Have you been asking yourself lately, “Should I jump into
Indie Publishing?” I asked myself that for many months before I did indeed take
the plunge in October 2012. In case you’re wondering, there’s no right or wrong
answer. Each author’s decision will be their own. I thought I’d share my
reasons why with you today.
I’ve been writing for ten years. I have nine books in various
stages of completion. I love to write, submitting to editors and agents, not so
much. When I first started writing, I’d submit all the time. As the years went
on, I submitted once or twice a year after querying at a conference. I also
used to do contests. I don’t anymore, although I would like to get back into
entering contests. I think you get great feedback and it can open doors.
For several years I listened to my Indie Published friends
talk about the pros and cons of self-publishing. I knew some on them were
making big money, and others were not. All would admit the promoting of their
books took up a large chunk of their time. So I asked myself, “was I up to the
task?”
“Yes.” And part of the reason I did, is because three years
ago I got laid off from my job and I’ve not been able to find another one. I began writing full-time and slowly stopped
looking for a job. I don’t want to say money was my motivator, because that is
only part of it. But I will admit
getting checks each month from my royalties is a great feeling. I’m not getting rich, but I am contributing to
my household. Another reason I decided to Indie Pub is I felt the bandwagon was
leaving without me. I watched the transformation of the whole E-Book industry
evolve and I wanted to be part of it. I also believed I had good stories to
tell and I wanted people to read them. Of course I‘d be lying if I did not say
I still have dreams of being published in the traditional sense. I still want
to see my books in Barnes and Nobles. But, who knows what the future holds for
any of us.
I won’t lie; being Indie Published is hard work. There are a few keys things you must do. Having BETA readers is essential; I only
recently started realizing this. Hire a
GREAT editor, one who not only edits punctuation and grammar, but also story
content. I will admit my first book went up with spelling and grammar mistakes.
I pulled it, corrected the mistakes and put it back up. Unfortunately you can’t
erase bad reviews. My next book, “The Lady and the Earl,” will be perfect
before I put it up. Hire a cover artist.
The costs vary, but you can find good designers out there who charge between
$40 and $100. Remember, a cover is the first thing a potential buyer sees. It
must catch the eye in a good way. FYI, my book, “The Reluctant Duke,” did hit
No. 77 on Amazon-Regency Romance, Kindle Books for a short time.
As far as promoting goes, you do not have to spend money to
do this. Creating a website is free at most places, and they have templates. Blogs,
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, LinkedIn, all free. Time consuming,
but free. Facebook is full of groups geared toward writers and promotion. I’m
computer challenged, yet I created all of the above myself. (My website, etc,
is simple, but affective) I also learned how to format my books for
e-publication. A challenge to be sure, but a great writer friend at Rhode
Island Romance Writers gave a workshop on formatting and it is my go-to
resource. I still have yet to format for
print. That is next for me.
I hoped I helped anyone who is still on the fence when it
comes to Indie Publishing. Please feel free to ask questions. Thank you for
taking time out of your busy day to visit.
Christine
As a life-long avid reader, Christine always dreamed about
becoming a writer. She realized her dream ten years ago when she began penning
her first romance novel. Now she has nine novels in various stages of
completion. The genres include, Regency, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.
Christine is married, has four sons, one granddaughter and
four cats.
When she is not writing she can be found reading, painting
or gardening. She loves DIY projects.
Here are the links to Christine’s first book, “The Reluctant
Duke.”
Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/d5gxgqn
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER ONE
ENGLAND 1818
“Please, do not be afraid.”
Was he serious? Not be
afraid?
Lady Amelia Seabrook struggled with her
skirts as she waded through the shin-deep water to retrieve her boots and
stockings from a nearby rock. Her muslin skirts were soaked to above her knees
and clinging most embarrassingly to her legs; her stockings and shoes were
drenched as she had splashed them in her hurry to exit the water. The mile walk
back to her home, one she normally enjoyed, would be uncomfortable because of
the dampness of her clothing and her haste to remove herself from this
intruder.
How
dare this stranger ruin the time she spent daydreaming about Captain Rycroft,
her beloved. How dare he interrupt? It was only during these lonely, quiet
times that Amelia allowed herself to think of him. To dream he still lived. But today, when she needed this time
to remember and to reflect, this stranger had destroyed it.
Amelia
turned, her chin held high, because she would not cower before anyone. “Who are
you, sir?”
“Lord
Bridgeton. My land abuts this creek.”
By
the narrowing of Lord Bridgeton’s eyes, Amelia knew she failed to hide her
shock to meeting him here. She’d long known the earl lived as a recluse because
of a scandal involving his older brother and his brother’s pregnant wife. She’d
found out about all this from servants’ gossip.
Looking
at him now, he did not look dangerous. Frightening perhaps, the way he sat on
his fine stallion, towering over her, but not dangerous.
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