Submission Process
Life was easier when my kids were little. They fell down and scraped their knee and I came to the rescue. I was always there with warm arms, words of consolation, and a Snoopy bandage. It was so simple. Mom could always make things better. But then they became teenagers and hormones and swinging emotions complicated things. I could not kiss away those wounds, and worse yet, my advice became suspect and often prompted the dreaded teenage roll of the eye.
Then came college and more separation, both physical and emotional. I refrained from calling to see if they were safely in their dorm rooms at night. I no longer knew their friends. They were no longer sleeping right down the hall. Safe. Late at night, lying in my bed and staring at the ceiling, all I could do was pray for their safety. So I did. Often.
One night my youngest daughter called home from college in tears. At the time, she was attending Indiana University, a little over three hours from our home. She had been dating the same guy for about three years and was in that terrible stage when you realize the relationship is doomed, but you cannot bring yourself to end it because you don’t want to hurt the other person. To make matters worse, she had just met another man and was totally infatuated with him.
Immediately, I started thinking selfishly. Her current boyfriend was a nice guy, but he lived in California. Selfishly, I was still hoping that she would meet someone from Indiana and eventually end up living down the road from me. So when I asked where Guy Number Two lived, the answer was a bit of a surprise. Denmark. As in across the world and way far away from Indiana. That Denmark. Worse yet, she seemed to be just crazy about the guy.
I listened to her on the phone as she cried and longed to wrap my arms around her and tell her that everything would be okay. Only I didn’t know if it would be okay, so how could I lie? I didn’t think California Guy was right for her, but I couldn’t tell her that. She had to discover that for herself. And I certainly didn’t think Denmark Guy was right for her, based solely on location. Denmark?! She cried some more, and we talked some more, and then I got off the phone and cried a little too.
That night, I had a nightmare about her and woke up at 3 a.m. Shaken, I got out of bed, went to my computer and sent her an email. I had no easy answers for her. I couldn’t tell her what to do. The only thing I could tell her is what I have learned about love. And so I did. I poured my heart out to her in a very long email. I told her what I have learned about love. I told her what I knew to be true. I shared wisdom born of my own mistakes and heartache. And then, emotionally exhausted, I went to bed.
The next morning she called me and told me that she loved the email. She thanked me and, before long, she started sending that email to friends who were struggling in relationships. Soon, a network of young women were sending this email to one another. At the time, my daughter told me, “This should be a book for women to give to each other.” I dismissed that notion, but I was thrilled that she placed so much value on my email to her. Sometimes, as a parent, you get it right.
Fast forward to a few months ago. As an Indie Author, I had just published my first novel, Life is But a Dream, in late January. My second novel, Broken Resolutions, was published in April. The first novel had already far exceeded all of my expectations for sales, and the second novel was just beginning to take off. I was thinking about my next writing project when my daughter’s words came to me – This should be a book. And it suddenly hit me – with the revolution of Indie Publishing, these words of love and encouragement could be a book! I thought that perhaps if I put these words in the form of a book, they might comfort and encourage another woman going through a tough time. Perhaps a friend might pass the book along to another friend. Perhaps a mother might give the book to her own daughter. An aunt to a niece. A grandmother to her granddaughter. I asked my daughter what she thought about the idea, and she loved it. After all, it was her idea.
As I began to think of how to illustrate the book, I immediately thought of little girls – even though the intended audience for this book is women. Because I believe every woman is a little girl at heart. I also believe when we are children, we know how to love. It is only as we become adults, that we often lose our way. I found some great photos of children for illustration and then created an absolutely adorable cover.
Like the email, the book is now finding its way into the hands of women, and it is often given as a gift – from one woman to another. It is available for your Kindle or Nook, but my favorite is the paperback version with that great pink cover. As I write this, I am looking at a copy of the book on my own bookshelf. There is something so beautiful and so strong in that little girl’s expression. She reminds me of my youngest daughter. The daughter who inspired the email and now this book. The daughter who married the man of her dreams last December in a beautiful fairytale princess wedding in our lake home. The daughter who now lives in Denmark.
Yep. Denmark.
The ebook version of You Don’t Need A Prince: A Letter To My Daughter by Cheryl Shireman has just been reduced to 99 cents for the upcoming holiday seasons. Give it to a woman in your life (maybe yourself!).
Kindle [easyazon_link asin=”B004S2KLTG” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]You Don’t Need a Prince: A Letter to My Daughter[/easyazon_link]
Paperback [easyazon_link asin=”1461001307″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]You Don’t Need a Prince: A Letter to My Daughter[/easyazon_link]
I wrote this post originally for Sarah Woodbury Haug’s website http://www.sarahwoodbury.com/ . Thank you Sarah!
Cheryl Shireman is the bestselling author of several novels, including [easyazon_link asin=”1461026504″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Broken Resolutions[/easyazon_link], the [easyazon_link asin=”B004JU21YU” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Life is But a Dream series[/easyazon_link], and the [easyazon_link asin=”1478153652″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Cooper Moon[/easyazon_link] series. She is also the author of ten books for toddlers including the eight [easyazon_link asin=”1475291531″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Let’s Learn About[/easyazon_link] series focusing on different animals and [easyazon_link asin=”1625660014″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]I Love You When: For Girls[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link asin=”1625660022″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]I Love You When: For Boys[/easyazon_link].
Read MoreIn the days, weeks and months since I have jumped head first into the Indie Author world, I have noticed some pretty consistent themes. It seems that every author asks themselves the same two questions over and over. What should I price my book at? How much marketing should I do?
I am not going to pretend that I am some sort of expert in these areas but I will give a few of my own bits of advice. You can take this as you see fit, useful or hot air.
Price Point
I have seen authors, including a rather long discussion on IWU, that argue all sides to this dilema. As authors you want to price what you think it is worth and not belittle you work by pricing it lower than you absolutely have to and therefore the dilema starts. I ask authors to look at this from two sides as there are always at least two sides to a problem. On side one you want to make profits, on the other you want to build a fan base. Pricing will dictate which comes first and will also predict you future as a successful author. I am not saying to price all your books at $0.99 but would it hurt to offer that first one at that low price to get readers to try you out and see if they may be intrested in making you another author on their list of have to read. Big name authors have easy sales because they cultivated an audience using price and effective marketing. Then they cashed in from a rabid fan base that would pay whatever they needed to get the next piece of their favorite authors mind. As a reader I would take the chance on your $0.99 novel/book and I may become that next fan that buys the rest of your collection without looking at the price. I know there are readers out there that look at a book and see a price like $0.99 and instantly think drival but there are many more of us that want the deal and will pass it on to our friends.
Marketing
I have spoken many times about marketing a book and I know I may be way off base but it seems that this way is building a fan base for my wife (RJ Palmer). I have a post that deals with this extensively and I have had several people ask about the time frame I quote. The amount of time you dedicate is always up to just you and you alone. Do as little as you want or go all out, but just do something for yourself and your books.
To see my marketing building suggestion please check out Promotion and Marketing Tips.
I would like to thank Cheryl Shireman for inviting me onto her wonderful blog and allowing me to try and captivate her audience. If you learned something blame her! You can check out my blog at Free Book Reviews http://freebookreviews.blogspot.com/ or you can buy Cheryl”s books and then come visit my blog. The choice is yours.
Read More
Writing is not a priority in my life. I have spent countless hours writing. My bookshelves are filled with classic novels and books on writing. I’ve never wanted to be anything but a writer. But writing is still not a priority. I’d like to say that it is, but that would be a lie. You can say that something is a priority, but saying it doesn’t make it true. Where do you spend your time and money? That’s your priority. It really is as simple as that.
I started writing in my teens and I never stopped. At least not completely. There were many times, however, when real life trumped fiction. I married my childhood sweetheart when I was nineteen, gave birth to three beautiful children, went through a painful divorce, and then went to work in a factory. I wrote between the diapers, I wrote between the tears, and I wrote between pushing buttons in that much-hated factory. But, in reality, writing wasn’t a priority. Various fiction and non-fiction books were created and stuffed under the couch during these years, but as a single parent, scribbling words on paper didn’t seem quite as important as paying the bills.
One day, while on my way to work in that factory on second shift, I passed my kids coming home on their school bus. At that moment, I decided to go to college and get a “real” job so I could be home at nights. That was my priority. Being able to support my kids and being at home when they got off of that school bus.
The first day of class, as I walked across the campus of a small community college, the school bell rang, echoing across the green expanse of lawn and serving as a sign. I was in the right place. I was going to make a better life for myself and my children. Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting in my first class behind a girl with a huge bow in her hair. At twenty-eight, I felt old, and silly, and out of place. As she chewed bubble gum and popped a bubble, I fought the urge to get up and run from the room. The only thing that kept me in my seat was the thought of passing that school bus. So, I stayed. I worked full-time in a factory, raised three kids, went to class, and cut wood on the weekends to heat the mobile home we lived in. Buying my own chainsaw and cutting wood was cheaper than trying to heat a dilapidated mobile home nestled in the woods of Michigan.
I wrote assignments for my classes, I wrote some short stories, I wrote bits and pieces of novels when I could find the time. Much to my surprise, my college professors told me I was a gifted writer and I should pursue writing. I remarried and moved from that mobile home into a beautiful home where we had great Halloween parties for the kids and went all-out decorating for Christmas. I watched as my son graduated high school and then enrolled in college. We moved to Indiana for my husband’s job, built another house, and made it a home. I drove my daughters to dance class three nights a week, worked various jobs, and went to graduate school. And I wrote when I could.
Now, years later, my three kids all have college degrees, and are happily married. The youngest was married in December of 2010. This year, 2011, is the first time in my life that I have actually been able to make writing a priority. Although I am still working a part-time job, I am now able to devote a full forty hours a week to writing. As a result, I have published two novels this year, and will publish a third before the end of the year. The last seven months has been a crazy and exciting whirlwind. Finally, I am living the life of a writer. I write for a living, and that is, literally, a dream come true. It has been a long time since I first picked up pen and paper as a teenager, but that dream has never faded.
About a month ago my daughter-in-law started looking for a full-time position. She and my son have one child, a two-year-old daughter named Anna. Perhaps I am slightly biased, but Anna is the most adorable child you have ever seen in your life. She is also fearless and highly intelligent. To top it off, she has her daddy’s curly hair and her mommy’s big blue eyes, and she calls me “Bomb Bomb.” Up until now, my daughter-in-law has been working part-time and her mom was watching Anna three days a week. When I heard that she was looking for full-time work, I knew my daughter-in-law would ask me to watch Anna the other two days. The timing could not have been worse. I have the career of my dreams. I not only have the time to write, I have the freedom to do so. In a life that has been filled with taking care of pets and children and houses, I now have an empty nest, and free hours to spend writing. Finally, it is my time.
So, when my daughter-in-law asked me if I would watch Anna, I was prepared with my answer – “Yes. I would love to watch her.”
This week was my first week to watch Anna. Yesterday, while Anna was eating pasta for lunch, she leaned forward and stretched out her little arms to me. I moved in and she gave me a hug and said, “Best friends!” in my ear.
And you know what? Writing still isn’t a priority. At least not on Thursdays and Fridays.
This post first appeared as a guest post on Heather Adkin’s blog. Thank you Heather! http://heather.bishoffs.com/?p=1997
Cheryl Shireman is the bestselling author of several novels, including [easyazon_link asin=”1461026504″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Broken Resolutions[/easyazon_link], the [easyazon_link asin=”B004JU21YU” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Life is But a Dream series[/easyazon_link], and the [easyazon_link asin=”1478153652″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Cooper Moon[/easyazon_link] series. She is also the author of ten books for toddlers including the eight [easyazon_link asin=”1475291531″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Let’s Learn About[/easyazon_link] series focusing on different animals and [easyazon_link asin=”1625660014″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]I Love You When: For Girls[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link asin=”1625660022″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]I Love You When: For Boys[/easyazon_link].
Read More[easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”left” asin=”B004AYDK22″ cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RKTX4GVRL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ width=”109″]Sugar & Spice[/easyazon_image]I am so happy to welcome Mark Williams as a guest blogger to my website. His story is, quite frankly, unbelievable! But, without bothering to build up the suspense (I will leave that to Mark!), here is the story of the much-rejected book that has sold over 100,000 copies in a very short time – without a publisher or agent – [easyazon_link asin=”B004AYDK22″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Sugar & Spice[/easyazon_link]…..
It’s just over a year now since the Saffina Desforges Partnership began. And what a year! It’s been a roller-coaster ride so improbable that if we used it as the plot for a novel it would be rejected as unbelievable. An unknown name (actually two writers collaborating via email from different continents, that met for only the third time just this month) with a novel some of the UK’s top agents branded as “unsellable” and “the last taboo” (not to mention, at 120,000 words, too long).
This was the summer of 2010. Of course we’d heard of Konrath and Hocking and the way things were going across the pond in the States, but in the UK the Kindle-UK site had only just been launched, and seeing as no-one actually owned a Kindle in the UK it all seemed pretty pointless.
Besides, we’d been brought up on the dogma that self-publishing was vanity publishing. So we pitched to agents and followed the rules and guidelines, jumping through ridiculous hoops just to get the opening chapters read. Then jumping through more hoops on those few occasions where we got to the next stage.
And when the rejections started coming back we faced the big question all new novelists have to confront: How can professional agents be wrong? They’re the “experts” in this business, after all.
Sure, you can ignore the “thanks, but no thanks” slips. No writer can learn anything from a form rejection.
But if the top agents say it’s too long, it must be too long. If they there’s too many POVs, there must be too many POVs. If they say the storyline is “unsellable,” then at what stage does a writer face the truth? Maybe we are just deluded wannabes, and in reality can’t string a sentence together for toffee.
But I’d been a creative writing tutor for more years than I care to admit. I’d written for TV, radio and theater, and freelanced as a journalist and travel writer. Whatever the requisite number of words is to have under your belt before you can supposedly write a good novel, I had long surpassed that number.
That said, writing a novel is a whole different ball game from writing for theater, or running off a short article about an exotic island in the sun. And I had taken what I believed were the best aspects of theater (dialogue driven) and TV (visual imagery without long descriptive prose; switching between short scenes rather than lengthy chapters; fast paced action interspersed with short breaks of relaxed writing). On top of this we has Saffi herself, bringing to bear her own unique style. A raw, edgy writer still new enough at the game not to be over-burdened with pointless rules created by the gatekeepers.
The thing is, we knew Sugar & Spice was not the same as the other crime-thrillers out there. But as readers we wanted to read something different from the plodding police procedurals and stereotype serial killer novels that turned up time and time again in the book-stores. So we threw away the rule book and wrote something different.
What we hadn’t realized then was that the gatekeepers don’t want different. They want safe. What could be less safe than a novel exploring the innermost workings of the pedophile mind? It became clear the gatekeepers did not want it. And if the gatekeepers don’t want it, the readers don’t get the option. Therefore it doesn’t sell, proving the gatekeepers were right.
As 2010 drew to a close we watched, more curious than envious, as fellow Brit indie writers tested the Kindle waters. Not least Lexi Revellian, whose feel-good thriller Remix had already sold 10,000 by the time we joined the e-show. Remix was the first e-book I bought, and I was totally impressed by the professionalism that shone through. I’d been led to believe (as had we all) that e-books were just self-published rubbish (the “tsunami of crap” as Konrath so elegantly puts it), so Lexi’s book was a revelation.
Of course it was a totally different story from the dark and sinister insights into the mind of a child-killer that defines Sugar & Spice. The agents’ words about our novel being “the last taboo” and “unsellable” kept coming back to haunt us.
But in November 2010 we finally slipped in into the murky waters of the Kindle ocean, where it pretty much sank without trace. We were determined not to give it any artificial boost by getting friends and relatives to buy it and review it, so we told no-one it was there. And for three months we sold nothing apart from the two copies we bought ourselves to see how it looked.
Meanwhile Saffi and I beavered away at other scripts. But half-heartedly. Were we wasting our time? We were still querying agents while Sugar & Spice was on Kindle, but the rejections were still coming back. We had no idea what to work on next. Should we stick with crime thrillers, given Sugar & Spice was so unwanted? Was it the subject matter that was the problem? Or our writing style? Or our non-existent marketing? We had no idea.
Marketing was one option we could toy with, so we started new blogs and began some promotional efforts. Our promotion story, a fairy-tale on itself, can be found over on Kristen Lamb’s blog.
Somewhere along the line we started actually selling. Not many. Units became tens. Tens became the first hundred. Had a hundred people really bought our unsellable book? Were we about to get a hundred negative reviews saying they’d been robbed? Were the gatekeepers right?
At this same time another British agent came back positive saying they loved the sample. We sent the full script and a month later they came back saying their reader loved the full book. Would we give them exclusive consideration? We explained we had the e-book on Kindle and had actually sold a few, but they were welcome to exclusively consider the book. Why not? We were hardly expecting a big New York agent to come calling instead. We were fiction novelists, not total fantasists.
It took three months from first contact with that agent to them coming back with their decision. On reflection, despite the glowing review from their own reader, they didn’t think it was commercially viable. That’s agent-talk for unsellable.
Well thanks, guys. Funny how your own reader thought otherwise. That was three months on exclusive, raising our hopes, stopping us querying other agents, wasted.
Were we disappointed? Well no, actually.
Because in the three months that agent played their agents’ games we had actually been selling. The unsellable story that had just, yet again, been rejected as commercially unviable, was now at #2 in the Kindle UK chart. The second best-selling e-book in the UK!
In the time that professional agent had our book under exclusive consideration, only to say it was unsellable, we had sold fifty thousand e-books. We hadn’t the heart to tell her.
And the next thing we knew we had one of the biggest agents in New York on the phone wanting to represent us.
Bizarrely, three months, on we still haven’t signed with that NY agent or any other. One thing we’ve learned is that there are good agents, bad agents and indifferent agents. And that the worst thing any writer could do would be to sign up with the first agency that comes along, just because they are “an agent.”
The publishing world of 2009-10 is a different planet from the publishing world of 2011, and a writer, if they still need an agent at all, needs one who is living on Planet Publishing 2011-12, not Planet Last Year.
Which brings us to where we are now.
The big “New York agent” (we can’t name names at this stage, but they are BIG!) who came knocking for Sugar & Spice bizarrely decided it was “too long”, despite a then proven track record of 50,000 sales. They decided they liked our next book, then unfinished, but told us we should not e-publish. Let them have it exclusively for three months.
Yeah, right. Once bitten…
One of the true joys of being indie is sending rejection letters to agents.
That’s not to say we’re anti-agent – in fact we’re still talking to several. We’re under no illusions that a good agent, who understands the new publishing world, can help reach markets currently beyond us. But we engage with agents now on equal terms, not as starry-eyed wannabes signing on the dotted line.
Our debut novel, the unsellable story by the unknown writing duo that tackled the last taboo in crime fiction, has now sold close to 100,000 copies without an agent or publisher in sight. It’s hit #2 in the Kindle-UK chart on three separate occasions, with over 100 five-star reviews, and has just broken into the top twenty on the Waterstone’s e-chart (Waterstone’s is the UK’s equivalent of B&N).
As fiction writers we necessarily spend half our lives living in fantasy worlds. But when it comes to real life, you just couldn’t make it up.
This past week we launched the first of our new crime thriller series, Rose Red Book 1: Snow White. This time we e-publish first and go direct to the only gatekeepers that matter: our readers.
+ + + + +
Sugar & Spice is available on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sugar-Spice-controversial-psycho-sexual-ebook/dp/B004AYDK22/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1313668076&sr=1-2
Sugar & Spice US Edition (American English spellings. US locations. Same great story!) is available on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sugar-Spice-best-selling-thriller-ebook/dp/B004W0IJCU/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1313668159&sr=1-3
Rose Red Book 1: Snow White is available from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk
It was announced yesterday. The headlines varied, but they were all a variation of the same theme – One more “Indie” writer signed a publishing contract. John Locke’s deal with Simon and Schuster made headlines and the writing and publishing community was all abuzz with excitement. Locke, who detailed his recent success in his aptly named ebook, [easyazon_link asin=”B0056BMK6K” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months![/easyazon_link], not only signed a lucrative deal with S&S, he managed to do the seemingly impossible – he held on to his ebook rights.
Simon & Schuster’s Vice President of client publisher services, Stephen Black, said in a statement: “Not only does John Locke write terrific novels, he clearly knows his audience and has a deep understanding of how to reach them. We are very excited that we can now help to expand John’s readership to include those millions of readers who still savor the joys of sitting down for a few hours of entertainment with a traditional paperback book. It is a win-win for all concerned.”
Did you catch that? A “win-win” for all concerned. And, indeed, it is. Which is certainly a change in attitude from the beginning of this year when I first made my foray into self (or Indie) publishing. At the time, lines were drawn and sides were clearly marked. Name-calling flourished. Indies were a bunch of no-talent hacks who didn’t know how to take a rejection (many rejections) and move on with their life. On the other hand, the entire publishing industry was full of ignorant, short-sighted, crooked, money-grabbing lowlifes who reveled in crushing a writer’s sprit. And worse yet, they didn’t know how to do their jobs. The publishing industry was going down the tubes while readers hurried to buy Kindles and fill those Kindles with eBooks. And, increasingly, the readers were buying the eBooks from those no-talent hack Indie writers. At an alarming rate!
As I dipped my toe into the angry pool, the water was chilly, to say the least.
Unaware or unconcerned about the Indie/Traditional distinction, the readers kept happily buying books. Amazon’s bestselling list for Kindle began filling with Indie writers. Writing forums, publishing forums, and various blogs were full of rants from both sides. Hatefulness and vitriol flourished. And just as a particularly vocal group of Indies started passing out pitchforks and torches to storm the Manhattan publishing houses, a funny thing happened. Those “ignorant” publishers started offering publishing contracts to the “no-talent” Indies. Amanda Hocking signed a four-book two million dollar deal with St. Martin’s Press. Amazon became an even bigger player in the publishing industry and signed Joe Konrath and Barry Eisler to their hot mystery/thriller imprint, Thomas & Mercer.
The ranters and haters ranted and hated – claiming that Hocking, Konrath, and Eilser were sell-outs, traitors, and puppy beaters. The water began to boil.
Not long after, the UK writing duo of Mark Edwards and Louise Voss signed a six figure four-book deal with Harper Collins. A bit of a rumble was made, but oddly, not much. The story was beginning to become a familiar one. Edwards and Voss could not get their books published. After many rejections and much discouragement, they decided to self-publish their books, [easyazon_link asin=”B005IH01ZE” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Killing Cupid[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link asin=”0007460708″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Catch Your Death[/easyazon_link]. Within months those books held the number one and number two bestselling spots for Kindle in the UK and were selling thousands of copies per day.
Close on their heels, J. Carson Black (who is approaching 250,000 in sales) signed three-book contract with Thomas Mercer that included her bestselling mystery thriller [easyazon_link asin=”1612182690″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]The Shop[/easyazon_link]. Weeks later, Scott Nicholson signed a two-book deal with Thomas & Mercer for his book [easyazon_link asin=”1612182070″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Liquid Fear[/easyazon_link] and its sequel Chronic Fear. And then Michael Wallace signed a five-book deal including his [easyazon_link asin=”1612182186″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]The Righteous[/easyazon_link] series. Wallace, perhaps, summed it up best of all on David Gaughran’s popular blog: In January of 2011, I gave up. After twenty years of fighting for a traditional publishing contract and suffering near miss after near miss, I abandoned the fight and started putting my books online for sale as self-published e-books. In spite of dogged persistence and the efforts of multiple literary agents to sell my novels, I had never overcome the final hurdle. Self-publishing was an act of desperation.
And, right before my eyes, the sun started shining and that chilly water started to warm. Instead of ranting (oh, I guess a few still muttered in the corners), Indies started offering congratulations to their fellow writers and some were even brave enough to utter, I hope I’m next. Virtual champagne corks were flying and the pitchforks and torches were abandoned for party hats and confetti.
Now Locke signs with Simon and Schuster. Just another Indie signing a publishing contract? Not quite. Simon and Schuster will distribute Locke’s print books, but Locke will retain the rights to his ebooks. This is an enormous coup for Locke and a ground-breaking move for Simon & Schuster.
The ability for an author to create and distribute a book directly into the hands of a reader through distributions outlets such as Amazon is nothing short of revolutionary. And like every revolution, there are liable to be a few casualties. There are those who will resist, those who will deny it, and those who will try to harm the rebels. But there are others, wise enough to see a revolution as “evolution,” that are forging ahead and pushing the boundaries, and this is a win/win for all concerned.
Writers no longer need to get permission to publish their books. For little or no money, they can write and distribute both ebooks and paperbacks and compete directly with “traditionally” published writers. The talented and hard-working will rise to the surface, sell a lot of books, and have even more clout if and when an agent or publisher comes to call. No more rejection slips.
Publishers can now sign writers who have a proven sales record instead of hoping that the next submission is worthy of a publishing contract. There is no longer any need for an underpaid English major to cull through the slush pile. Amazon is the new slush pile. And the slush falls to the bottom of the bestseller lists while the cream of the crop rises to the top, ready to be scooped up by a savvy publisher.
Agents have access to those same bestseller lists. While many writers might think they don’t need an agent, when it comes time to start talking about foreign rights or about a possible movie deal, they might want to think again. It is one thing to self-publish your book as an ebook, it is quite another to negotiate a contract for film rights.
Editors have more opportunity than ever before. Those who wish to freelance will have more work than they can possibly keep up with. The plethora of Indie books means a plethora of books that need editing. It is a rare writer who can edit their own books. And, quite frankly, a writer’s time is better spent writing.
Supporting players such as website designers, ebook formatters, and cover designers are also needed to support this sudden influx of writers into the publishing world.
Readers might be the ones who will benefit most of all. New writers, new genres, and new ways to experience books are all ahead. I have said it repeatedly – there has never been a better time to be a writer. But, it is also true that there has never been a better time to be a reader. Books have never been easier to access and the relatively low cost of most eBooks has made having a huge library an attainable fantasy – even though those books might all be stored on your Kindle instead of in a custom mahogany library.
Now, the once chilly water I dipped my toe into is considerably warmer. And, look! Another new writer is on the diving board. Come on in, friend, the water is fine.
Cheryl Shireman is the bestselling author of several novels, including [easyazon_link asin=”1461026504″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Broken Resolutions[/easyazon_link], the [easyazon_link asin=”B004JU21YU” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Life is But a Dream series[/easyazon_link], and the [easyazon_link asin=”1478153652″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Cooper Moon[/easyazon_link] series. She is also the author of ten books for toddlers including the eight [easyazon_link asin=”1475291531″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Let’s Learn About[/easyazon_link] series focusing on different animals and [easyazon_link asin=”1625660014″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]I Love You When: For Girls[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link asin=”1625660022″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]I Love You When: For Boys[/easyazon_link].
Read More[easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”left” asin=”B003HS5LRO” cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Cveg-moVL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ width=”106″]Not What She Seems[/easyazon_image]I am really excited to welcome Victorine Lieske to the blog today. When I first decided to try Indie publishing, Victorine’s website was one of the first that I came across. In fact, it was after reading her website that I decided I needed one of my own. Now, my novel, [easyazon_link asin=”B004JU21YU” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Life is But a Dream[/easyazon_link], is featured in the Summer Book Club along with Victorine’s novel, [easyazon_link asin=”B003HS5LRO” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Not What She Seems[/easyazon_link]. So, as you might imagine, this is a very exciting “full circle” moment for me.
Welcome Victorine! Thanks so much for stopping by. Please tell us a little about how your writing career began. It really is a fascinating story.
Victorine: You know, it’s funny, I never set out to become an author. I thought it would be cool to be able to tell people that I wrote a novel. That was my whole motivation. It’s really kind of a silly thing, now that I think about it. And of course, being a silly thought, I wasn’t very serious about it. I started a novel once, then about ten pages in I lost interest in it. Years later I started another one, but got busy and it never went anywhere.
Then, one day I was getting my daughter out of the car and my back seized up. I literally couldn’t move. I was put on bed rest to heal. Since I was stuck in bed with nothing to do, I decided to write that novel I always wanted to write. Easy, right? I set my laptop on my lap and just started typing. I wanted to write about a rich business man going incognito and meeting up with a woman on the run. I thought it would be fun to combine a light romance with a suspenseful mystery. I finished the first draft of Not What She Seems in one week. (I had no idea that was fast for a first draft. I knew nothing about writing.)
After finishing that first draft I thought I was done. I didn’t know writers edited. Funny, right? (Really, it was more scary thanfunny.) Luckily I decided to figure out if my book was any good. That’s when Ifound critiquecircle.com. I submitted my book, chapter by chapter, through the critique website. I learned that my first draft needed work. A lot of work! In fact, I threw out the last half of the novel and rewrote it. Then I submitted the book again. It took me four years to get the book into shape.
But I knew I had something interesting when I got comments from other authors telling me they couldn’t wait to read more of my book. They would ask me why my book wasn’t published already, and ask when the next chapter would come out. Honestly, this is why I kept going with it. I loved hearing the feedback from people who enjoyed reading my story.
Even though I’ve sold over 113,000 copies and made it on the NYT’s best seller list and signed with an agent, I can honestly say my favorite part of this whole journey is when I get an email from a fan. It makes it all worth it.
Victorine’s novel, [easyazon_link asin=”B003HS5LRO” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Not What She Seems[/easyazon_link] is 99 cents on Kindle and Nook.
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As part of my continuing coverage of the Summer Book Club authors, this week I welcome Scott Nicholson to my blog. Scott Nicholson is just one more “overnight success” in the string of Indie writers selling A LOT of books.
He has written 12 thrillers, 60 short stories, four comics series, and six screenplays. Nicholson has worked as a musician, newspaper reporter (winning three North Carolina Press Association awards), dishwasher, carpenter, painter, paranormal investigator, baseball card dealer, and radio announcer.
For his writing efforts, Nicholson won the grand prize in the international Writers of the Future contest in 1999. That same year, he was first runner-up for the Darrell Award. He studied Creative Writing at Appalachian State University and UNC-Chapel Hill. Despite all of this, he had 105 rejections before his first story sale and over 400 before he sold a novel. Since going Indie and self-publishing his own book, he has met enormous success.
Crime thriller [easyazon_link asin=”B0048EL5M6″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Disintegration[/easyazon_link] by Scott Nicholson is available at Amazon. Signed copies available at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com . It is also available on…
Barnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/disintegration-scott-nicholson/1100076040?ean=2940011943256&itm=2&usri=disintegration
Smashwords – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/27740
Today, Scott is stopping by to tell us about a particularly haunting novel, Disintegration. Welcome Scott! Tell us about your novel.
[easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”left” asin=”B0048EL5M6″ cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5109JPXIe4L._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ width=”107″][easyazon_link asin=”B0048EL5M6″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Disintegration[/easyazon_link] was written four or five years ago during a dark time in my life. The title just sums up what was going on, and what I had to write to survive. I knew it was going to be dark and bleak, and that good people would do bad things and terrible people would do worse things. The evil twins are just a symbol of where I was at the time. And I knew the ending was not going to be happy, and I put off writing the last five pages for nearly a year because I knew what had to happen and I didn’t want to type it and make it real.
I don’t think I ever showed it to my agent. I thought it was too dark to ever share with people, and I was a little ashamed of what it revealed about me. I think stories help us solve what is going on inside our heads and hearts, but it also leaves us vulnerable because written communication is so personal and intimate. If it wasn’t for self-publishing, and without the encouragement of mystery writer Vicki Tyley, I never would have released it. My wife said, “Somebody might need that message.”
With low expectations, I put it out during my 90-day Kindle Giveaway Blog Tour last fall, and it hit #30 on the Kindle list. That was weird, to have the biggest success of my writing career on a book I never wanted to publish, on my own, after six books with a traditional press. That taught me something about “writing to market” or“writing to please people.” First, you have to take chances and put it all there. If you get the back end, and the connection with readers, that’s the bonus and completes the purpose of the story.
Luckily, I’ve put the pieces back together over the years since I first wrote the novel, and it helped launch me onto other books and success. I owe a bit to Jim Thompson and James M. Cain and some of the other noir writers, and William Goldman, Shirley Jackson, Kurt Vonnegut, RichardBrautigan, Patricia Highsmith, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Ira Levin, James LeeBurke…that list could just keep going.
I am a full-time writer now, but I’m only as good as whatever chance I take today, whatever basic principles of the craft I discover anew, and whatever I get back from a reader. Really, I’m only as good as the last sentence. And the next. There’s no other way to write a novel except by building it out of nothing. It’s easy to stay humble when you are tackling something that is essentially impossible. Once in awhile, you get lucky and the words fall in place and share something about what it’s like to be on the crazy ride we call Life.
Enjoy the ride.
Scott Nicholson is author of more than 20 books, including Liquid Fear, The Red Church, and Speed Datingwith the Dead. His website is www.hauntedcomputer.com and he wastes too much time being clever on Facebook and glib on Twitter.
Thank you so much for stopping by, Scott!
Read MoreA note from Cheryl: First of all, let me say that J. Carson Black is one of a kind. She is not only a hard-working and talented bestselling writer, she is also a kind and encouraging soul. I first noticed her name in Amazon’s top 100 books. As I browsed through the titles, I kept noticing her novels. About a month or so ago I was browsing the list and she had three titles in the top 100 bestselling Kindle titles. Are you kidding? Three titles? Not only were they in the top 100, they were in the top 35. I was astonished. And just a little jealous. It was not until a few weeks later that I realized that we were in the same Facebook group (Indie Writers Unite). Finally, I realized that this unassuming woman who always had kind and encouraging things to write in my Facebook group was the same woman who currently had three bestsellers in the top 35. Through my involvement with the Summer Book Club, I have gotten to know J. Carson Black a little better. We have exchanged some emails and, more than once, she has pulled this newbie up by the bootstraps and told me to keep writing and don’t sweat the small stuff. She is, quite simply, not only a talented writer, but also a great woman and I look forward to getting to know her even better. And now, in her words…
***
[easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”left” asin=”B005WWC67G” cloaking=”default” height=”500″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Uo-Bdi1zL.jpg” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ width=”333″]The Shop[/easyazon_image]When I decided to write a new thriller, I had several ideas on the table. None of them made the final cut. The idea for THE SHOP came out of the blue, thanks to a cable TV news show.
Come to think of it, most of my ideas come out of left field. When one of these ideas strikes, it’s like being hit by lightning. I get a tingle in my gut and then my mind starts working a hundred miles a minute.
This time, my husband Glenn and I were watching cable news while eating dinner. John Mark Karr’s plane was coming into Boulder, Colorado, where he would face charges for killing JonBenet Ramsey. He’d been flown over from Europe, dining on shrimp cocktail and entertaining his captors—federal marshals, I believe—and generally having a great time of it. Now the press was lined up along the airstrip in Boulder to cover his arrival. Picture the private jet coming in for a landing, with all the pomp and circumstance of the Space Shuttle. The reporters, the news vans, the cameras, the microphones, the breathless reporting on the ground and in the studio: an absolute frenzy!
Glenn and I looked at each other. This was a farce worthy of commentary. This is the new American way: celebrity from nothing. It turned out later that John Mark Karr was playing everybody. He didn’t kill JonBenet Ramsey. But he’d fulfilled his purpose—he’d fed the hungry maw of the media for a short time.
Something could be done with this—the distraction of celebrity. That was the seed for my story, [easyazon_link asin=”1612182690″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]The Shop[/easyazon_link].
In the opening scene of THE SHOP, celebrity Brienne Cross is killed in her Aspen chalet, along with the four finalists of her reality show, SOUL MATE, and the producer of the show.
I knew right away who killed them. But why?
Even the killer wants to know why. And so he sets out to find the truth.
Getting a plot idea from the instant celebrity mode of television news. Who knew?
*****
J. Carson Black is the author of THE SHOP—available for purchase as a Kindle ebook for $0.99 (USD)—a Summer Book Club promotion for a limited time at amazon US and amazon UK.
Learn more about J. Carson at her website and blog at jcarsonblack.com
Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/jcarsonblack
Fan her Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/J-Carson-Black-Author-Page
J. Carson Black did a live Facebook chat on Saturday July 16th at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at http://www.facebook.com/summerbookclub If you missed it, please be sure to stop by and catch it on the Summer Book Club page!
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Two more indie writers just signed with a major pubisher. Mark Edwards and Louise Voss, coauthors of [easyazon_link asin=”B005IH01ZE” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Killing Cupid[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link asin=”B005JTCP1E” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Catch Your Death[/easyazon_link] just announced that they signed a six-figure deal with Harper Collins. And the best part about it is – Harper Collins came to them.
Not so long ago, an unpublished writer worked hard to create a manuscript and then lovingly submitted it by mailing it off to the mean streets of New York. I remember that – carefully placing sample chapters and a query letter inside of a self-addressed-stamped envelope, and then placing that into a larger manila envelope and, with shaking hands, writing down the address of a publisher in New York that I had carefully chosen from my latest edition of Writer’s Market. Then making the trip to the post office and handing my “baby” over to the man or woman behind the counter. I always fought the urge to somehow give them notice of the importance of this particular package. For, you see, it held all of my dreams. Fragile writer dreams in a mere manila envelope.
And then, I waited. Usually for at least two months. Watching the clock every morning and listening for the squeak of the mailman’s brakes. Sometimes I was out the door and walking toward the mailbox before he even pulled away. I’d throw him a casual wave. Oh hello Mr. Mailman. Just happened to be walking out my front door as you were driving by. What a coincidence! Might as well stroll out to check the mail. As he pulled away, I would quicken my steps, my heart beating wildly. Every day. Until the day when I opened the box and there it was – that familiar manila envelope with my own address written on it. I always waited until I was back inside the house to open the envelope. Just in case this envelope was “the” envelope. If it was, I didn’t want it to be all ripped up. Going in the house, I carefully sliced the envelope open with a kitchen knife and pulled out my manuscript with the inevitable – a rejection slip. Sometimes they were kind and said wonderful things about my manuscript. More often than not, though, they were form rejections – Dear author/writer/loser. The manuscript/submission/piece of crap that you sent us does not meet our requirements/is not quite right for us/is a waste of postage. Or something to that effect.
Never once did someone write, Dahling! We love this! Enclosed are first class tickets to New York. Come and have lunch with us while we talk about publishing your book. We don’t even need to see the rest of it. We already love it. Kiss. Kiss. Although I did actually work with an agent at one point, and did come close to getting published, it was only close. No cigar. Instead, my manuscript probably went into a “slush pile” where some underpaid publishing assistant was assigned to pour through thousands of other manuscripts, read a short amount, and then stuff a rejection slip into the SASE before mailing it back to thousands of other aspiring writers.
The slush pile still exists. But, surely, it is getting much smaller. And how long will it be before it does not exist at all? I believe the new revolution of ebooks will make the slush pile obsolete. Why would a publisher spend time going through a stack of unsolicited manuscripts in the hopes of finding a gem that might possibly sell, when, instead, they can browse the Kindle bestseller list on Amazon and see what self-published books are currently selling – all ripe for the picking. You can bet that the most savvy agents and publishers are browsing that list every day.
Stories of indie writers who self-published their own books after going the slush pile route and getting rejected are common-place. And what is becoming common-place is publishers courting these same writers they previously rejected. Because now these writers have proven track records, a growing readership, and perhaps even more importantly, the ability to market their own books. Publishing is a business, like any other. It is a huge risk to go with a writer out of that slush pile. Because you simply cannot predict what the reader will buy. So, going with a writer who already has a proven track record is, obviously, very desirable.
Everyone has heard the story of indie writer Amanda Hocking who signed a cool two million dollar deal with Random House. Like many indie writers, Amanda could not get published so she went the indie route. I would love to have been a fly on the wall on the day those same publishers started contacting her. And many other indie writers are having the same experience – getting that email or phone call from a major traditional publisher.
Now the latest of the pack is the writing duo of Mark Edwards and Louise Voss whose two novels, Killing Cupid and Catch Your Death, were just the in the #1 and #2 Kindle bestseller slots on Amazon’s UK site. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Mark over the last few months. I did an interview on his site about my own novel, [easyazon_link asin=”B004JU21YU” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Life is But a Dream[/easyazon_link], and we kept in touch afterwards, exchanging emails and joking about how we were obsessed with checking rankings. He emailed me yesterday with the news – He and Louise have signed with Harper Collins. These two indie writers have a four-book deal with a major traditional publisher. He wrote, “It’s incredibly exciting. It’s something I’ve dreamt of for a long long time.” In a second email he wrote, “Next week we are going to meet our new editor which is the kind of thing I used to fantasize about”.
As I read his email tears filled my eyes. Because I knew exactly what he was talking about. Stuffing that envelope. Driving to the post office. Watching for the mail. Opening the envelope with shaking hands. And collecting another rejection from the slush pile. Over and over again. For years.
Six months ago I self-published my first novel. This novel never saw a slush pile. It went straight into print. It has sold thousands of copies. Yep. Thousands. And every one of those sales – every one of those readers – carries a little piece of my heart. Those readers all hold my dream in their hands. I am so grateful for every single sale. But – would I have been as grateful had I not experienced the slush pile, the years of rejection, and the close but no cigar moments? Probably not. In retrospect – that slush pile was a good thing. Those rejections and long trips to the mailbox only fueled my passion and commitment to become a better writer.
Now the indie writer does not need anyone’s permission to publish. Upload your book and it is available in the world’s largest slush pile – Amazon. Instead of a rejection slip, you will either sell books or not. It is up to the reader. Just as it, ultimately, it always has been. The whole process is actually more efficient for everyone – writer, reader, agent, and publisher. Just a new way to navigate in the age-old art of crafting words and sharing stories.
Slush pile. Thank you. You will be missed (but not a lot).
NOTE: Since this was posted, Mark Edwards has written his own post and explains the details behind the deal and why he and Lousie made this decision. Here is a small excerpt: Because this is about wanting something for a long time and finally getting it. It’s about having a dream – the dream of holding a book in your hands with your name on it, with your words inside. A book that might end up in the remainder bins within weeks… or might, who knows, stand the test of time. It might even outlive you. It’s about being able to show something to all the people who believed in you – and yes, those who doubted you – and saying, ‘Look. We did it. We never gave up and we achieved something.’ That, for me, is the most important part of all of this. Finally becoming a published author after so many years of trying. Getting that call to say we had a deal was truly special. Whatever happens now, in this ever-shifting world of books and stories, I will never forget it.
ANOTHER NOTE! Mark Williams wrote an amazing post on this same subject and you must read it. http://markwilliamsinternational.com/2011/07/08/living-the-dream-the-gatekeepers-eat-humble-pie-yet-again/ This is beginning to feel like a huge celebration of writers all across the world. This is not only a great post (but Mark Williams always writes those), the comments are just wonderful! Please join in on the celebration. We all welcome your comments on all of these sites. Happy writing! 🙂
Cheryl Shireman is the bestselling author of several novels, including [easyazon_link asin=”1461026504″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Broken Resolutions[/easyazon_link], the [easyazon_link asin=”B004JU21YU” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Life is But a Dream series[/easyazon_link], and the [easyazon_link asin=”1478153652″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Cooper Moon[/easyazon_link] series. She is also the author of ten books for toddlers including the eight [easyazon_link asin=”1475291531″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Let’s Learn About[/easyazon_link] series focusing on different animals and [easyazon_link asin=”1625660014″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]I Love You When: For Girls[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link asin=”1625660022″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]I Love You When: For Boys[/easyazon_link].
Read MoreA few weeks ago I was contacted my Mark Edwards, co-writer of the wildly best-selling book, Killling Cupid. At the time, Cupid was just starting to have enormous sales in the United Kingdom. Mark asked me if I might be interested in being part of an anthology of best-selling writers from the United Kingdom and the United States. Of course, I was thrilled to be part of this anthology. It is entitled Summer Book Club and is available in on Amazon in the US site and the UK site. The anthology consists of sample chapters from the books of J. Carson Black, [easyazon_link asin=”B004AYDK22″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Saffina Desforges[/easyazon_link], Mark Edwards, Louise Voss, Sibel Hodge, [easyazon_link asin=”B003HS5LRO” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Victorine Lieske[/easyazon_link], [easyazon_link asin=”B003UNLIOQ” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]H. P. Mallory[/easyazon_link], Scott Nicholson, and myself – [easyazon_link asin=”B004JU21YU” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Cheryl Shireman[/easyazon_link]. In addition we have each included an original short story or article to the anthology.
[easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”left” asin=”B005IH01ZE” cloaking=”default” height=”160″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V%2Bq9nfDAL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ width=”105″][easyazon_link asin=”B005IH01ZE” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”cherylshire03-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Killing Cupid[/easyazon_link] is the first book to be featured in the Summer Book Club. Mark Edwards, who co-wrote this darkly-funny stalker thriller with Louise Voss, will be on Facebook on Saturday evening to answer questions and chat. He will even answer questions about the controversial Dan Brown/Stieg Larsson subtitle scandal if you are nice. Please drop by as his psychiatrist has warned him several times about talking to himself… Go to www.facebook.com/summerbookclub for more information.
Can you sum up your book in no more than 25 words?
Killing Cupid is a stalker thriller in which a wannabe writer becomes obsessed with his tutor. But then she turns the tables, with devastating results.
How important is a book’s central character?
Vital. Killing Cupid has two central characters. I wrote Alex, who starts off as a creepy stalker but, I hope, becomes more sympathetic as the novel goes on. Louise wrote Siobhan, a lonely writer who it turns out, has a lot of issues. The central idea of the novel is that there is someone out there for everyone – no matter how crazy you are.
What are the central themes of the book?
Love. Or rather, obsessive love. Both of the central characters in Killing Cupid are lonely and frustrated; they feel that their lives would be complete with a significant ‘other’. But neither of them know the best way to find that other person so they act in increasingly bizarre ways. Of course, we all do stupid things when we’re in love, but Alex and Siobhan take it to the extreme. If this makes Killing Cupid sound like a serious book, it isn’t. It’s a dark comedy with lots of twists and turns and a great joke about haemorrhoid cream.
What was your motivation for writing it?
Killing Cupid was co-written by Louise Voss and me. When we started, Louise was in the middle of a four-book contract with Transworld. I had recently been dumped by my agent. We got drunk one night and came up with the idea of writing something together as an experiment – and also because we thought the idea of a stalker novel in which the stalker becomes the stalkee (I think I just invented that word) was compelling. Two months into writing it, a lucky meeting attracted the attention of a BBC producer who optioned it. It never got made in the end but it gave us the motivation to make sure we finished it.
What parts of the book are you most proud of?
Apart from the fact that we managed to pull off the tricky act of co-writing a novel without any tantrums, tears or throwing of teacups, my favourite parts of the novel are the scenes where Alex is creeping around Siobhan’s house, inspecting her possessions, reading her diary, sitting on her toilet seat for a thrill.. And I love the second half of the book, in which everything turns around and starts moving really fast. And I love Louise’s chapters because I just love reading everything she writes. It was like simultaneously writing and reading a novel. Great fun.
What’s your favourite part of the writing process?
I love the first draft because my favourite aspect of writing is plotting, although we never work out the full plot before sitting down to write. We enjoy working it out as we go along. The characters tend to take a life of their own and tell you what they would do next. With Killing Cupid I wrote a chapter which I sent to Louise with some notes about what might happen next. She edited my chapter then did the same. We had no idea how it would all turn out.
Can you tell us something about being an indie writer?
The best thing about the rather insane few months we’ve spent as indie writers – apart from hitting the No.1 spot on Amazon.co.uk with our second novel, Catch Your Death! – has been the opportunity to ‘meet’ lots of other writers who have been incredibly supportive. That’s where the idea of the Summer Book Club came from: the idea of creating a mutually-supportive group to celebrate the fact that we’d done it for ourselves, and to show readers out there how many great self-published books there are on Amazon.
Bio: Mark Edwards lives in south London with his girlfriend, their daughter and, arriving this August, a son. He is the co-author, along with Louise Voss, of Killing Cupid and Catch Your Death, a conspiracy thriller that was the first novel by British indie authors to reach No.1 on Amazon. You can find him on Twitter @mredwards.
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