It’s the end of the year as we know it…

We’ve had a tough year folks. From the DOJ suing publishers, to publishers combining, to my first self-published book, to all kinds of horrible tragedies…. It’s been rough. But we got through it. That’s evident, because we’re here.

2012 saw me through a ton of shit. Most of which I never want to repeat again. But it also saw my first self-published title and the launch of my design business. I flailed a lot. I garnered 34 rejections from various digital first publishers. I wrote over 500,000 words on various works. I went to a Margie Lawson Immersion Class. I joined a local RWA chapter. So there’s some good. Some bad.

2013 is just down the tunnel…
Image from Cole Vassiliou on WANA Commons

But here I am, still standing, and I’m on the brink of the best year yet. I know, because it can’t get much worse for me. I’ve already hit the bottom and now I’m on my way back up the hill.

I’m going to think of 2012 as the foundation year, the year I dealt with all the crap so that I could go smooth into 2013 and beyond.

With the new year, I’m setting a new tone here. I’ll be having lots of new things going on. More books are on their way. I’m venturing into selfpublishing, but I’m not letting go of my e-publishing plans either. I have a couple things I want to submit to them and there’s some short stories I’d like to do as well.

2013 and Indie Publishing

2012 saw my first self-published title, but certainly not my last. I have goals to achieve and after a lot of flailing this year, I’m finally in the right place for me.

Indie publishing is sort of like the dot com boom. Everyone had their own dot com, wanted to make the money. And many failed.

Now we’ve got the explosion of the Indie publisher. In fact, it’s been going on for two years. Everyone is publishing. But like the dot coms, these publishers won’t stick it out. Publishing is not an easy business, which I’ve learned just doing ONE title. I have eight to do for 2013 and my eyes roll back into my head at the thought of all that work. Because it is work. A ton of it and it requires dedication and commitment.

I think Kristen Lamb said it best in her 2013 predictions post when she said “Gatekeepers exist for a reason, and throwing out a bunch of cheap books no longer works as well when everyone does it.”

Certain marketing ploys lose viability when it’s everywhere. On one of the indie loops I’m on, people were complaining that they didn’t see the Christmas bump anymore. Why is that? Because the market is glutted with FREE and $.99 books. Guess what all those new ereader owners are downloading? And who’s profiting? What’s the profit margin on FREE?

Yeah. That’s what I thought.

Indie publishers who embrace inexpensive but not cheap (read: FREE and $.99) ebooks will rise to the top in 2013. Mid-list authors will leave the NY publishers. Why should they stay when they aren’t making money?

With Success come Scams

Do your homework. With any new business model, people find ways to exploit other folks. Vet your editors, interview your cover artists. Ask for recommendations.

Caveat emptor.

With the next year, I think a lot of new scams are going to pop up. Be smart. Research.

What does my 2013 look like?

I kick off my Texas Highlanders Ice Hockey series in March with Off Her Game. And that title will be going to print as well so I’ll be able to hold my book in my hand. It’s exciting!

Then later this year, I’ll be jumping into a different genre with a fantasy trilogy and maybe a steampunk. It’s going to be a great time. For more detailed news and sneak peeks at upcoming books before anyone else, you can sign up to be a Fabulous Subscriber. In fact, I’ll have a little something in the January Newsletter from Off Her Game, which is going out in a couple days. But you have to be signed up to get it.

I hope everyone has a great New Year! I’m taking a couple days off and spending time with family and such before I kick the small humans back to school next week.

Happy New Year, folks!