Pauline Malkoun

Aspiring Writer/Author Entrepreneur

About Me

I am a former secondary school teacher with a passion for writing engaging stories and non-fiction for children to capture their attention in order to instil a love of reading. By doing this at a young age, they gain the benefit of literacy, one of the most important factors in social mobility and success as an adult.

This website is mainly a place for me to document and track my progress as I amble along on my journey to author entrepreneur.

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This is my way of holding myself accountable on my journey to becoming a fulltime author. I hope that you can learn from my mistakes and make your journey quicker - if that is where you want to go.

Week 176 - 8 September 2024​

This week was prtactically a write off (no pun intedned). I did do some extra academic work that I wouldn’t usually have ​on, and I did manage to write the new Monicow story for the podcast (part 1 anyway) early in the week, but time got away ​from me and I found myself recording, editing and uploading on Saturday morning again. But, I did know that it was going ​to be a busy week.

My books are are going to be featured in another store thanks to Ella’s Way - a book collaborative in the US who’s goal is ​to spread kindness by donating books to libraries - all kinds of libraries, all over the US. So that is a step in the right ​direction. They secure donations and then use the funds to buy books and send them to the libraries.

It did prompt me to look into what I have up on amazon and I noticed that I need to upload some titles as third parties are ​selling them at very high prices. So that is something else I need to add to the to do list. It’s been a while since I check ​sales and pages read - I will try to do that this week.

Goals Updated below.

Goals for this month (and beyond):

1. Writing for the podcast

2. Recording and editing the Podcast

3. Finishing some academic writing each week - still plugging away

4. Final preparations for Academic marking

5. Christmas Traditions from around the world - waiting quietly for attention, maybe for Christmas 2025?

6. Considering advertising for Christmas

7. Collating numbers and receipts for tax return

8. Sneaky Puss Goes Exploring 2nd Edition – waiting patiently

Week 175 - 1 September 20​24

This week got away from me, I almost missed the podcast deadline, only just managed to upload the latest episode less ​than an hour before the scheduled release time. Phew! It wasn’t even a new story - I slightly edited a Sofie Rose Marin ​episode, recorded it, edited and uploaded it on Saturday morning!

I have been more productive on the academic writing front. I am down to just 10 more pieces to write before the end of the ​year. I finished a few more test this week and submitted them by the deadline (today) and I completed a PowerPoint ​slideahow for an in-person workshop I am running during the week. So while I really want to get ahead and just write some ​stories and wrok my author business, it is not looking good this week timewise - I am literally out of the house from 7am to ​8 or 9pm 4 out of 5 nights this week. I may find a little time, but I won’t hold my breath. I do have time today, so perhaps I ​will try to squeeze some writing in tonight.

I am gearing up for a very busy pre-exam period with academic work, but I have at least carved out some time to do that ​work in, thanks to time in lieu owed to me. I knew those hours would come in handy.

Goals Updated below.

Goals for this month (and beyond):

1. Writing for the podcast

2. Recording and editing the Podcast

3. Finishing some academic writing each week - still plugging away

4. Final preparations for Academic marking

5. Christmas Traditions from around the world - waiting quietly for attention, maybe for Christmas 2025?

6. Considering advertising for Christmas

7. Collating numbers and receipts for tax return

8. Sneaky Puss Goes Exploring 2nd Edition – waiting patiently

Week 174 - 25 August 2024​

Another week, another podcast, though no extra stories yet, but I was inspired to use the setting of a castle for the next ​Monicow story. I also had a quick look at the Sofie Rose Marin stories I have already written and nothing jumped out at me ​as ready for publication, I will have a nother look and perhaps edit one or two for the podcast. I have kept plugging away at ​the academic writing and picked up a few more jobs, one large one with a deadline in the next 10 days and a few small ​ones I have already completed. They just keep on coming. It is the time of year they pick up, so I really need to get the test ​writing done when I get the chance inbetween everything else. I hope to complete another 3 this week. I have started ​them and found appropriate texts which is the most time consuming aspect of creating them - so it should be smooth ​sailing from here. After that, only 10ish assessments to write.

I decided to check on my sales - certainly nothing to write home about here - 2 sales - both foriegn language editions of ​random facts - ine brain and one space, one in German and one in Portuguese, both overseas. No surpirses there. No ​sales of the YA book. When I have more time next year I can work out how to get more eyes on my books. That is ​definitely something I am looking forward to doing - getting more eyes on my books - not so much the marketing, but alas, ​it needs to be done. I seem to have lost a podcast subscriber on Spotify, but it does seem like it is being listened to on ​other platfoms - I have had 80 plays so far, not counting youtube I don’t think, on Youtube there are a few more views - ​the Axolotl Lake stories get the most hits, but the Monicow stories seem to hold the attention of the viewers longer. Still​ a lon​g​ way to go, but done ​i​s better than not done. I think tha​t is all for the week.

Goa​ls Updated below.

Goals for this mon​th (and beyond):

1. Writing for the podcast

2. Recording and editin​g the Podcast

3. Finishing some academic writing each week - still plugging away

4. Christmas Traditions ​from around the world - waiting quietly f​or attention, maybe for Christmas 2025?

5. Consid​ering advertising for Christmas

6. Collating numbers and recei​p​t​s for tax return

7. Sneaky Puss Goes Exploring 2nd Edition – waiting patiently

Week 173 - 18 August 2024​

Got the podcast up in the nick of time, Whew! It was looking unlikey for a while. But I managed. I am getting better at ​recording consistently so it does not need as much editing. let’s hope I am better organised this week. I know i have some ​very busy weeks coming, so I really need to get a few stories in the bank for those weeks and I need to keep chipping ​away at the acedemic writing.

Nothing else to report really, I am cosidering taking a break from my adobe subscription, I can’t see myself having the time ​to need it - I only use it for book covers and there are no immediate plans to release any books and I can sign back up ​anytim​e​. I think that is it.​

Goals Updated below.

Goals for th​is month (and beyond):

1. W​riting for the podcast

2. Recording a​nd editing the Podcast

3. Finishing some academic writing each week​ - still plugging away

4. Christmas Traditions from around the world - waiting quietly for attention, maybe for C​hristmas 2025?

5. Considering advertising​ for Christmas

6. Collating numbers and receipts ​for tax return

7. Sneaky Puss Goes Exploring 2nd Edition – wai​t​i​ng patiently

Week 172 - 11 August 202​4

A few things to note this week. I have decided to make doing the podcast a little easier for myself and will be splitting the ​Monicow stories into 2 weeks - there are always 2 mini stories anyway in these, so now I will only record one a week. So ​this week is part 2 of Monicow story 8. I have already started it and hope to finish it by Thursday so I can record and edit it ​on Friday. Still on books, I received some money for the books I offered to donate to a chraity with the Sneaky Puss plush ​toys - I personally know the person who volunteers for this organisation I donated to and he would not accept the books ​as a donation an insisted on paying, I gave him a discount and 25 plush toys for free. I have had some interest from some ​new colleagues so I will be taking some books with me to work - hopefully there will be a few orders.

In other news, I have been dilligently working on the academic writing and managed to complete a few more tests this ​week - but there are still plenty more to do, 14 and a half...I am feeling good about this. This week I also attended a book ​launch - my uncle’s memoir, published by Penguin - So I saw how a “proper” book launch by a traditional publisher is run - ​just some speeches and acknowledgements - nothing particularly special about it, but I was happy to be there to support ​my uncle. I read the book - (I had an advanced copy) - It is good - I don’t even like the content of if - too much violence for ​me - but despite this, I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened next. It is masterfully constructed and written, ​by f​a​r one of the best books I have read in a while.

I am super excited about next year - I know it seems early to be thinking​ about it, but it has been a tough slog this past year and I know it is going to be super busy over the next few mon​ths, but I have made some decisions and I will be substantially reducing my academic work next year, so I will have more t​ime to work on my author business. I can’t expect it to make me money if I do not give it much of my attention. I am so lo​oking forward to ​h​aving time to spend o​n​ my books and business. That is it​ for this week.

Goals Upda​ted below.

Goals for this month (and​ beyond):

1. Writing for the podcast

2. Recording and editing the P​odcast

3. Finishing some academic writing each week - still plugging away

4. Christmas Traditions from around the​ world - waiting quietly for attention, m​aybe for Christmas 2024 or 2025?

5. Considering a​dvertising for Christmas

6. Collating numbers and receipts for​ ​t​ax return

7. Sneaky Puss Goes Exploring 2nd Edition – waiting patiently