While I was finishing my novel, the universe shifted. The economy imploded and ebooks exploded. Since my head was buried in my manuscript, I didn’t immediately realize the impact of these events.
I’d followed publishing for long enough that I knew a fair amount about the ups and downs of getting a novel published. In fact, I originally started writing and submitting short stories because I’d been told that short fiction publication credits would help catch the eye of an agent. While I worked on the final rewrites of my novel, I began compiling a list of potential agents. I started working on a query letter and following agents’ blogs.
There was never a doubt, until early 2010, that I’d follow the traditional path. But the world changed.
In addition to upheaval in the publishing industry and the global economy, two significant things happened in my life.
The first was in January 2010. I’d had a simple website up for about eighteen months. The site provided my author bio and two short stories that had been published in Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines.
One Sunday morning I woke up to a message from a stranger in my in-box. A man in Australia had read the stories on my website, liked them and was interested in knowing whether I had any novels that he might consider developing into an Indie film. I checked out his credits – legit, including an award and a very suspenseful, skin-crawling short film. We started corresponding. The chapters I sent him (from an earlier novel) weren’t a good fit for an Australian setting. Nearly a year later we’re still in touch, and he’s still interested in future work. I don’t know if anything will ever come of it, but his email made me realize the power of the web for getting my fiction out far beyond my little corner of the world.
The second event was in late spring. I took a class from two guys who had used free, serialized podcasts of their novels to build an audience for their fiction. I’m only now dabbling in podcasting. I don’t yet know if I have the time or skills needed to podcast an entire novel, but that wasn’t the big “aha” from this class.
What I walked away with was this: publishing fiction isn’t about paper and bookstores and contracts and publishing houses and agents. It’s about connecting with an audience. No matter how a novel reaches the market, success will come only from building an audience of readers who like my writing style, with whom my voice resonates. That result lies solely in my hands.
There are a number of other reasons I’m excited about self-publishing, and I’ll blog about some of those in the weeks ahead. But the primary reason is – the world has shrunk to the size of a cable and the economics and distribution of publishing have been turned inside out. So, I’m now an Indie Author.
Indie Author is the term being used by many who are pursuing self-publishing. The term echoes the notion of a creative venture similar to that of an Indie Musician or Filmmaker.
In January 2011, I’ll be publishing THE DEMISE OF THE SOCCER MOMS as an ebook. You can see the cover here. Between now and January, I’ll tell you a little bit more about the novel, the characters and how one of the soccer moms first spoke to me.
My goal is to publish a novel a year. I’m already into the second draft of DEBT (an abbreviated title). The targeted release is December 2011.
Oh, good lord, I am dancing and cheering on top of the kitchen table after reading this! (Okay, I’m not really but I AM excited about what you’re doing.)
What a great, inspirational, real-world approach you are taking. Plus I love the cover of your book. I can hardly wait to learn more about your foray into self-publishing and, of course, to read the book itself!
Thanks Natasha! You made me grin.
Thanks for your good wishes and I’m glad you like the cover (me too). I’m starting a monthly newsletter, so if you’d like more info, including how to get an advance copy, click the black mail (not blackmail!) button on the right side of this page to sign up.
As you know, I’m excited for you, as well as interested in your journey. I do hope you get that movie deal some day. I love indie movies. And the idea of indie books is growing on me.
Excellent cover design, too.
Thanks for all your support behind the scenes, Linda! I love Indie movies too …
Thanks for your comments on the cover as well. It plays into the story in more ways than one
Woohoo! Congratulations and good luck! I look forward to hearing about your experience.
Thanks, Shelli. And thanks for the good luck wish. You know I’ll be babbling about it here.
This is so exciting, Cathryn! Congratulations :O
Your cover is the coolest in the world! My daughter agrees. And I definitely want to hear more about your venture.
I´ll do what I can to find a ´paper pusher´ for my cosy mystery, but if it proves to be impossible, I might also publish it myself one day.
Thanks, Dorte. It is exciting, I’ve been on adrenaline overload since I made the final decision.
I’m so glad to hear you and your daughter think the cover is cool!
I’m rooting for your cozy!! I want to read more about those quirky (and somewhat suspect) folks.
Your reasoning for going indie sounds a whole lot like mine. It just makes too much sense in this changing world. Good luck.
Hi Jarrett,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. It’s amazing how much things have changed in the past two years. Best of luck!
I can’t find your Twitter button on your blog, but will search for you on Twitter and CrimeSpace.
Ooops. I’m already following you. I won’t forget your name now!
You can’t be King Canute about these things can you? Look forward to the novel.
I think I get the King Canute reference … and if so, you’re absolutely right!
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It is wonderful to hear about your excitement and success. As an aspiring writer myself, I too love the openness the internet affords us. The major obstacle which continues to present itself is how to get noticed. Ebooks and print-on-demand are great, but advertising is a real challenge. Clearly the large publishing houses have a lock on big-box retailers, and even they don’t promote most of their titles. With podcasting, there is always a hope to earn through direct ad placement, but for books, aside from comic books, advertising in the text doesn’t work. But, reality should not dissuade us too much, and there is, as you so eloquently sum-up, a whole lot of fun to be had. Best of luck….craig
Hi Craig,
Thanks for stopping by and for your comments. Yes, promotion is a significant challenge. However, as you noted, most titles don’t receive promotion, and from what I’ve heard, a new book is usually gone from bookstore shelves within 3 months, so I figured I was more or less in the same situation regarding promotion no matter which route I chose.
Drop back by and keep me posted on your writing!
Great post, Cathryn, and your reasoning is much like mine. Honestly, it just makes too much sense these days…
Amy
Hi Amy, Thanks for stopping by (and for the retweet).
I’m glad to know we’re thinking alike. Tomorrow I’m blogging about being an entrepreneur, and I love that side of it … having your own business. As you say, it makes so much sense.
I agree on the business side… I worked actively as a freelance commercial writer for about six years before I started working on my novel. You have to get over the squeamishness of selling and promoting to sell yourself as any kind of writer. I really think working as a freelancer helped put me on the path of becoming an indie author. I have no problem dealing with the business side of things that a traditional publisher would normally handle. PR, sales, promotion, etc. — those are easy.
I enjoy the business side of things as well.
I look forward to reading your post tomorrow.
Amy
Great post. Very inspiring. I commented elsewhere but I’ve just realised I had a typo on my email address; so it may not show up. It was about your Soccer Mom novel and it’s cover: It’s brilliant.
Your other comment came through fine.
I’m glad this was inspiring. It took me quite awhile to make the decision, but once I did, I got really enthused and am now wondering why I took so long. As you laid out so well in your ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes post (very appropriate title by the way!), technology has changed everything. It’s an exciting time to be a writer.
Yes, it is indeed a very exciting time and I do hope things change to the benefit of the writer.
I think 2011 will bring a lot of changes.
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