Tag: indie publishing

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Indie-Publishing 101 #WriteWed

As I mentioned the other day, I’m so excited to have gotten back rights to over a dozen books that I had written from Harlequin. Many of them are paranormals including quite a number of books in THE CALLING vampire suspense series. Since this is a series of my heart it’s a big woo hoo. My goal is to re-release them over the course of the next several months, but that will take planning and some thought on how to position them since THE CALLING has always been a unique series. A little bit vampire, a little bit suspense. A little historical with the vampire backgrounds and a little multicultural with Chupacabras, Chiang shis and a Latino FBI Agent and her Scooby Gang.

That kind of planning and the self-publishing avenues available to authors is what I will be chatting about at this year’s Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference. I’m so looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned over the last several years of releasing my own books and hopefully offering aspiring authors useful information about how to move their careers forward. For more info on the conference, which also has a wonderful readers’ track, please visit www.lsfwriters.com.

The one word that keeps on coming back to me as being imperative is “planning.” We just had an awesome planning workshop at our monthly meeting this month and I know many of the attendees came away with good ideas on not only planning, but using technology to help them be more effective writers.

Right now I’m in the planning phases since I have to write a new book for a traditional contract and somehow work in new projects for the future as well as the indie publishing for the books which have reverted to me.

2019 is promising to be an interesting year and I’m looking forward to sharing all that happens with you!

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#TuesdayTip – Why Should You Consider the Traditional Publishing Route Today?

There are a lot of people who don’t think taking the traditional publishing route today makes sense. I’m not one of those people. Ever since my first experience in publishing when the line I was writing for was closed down, I’ve always thought it makes sense not to have all your eggs in one basket. For that reason when it became possible for me to try more than traditional publishing, I did, but I also kept my foot in the door in the traditional area because the market is too volatile to turn down opportunities of any kind.

In addition, who doesn’t want to get paid in advance and have the assistance of experienced editors, cover artists, formatters and publicists to help you produce your work? I, for one, love working with seasoned veterans who bring out the best in my writing. I also want to spend more time writing and not running a business, especially since I still work full time and my free time is limited.

So how do you get together with a traditional publisher considering many of them won’t talk to someone without an agent? Going to a conference where agents and editors take pitches is one way. Putting on my President’s hat, the upcoming Liberty States Fiction Writers conference has over a dozen agents and editors who will take pitches for various genres. Taking off that hat, the national RWA conference is also a great place.

But like I said, not all the eggs in one basket which is why I’ll be doing a workshop at Liberty States about box sets and also joining some friends to offer a similar workshop at the National RWA Conference.

And speaking of eggs and baskets, I’m trying something new with some fabulous writers – a story bundle! Here is the info on it and I hope you’ll take a moment to try it out.

A Little More About the Bundle

The initial titles in the Sorcery and Steam Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:

  • Alchemy and Steam by Fiction River
  • Familiarity by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
  • Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger
  • Blood and Magic by Ann Gimpel

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all four of the regular titles, plus SIX more!

  • Specters in the Storm by Pauline Baird Jones
  • Rare Stakes by Michelle Fox
  • Valkyrie’s Vengeance & Hunger Moon – Ragnarok: Doom of the Gods 1-2 by Melissa Snark
  • Ghosted – Nikki Ashburne – Book 1 by Dayle A. Dermatis
  • Alys of Asgard by Catherine Banks
  • For Love or Vengeance by Caridad Pineiro

This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub, .mobi and .pdf) for all books!

It’s also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

  • Get quality reads: We’ve chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
  • Pay what you want (minimum $5): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth. If you can only spare a little, that’s fine! You’ll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.
  • Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there’s nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
  • Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to AbleGamers!
  • Receive extra books: If you beat the bonus price, you’ll get the bonus books!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, tweet us at @storybundle and like us on Facebook.

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#ThrowbackThursday My Lucky 7 Ladies & a new release!

I truly believe that one God closes one door, he opens another. In my case, it wasn’t really a fully closed door, but God kind of nudging me to do something different. That happened many years ago after the birth of my daughter which led me to becoming a writer.

In 2012 it was going to a fabulous retreat in South Carolina where I was introduced to a number of ladies who were taking a different path in their writing careers, namely indie publishing. I’d been thinking about doing that for some time, especially since I had books to which the rights had reverted. I also had ideas for some novellas that I knew would be hard to sell in the traditional world.

I started by getting back the rights to several of my early contemporary novels. From there I worked on getting them ready for release and also, writing some new stories. The next big step was getting together with some friends to try out the new box set craze and the result of that was the very successful Lucky 7 Bad Boys Box Set.

Thank you all for embracing that set and making it a NY Times and USA Today bestseller! We could not have done that without your support and it is truly appreciated.

Here is a picture of some of my Lucky 7 writing buddies. This picture was taken when we were all together for the Romantic Times Convention in New Orleans. It was so awesome to get to spend time with them since most of our communications were via phone or electronic.

From left to right, that’s me, Virna DePaul, Susan Hatler and Sophia Knightly. I’ve actually known Sophia for nearly 15 years since we used to write for the same line at one time. It is awesome to be able to work with her again as well as all the other fabulous Lucky 7 Ladies.

Lucky7ladiesRT

Well, the Lucky 7 Ladies have a new release – Lucky 7 Brazen Bachelors. The box set includes seven contemporary romance novellas that range from sexy to sweet and have all kinds of interesting bachelor heroes! The set is specially priced at 99 cents and is now available for pre-order. You can get it here:

Amazon: http://bit.ly/7BrazenAMZ
Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/7BrazenUKAMZ
Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/7BrazenCAAMZ

Additional retailers are coming shortly.

Lucky 7 Brazen Bachelors

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Wife by Wednesday Free Read & #giveaway

Please welcome today my friend and fellow author, Catherine Bybee! I am so excited to have her here today to chat about her latest release. If you’re like me and your guilty pleasure is plunking down with a stack of Silhouette Desire novels, then Catherine’s book is one you are sure to love and since it’s an Amazon bestseller, I think others also agree.

Without further ado, here’s Catherine!

jersey shore shell

Thanks so much Caridad for having me here today.
It’s stupid, crazy time of year… the holidays are here. It’s time to start baking, cooking turkeys and drinking wine. Not necessarily in that order. LOL

In the giving spirit, I’m going to offer a copy of Wife by Wednesday to a random person who leaves a comment on your blog today. All they half to do is answer one question. What do you think about authors self publishing their work?

My very first Indie published book, Wife by Wednesday has been out less than two months and already I’ve reached so many new readers. I think people need a light contemporary read this time of year. Something to help them escape for a few hours. Wife is #2 in Contemporary Romance one Amazon Kindle this week. I couldn’t be happier with my reviews.

Here is an exclusive excerpt of Wife by Wednesday:

Blurb:

A Contemporary Romance with a dash of humor and a whole lotta sexy…

Blake Harrison:

Rich, titled, and charming… And in need of a wife by Wednesday so he turns to Sam Elliot who isn’t the business man he expected. Instead, Blake is faced with Samantha Elliot, engaging and spunky with a voice men call 900 numbers to hear.

Samantha Elliot:

Owner of Alliance, her matchmaking firm, and not on the marital menu… That is until Blake offers her ten million dollars for a one-year contract. All she needs to do is keep her attraction to her husband to herself and avoid his bed. But Blake’s toe-curling kisses and charm prove too difficult to combat. Now she needs to protect her heart so she can walk away when their mercenary life together is over.

Excerpt:

Contemporary RomanceAfter several minutes of packing, Samantha forgot all about the cameras and found her head deep inside her dresser. She grabbed a simple band and tied her hair back out of the way.

“Should I be worried about all these shoes in here?” Blake asked from her closet.

She laughed. “You’re the one who told me to go shopping,” she teased.
“Looks like I’ll be hiring a handyman to build another walk-in just for you.” There was laughter in his voice.

“Women love clothes.”

“And shoes, apparently. God, I didn’t think anyone needed this many.”

Samantha tucked her panties into a box and reached for more. “I’m short, in case you haven’t noticed. I need heels to see how the rest of you live.”

Blake’s voice moved closer. “You’re not short,” he said.

She turned to see him holding a pair of four-inch pumps.

“Vertically challenged, then.” She stood to prove her point. “See?” Beside him, the top of her head met his chin. “Short!”

His eyes seemed to drag her into his frame. “I wouldn’t change anything about you,” he told her. Blake reached out and tugged the band from her hair. His fingers brushed over the ends and Samantha forgot to breathe. The closer he moved into her personal space, the less air was available for her lungs. She tilted her head as he moved in and allowed his mouth to move over hers.

jersey shore shell

To order WIFE BY WEDNESDAY, just follow any of these links:

Amazon Download:
http://amzn.to/pus1jM

Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94015

Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wife-by-wednesday-catherine-bybee/1106329395?ean=2940013652019&itm=6&usri=catherine%2bbybee

For more information on Catherine and her novels (did I mention she also does time travel stories?), check out Catherine at www.catherinebybee.com.

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Einstein’s Theory of Insanity

Albert Einstein was quoted as saying:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”


As I consider this very simple of Theory of Insanity which requires no advanced degree, abacus, slide rule or computer, it confounds me that I seem not to grasp the principle. In thinking about my life lately, I realize that there are certain things that I have been doing over and over, always expecting that somehow I’ll have a more favorable outcome.

But Einstein was right. Do the same thing. Get the same result. Always.

“So what to do?” I ask myself. Shake things up somehow? Try something different? I’m conservative by nature, so rocking the boat is not normally my thing, unless injustice is involved. I can’t stand to see people abuse power.

“So where shall I start making changes in my life?” I ask myself yet again this very cold not yet Spring morning.

Let’s start with the writing gig. So many changes are happening in the industry so quickly. The supposedly tried and true way of climbing the publishing ladder – the NYC print publishers – are taking a bit of a rocking lately with book store issues and the defection of writers like Barry Eisler to indie publishing.

Not that I recommend that approach to those who have not been previously published. Eisler had an established following, something which the average unpublished writer does not and before someone tosses out the Amanda Hocking story, just remember that for every Amanda Hocking there are thousands of writers who spend thousands of dollars self-publishing and get nowhere. Hocking is to be admired for her perseverance and determination, but ultimately she chose a six figure deal with a NYC publisher so that she could write instead of being a promotion machine.

But in the case of a published author, is the now titled “indie” publishing a viable option? And if it is, what is the price point for an indie book?

Would you spend 99 cents on such a novel? If you liked the work, would you then make the jump to pay $5 or $6 or even $8 dollars for the next work by that author.

I’d love to hear your thoughts as this writer considers breaking free from Einstein’s Theory of Insanity.

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