Rock*It Reads has official launch today!
Here's the big news I've been promising.
Today is the official launch of the Rock*It Reads brand, of which I am a part.
So what is Rock*It Reads?
It used to be that the "slush pile," as it was called, sat on the desks of agents and editors. They would sift through it and decide what manuscripts they wanted to take on. This often excluded brilliantly written stories — but it also separated the chaff from the grain.
But with the advent of digital indie publishing, the slush pile has been placed in readers' hands. The good thing about this is that there's a lot more variety from which readers can choose, not just ideas and settings that New York publishing houses believe they can sell. Also, ebooks are often cheaper than printed books, making it easier for voracious readers to stay within a budget.
The downside is simply that there are so many books to choose from, and readers can't be sure about the quality they're getting.
Enter Rock*It Reads. Our slogan is, "Authors you love. Stories that rock."
Rock*It Reads is a group of New York published authors who are also self-publishing romances. We've each made a commitment to ourselves and to each other to put out only high-quality self-published works, and the logo is intended to communicate that.
When readers buy a story that bears the Rock*It Reads logo, they can know they're getting a story that has been tended with the same level of attention and professionalism as we give our New York works. The logo is meant to be a sort-of "seal of quality," because we care as much about writing great stories as you do about reading them!
Rock*It Reads is not a publisher or a publishing imprint. These are 100 percent self-published works, done by each author, on her own dime, on her own time.
We've simply banded together to form Rock*It Reads to help our readers find other high-quality self-published works. We're hoping that the logo will be a like a little beacon or guide though the world of self-published romances.
Rock*It Reads includes: Monica Burns, Lila DiPasqua, New York Times best-seller Cheryl Holt, Vanessa Kelly/VK Sykes, Kris Kennedy, Margo Maguire, Mia Marlowe, Elisabeth Naughton, Sharon Page, Joan Swan—and me.
Stop by our Facebook page today — April 11 — to join in the launch-day celebration, which includes hourly ebook giveaways from Rock*It Reads authors. And be sure to visit the Rock*It Reads website to learn more about the indie books by these authors.
Also, watch for our column, LOVE ROCKS, which will debut on April 23 on Barnes and Noble's website. We'll be reviewing the latest and greatest self-published books, helping to sift through the titles for those hidden gems.
If you've been watching closely, you'll have noticed the addition of the Rock*It Reads logo to my indie published books — Sweet Release and Carnal Gift — as well as to the cover of Skin Deep, which isn't quite finished yet. (Ahem.) Also, I announced it in the News section of my official website, which was updated last week.
My first official Rock*It Reads release will be Skin Deep, which will be done and online by the end of April or early May. Sorry it's late, but as you can see, I have been busy.
Watch for an article about Rock*It Reads coming soon to USA Today's Happy Ever After blog, or read more in the May RT Book Reviews.
So there you have it — my big news. I'm very excited to be working with these 10 other authors and look forward to exploring the world of self-published books!
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Karla
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Apr 11, 2012 08:05PM
Wow awesome Pamela. I'm so happy that this venture into self-publishing has been such a success for you. It's also a huge benefit to readers, like myself, who get more of the authors we love. The book that was written, is the book we get to read. The full version, not edited to someone else's liking and at an excellent price! Big pluses all around!
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Karla, that's something authors love about self-publishing. We have control over how long the book is, what it's title is, the cover art — it's very freeing. Plus, it brings us into closer contact with readers in many respects. We set lower prices. There are a lot of benefits.I plan to continue to write for my New York Publisher, but there are things I want to self-pub, too, and Rock*It Reads is a way for my readers to follow what's going on while also learning about other author's fantastic self-pubbed books.
This is great news. I think it's fantastic that the invention of ereaders have allowed authors to self publish; however, every good thing has it's opposite. Unfortunately, the bad to come out of self publishing is simply the increase in crap. I'm excited you and other trusted authors are helping to provide a way for readers, like myself, to distinguish the good from the bad.
I'm glad you're excited about it, too, Kristen!That's where the idea for Rock*It Reads came from. The number of ebooks is suddenly staggering. There are some fantastic stories out there, but there's a lot of stuff that isn't so good, too. We wanted to help make that easier, not only by joining together to make the Rock*It Reads brand, but also by reviewing self-published books in our column for Barnes & Noble (PubIt).
Awesome news Pam! You have been busy. I think you could make a big splash as a self pub author, I am glad to see you are moving in that direction! Is your site going to restrict it to just these authors, or will you be adding more? And I noticed they are "New York published authors who are also self-publishing romances". Does that mean no true indie authors?
The editing process has been my biggest complaint about indie authors, but they are providing readers a freshness in terms of story ideas that the big pubs are not. I love the idea of a 'seal of approval'. When I see an Indie author mention her editing process, I am way more inclined to give them a try.
Hi, Karlyn! We will be adding new authors as we go along, and they will be "hybrid" authors like us who were first published in the traditional fashion and then turned to indie publishing. We won't be adding anyone for a while, however, because we need to master what we're doing first — the website, the B&N blog, reviews of self-published books, our bylaws, how we handle interviews and guest blogs...
It's been a very big undertaking. And we're all writing books that will be strictly indie published, not just backlist books that we self-publish. SKIN DEEP is my first. Still working on it...
I'm glad people are excited about it. I know we have some great contests lined up and some fun ideas.
The great thing for all of us about indie publishing is being able to write stories that might not appeal to the big publishers. We all have those ideas, and now we have an avenue for writing those stories and getting them out into the world.
Hi, Pamela!What wonderful news! I'm so excited for all y'all. Can't wait to head to the site and check it out. I've gone to FB already and will be off to the website after I leave here. I've been waiting for "Skin Deep" to come out, love the cover. Okay, off I go, have a wonderful day and again, congrats to you and all the authors in this amazing venture with you.
~Aliyah Burke
Thanks, Aliyah! I really appreciate the good wishes! I'm working hard on SKIN DEEP today — with a minor interruption caused by a dead mouse on my floor. Ug. Have a great day!
So glad to hear you're working hard on "Skin Deep" although very sorry to hear about the mouse. *shudders*~Aliyah
Finding it in the floor ruined my appetite all day yesterday. Could this be the beginning of the "Dead Mouse Diet"? God, I hope not!
Hmm, maybe I should try that? Although, I'd really prefer to eat and just work out. I think it would have killed my appetite, too.Have a wonderful weekend!
~A
How exciting Pamela! I really like the idea of this.
Thanks, Melissa. Me, too! Indie publishing feels like the wild frontier right now, and it's good to be exploring it with other authors whose work I respect. :-)
Hey Pamela, seems to be a pretty great venture you are undertaking. I loved reading your I-Team series. I’ll look forward to more exciting books from you. My best wishes!!
