For the Love of...

I guess I already knew that by choosing ePublishing I was probably going to have to forgo the unbelievably successful and lucrative career status of authors like Stephen King and JK Rowling but I’m ok with it. After all, what I really want is to get my book out there, isn’t it? It’s a delicate balance between value and art, between black and white, a topic I’ve heard my brother spout endlessly about.

Black. As a business woman I find myself reading articles like the Sister’s in Crime blog and tossing around ideas like, what is my price point, how many books to I realistically think I am going to sell, but more importantly, should it matter?

White. Aren’t I considered some kind of artist by nature and therefore I should be above worrying about the bottom line? Does my success have to be measured by the number of copies I sell, or simply by the fact that I am sharing my work with someone besides those of you whom I suckered into reading for me? - (my wonderful little sister and my amazing friends) Yes, this is bribery because I am working on book 2 and will be soliciting your help again.

Black. I’ve delivered the manuscript to my Proofreader Diane and am anxiously awaiting her response (ETA Aug 1) and in the meantime I am diligently working to finish Book2. I’m also waiting for my brother to graduate so he can create me a killer book trailer, and for my favorite photographer to finish up classes and catch up on her missing sleep so I can talk business with her.

White. You see, I’m planning on making her “famous” right along with me in this whole book endeavor. She was one of my first readers, offered me encouragement when I needed it most, and Erin E, if I haven’t mentioned this before, I love your work. Feel better soon.

Black. I’ve done the research and trust me I am not going to be a millionaire anytime soon, but that doesn’t diminish my excitement over the process.

White. But really, how many of you are really going to buy my book?  J

Learning About ePublishing

This afternoon I spent some researching a website called GoodReads. This is quite possibly the best website ever for a nerdy writers and avid readers because it brings us all together in one place to enjoy books! You can create your own account and use it to rate books that you’ve read, write reviews, and even register for free book give always. As a new author I will definitely be posting my book on the site in a free give away contest and will also be begging all of you to create an account and write a review for me!

Something else that caught my eye (10 minutes of my time to be exact) was the Trivia section. You can play trivia games based on your favorite books. And yes, I did take the Twilight Quiz. I got an 8 out of 10; and later I’m going to try the Harry Potter ones too. I guess this means when I’m published I’m going to have to create a trivia game for A Marked Past.

I’m reviewing the publishing process to find out where to post, advertise, and sell my book. I’ve been following other self publishers on their blogs and they are all using sites like Smashwords to get their work out there. You should take a look; most of the books are priced at under $5. It’s a great place to get started a self publisher.