Being and independent publisher as well as a writer has its ups and downs. I write my stories, edit them, publish them on places like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. using Smashwords or Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) then market myself. For instance I spend at least 2 days a week promoting my books on places like facebook; check out my facebook page Siera Stone and you'll see what I'm talking about. But don't stop there. If you'll view some of my friends pages you'll see how they also promote themselves.
By marketing myself that leaves me just 2 days writing. Sometimes I get 3 days, but that depends on the amount of time I've already spent on the earlier 2 days. It's hard to change hats. If I have a great idea and it is a day I've decided to work on marketing then I jot down those ideas in my notebook and work on them later that day or the next day.
As an aside, it doesn't help that my husband no longer works. So if you have distractions like that get an office. Oh I have an office, but it is full of research, books, printer, magazines, etc. that there is no place for me. So the office needs to be big or if you can get your husband a man cave. (Here I'm playing on your sympathy to purchase my books). If it's working then I won't apologize.
So is publishing my books as an independent writer the best way to go? For my first book it was. I'm sure that some erotic romance publisher like Ellora's Cave or Samhain might have looked at it, but the plot of Christmas in July didn't fit their categories.
Christmas in July was meant to be a witty fantasy and nothing more. Sure the main character Julie Monroe is in a long term relationship and that relationship is in jeopardy due to not getting her Christmas present from Santa. But all in all it was intended to give Julie a chance to be a naughty girl, and get Santa in the sack and back on his nice list. Yes we all have fantasies and one of Julie's was to boink the big guy. She has a thing for long white beards and a hairy chest. Sorry I'm getting off my point.
But the story I'm working on now, working titles are The Merger or 3rd Times the Charm is intended to be sent to Decadent Publishing. I'm writing it to fit into one of their most popular series 1Night Stand. Go to Amazon or Barnes and Noble or other publishing companies and type in the words 1 Night Stand. You'll find titles from different authors all using that same premise. See a previous blog for some editing I did on my new book.
Yes, I'm using this series to get my foot into the door of a publishing house.While Decadent is a publishing house for erotic romance, it has some of the qualities of Indie's. Decadent's requirements would be that of my own if I was self-publishing this book. It must be tight and the copy clean. They don't have agents, Per Se that holds your hand, works with you to edit the story to the publisher's liking.
So again, is self-publishing a curse or a blessing? I believe a little of both.
Next week I'll expand on this introduction of being an Indie.
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