Okay, so man, does this business of publishing have some really high highs, and some really low lows. I don't think I'm a stranger to this at all, and I've lived through it before, but I'm on the roller coaster again.
I'm not querying or anything, but I'm constantly refreshing my email to see if "the one" has come. My adult fantasy, ECHOES OF SILENCE, was selected by Kindle Scout, and I've completed and submitted the final edits. So what am I doing? Hanging on by my white knuckles, checking that email every five freaking seconds to see if I've gotten the email to let me know when my book will be released.
Yeah, it's a sickness.
In addition to that, I'm less than 30 days away from the release of my debut contemporary romance, UNTIL SUMMER ENDS. I'm ridiculously excited about this book, and not just because it takes place on the beach--one of my favorite places on the planet.
This is my first published contemporary romance, but it's my fifth attempt, and I really love the book. I want it to get a good send-off into the world, and I'm nervous about it. Talk about a low! I feel like I've gone back in time 5 years, and I'm anticipating the release of Possession all over again! (BTW, you can pre-order the book if you want! I would love you forever.)
Back then, I randomly started crying at lyrics to songs, and wouldn't you know it, I'm doing the same thing again! The cycles in this business are crazy!
In addition to that, I had another book deal on the table, and it fell through. It was a hard week while that was all going down, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm disappointed. I don't quite know what to do with the book now, and it's just sitting. I think it's a good book, but my confidence in it has been shaken.
Another valley. Another reason to just sit on the couch and watch Food Network. But am I doing that?
Nope!
I have another Three Rivers Ranch Romance novel to write. After all, I put it up for pre-order and it's not quite finished yet... But my self-published western romances have seen success like I've never experienced before. It's a high I don't quite know how to ride. I find myself falling off all the time, and trying to get a grip on things, and trying to keep up with the insane production schedule I put myself on for the series.
It's definitely been a wild ride these past few months! What's your ride looking like lately? Highs? Lows? Some of both?
Okay, so this is always hard, isn't it? Facing down that rabid dog or whatever. But though I am terrified of most dogs, rabid or not, that's not really what I'm talking about. Not a physical fear, but an emotional one.
That's not quite right either. More of a creative one.
See, my agent and I parted ways last month. She is a lovely person and a great agent. I have no hard feelings toward her and our split was amicable.
And here I am. Facing a wide-open world of publishing for the first time in years. Well, that's not really true either, because I already have books out. The only way to truly have a wide-open publishing world is to choose a pen name and start over.
I don't think I'll do that, and now I'm exploring all the options. See, I have five full manuscripts that are finished. Like, finished. Like, I could send them to editors and agents and not be embarrassed.
I'm querying a couple of them, actually. Querying is just as painful and demoralizing as I remember from 2009. Rejections are hard--especially when the feedback is at odds from agent to agent.
I have submitted a couple of my manuscripts to small and midsize publishers that take unsolicited submissions.
I have purchased Indie-publishing guides, and I've emailed with friends, and I've discussed options with my husband.
I really do have a ton of choices. The real problem is facing the fear of choosing one over the other. It seems that every publishing model has it's pros and cons.
And of course, I want it all. *wink* But mostly, it's the fear of trying something I've never tried before that's got a grip on me right now. I almost think it would be easier if someone just told me what to do! Anyone? Ha!
Have you faced a fear? How did you overcome it?
Man, I haven't done a Bookanista feature for like, ever. But today, I'm featuring Miriam Conde's THE IMMORTALITY EXPERIMENT, and Miriam was kind enough to answer some questions for me!
About THE BOOK:
The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less:
Alex doesn't know about the experiment’s victims. He wants to be a good friend, but helping Dr. Carr ensnares Alex in a perilous situation.
Why e-publishing? Why now?
E-publishing is basically free and I wanted to get my material out there as fast as possible. I would like to publish my books traditionally when I find the right agent.
What’s the one thing you learned about publishing this way that you didn’t anticipate?
I did not realize that marketing would be like a complex puzzle. Each day I try new techniques to reach more people. I am constantly learning which methods work best for me. Solving the puzzle of success is an exciting task.
What else are you working on? Secrets? Inside scoops? Give us the juicy stuff!
I’m working on two different projects. A sequel to The Immortality Experiment will take the characters from the first novel to a new level. I’m writing another sci-fi series starting with “Adessa’s Sphere.” I’ve been posting the story a chapter at a time on my blog, boldfiction.net. What my readers don’t know yet is that Adessa will lead her people, not just to other planets, but to explore glorious parallel universes. (They know now!) Among the group is an unexpected danger to be revealed at the end of “Adessa’s Sphere.”
Buy THE IMMORTALITY EXPERIMENT for only 99 cents!
About THE AUTHOR:
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
No. I wanted to be about a million different things before I finally decided that writing suited me best. I always liked writing in school. I even wrote a book nine years ago that collected dust for a long time. That book eventually evolved into “Adessa’s Sphere.”
What made you decide to go that “extra step” and seek publication?
I had told myself I would never self-publish. Then I read about Amanda Hocking, author of the Trylle Trilogy. Apparently she had posted excerpts from her stories on her blog, kind of the way I’m posting my stories. Reading about her success inspired me to put myself out there in the e-book world.
Quick! You’ve been chosen to be a contestant on Survivor. What luxury item do you take?
A blank notebook with a pen/pencil attached.
Tell us something about yourself we don’t know.
I want to be an astronaut! (Wow, this freaks me the heck out. You know there's NO AIR in space, right??)
And the most important of all: bacon or chocolate?
CHOCOLATE! :-D (Boo! But we still like you.)
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I hope you'll check out THE IMMORTALITY EXPERIMENT. I read it, and it was a great blend of thriller and science fiction that even the science-phobic (me) can understand. Miriam did a great job with it!
Oh, and be sure to check out what books the other Bookanistas are talking about this week:
What's on your holiday reading list?
Okay, so I'm here talking about a book today, which I know is freaking you out. I can see you nervously sipping your [insert morning drink of choice] and wondering, "Is is Thursday already??"
It's not.
But this Thursday is the YA scavenger hunt, which I am participating in. In fact, my bonus content for the scavenger hunt is SO EXCITING. I can't wait to share it with you! (If you get my newsletter, you'll already have a hint at what it is...)
So I thought I'd do my Thursday post today. And it's an interview with Christine Bryant, author of BOUND. So let's let her take it away!
The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less:
BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.
Why e-publishing? Why now?
Why not now? BOUND is ready. I'm ready. And there's never been a better time for an author to self-publish. It was scary at first, but now I'm glad I did it. I love having control over my cover and the content of my book. It's so gratifying to hold my first novel in my hands and know that, from the very first word typed into the computer to the finished product, I did it all myself.
What’s the one thing you learned about publishing this way that you didn’t anticipate? Ha! It's dang hard and time consuming. Learning how to format and typeset was the hardest, but I got through it.
I also learned a lot about friendship. People that I thought would support me disappeared into a crowd of disbelievers and people who think self-publishing is for writers who aren't good enough to get a REAL publisher, while others I expected no support from at all stepped up and did more than I could have ever imagined to get the word out about my book. It's been an incredible experience and has really opened my eyes.
What else are you working on? Secrets? Inside scoops? Give us the juicy stuff!
Well, of course I'm working on BROKEN, the second book in The Crystor series. I want to get that one published by early spring. After that I plan to finish the first book in another series called AQUATARA. It's about a girl who thinks she's a mermaid, but she's not. You'll have read it to find out who or what she really is. ;-)
About THE AUTHOR:
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I've always loved to write, but the whole idea of writing a full-length novel seemed beyond me or my talents. I had a few articles published when I was younger, but didn't take my writing career seriously until I attended my first writers conference. After that I was hooked. I'd discovered a passion that had been dormant for much too long.
What made you decide to go that “extra step” and seek publication?
Publication was always the goal, even when I was writing short stories and articles, but the reason I sought self-publishing had more to do with wanting my books read than it did with anything else. The story of Kira, Lydia & Octavion had been such a huge part of my life and I wanted to share that with everyone. I love that it's being read and loved by so many.
Quick! You’ve been chosen to be a contestant on Survivor. What luxury item do you take?
ROFL!! I LOVE Survivor! (Yes! But all my faves are gone this season...) Hmmm, this is a hard one. The practical part of me says I should take something like a tooth brush or an extra pair of undies, but the creative side of me wants to record every second of my journey. Heck, who needs practicality, I'd take a journal and pen (with extra ink).
Tell us something about yourself we don’t know.
This is a little embarrassing, but I have a bowl fetish. Cereal bowls. Mixing bowls. Serving bowls. Little antique finger bowls and butter bowls. Not the unbreakable plastic or melamine kind or the clear crystal or milk glass kind, but the ceramic and crockery type. I especially LOVE antique mixing bowls. I've picked up a few at auctions and have them displayed in a couple of hutches. Is that bad? (Whatever floats your boat.)
And the most important of all: bacon or chocolate?
Definitely chocolate. Addicted to the stuff. My favorite is Symphony bars. (With or without toffee? I'm partial to the toffee...)
Thanks for hanging out with us, Christine! You can visit Christine on her blog, you can find out even more about BOUND and Christine here, and you can order your copy of BOUND in it's many e-formats here.
So... what is your morning drink of choice?
