Hooray for Book Bloggers
Next week, beginning on September 12, Her Dear & Loving Husband goes on a virtual book tour visiting blogs all over. Recently, I read an interview with Amanda Hocking where she sang the praises of book bloggers, and I, too, am thankful for these nice people who love books so much they feel compelled to write about them. Book bloggers are open to reviewing and featuring indie books in a way traditional outlets aren't, and they're an important platform for indie authors like myself.
I didn't intend on becoming an indie author (like most indie authors). About ten years ago, around the time I started The Copperfield Review, I finished a Civil War novel and began seeking a publisher. Like most writers, I had my share of successes and failures. I had a lot of rejection letters. Eventually, I found two agents, but neither worked out as I hoped. The first seemed nice enough but was more concerned about her already successful clients. The second decided to become a theatrical agent without telling her literary clients she had switched gears. One New York publishing house was interested but the deal fell through. Frustrated by the process, I decided to self-publish through a company where you pay them a substantial fee to create the cover and the layout, they sell it on their website, and they take a large cut of every book you sell.
I was mortified by the book they produced. The cover still makes me shudder in pain-filled epileptic seizures. It looks like something a lazy high school student would churn out in graphics class. They also made mistakes in the way words were hyphenated at the ends of lines. I'd point out the mistakes and they'd send me a new copy with different mistakes. Then they said they were going to start charging me for fixing the mistakes. When I argued that the problems weren't my fault, I got the condescending, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but our policy is to charge after the second round of corrections." And if I wanted a different cover that would cost more too. At the time, I was a new teacher living on a new teacher's salary and I didn't have money to pay for the changes. I tried to market the book, but it was only a half-hearted effort. If I thought the book looked low quality, what would others think? I let the book die a quiet death and went about my business on Copperfield and writing other novels, with a few short fiction and nonfiction pieces published here and there.
In April 2009 I began writing this little vampire book that would become Her Dear & Loving Husband. As before, I did the usual round of query letters to agents. As before, I received my share of rejection letters. But something was different this time. I was different this time. I wasn't content to let others determine whether or not my story should be read. In the past, after I received a certain number of rejection letters I'd think maybe they were right and that work shouldn't be published. But this time, with Her Dear & Loving Husband, I felt in my gut that I had written a story that people would like if they had a chance to read it. I had enough positive feedback to think I was onto something, and I wasn't willing to let it go.
Before I go any further, I should say that after my disastrous experience with the "pay to play" publisher I had declared that I would never self-publish again. But in 2011 things are different. You can publish your own work—both as digital and paperback versions—for free. There are graphic artists who can make professional quality covers for a nominal fee. Technology has revolutionized publishing.
This wouldn't be the same as the "pay to play" publishing I had such a bad experience with. This would be my baby. I had complete creative control over my work. And this was my chance to begin the publishing company I had wanted for over a decade. While it's been a lot of work, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything because I learned that I didn't need anyone else's permission to do what is in my heart to do. As reviews for the novel come in, they're overwhelmingly positive and I'm grateful. It's nice to see that people are enjoying the story. And it's good to know there are book lovers who are open to reviewing books by indie authors/publishers like me. Book bloggers make all the difference in helping us find readers for our work.
Please join me from September 12 to October 8 as I visit the websites of some of these wonderful book bloggers. See the Blog Tour page for dates and links. The truth is, I'm having fun writing the guest posts and answering the interview questions. This is my chance to share Her Dear & Loving Husband with readers I might not have had the chance to connect with otherwise, and I'm grateful for the priceless opportunity.
Filed under: Book Blog Tours, Her Dear & Loving Husband Tagged: Bewitching Book Tours, Book Blogs, Her Dear & Loving Husband, indie publishing
