YA Indie Carnival - Week Two

Welcome back to week two of the YA Indie Carnival . The topic on the minds of the bloggers/authors sponsoring this adventure is: Why do we read/write Indie? The reason for pursuing the ultimate in DIY projects is personal for each of us. Take a few minutes to visit our sites (listed below) and understand why we are following this unique path.

As for me, I'd never even heard of Indie publishing before this year. I - like most people -thought the only path for authors was that of traditional publishing. With that assumption, I sent Warriors of the Cross to a hand full of literary agents. Each query got declined quickly.  It was as if the process were automated. The most disappointing part of the impersonal rejection was the lack of guidance. There were no recommendations for improving the book or suggestions for increasing the book's marketability. Left on my own, I had to trust my instinct.

While writing Warriors of the Cross , I happened upon Createspace . With my discovery, I realized there may be other options. A few months later, I bought Switched by Amanda Hocking and found it was published through Smashwords . I instantly knew there were other options.

Going 'down the Indie Author rabbit hole', I received a warm welcome from passionate readers, talented graphic designers, selfless reviewers, and fellow authors. It was the world I craved. These people became the mentors I'd been in search of.
After being unconditionally accepted, I made an Indie commitment to give back more than I took. With my first book, I knew I would need a lot (feedback/word-of-mouth/patience).  I, balancing that out, listed Warriors of the Cross  for FREE for most of June/July. During that time, 30,000 books were downloaded and the overall ratings on both Amazon and Goodreads continues to average 4 stars (****).
The bottom line is that with Indie, I have met goals that I never thought possible. Interesting enough, my most important successes have almost nothing to do with the number of books downloaded or the book's ratings. Instead, they reside within the wonderful people I have met 'virtually'...the symbols of this movement. Perfect examples of these representatives include the authors/bloggers who are hosting this brilliant YA Indie Carnival .
NEXT, take a ride with:  Dani Snell - Book Blogger Refracted Light Young Adult Book Reviews Pattie Larsen - Author
Henry      Curiosities, Inc. Cat City Courtney Cole - Author
Every Last Kiss: The Bloods (Volume 1) Fated (The Bloodstone Sage)      Princess Wren Emerson - Author
I Wish... (The Witches of Desire)      Nicole Williams - Author Eternal Eden Fallen Eden (soon to be released) Fisher Amelie - Author The Understorey (The Leaving Series) P. J. Hoover - Author Solstice The Emerald Tablet (Forgotten Worlds) The Necropolis: The Forgotten Worlds, Book 3   The Navel of the World (The Forgotten Worlds, Book 2)  Laura Elliott - Author
Kindergarten Ghost Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale Amy Jones Young - Author
Soul Quest (the Soul Quest Trilogy) Rachel Coles (Rachel Coles. Geek. Mom. Book Reviews.) - Author and Book Blogger
Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie Whistles Tiffany King - Author
Meant To Be Forgotten Souls (soon to be released) Cyndi Tefft - Author
Between T. R. Graves - Author (end up back here with me)
Warriors of the Cross Guardians of the Cross (December 2011) Enemies of the Cross (summer 2012)