Pagan Alexandria's Blog, page 3

You might recall that The Retelling was, up until a few weeks ago, a monthly membership rather than a bi-weekly newsletter.

When I created ‘The Retelling’ in September 2024, it came about because I was craving a space that I could pour into whenever I had big breakthroughs to share, new strategies to record trainings on, and behind-the-scenes lessons to discuss for fellow authors.

I’ve done my time in the past doing courses and mentoring, and I want to move away from long-winded trainings and 1:1 offers, so the structure of The Retelling really helped me execute this.

The idea and concept was to retell my experiences and learnings in an accessible and easy-to-implement format.

Through a private Telegram Group, I’ve been delivering twice weekly, bite-sized audios to my community, and the results have been pretty incredible (I mean, by December 2024, EVERY SINGLE MEMBER had reported that they surpassed their revenue goal for the year by a significant amount!!!)

But in December, I hit a block—I slowed down for the year, craving a rest period, which meant I wasn’t really doing much other than planning for the new year and writing a ton of content behind-the-scenes. There wasn’t much to create trainings or discussions around. And the last thing I wanted was to feel forced to make stuff up on the spot in order to hit a ‘twice-weekly delivery quota’.

So, we hit pause over the Christmas break while I reflected on this. And I quickly realised, it feels forced because I don’t naturally create ‘on schedule’ – I create better in sprints.

With my books, I have a really great process where I create in a ‘sprint’ 2 – 3 times a year, and then my launches are more about batching my content and marketing actions, then maintaining it for a few months (then rinse and repeat).

So the structure of delivering 2 x trainings a week minimum would *of course* lead to blocks and burnout during low-creativity seasons. I knew it wouldn’t be sustainable to continue delivering content in the membership format.

But… I was already planning to do a bi-weekly update to my community (this newsletter) where I was ‘recapping and retelling’ my behind-the-scenes experiences, sharing links to things I’d already created (free or paid), and documenting my journey.

And it hit me… the bi-weekly update is The Retelling.

I don’t necessarily need to be in constant creation mode to have something valuable to share. I can create when it feels good, drop it as it comes to me, then continue sharing my lessons and journey while referencing things I’ve already done… because everything I do is based on values and beliefs I founded a long time ago.

For example, I don’t need to ‘re-teach’ launch strategy a million times when I already have an amazing workshop and signature framework covering exactly how to do it… but I can build on that lesson as I go and share complimentary information in a newsletter format.

I don’t need to teach a whole class on the mindset of doing business as an author, but I can reference existing resources while documenting a relevant experience I’ve gone through behind-the-scenes.

Ever since closing my business in 2022, I’ve been really keen to do more ‘writing based offers’ and find more ways to get paid to write, since that’s what my brand is all about and it’s what I do best!

I never imagined The Retelling this way until now, but it makes SO much sense to deliver the information through a newsletter format that offers you guys the opportunity to ‘opt into’ the lessons and information you feel called to.

THE RETELLING – THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT

Based on this decision, I’ve made a couple of slight tweaks to The Retelling moving forward:

1) You can now subscribe to The Retelling as a free reader via Substack, or join the Paid Tier at any time to unlock all the paid content I link within each issue (monthly fee of $39/mth to unlock everything).

2) As a paid subscriber, you get:

Instant access to every training and course inside (over 50 trainings).Access to the private Telegram community where new paid trainings are recorded in real time, or dropped upon completion.Access to a paid version of The Retelling newsletter, which substitutes all the paid links out for free links, making it easy for you to access any and every resource I ever reference.

3) You’ll still get regular trainings inside The Retelling – they just won’t be recorded twice a week, but rather, during creative sprints I do behind the scenes. This maintains the quality of trainings that get dropped, and ensures you only receive what is truly valuable and worth actioning.

It also means I’ll have a chance to explain why I created that resource here in The Retelling, and how the strategy or approach helped me on my own journey!

If you’re interested in following my journey as I document it, and receiving book marketing lessons along the way, subscribe to The Retelling today.

You know when you pick up a book and you get so engrossed in it, you can’t stop thinking about reading it even when you’re not reading it?

For me, this happened for the first time in MANY years on a Saturday evening, when I had wandered down to a wine bar to try and knock a writing slump and gain some inspiration, and downloaded a sample of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros to my eReader.

From that moment on, Fourth Wing (and later that month, Iron Flame) was the first thing I read when I woke up and the last thing I read when I nodded off.

So it’s safe to say that when Onyx Storm releases on 21st January, it will be one of the first books I want to get my hands on. And I’m sure, once I finish reading, I won’t be the only one looking for new books that scratch a similar itch. So I created the following list of books that you can dive into next (you’re welcome!)

For the dragon lover…

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda

This book has been called a cross between Red Rising and Game of Thrones and has a very small but VERY loyal cult following of readers who wish more knew about it. It sounds REALLY good, with power, politics and revolution themes, and I’m willing to take a chance on it.

Some people have even said they *gasp* liked it better than Fourth Wing, so I’m curious to see what my verdict is once I’ve finally read it myself!

For the brooding shadow wielder lover…

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I am personally not a huge fan of this series, or of Rhysand as a character (if you know me, you know I’m a Throne of Glass/Dorian girlie and think that people who come into SJM’s world and only read ACOTAR are sleeping on that series, but I digress…)

ACOTAR is credited as having two major selling points:

It gets a LOT of newer or out-of-practise readers into the fantasy genre since it’s such a popular and easy series to get into.Rhysand is the original shadow Daddy of BookTok, and even I can’t argue with that.

So if you happened to start with Fourth Wing and somehow missed the boat on ACOTAR, you’ll probably really love it due to the romance, the worldbuilding, and the themes that get explored in this series. Especially if you loved Xaden as a character, Rhysand is the next book boyfriend you didn’t know you wanted to meet.

For more witty banter…

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

I haven’t read this book and it probably isn’t something I would have picked up on my own due to the cover (it didn’t really speak to me as a book I’d enjoy), but the reason it’s on my list is because apparently, it has excellent banter and a character that gives similar vibes to Tairn!

Tairn is one of my favourite characters of Fourth Wing, I didn’t expect to love him as much as I did, so I’m really compelled to pick this one up based on this factor alone.

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

This one has been on my TBR since mid-2024 and was actually the one I planned to pick up next (before I got overwhelmingly busy and put it off), so I’m excited to finally pick this one up.

I have heard great things about the characters and their dynamic, which is what got my initial interest. I also enjoy a more simple fantasy setting, and love myself some angst. I’ve heard this one be compared to The Hunger Games (but with magic) and Throne of Glass, and, well, I like at least one of those series a lot, so I have a good feeling about it!

For more school setting vibes…

Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham

This series has been on my radar for a couple of years and every time I hear about it, it feels right up my alley as something I think I’d really enjoy. 

Now, this has been called the ‘Sharknado of romantasy’ so I’ll let you decide what to do with that information, but it’s apparently a lot of fun, and has my favourite storyline of ‘regular girl gets involved in supernatural BS’ so you already know I’m all in.

The Iron Butterfly Series by Chanda Hahn

I’m not 100% sold on reading this one yet but it does contain a lot of elements that interest me, so I’ll probably download a sample and see if it grabs me.

The reason it’s on my list is because it has that classic magic school setting, a dark and mysterious love interest (apparently similar to Xaden who I did love in Fourth Wing) and animal companions, which is always a lot of fun! If you enjoy that sort of thing, this one might be for you too!

For more fantasy romance…

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

This book was a DNF for me, I tried to read it at some point and just could not get into it, but I’m fairly sure it was a personal thing.

I do, however, hear lots of great things about this series and similar comparisons to Fourth Wing and ACOTAR in terms of the fantasy romance aspect, so it’s on the list if you enjoy that sort of thing.

The Serpent and The Wings of Night by Clarissa Broadbent 

This is another author that has been on my radar for some time now. I was curious about her books but once I started seeing them popping up in bookstores, I was fairly certain I was going to dive into her work at some point.

The only thing that has been putting me off is the chunky size of her books, as I get quite busy and tend to only pick up a few books each year. It isn’t a bad thing, I’ve just been trying to find the time to sit down and really enjoy these books in one go. 

This one appears to be more of a slow burn romance, and it has vampires, factions, complex relationships – you know, all the fun stuff!

As someone who is actively building a personal brand and is working on a range of different writing projects, I’m sharing some of my big, scary, audacious goals for this year.

This is the year I’m getting paid to write and creating my best pieces of work. The year I’m fully diversifying and monetising my income streams. The year I’m planting some major seeds for projects down the track.

And, it’s the year I’m going to show you exactly how it’s done and take you on the journey with me. (P.S: Inspired and want to actually hit your publishing goals this year? Check out my recent podcast ep on creating a business bingo card for your 2025 goals!)

Keep an eye out for these projects as they come to life:

1) Release Blood Magic in April

This is my first book release in 3 years.

I spent two months throughout 2024 writing this book (which equaled a LOT of early morning wake-ups in the dead of winter) and I’ve been promoting it non-stop since October 2024 as part of my launch runway.

The book comes out on April 15th, and I still have heaps of marketing planned for the final four months of the launch. (P.S: If you’re interested in seeing what I’ve done so far, check out my breakdown in this post).

This book release will lay the foundation for the next two books I plan to release.

2) Write and release two additional, new books

As part of my plan to write a collection of dual, fairytale retelling duologies, I’m doing a lot of work towards this in 2025.

I’ll start writing the second book in the Blood Magic duology in January, aiming for a September release.

Then towards the middle of the year, I’ll be starting a brand new duology I’ve been planning to write for a few years, to hopefully release by November.

I usually try to only write 2 – 3 books maximum each year, as I’ve found this is what works best for my creative process. I also tend to ‘sprint’ my first drafts over 8 – 12 weeks.

3) Secure foreign acquisition rights

Another thing I’m testing out this year is a marketplace called DropCap, which helps you to license your book rights to foreign publishers.

I’m choosing Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters as my guinea pig for this project is because it’s my bestselling duology to date, it has word of mouth and brand awareness like no other series, and it’s loosely inspired by Greece and based on two fairytale retellings – which are all great selling points for overseas markets.

If acquired, this will greatly increase my reach and help me enter new markets.

4) Republish The Starlight Chronicles Series

This is a stretch goal of mine – I have a seven book fantasy series, of which 5 out of 7 books were published with my publisher before I walked away in 2020.

I’ve been sitting on reverted rights since then but finally have a plan to re-release the series.

I am planning to put this series on Kindle Unlimited as a low-ticket lead into my greater body of work and ‘drip’ out the books over 6 months. Before I re-launch, I plan to do some major edits on the first book and get new covers designed.

5) Two secret writing based projects

Two things I’d like to expand my skillsets in and create pieces of work around are a large-scale video game and a TV show. I already have ideas for what I want to create in both mediums.

I’ll be spending some time this year learning the required skills for these projects (e.g. screenwriting, coding, etc.) as well as learning how to craft pitches to potential partners or investors and finding a clear route to get these projects off the ground.

6) Start a media company

I want to launch some kind of media company down the track (think digital media, podcasts, online gift guides, etc.) and I’m still figuring out what niche I’d be passionate enough to create content around.

For this to work, I know I’ll need a massive following, community, and lots of reach, so there’s no time like the present to start building. I’m starting now by creating content and blogging around a handful of things I know really well and love: fantasy reads, cosy games, and personal development.

7) Write 24 issues of The Retelling

Starting January, The Retelling will be a bi-weekly newsletter ‘retelling’ my real time entrepreneurial journey, as well as marketing, monetisation and business lessons as a multi-format writer and storyteller.

I plan to share this to LinkedIn, Facebook and Substack to document my journey, showcase the projects I’m working on (and lessons learned), as well as link back to all the things I’m creating regularly (e.g. portfolio pieces, podcast episodes, new books, etc.)

In the long-run, my goal is that this will become an industry leading publication and document my founder journey through many different brands and passion projects.

In recent years, I’ve gotten more and more into cosy games, specifically anything farming or tycoon management related.

While I’ll always enjoy a good open world adventure, I find cosy games easier to get into after a long work day, and that they require less energy and brainpower.

For me at least, cosy games allow you to be creative and do a variety of tasks to progress such as crafting, farming, mining and foraging, as opposed to fighting enemies and following a large scale storyline.

In this article, I’m sharing my experience with some of the new games I tried in 2024, along with some older, beloved favourites.

1) Best New Release: Fields of Mistria

Out of all the new games I tried this year, this one took the cake (and it’s not even out of early access yet!)

Fields of Mistria is like a cuter, more magical version of Stardew Valley—with farming magic, dragons, and adorable animals that you can accessorise. One of my favourite things to do in farming games is forage, and there’s tons of opportunity for this.

Plus, I like every single one of the NPC characters (multiple of which you can romance) and I think the developers did a great job giving them storylines with depth, diverse identities, and making them fun and interesting to engage with. They even change outfits every season!

2) Best Older Game: Dinkum

This is not a new release, but it’s on my list because it’s one of the games I played most throughout 2024. Developed by James Bendon, this remains my favourite farming game to date, set in an Australian setting with dangerous and adorable Aussie animals.

I love the mix of play styles between Minecraft and Animal Crossing, and the creative freedom to build your dream town, unlock upgrades, and go through stunning seasons year round.

The developer keeps adding updates to the game as it gets closer to finalisation (the most recent one being the Flaming Winter update) and I haven’t even gotten close to completing a single playthrough yet so there’s still heaps of content for me to discover for the first time.

3) Best Survival Game: I Am Future

This is a close runner up because I sank a lot of hours into this one. I Am Future is a survival game which has a farming component, except the farming is essential to keep your character alive because you need to eat. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, you are tasked with scavenging for parts and building your own shelter with contraptions to make your life easier.

It’s a very relaxing, calm game to play and took some time to progress to each new area, which kept me engaged for days on end. I really loved the concept of this game and had a lot of fun playing it, building out each area, and unlocking new technology and craft options.

4) Most Interesting Concept: Chef RPG

Chef RPG is another early access game with a unique world which initially hooked me, along with interesting game mechanics.

You are tasked with opening and running a restaurant, including cooking various dishes and setting the menu each night. It’s a really fun concept, and each dish has it’s own mini game to ‘cook’ the meal. 

There’s plenty of foraging and shopping that needs to be done to source the ingredients for new recipes. Overall, I really like this game and will be playing more of it as new updates are added.

5) Most Engaging Overall: Traveller’s Rest

This game had me in a chokehold for a number of weeks when I first bought it, and I enjoyed it enough that I would come back to it eventually.

Similar to Chef RPG, you are tasked with running and managing a tavern. You set the drinks on tap, along with the food menu, and ensure people receive their orders. You grow your own ingredients along the way to keep your tavern running, which can be a tricky balance of time-management to get right.

There was a point in this game where I started running my tavern a little too well (which I know is the point, and you’re supposed to be able to progress to more difficult scenarios), but part of what kept me engaged was trying to keep up with the orders.

Once I had enough staff and stocks to keep my tavern running (and I struggled to progress to more challenging levels) it became repetitive very quickly, so just be aware that this is a game that is the most fun when you’re progressing regularly.

6) Most Adorable: Little Kitty, Big City

I played this game over two straight days and enjoyed every minute. It’s a fun, simple puzzle game where you play as a cat trying to make it’s way back home.

I enjoyed interacting with the different characters in the game, unlocking different abilities, and completing the challenges within the game. Overall, it’s a very fun game and a good way to pass the time if you own a switch and are on a long flight, or need a simple wind-down game for the evening.

7) Biggest Potential: Echoes of the Plum Grove

I played this game a handful of times and I could definitely see myself playing it again, but it didn’t engage me long enough to really get the most out of the game, which is something I’d love to see improved.

What I love about this game is the interesting concept. It’s a farming game in a cute, paper-mario art style, but it also has a sinister twist where your decisions have consequences—for example, you can poison your neighbours.

There is a generational aspect to this game where yourself and other villagers will get married, have children, and eventually die, resulting in you playing on as your character’s offspring. Over time, you grow closer to the townspeople as you get to know new faces and see your neighbours grow old.

It’s a fantastic game, and hopefully I’ll get more out of my next session playing it.