Indie Publishing with Patty Smith Hall

When Ane asked me to write a column on indie publishing for Novel Rocket, my first thought was why me? At that time, I only had one self-published novella under my belt and even with that, I had tremendous amounts of help for some very savvy ladies who had more insights into this subject that I ever could. But then it hit me—while indie publishing isn’t anything new, more writers, both published and pre-pubbed, are moving into this exciting new arena.

Including myself. So who better to share what I learn as I jump into the fray of the indie industry?

But why chose to go indie rather than traditional? There are several reasons. For me, it was the opportunity to get my work in front of readers at a pace I felt more comfortable with. By the time my next book hits the shelves in January, it will be almost two years since my last book, twenty-four months in which my readers have had time to forget about me. That is, if I let them. So I decided to publish a couple of novellas and one full length novel on Amazon or Barnes and Noble in the meantime. One, because even if it doesn’t reach all my readers, it can reach a large majority of them and two, it helps me pick up new readers that might go back and buy my already published series.

There are other reasons too. Creative freedom, the entrepreneurial feeling of being in control of every aspect of your work from cradle to grave, setting your own deadlines and working within the scope of your ‘other’ life. There are probably a dozen other reasons, but like I said early, I’m relatively new at this so I’m still learning.

So what little piece of wisdom can I offer today in regards to indie publishing? What do I wished someone had told me before my first novella had come out? Here it is, folks:

Don’t push the send button too soon.

Just because you’ve typed 'the end' doesn’t mean you’re actually finished. Every manuscript that is on the shelves of your local bookstore has gone through the editing process, and so it should be the same with your self published works. This rush to publication was one of the reasons why indie publishing gets a bad rap, because some writers think they’ve created a masterpiece with their first draft when what they really need to do is step back, put some time and space between them and the project then look at it with fresh eyes. Or better yet, give it to a critique partner or beta reader who doesn’t back away from telling you the truth.

I recently went through this process with the first manuscript I ever wrote. It was a story I wrote during a time of great heartache and gave me so much joy at a time when joy was the last thing I was feeling. At the time, I thought it was fantastic; the writing had just flowed out of me at times so it had to be good, didn’t it? It made the rounds at a few publishing houses, even garnered a revision letter from one but no one offered me a contract. So I saved it to my hard drive and moved on. Earlier this year, I decided to dust off that old manuscript and self publish it, but when I did my first read though, I discovered something.

It was crap.

Not all of it, but it needed some re-writes before I could even think about publishing it. Now, think about that—what if I had self published that book all those years ago the second I finished it? How many one-starred reviews do you think it would have gotten? How many readers would have never picked up another one of my books after reading that hot mess? That is why, before you  even think about hitting the send button, you put it aside for a week or two, then look at it from a fresh perspective. If you can afford it, pay for a professional edit. Tape these words to the top of your computer screen so that you can see them any time you're close to finishing a book.

Do. Not. Push. The. Send. Button. YET!

Until next time!

  
Patty Smith-Hall is a multi-published, award-winning author with Love Inspired Historical and Heartsong.  She currently serves as president of the ACFW-Atlanta chapter. She currently lives in North Georgia with her husband of 30+ years, Danny; two gorgeous daughters and a future son-in-love. Her next release, New Hope Sweethearts will be available in July on Amazon.

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Indies Wear a Lot of Hats

Dan Walsh is the award-winning and bestselling author of 15 books, including The Unfinished Gift, The Dance and When Night Comes. He has won 3 Carol Awards and 2 Selah Awards. Three of his books were finalists for Inspirational Book of the Year. Dan is a member of ACFW and Word Weavers. He lives with his wife, Cindi, in the Daytona Beach area where they love to take long walks. Click here to connect with Dan or check out his books.

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If I could make the title of this post a little longer, I would add: "Hybrids Wear Even a Few More."

Readers of this blog likely know these terms already, but for the sake of any newcomers I'll briefly explain. An "indie" is an author who self publishes their books or uses a small independent press. A "hybrid" is an author who publishes books both ways, as an indie and also with a traditional publisher.

Though I'm now more of an indie, from 2008 until last Fall I had the distinct privilege of writing under multiple contracts with traditional publishers (mostly Revell and one with Guideposts). I wrote 13 novels that way, although the final 2 books come out this year. Technically, this makes me a hybrid author (at least for the rest of this year).

The first of these 2 final books releases this week. It's called The Legacy. It's the last book in the 4-book Restoration series, co-authored with Gary Smalley. I have one more traditionally-published book coming out in September, called Keeping Christmas (obviously, a Christmas novel).

Although the writing work is done for these 2 books, I'm still having to do all the regular marketing and promotional work I've done with my other traditionally published novels (interviews, blog tour, social media, etc.).

But now, I'm having to mix this work in while wearing a number of new hats as an indie author. In the last few months, I've released my first 2 indie books. My first suspense novel called When Night Comes, and a brand-new 31-Day devotional called Perfect Peace. For those reading this during Easter week, you might be interested to know, you can get When Night Comes all week through Easter Sunday for only 99 Cents (Kindle only). Click Here to check it out.

At the moment, I'm also writing my next indie novel, the first in a trilogy called Rescuing Finley. Finley is a shelter dog who winds up rescuing the female inmate who trains him and the Afghan war vet who adopts him (may even be a love story brewing here). This series will be written in the same genre my readers are used to (more like The Unfinished Gift and The Reunion).

I hope to finish Rescuing Finley by the end of this month, then complete the 2nd novel in the series, Saving Parker, later this year. Once Finley is finished, I'll put on one of my new indie hats as I supervise the editing and proofreading of the book. At the same time, I'll be wearing another hat: supervising the photography and cover design. After coming up with the cover concept for When Night Comes, I hired a graphic artist to actually design the cover. 

But with my second indie book, the devotional Perfect Peace, I decided to wear that hat, too. I designed the cover myself from scratch, front to back. I think it came out pretty nice. Here's a picture of it on the right. If you'd like to preview or order it on Amazon, the Kindle version is only $2.99. The print edition came out really nice. It sells for $9.99.

Speaking of "front to back," brings up another hat I've had to wear. That is, creating from scratch all the text and cover copy for the back of the book and all the promotional materials. Turns out, it's a lot harder than it looks. There's a real skill to shrinking an entire book down to a single paragraph, one that simultaneously sparks interest in the reader but doesn't give too much away.

Once I finish writing and rewriting Rescuing Finley, supervising the editorial process, overseeing the cover design, and coming up with the promotional copy for the back cover, it'll be time to wear another hat: Marketing and Publicity Director. It'll be up to me to get advance copies of the book into the right hands, influential people who will hopefully love the book and want to help me spread the word about its upcoming release.

Once it releases, I'll put on my final hat: personally engage and respond to all the promo activity generated by the book (hopefully, all the magazine and blog interviews, reader emails and social media).

I have to admit...when I started off on this indie adventure, I had no idea of all the work involved. Even so, I really enjoy wearing all these hats and wouldn't want to have it any other way. I'd love to hear how other indies juggle all these additional tasks while still keeping their left brain free to write their novels (or is it the right-brain?).

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Interview with Indie Author Sally Bradley

By Pamela S. Meyers

Sally Bradley writes big-city fiction with real issues and real hope. A Chicagoan since age five, she now lives in the Kansas City area with her family, but they still get back to Chicago once in a while for important things—like good pizza and a White Sox game. Fiction has been her passion since childhood, and she’s thrilled now to be writing books that not only entertain, but point back to Christ. A freelance fiction editor, you can find Sally at sallybradley.com and on Facebook at Sally Bradley, Writer. Kept is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo

I'm very excited for my friend, Sally Bradley, who recently went indie and published her debut novel, Kept. I recently interviewed Sally about her book and writing career, and here it is!

This is your debut novel. What sparked the story?

ESPN’s SportsCenter, where all ideas for romance and women’s fiction come from, right?

The show ran a series on temptations pro athletes face, and one of them was about women who made their living off pro athletes. One woman they interviewed was completely silhouetted, but she had a very unique short haircut. As the interview went on, she confessed that not only was she “kept” by one pro athlete, being available only to him when his team came to town, but by a second—and each man thought they were the only one. My immediate thought was, Honey, I hope you’re wearing a wig. Or they know now.

I couldn’t get her out of my head and had to figure out what would make her live that way and what it would take for her to see—and want—the truth. Plus she just needed a truly happy ending.

What would you do differently if you were starting your publishing career today? I

’d be more realistic on the time it takes to grow as a writer. A writer might understand a concept, but being able to use it successfully takes time and work.

Share a bit of your journey to publication.

I’ve been writing for the adult market since 1997. A few years ago, an agent took me on and submitted my book. The rejections were very nice, with a number of editors asking what else I had. At the time, I had nothing else.

Then life threw some changes at me, and I had to set writing aside. I picked it up again in 2012 when the idea for Kept just would not let me rest. This time the feedback from industry professionals was amazing, but the story was too out of the box, a little too realistic, for their tastes.

I’d been praying about indie publishing for quite a while, and before I realized the book probably wouldn’t sell to a traditional Christian house, I decided going indie was the right option. Kept released the middle of September and has been on three Amazon bestseller lists almost constantly, even reaching number two on the Contemporary Christian Romance Hot New Releases list. It’s been an amazing ride, and I’m absolutely certain I made the right choice. Phew!

Wow, that's wonderful, Sally. Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy nook?

With a husband who works from home a lot and three homeschooled kids, I tend to write in many different places! Sometimes it’s my library’s conference room or Starbucks. At home, I have two desks. My favorite is a beautiful roll top we picked up at an estate sale. But it’s in the living room—right by the TV and Xbox. With the kids being older, they’ve gotten louder and more active, so I’ve taken over the corner of our unfinished, unheated basement. I’m often down there in the afternoons and some evenings.

Sally's desk in her unheated basement.

What would you do if you didn't write?

My daughter likes to ask me this question, and I always tell her that I don’t know! I never wanted to do anything else but write. If I wasn’t writing, I’d probably be working for a publisher so I can inhale that box-of-brand-new-books smell on a regular basis.

What issue makes you struggle as an author? How do you handle it?

It used to be transitions. I write my rough drafts in scenes so I have to create those transitions later. Plot has probably always been my weakness, but I’m hearing that the plot in Kept is really original and I’ve fooled people into thinking plotting is my strength. Nope, I just worked at it really, really, really hard. And threw a few scenes away.

What are your top 3 recommendations for a new writer?

Read only well-done, quality fiction because you will learn from it. Force yourself to be honest about your writing—does it read like a published novel?—and figure out where it’s falling flat and what needs to be done to make it read like that published novel. (In other words, don’t shrug past it with the intention of looking it over on the next draft.) Lastly, read a ton and read eclectically.

Then what 3 things would you recommend not doing?

Don’t compare yourself to others—in any way. There will always be someone better than you with more sales and more attention. Be grateful for where God’s placed you. Don’t sit all day at your computer (working on this one myself), and don’t stop reading fiction while you write. For me reading fiction feeds the beast all kinds of awesome stuff.

Some say a writer is born and others say anyone can learn. What do you think?

I think it’s a combination of both. I knew from age nine that I’d write Christian fiction. Because of that, I dialed it in and just waited for it to happen. Pretty silly of me, right? It might have been God’s calling on me, but I sure needed to do the work—and I did. Having to work hard has made all of this so much sweeter.

Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? How do you feel about research?

I’m a freelance fiction editor so I looooove the editing stage. I always kind of fear the creating stage. But once I get into it—wow, is it fun! So I guess I prefer whatever stage I’m in. And I’m super thankful for that.

As for research, I tend to not know what I need to research until I stumble on it. The joys of writing a contemporary novel! So I do some research before and quite a bit on the fly.

Do you consider yourself a visual writer? If so, what visuals do you use?

I didn’t use to be a visual writer, but with Kept I found an image of my heroine before I even started the book. I loved being able to glance at it from time to time to touch base with her. Didn’t have anything, though, for my hero, and he’s a rather average guy.

So I prayed about it! I asked God to help me find a picture of someone who looked like him. And a month later, I stumbled across a documentary on our military, saw this guy, and thought, “Where have I seen him before?” J Took me two episodes to realize he was a dead ringer for Dillan, my hero!

The images I used the most, though, were for my setting. Kept takes place in Grant Park in Chicago—right along the lakefront and around Buckingham Fountain—and my characters live in Metropolitan Tower, a historic 1920s building on Michigan Avenue. I love seeing real places in fiction, so I did a lot of online research to get as many details right as I could. In fact, Kept has a Pinterest page for those who’ve read the book. Miska, Dillan, Tracy, Garrett, Buckingham Fountain, and Metropolitan Tower—it’s all there.

I went to your Pinterest page and loved all the setting and character photos.  Especially since I'm in the middle of reading Kept right now and am loving it. Here I live in the Chicago metro area and never knew about the Metropolitan Tower. 

Do you work best under pressure or do you write at a leisurely pace?? 

I hate pressure, but a leisurely pace allows for too many distractions. And time slips away. So a deadline on the distant horizon is probably my favorite. Close enough to motivate me, far enough away to let me sleep at night.

I hear you there. Have a deadline, but not so close it makes you antsy. Any final thoughts?

It’s a pleasure to be on Novel Rocket! I’ve followed this site since Gina’s first author interview and have learned so much from it. Thanks for the opportunity, Pam.

A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago with her two rescue cats, an hour's drive away from her Wisconsin hometown which she visits often to dig into its historical legacy. Her novels include Thyme for Love, and Love Will Find a Way, contemporary romantic mysteries and her 1933 historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. When she isn’t at her laptop writing her latest novel, she can often be found nosing in microfilms and historical records about Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas.

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Indie Christian Fiction Search Site~Overview by Author Connie Almony

Author Connie Almony

Hi, my name is Connie Almony and I am a creative problem solver. If you give me a problem that should be solved, I will shake inside until it is. That’s just how my brain works, and THAT’s why I created the Indie Christian Fiction Search site—Ickfuss (ICFS) to its friends. I saw a problem and I had to solve it.

Indie Christian Fiction Search Site

The Problem …

What was the problem, you ask? Well, there were a few.

1) Avid readers needed to find loads of books that would feed their insatiable need and target their interests, all without breaking the bank.

2) Christian readers needed to find a greater breadth of story, not often available through traditionally published books, while being within a biblical framework.

3) Christian readers needed extra information—that which is often missing from online retailers—before making the decision to buy.

4) Readers needed a way to search through lots of material that is easy, non-cumbersome and directs them right to books that interest them through search criteria and scrolling mechanisms that allow the reader to sift quickly through blurb excerpts.

Why were these my problems to solve? Well, because I knew it could be done, and yet no one was doing it.

Magazine View

The Focus …

Why focus on indie fiction, you ask?  … (Sigh) … My, but you’re an inquisitive group!

I haven’t always been an ardent supporter of indie fiction. I believe an author is well served when many eyes see her work before it is published. I also believe any product is best when it is formed by a group of people using their unique gifts (ie. The Body of Christ). So Indie always looked like someone who just didn’t want to play by the rules. (God often humbles me when I get too opinionated). I worried the work would suffer for it. But then the new era of indie publishing steam-rolled into being. A world of critique partners, beta readers, freelance editors and cover artists, Facebook writers’ groups, search engines and social media platforms. Not to mention the low cost (I mean, how much lower than $0 can you get) of uploading your ebook to an online retailer. All these factors increased the ability to create a better quality book with a smaller investment.

The game has changed, and so has the breadth and quality of fiction.

I didn’t mean to be an indie author myself. I sort of got conned into it by my critique partner, Mildred Colvin, and discovered there is a world of fiction out there that is feeding a need not met by the traditional houses. I have found a plethora of Christian fiction which has been deemed unsellable by publishers for a variety of reasons, be they time period (medieval), character choices (Viking, pirate, multi-cultural), settings (universities, cities, space) or subject matter (mistresses, drug addiction), and discovered worlds like the one in which I live, replete with sinners in need of a Savior. 

Additionally, I discovered that many of my favorite authors, when given the chance to write from their hearts instead of a marketing team’s idea of what “the public” wants, are EVEN BETTER when writing this way. Yes, you read that right—EVEN BETTER. And as an avid reader, indie fiction is a lot less traumatic to my credit card.

Quality of Writing or Marketing Guts?

So what’s not to like?

I’ll tell you what: many are concerned that because indie authors have not been vetted by the process of acquiring an agent or catching the eye of an editor, their work is not as good. The truth is I STILL suggest authors go through this process and hone their craft, before making the jump. But there is a point where the author realizes it’s not the craft, but the perception of the general marketplace that is holding him back from publication. Yes, it is nice to have someone “important” like you, but just because that someone doesn’t like you, doesn’t mean the rest of the world must ignore you as well. 

Many novels are rejected because the theme of their work has not been tested in the marketplace. However, in these tough times of the publishing industry it is likely nothing new will be tested until someone has the guts to do so. Therefore, lots of extraordinary ideas fall by the wayside.

Not with indie!

With indie publishing the READER is the gatekeeper, not the executive, nor the marketing team—honest-to-goodness readers who have a love for the written word, and a great story, just like you do. Independent authors often offer early books cheap (and even free) so YOU, the reader, can get a sense of who they are and what they write. Then YOU can decide whether or not you want to continue reading them.

It’s just a matter of finding this new breed of author.

Sifting Through the Muck …

But there is another problem. Traditional Christian publishing didn’t just vet for quality, it also vetted for biblical content. If you’ve ever gone “church shopping” in a very secular area (as I have) and you’ve seen the variety of agendas that come from groups that label themselves “Christian,” you will know not all people wearing that moniker promote the same sort of faith. In fact, in one of our independent author Facebook discussions, one of our members found a “Christian” group writing very decadent—and painful—forms of erotica. 

In these gate-keeper-less times, someone needs to step up and help us wade through the muck. Indie Christian Fiction Search (ICFS) is designed, asking the author to ensure a level of standard outlined in its Statement of Faith and Content guidelines, while informing the reader so he or she can make a decision as to whether or not the book is right for them. I also hope readers will return to ICFS to comment on books they found either exceptionally inspiring or not quite their cup of tea—respectfully, of course. Again, the reader is King here!

Sidebar View

Finding the Right Books for You…

So now readers will have access to information on a larger breadth of biblically-centered fiction in one place. The next trick is how to search through all the titles to find the one for you.

This is the fun part!

I had a vision from God. Or at least, my mind kept playing images of an old template I’d used for my blog and the many “views” it allowed that would make a quick search of a large amount of material very easy. So I decided to try it out by posting a bunch of friends’ books to the site. I’d been pondering how to do this because, frankly, I find most book retailer sites cumbersome and less fine-tuned to my needs, requiring lots of clicks into things I eventually have no use for. The largest online book retailer comes close, but does not allow for a page full of blurbs under search criteria ready to be scanned. It only gives a page of book titles, cover art and price. With Indie Christian Fiction Search (ICFS), you can plug in search criteria and watch the cover art float across the page. 

It’s really cool :o)!!!

Indie Books by Genre

Then you can change the “view” of the site and scroll through book blurbs selected by genre or search criteria and pick through the ones that look good to you. There are a number of ways to do this. It’s just a matter of finding the one view that works best for you.

So if you are an independent Christian fiction author and would like to have your novel listed on Indie Christian Fiction Search (ICFS), please enter the site, read through the Statement of Faith and Author Guidelines, and if it’s a good fit—submit. Please review the guidelines each time, as they may change. I will be adjusting things to streamline the site’s functionality.

If you are a READER, looking for something reasonably priced and potentially unique, please check out the “How to Use This Site” page and see how much fun a book search can be. Try out all the views and feel free to tell me what works best for you. Indie Christian Fiction Search (ICFS) will be growing vastly over the next few months so make sure you drop by again. There is also a newsletter you can sign up for that will include links to new titles, and hot-picks, keeping you regularly informed of the latest in indie Christian fiction. I promise, it will not be sent out more often than quarterly. And don’t forget to come back and let us know what you think about the books you read. 

Remember, YOU are the gatekeeper. YOU have the power. Use it wisely ;o).

Sign up for the newsletter NOW and be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card. The winner will be notified on November 1, 2014. Here is the link.

~Posted by Heather Day Gilbert

About the Author: 

Connie Almony is trained as a mental health therapist and likes to mix a little fun with the serious stuff of life. She was a 2012 semi-finalist in the Genesis Contest for Women’s Fiction and was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Winter 2012 WOW Flash Fiction Contest. Her newest release, At the Edge of a Dark Forest, is a modern-day re-telling of Beauty and the Beast about a war-vet, amputee struggling with PTSD.

You can find Connie on the web at ConnieAlmony.com, writing book reviews for Jesus Freak Hideout, and hosting the following blogs: 

InfiniteCharacters.com, IndieChristianFictionSearch.Blogspot.com, and LivingtheBodyofChrist.Blogspot.com.

You can also meet her on the following social media outlets:

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

At the Edge of a Dark Forest on Amazon

Cole Harrison, an Iraq War veteran amputee, wears his disfigurement like a barrier to those who might love him, shielding them from the ugliness inside. He agrees to try and potentially invest in, a prototype prosthetic with the goal of saving a hopeless man’s dreams. 

Carly Rose contracts to live with Cole and train him to use his new prosthetics, only to discover his dark world of alcoholism and PTSD. Can Carly help him fight this war and discover the man he is destined to become? 

At the Edge of a Dark Forest is a modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Only it is not her love that will make him whole.
Contemporary Christian Romance. 

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