in-laws, wives or husbands or grandchildren of another generation yet.

But, once again, here come the Holidays.  If you are like me, how about we make an effort to reach out to someone whether we know their situation or not, and give them a hug, a card, a small gift or a kind word, to get them through this Holiday Season.  Many are facing the first holiday of many, when a loved one who has been here, will not be at the table, lighting a candle or crouching under a tree to hand out presents.

We are not the only ones missing our loved ones, now faced with spending the next few months thinking about our holidays in years past.  There are so many people that we pass every day, who are hurting.  A smile, a hello, a holiday greeting, or even just enough eye contact to let them know you see them, that they exist, that they are important, can make someone's day.  Don't forget the little niceties, which go a long way.

Remember to put something on your Social Media or Blog, letting your readers know they are in your thoughts and prayers as we enter into this holiday season.  It has been a rough year, touched by huge tragedies, you never know what someone is dealing with, be a light in their life during this upcoming Holiday Season.

Gearing up for Christmas Sales

Are you gearing up for Christmas Sales?  If you aren't, now is the time to consider putting your first book in your series out for free on one of the sites that will let you set up a free giveaway like Bookbub, Freebooksy, Instafreebie, etc.

You would need to have more than 2 books in that series for it to get you new readers, and then make sure you have listed your website info, so that readers can contact you, and you can keep in touch with them via email or social media.

 I say gear up for Christmas now, because you need a plan. There are going to be a HUGE number of Iphone's, IPads, Computers, Kindle Fire's, etc. sitting under the Christmas tree on December 25th, and those new swipers are going to be looking for new, FREE books to read and fall in love with!

 Make sure that you are in the pipeline. Finish up anything you have been working on for release around December 15th, 2017, so Amazon, Createspace or Amazon KDP, has enough time to list and make your book available.

November is the month to complete your research and get your ducks in a row, so that you can take advantage of Christmas day sales. This is the time to push yourself, meet those deadlines, and write out what you need for your Social Media Blitz.

Get your pictures in order, get your Tweet blurbs in order, update your website, start pushing teasers out on your Social Media sites, so that everyone is ready and waiting for your big reveal.

 As a reader incentive, offer on Amazon to one fortunate reader one of your books for free as an Amazon Giveaway! It is an excellent way to create more buzz about your book, and hopefully get you a great review.

 Don't let lack of planning for this Christmas season make you cry 'Bah Humbug', get a move on, put your book under the tree of some blessed reader! Be encouraged!