Laura Kaye's Blog, page 44
January 24, 2014
Join Me on BookTalk Nation & Get Signed Copies of #HardAsYouCan!
Highest Rating from RT Book Review Magazine!So, this is really cool! Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA, is hosting a virtual signing of Hard As You Can! Place an order for a personalized copy of Hard As You Can and I'll sign it just for you and include special, exclusive swag, too! AND, if that wasn't cool enough, you can sign up to participate in a live nationwide chat with me on BookTalk Nation on Thursday, February 20, at 7pm EST. I'll be interviewed by freelance writer Karen Holt, whose work has appeared in numerous national publications like O, the Oprah Magazine, Essence, The New Your Post, Publishers Weekly, and more. ASK ME ANYTHING! LOL!
You have to order your signed book by the end of my chat on the 20th, so don't miss your chance! :)
Click here to find out how to participate in our release week activities for Hard As You Can!
About Hard As You Can:Five dishonored soldiers.Former Special Forces.One last mission.These are the men of Hard Ink.Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.
Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can--and never let go.
Pre-Order Hard As You Can at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
Pre-Order a *signed* Hard As You Can at Fountain Bookstore
“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets
About Hard As It Gets:Five dishonored soldiers.Former Special Forces.One last mission.These are the men of Hard Ink.Tall, dark, and lethal...
Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.
With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.
Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...
Read an Extended Excerpt of Hard As It GetsBuy at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
$1.99 for a limited time!
Thanks for reading!Laura
January 14, 2014
Readers and Bloggers! Join My Release Day Events for #HardAsYouCan!
Believe it or not, we are just six weeks from the release of HARD AS YOU CAN, the second book in my bestselling Hard Ink series! And I've got some fun things for you to consider joining!
HARD AS YOU CAN NEW RELEASE PARTY
Readers! Come one, come all, to my new release Facebook party! There will be tons of prizes and guest authors. This will be most of the day on February 25th. Go here to sign up.
HARD AS YOU CAN RELEASE DAY BLOG BLITZ PARTY
If you have a blog, consider hosting me for my release day blog blitz party and help me get the word out about the new book. Review copies are also available to be requested. Go here to sign up.
HARD AS YOU CAN BLOG TOUR #1
If you have a blog, consider hosting me for a week-long blog tour focused on getting reviews and excerpts out into the world. Review copies available. February 23-28. This tour will have an exclusive big giveaway. Go here to sign up.
And stay tuned for more ways to WIN and PARTICIPATE!
About Hard As You Can:Five dishonored soldiers.Former Special Forces.One last mission.These are the men of Hard Ink.
Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.
Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can--and never let go.
Pre-Order Hard As You Can at Amazon | B&N | iTunes| Kobo
“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets
About Hard As It Gets:Five dishonored soldiers.Former Special Forces.One last mission.These are the men of Hard Ink.
Tall, dark, and lethal...
Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.
With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.
Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...
Read an Extended Excerpt of Hard As It GetsBuy at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
$1.99 for a limited time!
Thanks for reading!Laura
HARD AS YOU CAN NEW RELEASE PARTY
Readers! Come one, come all, to my new release Facebook party! There will be tons of prizes and guest authors. This will be most of the day on February 25th. Go here to sign up.
HARD AS YOU CAN RELEASE DAY BLOG BLITZ PARTY
If you have a blog, consider hosting me for my release day blog blitz party and help me get the word out about the new book. Review copies are also available to be requested. Go here to sign up.
HARD AS YOU CAN BLOG TOUR #1
If you have a blog, consider hosting me for a week-long blog tour focused on getting reviews and excerpts out into the world. Review copies available. February 23-28. This tour will have an exclusive big giveaway. Go here to sign up.
And stay tuned for more ways to WIN and PARTICIPATE!
About Hard As You Can:Five dishonored soldiers.Former Special Forces.One last mission.These are the men of Hard Ink.Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.
Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can--and never let go.
Pre-Order Hard As You Can at Amazon | B&N | iTunes| Kobo
“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets
About Hard As It Gets:Five dishonored soldiers.Former Special Forces.One last mission.These are the men of Hard Ink.Tall, dark, and lethal...
Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.
With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.
Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...
Read an Extended Excerpt of Hard As It GetsBuy at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
$1.99 for a limited time!
Thanks for reading!Laura
January 8, 2014
Celebrating a Sale with a HUGE Swag Giveaway!
I'm super excited to be celebrating the $1.99 sale on Hard As It Gets with my good friend Jennifer L. Armentrout, whose AWESOME book Wait for You is ALSO on sale! So we put our heads together and decided to host a totally fun huge swag giveaway just for you!
Wait for You is just 99 cents!Buy on Amazon | Nook
Hard As It Gets is just $1.99!Buy on Amazon | Nook
By following the Rafflecopter guidelines down below on my page, you could win a huge set of JLA/J Lynn swag:
WINNER: LAUREN GOFF
By following the Rafflecopter guideline's on Jen's page, you could win some awesome Hard Ink swag, including a camo scarf, temporary tattoos, a Hard As It Gets notebook, and more:
WINNER: NICOLE NEWMAN
So check out the books, spread the word, have some fun, and win some cool stuff!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wait for You is just 99 cents!Buy on Amazon | Nook
Hard As It Gets is just $1.99!Buy on Amazon | Nook
By following the Rafflecopter guidelines down below on my page, you could win a huge set of JLA/J Lynn swag:
WINNER: LAUREN GOFF
By following the Rafflecopter guideline's on Jen's page, you could win some awesome Hard Ink swag, including a camo scarf, temporary tattoos, a Hard As It Gets notebook, and more:
WINNER: NICOLE NEWMAN
So check out the books, spread the word, have some fun, and win some cool stuff!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
December 31, 2013
Happy New Year! Let's make 2014 great!
Just a quick post to wish you the very happiest New Year with the hope that each of your wishes comes true!Here's to a great 2014!
Midnight Smooches,
Laura
#HardAsItGets Sale and Fave Reads of 2013 Picks!
Click here for the Midnight Kiss Blog Hop Giveaway!
I'm excited to share two fun bits of news with you! First, I'm thrilled to share these Fave Reads of 2013 nods I've received this week!
Hard As It Gets The Geekery Book Review - Top 10 Fave Read of 2013A Bibliophile’s Thoughts on Books - Fave Book Boyfriends of 2013 (Nick Rixey)Celestial Reviews - #2 Fave Read of 2013Sweet Spot Book Blog - Top 5 Romantic Suspense Reads of 2013
Fangs, Wands, and Fairy Dust - A Fave Read of 2013Caffeinated Book Reviews (to post 1/1) - Top 10 Adult Romance Reads of 2013
Second, I've got THREE books on short-term sales for you, including my newest book, Hard As It Gets. See down below for the buy links so you don't miss these awesome deals!
HARD AS IT GETS
Normal price $4.99 | Sale price $1.99
4.6 / 5 Rating on 201 reviews!NOMINATED for Best Romantic Suspense of 2013 in the RT Reviewers' Choice Awards"Edgy, sexy and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!" ~ #1 NYT Bestselling Author J.R. Ward
Buy on Amazon or B&N
Dont' have a Kindle or Nook? Click on these to download free Kindle or Nook apps for your PC, tablet, or smart phone!
Ends late January, so don't miss it!
HEARTS IN DARKNESS
Normal Price $2.99 | Sale Price $.99
4.5 / 5 Rating on 542 reviews!
Buy on Amazon or B&N
Ends January 4, so don't miss it!
FOREVER FREED
Normal price $3.99 | Sale price $.99
4.5 / 5 Rating on 86 reviews!
Buy on Amazon or B&N
Ends January 4, so don't miss it!
Thanks for reading! And Happy New Year's Eve!
Laura
December 28, 2013
Hot Kisses (and Prizes) for YOU in the #MidnightKiss BlogHop!
I'm excited to be participating in the Midnight Kiss Blog Hop, because what's hotter than a kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve? Except maybe prizes, and we've got those here, too!More about the prizes down below, but first I'm sharing a hot first kiss from my new book, Hard As It Gets. Have you read it yet? Grab your copy today so you're ready for the second book which releases February 25!
Hard As It Gets first kiss excerpt:
When Nick spoke, the words were even, straightforward, factual. “Someone ransacked your house. Picked the back door lock again. Went through just about every room.”
The brick walls bent and warped around her, but she shook off the dizziness and forced herself to focus on Nick’s face. His presence was the only thing grounding her. “Why would they do that? Could you tell if anything was missing?”
He shook his head. “The why of it I intend to figure out. I promise you. But the place was too much of a mess to—”
“Take me.” Becca pushed past him and hit the handle on the door.
Arms wrapped around her from behind. “Becca, we—”
“No!” She threw off the hold and scrambled away, her back coming up hard against the wall.
Nick’s expression was a roiling sea of emotion. Surprise. Fear. Anger. Concern. “I’m sorry. What just—”
“That was how he grabbed me.” She swallowed hard and shuddered at the remembered press of her would-be kidnapper’s flesh against hers. “I’m sorry,” she rasped, embarrassment heating her face, despair and exhaustion sucking the fight out of her.
He came forward slowly. “Don’t apologize,” he said, his voice cranked tight. “And don’t cry.” His thumb swiped under her eye, once, twice, and then his knuckles caressed her cheekbone. The little touches were comforting, sweet, and she thought maybe he needed to give them as much as she needed to feel them. He tucked the loose strands of her destroyed ponytail behind her ear.
“I’m not crying,” she said despite the wetness plain on her face. She shook her aching head, then pressed her cheek into his hand. “I’m not.”
“I know.”
Peering up at him, her breath caught. The moment their gazes connected, his expression shifted from sympathetic concern to uncontrollable desire. His mouth fell open. His chest rose and fell against hers. His fingers burrowed into her hair.
Becca went hot all over, like the sun had hung itself in the stairwell above them.
He leaned closer, closer, his free arm bracing on the wall above her shoulder. The warm puff of his breath caressed her lips as his gaze bore into hers. She couldn’t move, couldn’t blink, couldn’t breathe.
He kissed her on a groan so needful it made her dizzy and wet. His mouth devoured hers, his big hand cupped the back of her head, his body completely surrounded and trapped hers against the bricks. It was a full-body onslaught, with every part of him engaged in the act of claiming and seducing.
Becca clutched at his coat, his shoulders, his back, his hair. Anything to bring him closer, deeper. His lips pulled and tugged, his tongue stroked and twisted. He smelled of leather and mint and tasted like sin.
The harder he came at her, the more her conscious mind let go. Her aches, the stitches, her house, even Charlie—for a few minutes, just a few precious minutes, Becca let it all go.
The surrender was euphoric. It rushed through her blood and sent her flying.
“That was so close, Becca. Too close,” he rasped, kissing her jaw, her ear, her neck, and sending her heart flying. His fingers stroked down over her breasts and found the hem of her shirt. And then those warm, calloused hands snaked up her stomach, pulled down the cups of her bra, and caressed her breasts skin to skin. He massaged her, teased her with roughened fingertips, and tormented her until she was panting.
She gripped the collar of his coat, half afraid her knees would go soft and give out. Nick pulled his body away just enough to tear the coat off his arms and throw it to the floor. Geez, the gun holster was sexy hugging tight over his shirt, but he slipped out of it, too, and eased it to the floor with a thunk. Then his hands were back on her breasts and his tongue was back in her mouth, stealing her breath and convincing her she could live without it.
God, this kiss. It was the kind she’d remember forever, that would invade her dreams and haunt her in quiet moments. The kind her older self could look back on and know, once, she’d really lived. The kind that, no matter what, she could never, ever regret. And it made a part of herself bloom with affection for the man who’d made her feel that way.
She snaked her hands under his shirt, moaning when her palm smoothed over the hard planes and muscled ridges of his abdomen, his sides, his chest. Her fingers swirled through the light covering of hair on his chest and swiped light, teasing brushes over his nipples. The low growls he released into the kiss as they explored each other thrilled her, made her yearn for the opportunity to bring a man as powerful and deadly as him to his knees in ecstasy.
“Closer,” he ground out. With one arm, he ripped the cotton over his head, revealing a body that was no doubt capable of inflicting pleasure and pain in equal measure. Desire roared off his skin and his hands were everywhere, massaging her breasts, kneading at the swell of her ass, pulling them harder together.
The heat of his demanding touches ripped through her and settled a pressing ache low in her abdomen. She squeezed her thighs together in response, emphasizing her arousal against her panties.
“I want you, Becca. I’m not gonna lie.” He spoke in low tones against her cheek, but pulled back to meet her gaze. “But I think—”
She placed three fingers over his mouth. “Don’t think.”
“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets
About Hard As It Gets:Five dishonored soldiers.Former Special Forces.One last mission.These are the men of Hard Ink.
Tall, dark, and lethal...
Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.
With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.
Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...
Read an Extended Excerpt of Hard As It GetsBuy at Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
Prizes!Thanks for hopping by! Now, visit the other participating blogs, linked below:
Grand Prize: $25 Liquid Silver Book Voucher
To enter: Comment on this and other participating blogs and be sure to include your email address
Prize Here: 2 $10 Amazon or B&N gift cards
To enter: Fill out the Rafflecopter below. Open to international
Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
December 25, 2013
Welcome Guest Author Joya Fields! #SidelinedAfterlife
Welcome Guest AuthorJoya FieldsTo the BlogMy good friend Joya has a new book to share with us today, a contemporary romance with a ghostly twist. Read on and see below for her giveaway!
Psychic and medium Veronica Matthews hates being able to communicate with the dead and the nearly departed. What good is it if she can’t lead the police to the victims of violent crimes before they die? But when her neighbor comes to her for help, she’s torn—until she understands that the ghost haunting him is more dangerous than any she’s encountered….Excerpt:“I am an idiot. The biggest idiot ever. If you want me to pierce something for you, to prove I’m an idiot, I have some sterilized instruments upstairs in my apartment.”
After losing his wife in a tragic accident, ER doctor Hunter Anderson’s only solace is his work and a ghost is jeopardizing that. Turning to his neighbor seems like his only choice, but spending time with the passionate woman, and her sassy attitude, might do more than save his life…
She can’t risk her heart. He’s afraid to love and lose again. Can a ghost help these two souls to live again?
Her tongue poked against her cheek, signaling a laugh that wanted to erupt. Suddenly, he really wanted to be the one who could make her laugh. “Maybe I could do your lower lip?”
Her short laugh erupted. A sweet, melodic sound that filled the small apartment.
His gaze stayed on that full mouth and he lifted his fingers closer, compelled to touch her. She stared at him with wide eyes as he traced the corner of her mouth lightly with his finger.
“I’m a liar. I could never tarnish something as beautiful as this.” Christ. What a line. Where had those words come from? But he meant it.
Her breath was hot against his finger as he traced the line of her lower lip. Her gaze held his. His stomach growled again, breaking the spell, and she blinked and leaned against the sofa.
“You know what? We never had dessert,” she said.
He had room for dessert. But not the food kind. He swallowed to quell his appetite for her. “Uh…how about I make an ice cream run? Then we’ll get to work.” Enough of this temptation. He needed to get away from her, from this pull she had on his body and emotions.
Purchase links for SIDELINED AFTERLIFE:AmazonBarnes and NobleDecadent PublishingAll Romance eBooks
About Joya:Joya Fields has had over 100 stories and articles published in local and national magazines. Her debut novel, a romantic suspense, was a NJRW GOLDEN LEAF WINNER FOR BEST FIRST BOOK OF 2012 and was nominated for RT Book Reviews 2012 Indie Press/Self-Published Contemporary Romance award. Since then, she’s published four more books with even more on the way. Connect with Joyawww.joyafields.com Twitter: @joyafieldsFacebook Author PageGoodreadsAmazon Author Page
a Rafflecopter giveaway
December 24, 2013
Merry Christmas to all!
Just a quick post to say I wish you all every happiness and every wish come true on this Christmas! I hope yours is the merriest of all!
With love,
Laura
With love,Laura
December 19, 2013
Hearts in Darkness & Forever Freed are #99cents for the Holidays!
As a thank you for all the wonderful support in 2013, I'm offering Hearts in Darkness (contemporary romance) and Forever Freed (vampire romance) for .99 through the morning of December 26! So stuff some stockings, send a gift to a friend, and treat yourself to two bestselling, award-winning stories for the holidays!
About the books:
Hearts in DarknessTwo strangers...Makenna James thinks her day can't get any worse, until she finds herself stranded in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call, the pin-striped accountant catches only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights go out.Buy at Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes
Four hours...Caden Grayson is amused when a harried redhead dashes into his elevator fumbling her bags and cell phone. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he's terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he's trapped in his own worst nightmare.
One pitch-black elevator...
To fight fear, they must reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?
Forever FreedA heart can break, even one that no longer beats.Buy at Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes
I stalk my new neighbors, a single mother and her child, drawn by the irresistible scent of their joy and love. I crave their blood, starved for some healing respite from my ancient guilt and grief. Now to lure them into my grasp.
But they surprise me. Little Olivia accepts me without fear--talking, smiling, offering innocent affection that tugs at my long-lost humanity. Her mother, Samantha, seeks me out when she should stay away, offering sweet friendship, and tempting the forgotten man within me. They lure me instead.
Ah, Dio, Lucien, run and spare them while you can...
Thanks for reading! And happy holidays!
:) Laura
December 18, 2013
Response to "Self-Publishing: The Myth and the Reality"
On Monday, Kensington Publishing Corp. CEO Steven Zacharius blogged over at Huffington Post about "Self-Publishing: The Myth and the Reality." Zacharius's post raised so many issues for me, I feel the need to respond. You may also like to read Bob Mayer's response on his blog here.
First, about me and self-publishing: I did not start out as a self-published author, which makes my need to respond all the more interesting. I shouldn't have a pony in this race, but, dude, when certain things happen in your industry, you have to speak out whether it's about you specifically or not. Despite the rather widespread belief that my book Hearts in Darkness was indie from the beginning, it was not. It was originally published by the small romance e-publisher, The Wild Rose Press. I have twelve books currently published - some with a NY publisher, some with a NY publisher's digital-first line, some with an up-and-coming boutique publisher, and one with an e-publisher. Since I received the rights back on my two Wild Rose Press titles, Hearts in Darkness and Forever Freed, I self-published both books earlier in 2013. This range of publishing experience makes me a "hybrid author," meaning I use a variety of publishing formats and distributors at the same time to reach readers.
About me and traditional publishing: I agree with a lot of the benefits and advantages that Zacharius attributed to working with publishers. My covers have been amazing, my editors have been wonderful to work with, I've had marketing support (to varying degrees), and have seen a few of my books in brick-and-mortars stores, in one case extensively. I've also had three titles hit the USA Today list and one the NY Times (none self-published). I am thrilled and fortunate to be working with my publishers.
My response to Mr. Zacharius:
1) Starting out with a discussion of vanity publishing in a discussion of self-publishing automatically colors the conversation in a negative light. Most of the self-published authors that I know - and it's not a small number - are businesswomen selling good to great numbers of books. To compare all self-publishing to vanity publishing reveals a lot about what Zacharius thinks of self-publishing. I find this to be a shame since hybrid authors like myself are more and more common, and are also working with New York, so why the need to denigrate such authors right out of the box?
2) Zacharius says, "Today, self-publishing has become a billion-dollar juggernaut. But don't quit your day job. Yet." Most self-published authors I know do not assume they will be wealthy enough from their work to quit their day jobs, so the condescension in this comment is kinda stunning. However, I do in fact know more than a few self-published authors who make a comfortable living from self-publishing alone. Whether authors do so or self-publish on the side of another job, this comment paints self-published authors as pie-in-the-sky dreamers rather than the business people I know most of them to be.
3) FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY, CAN PEOPLE STOP SAYING THAT E.L. JAMES SELF-PUBLISHED???? The Writers' Coffee Shop, a small e-publisher, was the publisher of the Fifty Shades books before they sold to Random House. Why those in the media and apparently in the industry too can't get this basic fact straight - one which James points out on her own website - I'll never understand.
4) Zacharius's statement that there have been a "handful of success stories" is misleading. Are the super success stories common? No. Are they as rare as he characterizes? No. He managed to come up with four people: E.L. James (NOT SELF-PUBLISHED, as we've already established), Amanda Hocking, Joe Konrath, and Bella Andre. Um. Marie Force, Barbara Freethy, Courtney Milan, Hugh Howie, Eliza Knight, Rebecca York, Carrie Ann Ryan, Ann Mayburn, Tammara Webber, Jamie McGuire, Jay Crownover, J. Lynn, Abbi Glines, Colleen Hoover, Samantha Towle, Monica Murphy, Molly McAdams, Cora Carmack, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, Lara Adrian, Laura Wright, Alexandra Ivy, Cynthia Eden, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Michelle Valentine, Kristen Ashley, Katie Ashley, Amy Bartol, Nicole Williams, M. Leighton, Georgia Cates, Gail McHugh, C.J. Roberts, Skye Warren, J.A. Redmerski, Jessica Sorensen, Madeline Sheehan, R.K. Lilley, Raine Miller, Kitty French, K. Bromberg, S.C. Stephens, Alethea Romig, Samantha Young, K.A. Linde, J.C. Reed, Kristen Proby. Anyone else getting tired of this laundry list of names? Actually, I'm not. I think it's more than a little awesome.
These authors are mostly in the romance/erotic romance/New Adult/erotica genres. True. Many of these authors were discovered in part through the use of the .99 price point. True. But just as true: many of them have the titles New York Times or USA Today bestselling author in front of their name, and many of them - not a handful - were picked up by New York publishers. In these cases, the use of the .99 price point to achieve discoverability - by readers and agents/editors - can make business sense for authors.
5) Hitting the lists as an indie is nowhere near as rare as Zacharius makes it sound. As I write, 18 of Amazon's Top 100 Bestselling ebooks are self-published - not a majority, but not a "handful" of success, either. Let's also look at the number of self-published books hitting the USA Today list (these numbers don't count previously self-published authors who have now been picked up by New York and have books hitting lists):
12/12/13 - 2/150 (2/114 fiction titles; 36/150 were non-fiction)12/5/13 - 8/150 (8/112 fiction titles; 38 were non-fiction)11/28/13 - 11/150 (11/110 fiction titles; 40 were non-fiction)11/21/13 - 9/150 (9/116 fiction titles; 34 were non-fiction)11/14/13 - 11/150 (11/122 fiction titles; 28 were non-fiction)11/7/13 - 9/150 (9/124 fiction titles; 26 were non-fiction)10/31/13 - 13/150 (13/117 fiction titles; 33 were non-fiction)10/24/13 - 9/150 (9/122 fiction titles; 28 were non-fiction)
It may not be a large percentage, but it's more than a handful and it's consistent. And, I expect if we go back into 2012 before a lot of the indie authors got picked up by Atria and Grand Central and Simon and Schuster, etc., the number week-to-week would be even higher.
6) Zacharius says, "Authors spend $1000 or more on these services (editing, design, and marketing). You can also just elect to put your title up on Kindle, iBooks, and Nook." Then he goes on to say some gobbledygook about how some self-published books are good but others aren't. (Just like, you know, some traditionally published books are good and some aren't. I found two copyediting mistakes in the first two pages of one of my favorite author's NY-published books.) Anyway. Most of the self-published authors pursuing publication of their books as a business are paying for professional editing, formatting, and cover art. So, yes, they're laying out money up front. But remember that those "low" royalty rates he cites are only true on ebooks priced below 2.99 (where you get 35% of cover on Amazon; 40% of cover on B&N).
Many authors are also pricing books in the sweet spot (as identified by Smashwords's Mark Coker) between 2.99 and 5.99 (see also Dear Author's useful analysis of price points). And you know what they get then? 70% of cover on Amazon and 65% of cover on B&N. Dude. That means I'm making $2.09 on every copy of Hearts in Darkness ($2.99) I sell, for example. When the book was with TWRP, at 35% of net - still higher than what New York publishers pay (typically, 25% of net), I made about 76 cents a book. So, yes, self-published authors must lay out costs up front that a publisher would pay, but the trade-off is higher royalties. And that's just considering the financial, not the control of cover, format, release date, promotions, etc.
For each book or series, authors need to run a cost-benefit analysis, decide what their goals are for the books, and choose the best publishing route for them. Sometimes that might be working with a traditional publisher, sometimes that might be working with a digital publisher, and sometimes that might be self-publishing. All are valid and play a useful role in today's market.
8) Then there's his whole publishers can't compete paragraph - the 7th - that starts with, "As a publisher, my biggest concern is the clutter of the books being put out by the major publishing houses along with those that are just put up directly by authors," and ends with, "Free or reduced price books is not a viable business model for publishers." These it's not fair! concerns lead him to the stunning suggestion that, "In a perfect world (okay, in my perfect world) there would be a separate section on Amazon or B&N.com for self-published e-books, maybe even separate websites." DUDE. He thinks this will help readers distinguish the "good" books from the "clutter," but if readers are showing some preference for lower-priced books now, what does he think would happen if all the lower-priced books were on one website, and all the higher-priced books on another? I suspect the answer to that question is not one New York really wants. Because, Zacharius is right, "Readers don't purchase books based on who the publisher is and don't necessarily care." They just want a good story, and if that comes at a lower price point, all the better.
Also, it's worth noting that NY could lower prices somewhat (and they are), even if they went nowhere near that 99-cent price point. The end of agency pricing opens up opportunities, and a recent 9) Then there's this bit of half-truth analysis: "several self-pubbed authors have been snatched up by the big houses. It remains to be seen how they perform, when the publisher then has to pay out a six-figure advance and raise the price of the book. So far those that have made the leap to traditional publishing have not proven to be very profitable ventures." I've already dispensed with the "several" assertion, so I won't address that again. As to the latter assertions, there's more at work here than just the author's viability - which seems to Zacharius to be the determining factor to the success of those books. It's all the author's fault, natch. How about a situation where a publisher buys a bestselling ebook after 100K copies have sold, and then they raise the price and hope it will still do well. Or the case where a publisher prints the paperback of a bestselling self-published ebook six months after it was digitally released and after 300K people have read the ebook - what are the chances that paperback will see a resurgence? Those would be challenging situations for any author to be successful in. And the reality is, a lot of those self-published bestsellers that NY is offering six-figure advances to bring in-house? Yeah, they'd been rejected by NY publishers again and again. Had they been more open to those books in the first place, they'd have gotten them a lot cheaper to begin with. I can think of more than one case where this scenario is true. All the more power to the author for taking the risk herself and being successful.
10) Zacharius's repeated use of "six-figure advances" and "million-dollar contracts" creates a limited definition of success. Most of us can make a comfortable living on less than those amounts. If you can, congratulations, you're successful. Most traditionally published authors are not making those kinds of advances or that level of annual income. Define monetary success by what works for you and your career and your family.
And, finally, because I'm so riled up this turned into a long-ass post and I've got bronchitis and damnit I wanted to veg on the couch and read Shelly Thacker's self-published backlist title Forever His that I bought today (along with the other two books in the series) rather than sit here and be riled up and research all these, you know, bothersome facts, on which to base my arguments. I digress.
So, 11) finally, Zacharius ends with this: "Aspiring authors just need a dose of reality." Hey, I'm all for knowing the realities of the business in which you're engaged. That's just common sense and business savvy. But make sure the dose of reality you're choking down is based on a variety of perspectives and actual hard data. I'm afraid that wasn't what I saw from Mr. Zacharius at all. Instead, he lays out a landscape of either/ors and us/thems. Which is a shame because we're all in the same business of providing great content to readers, right? Why don't we see how we can work together to expand readership and get more books into readers' hands?
Did you make it to the end with me? LOL I'll be impressed if you did. *winks* What do you think???
Thanks for reading,Laura
First, about me and self-publishing: I did not start out as a self-published author, which makes my need to respond all the more interesting. I shouldn't have a pony in this race, but, dude, when certain things happen in your industry, you have to speak out whether it's about you specifically or not. Despite the rather widespread belief that my book Hearts in Darkness was indie from the beginning, it was not. It was originally published by the small romance e-publisher, The Wild Rose Press. I have twelve books currently published - some with a NY publisher, some with a NY publisher's digital-first line, some with an up-and-coming boutique publisher, and one with an e-publisher. Since I received the rights back on my two Wild Rose Press titles, Hearts in Darkness and Forever Freed, I self-published both books earlier in 2013. This range of publishing experience makes me a "hybrid author," meaning I use a variety of publishing formats and distributors at the same time to reach readers.
About me and traditional publishing: I agree with a lot of the benefits and advantages that Zacharius attributed to working with publishers. My covers have been amazing, my editors have been wonderful to work with, I've had marketing support (to varying degrees), and have seen a few of my books in brick-and-mortars stores, in one case extensively. I've also had three titles hit the USA Today list and one the NY Times (none self-published). I am thrilled and fortunate to be working with my publishers.
My response to Mr. Zacharius:
1) Starting out with a discussion of vanity publishing in a discussion of self-publishing automatically colors the conversation in a negative light. Most of the self-published authors that I know - and it's not a small number - are businesswomen selling good to great numbers of books. To compare all self-publishing to vanity publishing reveals a lot about what Zacharius thinks of self-publishing. I find this to be a shame since hybrid authors like myself are more and more common, and are also working with New York, so why the need to denigrate such authors right out of the box?
2) Zacharius says, "Today, self-publishing has become a billion-dollar juggernaut. But don't quit your day job. Yet." Most self-published authors I know do not assume they will be wealthy enough from their work to quit their day jobs, so the condescension in this comment is kinda stunning. However, I do in fact know more than a few self-published authors who make a comfortable living from self-publishing alone. Whether authors do so or self-publish on the side of another job, this comment paints self-published authors as pie-in-the-sky dreamers rather than the business people I know most of them to be.
3) FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY, CAN PEOPLE STOP SAYING THAT E.L. JAMES SELF-PUBLISHED???? The Writers' Coffee Shop, a small e-publisher, was the publisher of the Fifty Shades books before they sold to Random House. Why those in the media and apparently in the industry too can't get this basic fact straight - one which James points out on her own website - I'll never understand.
4) Zacharius's statement that there have been a "handful of success stories" is misleading. Are the super success stories common? No. Are they as rare as he characterizes? No. He managed to come up with four people: E.L. James (NOT SELF-PUBLISHED, as we've already established), Amanda Hocking, Joe Konrath, and Bella Andre. Um. Marie Force, Barbara Freethy, Courtney Milan, Hugh Howie, Eliza Knight, Rebecca York, Carrie Ann Ryan, Ann Mayburn, Tammara Webber, Jamie McGuire, Jay Crownover, J. Lynn, Abbi Glines, Colleen Hoover, Samantha Towle, Monica Murphy, Molly McAdams, Cora Carmack, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, Lara Adrian, Laura Wright, Alexandra Ivy, Cynthia Eden, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Michelle Valentine, Kristen Ashley, Katie Ashley, Amy Bartol, Nicole Williams, M. Leighton, Georgia Cates, Gail McHugh, C.J. Roberts, Skye Warren, J.A. Redmerski, Jessica Sorensen, Madeline Sheehan, R.K. Lilley, Raine Miller, Kitty French, K. Bromberg, S.C. Stephens, Alethea Romig, Samantha Young, K.A. Linde, J.C. Reed, Kristen Proby. Anyone else getting tired of this laundry list of names? Actually, I'm not. I think it's more than a little awesome.
These authors are mostly in the romance/erotic romance/New Adult/erotica genres. True. Many of these authors were discovered in part through the use of the .99 price point. True. But just as true: many of them have the titles New York Times or USA Today bestselling author in front of their name, and many of them - not a handful - were picked up by New York publishers. In these cases, the use of the .99 price point to achieve discoverability - by readers and agents/editors - can make business sense for authors.
5) Hitting the lists as an indie is nowhere near as rare as Zacharius makes it sound. As I write, 18 of Amazon's Top 100 Bestselling ebooks are self-published - not a majority, but not a "handful" of success, either. Let's also look at the number of self-published books hitting the USA Today list (these numbers don't count previously self-published authors who have now been picked up by New York and have books hitting lists):
12/12/13 - 2/150 (2/114 fiction titles; 36/150 were non-fiction)12/5/13 - 8/150 (8/112 fiction titles; 38 were non-fiction)11/28/13 - 11/150 (11/110 fiction titles; 40 were non-fiction)11/21/13 - 9/150 (9/116 fiction titles; 34 were non-fiction)11/14/13 - 11/150 (11/122 fiction titles; 28 were non-fiction)11/7/13 - 9/150 (9/124 fiction titles; 26 were non-fiction)10/31/13 - 13/150 (13/117 fiction titles; 33 were non-fiction)10/24/13 - 9/150 (9/122 fiction titles; 28 were non-fiction)
It may not be a large percentage, but it's more than a handful and it's consistent. And, I expect if we go back into 2012 before a lot of the indie authors got picked up by Atria and Grand Central and Simon and Schuster, etc., the number week-to-week would be even higher.
6) Zacharius says, "Authors spend $1000 or more on these services (editing, design, and marketing). You can also just elect to put your title up on Kindle, iBooks, and Nook." Then he goes on to say some gobbledygook about how some self-published books are good but others aren't. (Just like, you know, some traditionally published books are good and some aren't. I found two copyediting mistakes in the first two pages of one of my favorite author's NY-published books.) Anyway. Most of the self-published authors pursuing publication of their books as a business are paying for professional editing, formatting, and cover art. So, yes, they're laying out money up front. But remember that those "low" royalty rates he cites are only true on ebooks priced below 2.99 (where you get 35% of cover on Amazon; 40% of cover on B&N).
Many authors are also pricing books in the sweet spot (as identified by Smashwords's Mark Coker) between 2.99 and 5.99 (see also Dear Author's useful analysis of price points). And you know what they get then? 70% of cover on Amazon and 65% of cover on B&N. Dude. That means I'm making $2.09 on every copy of Hearts in Darkness ($2.99) I sell, for example. When the book was with TWRP, at 35% of net - still higher than what New York publishers pay (typically, 25% of net), I made about 76 cents a book. So, yes, self-published authors must lay out costs up front that a publisher would pay, but the trade-off is higher royalties. And that's just considering the financial, not the control of cover, format, release date, promotions, etc.
For each book or series, authors need to run a cost-benefit analysis, decide what their goals are for the books, and choose the best publishing route for them. Sometimes that might be working with a traditional publisher, sometimes that might be working with a digital publisher, and sometimes that might be self-publishing. All are valid and play a useful role in today's market.
Traditional, e-, and self-publishing can and do compliment one another on an author's list. There are readers who will always want print, and readers who will always prefer digital, and some willing to read both. So the most savvy authors and publishers will cater to the totality of available readership. It doesn't have to be an adversarial relationship, not from the author's point of view, anyway. And, fortunately, not from the point of view of the publishers I'm most regularly working with right now.7) On the side of the advantages of being with a publisher, Zacharius says, "Once the book is ready to go, the publisher gets behind it with marketing and publicity efforts, and has already given the book the best cover and cover copy that money can buy." There's definite truth in this. But he says it as if it's totally unproblematic. The truth is, of course, that publishers don't do this evenly for all authors. Some books and some authors are marketed more enthusiastically than others. And some covers receive every special treatment there is, and some get font slapped on a stockphoto image (and can still be good, but they're not the best money can buy, for sure). All of this is just business, and I get it. But not all authors get the top-shelf treatment Zacharius lays out as "reality", no matter how much the ideal might be otherwise. Self-published authors know going in that marketing is all their job, so they're not disappointed when their publisher doesn't do it for them. And traditionally published authors still do a ton of their own marketing and promotion. More than that, NY publishers expect it.
8) Then there's his whole publishers can't compete paragraph - the 7th - that starts with, "As a publisher, my biggest concern is the clutter of the books being put out by the major publishing houses along with those that are just put up directly by authors," and ends with, "Free or reduced price books is not a viable business model for publishers." These it's not fair! concerns lead him to the stunning suggestion that, "In a perfect world (okay, in my perfect world) there would be a separate section on Amazon or B&N.com for self-published e-books, maybe even separate websites." DUDE. He thinks this will help readers distinguish the "good" books from the "clutter," but if readers are showing some preference for lower-priced books now, what does he think would happen if all the lower-priced books were on one website, and all the higher-priced books on another? I suspect the answer to that question is not one New York really wants. Because, Zacharius is right, "Readers don't purchase books based on who the publisher is and don't necessarily care." They just want a good story, and if that comes at a lower price point, all the better.
Also, it's worth noting that NY could lower prices somewhat (and they are), even if they went nowhere near that 99-cent price point. The end of agency pricing opens up opportunities, and a recent 9) Then there's this bit of half-truth analysis: "several self-pubbed authors have been snatched up by the big houses. It remains to be seen how they perform, when the publisher then has to pay out a six-figure advance and raise the price of the book. So far those that have made the leap to traditional publishing have not proven to be very profitable ventures." I've already dispensed with the "several" assertion, so I won't address that again. As to the latter assertions, there's more at work here than just the author's viability - which seems to Zacharius to be the determining factor to the success of those books. It's all the author's fault, natch. How about a situation where a publisher buys a bestselling ebook after 100K copies have sold, and then they raise the price and hope it will still do well. Or the case where a publisher prints the paperback of a bestselling self-published ebook six months after it was digitally released and after 300K people have read the ebook - what are the chances that paperback will see a resurgence? Those would be challenging situations for any author to be successful in. And the reality is, a lot of those self-published bestsellers that NY is offering six-figure advances to bring in-house? Yeah, they'd been rejected by NY publishers again and again. Had they been more open to those books in the first place, they'd have gotten them a lot cheaper to begin with. I can think of more than one case where this scenario is true. All the more power to the author for taking the risk herself and being successful.
10) Zacharius's repeated use of "six-figure advances" and "million-dollar contracts" creates a limited definition of success. Most of us can make a comfortable living on less than those amounts. If you can, congratulations, you're successful. Most traditionally published authors are not making those kinds of advances or that level of annual income. Define monetary success by what works for you and your career and your family.
And, finally, because I'm so riled up this turned into a long-ass post and I've got bronchitis and damnit I wanted to veg on the couch and read Shelly Thacker's self-published backlist title Forever His that I bought today (along with the other two books in the series) rather than sit here and be riled up and research all these, you know, bothersome facts, on which to base my arguments. I digress.
So, 11) finally, Zacharius ends with this: "Aspiring authors just need a dose of reality." Hey, I'm all for knowing the realities of the business in which you're engaged. That's just common sense and business savvy. But make sure the dose of reality you're choking down is based on a variety of perspectives and actual hard data. I'm afraid that wasn't what I saw from Mr. Zacharius at all. Instead, he lays out a landscape of either/ors and us/thems. Which is a shame because we're all in the same business of providing great content to readers, right? Why don't we see how we can work together to expand readership and get more books into readers' hands?
Did you make it to the end with me? LOL I'll be impressed if you did. *winks* What do you think???
Thanks for reading,Laura
