A Gift For the Writers Out There and the Readers Too!!

Last week I traveled to Dallas for some training and the weather was colder than I expected, but the setting was amazing. The facility was set on the edge of an old ranch, with rolling yellowed hills and fence posts as far as I could see. On a long walk one afternoon, I found myself drawn to the far side of the ranch where a few cows grazed beneath a tall aluminum windmill. Shoving my iPod into my pocket, I plucked my ear buds out of my ears and listened as the old windmill creaked with the force of the breeze. Inhaling deeply, I smelled red clay, the musk of cattle, and damp hay. Closing my eyes I felt my face slip into an unexpected smile. This place, the serenity in the landscape, the quiet rustle of the animals as they grazed, the smell of the barn, it all took me home.

Throughout the week I was approached by many people who congratulated me, but also by two who are also working to publish their own books. In the midst of leadership training I found myself surrounded by the landscape and embraced by other writers. It made for a great week. I spent more than one lunch hour answering questions about how I was able to make this happen.

So here goes, some links for your stocking that I used to get me where I am:

Read Amanda Hocking’s blog: How it all happened. She told me the recipe for publishing on my own.

Read the Nelson Agency’s Blog. What is an example of a goodquery letter? Kristin offers some of the best advice in the biz for crafting a query letter. She also has a tough love approach that offers honest feedback in a sometimes unsettlingly vague world.

Read about Createspace. This is a subsidiary of Amazon.com with a great model that gives you the ability to finally see your book in print.

Make it an eBook. Create accounts on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and Smashwords. Embrace the eBook and put it out there.

Create a blog. Create a place where you can write about what you write.

Join GoodReads and share a list of books and authors that you love. Add me as a friend!

Ok now, the gift for the readers…A Marked Past will be on sale for E-Readers for only $.99 for the next 14 days.

Happy Holidays everyone!

A Marked Past for Kindle
A Marked Past for Barnes and Nobel
A Marked Past for other E Readers on Smashwords