Coming full circle as a self-pubber

(Magan circa her first pregnancy 2010 with authors Claudia Gray, Kiersten White, and Sophie Jordan)

 

 

 

When I decided to go the indie route I was completely delusional. No joke I thought I'd put up my first alien book and be the next Amanda Hocking. It didn't exactly go that way and I went through some stages of grieft.

 

1.)  I suck

That's the first thing that went through my head. No wonder my books wont sell, I'm a terrible writer, blah blah blah. But I had a supporter group of writer friends that pushed me to keep going.

 

2.) Everyone else sucks

 

This is where it got really sticky. I put out a ton of money for ads, new covers, all this other stuff and my books didn't sell. So I started attacking other others. "How does her book sell so well? IT SUCKS!" It wasn't one of my finest moments and it just made me angry and not fun to be around.

 

3.) Maybe I'll try something else?

 

I think this was my turning point. This was the moment I decided to put out My Paper Heart on a wing and a prayer. I thought maybe it would be nice to at least have another book on my shelf and then the sales blew me out of the water. The fans of the original alien books weren't as excited about a New Adult contemporary, but from it I found a whole new crop of fans.

 

4.)  OMG this other Indie author is awesome, buy her books!

 

I'm going to have to give it up to Chelsea Cameron on this one. I approached her about being critique partners and that was when I got a sneak peak of My Favorite Mistake. I was blown away by her writing and wanted everyone and their mom to read her book. She probably just made the NY times best seller list because I wouldn't shut up about her.  (Actually she wrote an awesome book that's how she made it).

 

Yeah, it looks that simple when I write it in these four steps, but there was a lot of heartache before I came full circle. There are still days that I wonder if it's worth it to keep writing. Those are the days that I go to my Twitter or check my fan emails from people that say they love my series. I may not be one of the self-pubbers with a six figure deal or hitting the New York Times best seller list, but at this point I'm super exciting for those that have.

 

Maybe someday I'll get there, but for now I'm going to keep writing and keep being a cheerleader for all my self-pub brothers and sisters. We can only hold on to so many grudges for so long and there is no reason to be angry at someone for doing well. If I fall back down, I know my fans are there to help me back up again.

 

Have you come full circle as a writer or an author? What are your set backs?

 

 

******************************************************************************

Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. She is in a very serious, fake relationship with Adam Lambert and constantly asks her husband to wear guyliner. He still refuses. She also believes her husband is secretly an alien, disguised as a southern gentleman. You can find her online on her blog or purchase her books through Amazon or Barnes and Noble. She also blogs and talks about randomness here.



From Fangirl to Member...

Hi everyone! *waves enthusiastically with both hands* My name is Chelsea M. Cameron, I can't tell you how HONORED I am to be a part of this group.
I don't remember when I heard about this group, but I started seeing these amazing authors supporting each other and writing amazing books, a lot of which I read and loved, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. Seriously, I'm still in shock. Let's go back in time, shall we?
Rewind to February of this year. I had just put out my first independently-published ebook, Nocturnal. I sold 15 copies at 99 cents in two weeks and I was THRILLED. Fast forward to the present, and I've sold over 70,000 ebooks and I'm quitting my job to write full time and I have a literary agent. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
Honestly, I don't know. It might have had something to do with this --->
I wrote a book that I was passionate about, that people wanted to read. But that's not what I'm going to talk about in this little introductory post.
Here are five random things you may not know about me:

1. I am really short. Like, only 5'0 tall. Some of the kids I used to babysit dwarfed me. I also look WAY younger than I am. Even at 26, I still get asked if I've graduated high school.
2. I am both the oldest and younger 26-year-old you will ever meet. I can go nuts for a Disney Princess movie one minute and geek out about Downton Abbey the next. I LOVE watching old black and white movies.
3. Tea is my caffeine delivery system of choice. My favorite is lemon ginger, but I'm also partial to Morning Thunder when I need a jolt.
4. I have been a vegetarian for six years, and all my female characters are also vegetarians. It was a lifestyle choice I made, and I've been happy with it. I can make fake beef stew that will knock your socks off. Seriously.
5. I enjoy chaos when I write. Some people need silence, but I need as much noise as possible so my brain can tune it out to focus. I'll usually have a movie on, and then my iPod turned on low as well. It sounds crazy, but it works for me.

So there you have it! I'll be posting more about me and my books in the future, so stay tuned :)

Peace out, and catch you on the flipside!

~*Chelsea*~

INDIEgiving ~ Thank You with Books!

It's time for a little INDIEgiving!

We are so thankful for the writing friends and professionals we work with that make this indie-publishing experience a real joy. Because of you we are better writers who produce better books. Thank you!

We'd like to especially thank our readers who devour our books and keep coming back for more. This wouldn't be any fun at all without you!

To celebrate YOU, our readers, we'd like to offer ten of you your choice of one of a selection of our books.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

INDIEgiving runs through today to November 25th ~ there's still time for you to get in on the fun!

During this week, each participating blogger will reflect on her or his blessings and share something with visitors.  Some may choose to give away a book.  Some may choose to share the best piece of advice they wished they'd known before they published.  The choice of what to share will be as unique as the individual blogger.  The only requirement is that you open your heart in the spirit of thankfulness and giving.

Let us know you're joining us by linking up with us and we'll be sure to drop by for a visit!

Just who is Christine Fonseca???

Hi everyone! I can not tell you HOW THRILLED I am to be part of this amazing group of writers. You know, I am a huge fan of the musical WICKED....
And this amazing group of writers are like Elphaba and are Defying Gravity and taking on the industry on their own terms. I am honored to count them all amongst my friends.
When I joined, they asked if I'd do a short intro post. Well, you all read my "bio" a week ago or so. Now I thought I'd share the REAL story about me and my books....

About Me:

• I've been writing for about four years. And yes, I LOVE writing both fiction and nonfiction, for totally different reasons
• I still work with kids everyday. And yes, I call it "research"
• I am hopelessly addicted to skinny vanilla lattes. Surprisingly, my characters are not.
• I once went diving with sharks - most exhilarating experience of my life.
• My life is very normal - work, kids, writing. That's it. Honestly, I have little time for much else.

About My Books:

• I starting out writing fiction, but published nonfiction first.
• My nonfiction books are geared for teachers, parents, teens and children.
• My fiction is definitely older YA and often deals with edgy, dark, macabre topics.
• I toyed with the idea of writing under a pseudonym, but honestly - it's a ton of work. So, here I am, publishing both under my name. Sure seems easier this way!
• Everything I write - nonfiction parenting titles, sweeping YA gothic tales, and psychological thrillers - explores the deeper aspects of being human. It's just my "thing".
• My book titles include: DIES IRAE, a Requiem Novella, LACRIMOSA, LIBERA ME (both part of the Requiem Series), TRANSCEND, a YA thriller, and several nonfiction titles. I have 4 books coming in 2013. EEP! You can get complete info on my blog or website.

About Writing:

• I am definitely a plotter. I tried to write without outlining once - DISASTER!
• Although I am a pantser, I only outline loosely. Meaning, it is flexible. My characters have a way of running away with me!
• I write something everyday. It may only be for 15 minutes - but I do it daily. 
• I am thoroughly addicted to writing and can't image NOT doing it anymore. That said, I consider quitting often. Maybe even daily. Okay, hourly.... 
• I am toying with the idea of teaching writing classes. I just love helping others, so this seems a natural fit.
• I owe everything to my group of teen readers. They let me pick their brain, tell me when I'm being lame, and help me brainstorm. They are EPIC.

Want to know anything else about me? (I can't image that you would, but hey, you never know) Just drop me an email at:

Christine(at)christinefonseca.com

Can''t wait to find out more about all of you and share writing info, etc...

More than 20 Can Play...

Wow, guys. So I've been watching these Indelibles from afar for a year now, and I was just thrilled and honored when I was asked to join the group.

Back in the fall of 2011, I had an agent and was working on a book deal, but I could already see the publishing tides were turning. Things were changing for independent authors, and there were more and more great, self-published books hitting the market.

I was always a traditional girl. I had worked as an editor for years, and I believed in the system. But I can point to two distinct moments when my mind started to change.

The first was when fellow Indelible Elle Strauss posted a Ted talk by Margaret Atwood (link). You should take a moment and watch it. The short version is Atwood basically threw down the challenge: She didn't understand why anyone would take a traditional deal anymore.

"Sure, that's easy to say if you're Margaret Atwood," I thought.

The next thing that happened was my good friend (and fellow Indelible) Susan Quinn (link) began posting about her successes in independent publishing, her goals and her ability to reach them. I was editing books for several self-published authors, and I saw the quality storytelling going on. I knew she was right.

On Amazon

Finally, my own (former) agent advised me to self-publish my debut YA romantic-comedy The Truth About Faking (link), and from there, I was completely sold.

Joining forces with a fantastic group of fellow independent writers was the icing on the cake for me.

Writing is a lonely, isolating endeavor. Making the right decision in these publishing times is a scary thing, and it's so great to have good friends and fellow experts you can turn to for advice.

This group is just one example of how writers can work together, but there's absolutely no reason why it should be the only one. Reach out to fellow writers and form your own group!

And regardless of your path to publication, writers can (and should) help each other. We can (and should) encourage each other, and ultimately, we can  (and should) succeed together!

As I like to say, it takes months or years to write an amazing book, but it only takes days to read it. There's plenty of room at the table for everyone!

The Indelibles and groups like ours are about promoting the best part of being writers--helping each other. Grab the baton and do the same!

------------
Leigh Talbert Moore is a wife and mom by day, a writer by day, a reader by day, a freelance editor when time permits, a caffeine addict, a chocoholic, a beach bum, a lover of YA and new adult romance (really any great love story), and occasionally she sleeps.

Leigh's new book on Amazon!

-THE TRUTH ABOUT FAKING (link) is her debut young adult romance.
-ROUGE (link) is the first book in her mature-YA/new adult romance series.

Leigh loves hearing from readers; stop by and say hello:

Blog * Facebook * Amazon Author page * Goodreads

Nano Time Travel

So it has been two years since I completed my first Nano novel and it has gone on to become my best seller and put me on the map as an Indie Author. That's right.. UnEnchanted was my Nano of 2010. I was looking through my blog and decided that I would take you through a few Nano posts and inspirations that I did two years ago to encourage you for the future. So are we ready for a Time Traveling Nano adventure back to 2010? I can't guarantee, you'll learn a whole lot, but it will be fun!

Present 

2012

2011

2010

Nov 1st, 2010- I don't have a clue what to write for Nano! Everyone else has started and I'm floundering. I almost decide to give up and just start writing something, but I can't. I have to feel inspired to write! I tell myself if I can't write anything that I really want to write, then I won't force myself to do Nano.

Nov 6th, 2010- Browsing through Flickr and deviantart still looking for inspiration for a new project. Happened across this picture. Ooh, me likey! So I bookmarked it and continued looking for something else.

Nov 7th, 2010- Doing a plot exercise with my husband, feeling kind of bummed that I'm late for Nano and I still didn't have a solid idea of a new book. I remembered the picture from the day before and wrote out a quick synopsis of the book on a green 3x5 card. It was coming together. I was going to do a red riding hood story!

Nov 9th, 2010- I announce my new idea on my blog. (uh oh, now i'm committed and have to write it)

Nov 10th-12th, 2010-  Going insane trying to put together a plot outline for my novel.

Nov 13th 2010- I actually pen the first words into my nano novel.."Today, I saved Brody Carmichael's life." Phew okay the first sentence was done...now what!?! I started almost 2 weeks late!!! I'm officially 21, 653 words behind if you count my first sentence.

Nov 19th, 2010- Feeling like I may not accomplish my goal. Every waking moment I was bombarded with 2 year olds or my husband asking, at the time really dumb questions. Which in fact they weren't but they seemed that way. (See below cartoon)

Nov 25th, 2010- Thanksgiving! I have become extremely antisocial. Everyone in my family knows of my crazy goal to finish this novel. So I say hello to the family, pass off my twins to the happy to help grandparents. Stuff my face with turkey and all the fix-ins and retreat to the guest room to type! Who knew holiday's would come with free babysitting! (I was extremely grateful and they knew it)

Nov 29th, 2010- I'm actually having nightmares! So I try and tell myself hey, since I started late I can finish it Dec 13th....right. I latched onto the below Nano cartoon because it was kind of how I was feeling with my novel. I had decided right then, that I was going to make all of my Unfortunate Fairy Tale series have an ending with a twist. I knew then that my readers would either hate the ending or love it. So I developed my Unfortunate Formula for writing my Fairy Tales. Because not all Fairy Tales have happily ever afters.

Nov 30th, 2010- I finished 50,000 words. I completed the Nano goal, but my novel wasn't finished yet. (The following is from my blog post about UnEnchanted after 50,000 words)

"I did complete the task of 50,024 words in a month. But again I started 13 days late, so I was cramming. I was typing on Thanksgiving, in between visiting family members and late at night every night. I was even typing almost up until the midnight cut off point. Once I reached my goal of a few words of 50,000. I saved and uploaded it and shut my computer off. I didn't touch my novel for one whole week. I still can't touch it. I look at it and my skin crawls with dread at the thought of picking it up and feeling my fingers automatically curl back with intense dislike. Don't get me wrong, the story is good and I love where i'm going with it and I'm glad that the contest push made me start it. It's my fingers....they are protesting the abuse i put them through with typing. I'm find myself typing this blog very slow as if i'm stretching my fingers before a run along the keyboard path." 

Can you tell I hated it??? But what happened next?

Dec 15th, 2010- I get permission from the photographer for rights to the above red riding hood photo. YES!!!! I have my book and I have a cover!  UnEnchanted still had edits to go through.

June 1, 2011- I begin querying UnEnchanted, to some interest but generally the same answer. Fairy tales are overdone and they aren't big.

November  2011- I didn't do Nano because I was packing and moving to Oregon.

Dec 31st, 2011- I uploaded UnEnchanted on a whim because I was tired of getting rejections and now all of these tv shows were coming out and stealing my thunder. What do you know! They like my book and It became a huge success.

So all in all, it was a bumpy ride, lots of fear, anxiety, doubt, but in the end I did it. Even if you haven't started Nano yet, you still can. It's not to late, I started almost two weeks late with my project and I did it. So go for it! Look for inspiration, make plot cards, pull character profiles etc and get a candy jar of inspiration. Notice, I forgot to put my coffee in the picture!

Here is a picture of what my desk looks like right before Nano or actually any big project. Do you recognize anything?

So as I always say. Keep on Dreaming. Keep on Writing.

Chanda Hahn is the author of the popular Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series which includes UnEnchanted and Fairest which have topped the ebook charts in 5 countries. She also has a passion for writing YA epic fantasy. She's been a children's librarian, children's pastor and costume mascot. She lives in the beautiful but rainy northwest that is Portland Oregon with her husband and twin children.

Blog Twitter Facebook Goodreads

Speed Writing That NanoWrimo Novel

Nano (National Novel Writing Month) from November 1st-30th. It’s the writing frenzy where you kick out a large number of words to hopefully finish a novel in record time. Many people start the challenge and end up with a sizable number of pages by the end. Some are inspired to start writing for the first time. Others are inspired to finish something for the first time. Some, like me, find that writing at breakneck speed produces a lower quality of work that doesn’t reflect what is normally produced when writing within your own timing. Truth is, my natural timing is four months from start to finish. I tried to increase my speed and did it without much trouble. It increased by 3 weeks, and for me, that cooking time for a novel fits just right.

There are ways to make speed writing more effective. The overall goal, is to produce more in a shorter period of time. If you keep this up, who knows, speed writing may become a habit.

Prepare for it

When you set out to write a novel in a short period of time, outlining is your friend. Take a week to write a detailed outline of the story. It will help to work out most of the kinks before you even sit down to write. Create character profiles of the main characters and review outline before the start of your writing marathon.

Plan it

If you are going to focus on spitting out as many words as possible a day, then plan it. Block out your writing time for the month. Figure out when you are most productive. Is it in the morning, at night or midday? Make a rule – no sleep unless you have kicked out a minimum of a certain amount of words. Make sure you schedule extra time for working out of corners or temporary writer’s blocks. Make your schedule somewhat flexible so that you don’t get burned out and give up.

Write it

With a printout of your outline next to you and a bullet list of your character profile – start the race. Follow your outline. If you want to go rogue, go ahead, write until the roadblock. If you reach a road block – write anything, take some time off to think on it, then re-work your outline and get back to it. Whatever you do – don’t stop writing. Remember, you will always have to edit it.

Don’t look back

Whatever you do, don’t read over what you’ve written until you are finished. That is an easy way to get distracted. Remember, you’ll have to edit the thing many times before your piece of art is perfected. Just write forward, don’t make corrections, don’t read over it, just push forward and write.

Introducing LM Preston, new Indelibles.
by LM Preston, www.phenomenalonepress.com

A new Indelibles member and author of Middle Grade and Young Adult books. Vice President of Mid Atlantic Book Publishers Association, Co-Chair of Maryland Writers Conference 2012, YA Lit Chat Moderator and co-owner of Phenomenal One Press.

Follow my personal Blog, Facebook and Twitter

Welcome to Our New Indelibles!

We have a whole new crop of Indelibles joining us this month! Here's a quick look at our freshest members and their books!

LM Preston

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By day a mildly engineering manager, by night a writer, dreamer and story weaver. Vice President at Mid Atlantic Book Publishing Association, Co-Chair of Maryland Writers Conference 2012, and YaLitchat.org Moderator, co-owner of Phenomenal One Press and mom of four. Books: Purgatory Reign, The Pack, Bandits, Flutter Of Luv, Explorer X-Alpha and more.

The Pack series, Bandits series, Flutter Of Luv, Explorer X Series and coming in 2013, Purgatory Reign... Something evil this way comes, unfortunately for it - Peter Saints awaits.

Christine Fonseca

Twitter Facebook Blog Google + Goodreads Pinterest

Critically acclaimed nonfiction and YA author Christine Fonseca is dedicated to helping children of all ages find their voice in the world. Drawing on her expertise as an educational psychologist, her nonfiction titles address issues of emotional intensity, resiliency and giftedness. In fiction, she explores the darker aspects of humanity and delivers gothic thrillers that take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions not to be missed. Recent titles include Dies Irae and Lacrimosa, from the Requiem Series, and the recently released thriller, Transcend. 

Gothic romance Lacrimosa (Requiem Series) and the YA psychological thriller Transcend, a page-turning tale inspired by Phantom of the Opera. She is also the author of the anticipated self-help book for teen girls, The Girl Guide. Find Christine's books on AMAZON. 

Leigh Talbert Moore
Amazon  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads  Pinterest

Wife and mom by day, writer by day, reader by day, editor when time permits, chocoholic, caffeine addict, beach bum, lover of YA and new adult romance (really any great love story), occasionally I sleep.
-THE TRUTH ABOUT FAKING is my debut young adult romance. Available now.
-ROUGE, Book 1 of my mature-YA/new adult romance series, will be available November 11, 2012.

Chelsea M. Cameron
Blog Twitter Facebook Goodreads

Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is. She is the author of five books, including Nocturnal, Nightmare and Neither, the first three books in The Noctalis Chronicles, Whisper and My Favorite Mistake. Chelsea lives in Phoenix, AZ

Chelsea Fine
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Chelsea Fine lives in Phoenix, AZ where she spends most of her time writing young adult fiction, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen.

THE ARCHERS OF AVALON TRILOGY by Chelsea Fine

ANEW (book one)
Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and without her memory. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery until she met a boy with a familiar voice named Gabriel Archer. Intrigued by his voice, Scarlet immerses herself in Gabriel's life only to stumble upon a secret he's kept hidden from her: His brother. Once Scarlet meets Tristan Archer her life becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. Why does Gabriel seem so familiar? Why is she so attracted to Tristan? And why are both brothers convinced she's been cursed to die? Scarlet doesn't have the answers...but the Archer brothers do.

Chanda Hahn

Blog Twitter Facebook Goodreads

Chanda Hahn is the author of the popular Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series which includes UnEnchanted and Fairest which have topped the ebook charts in 5 countries. She also has a passion for writing YA epic fantasy. She's been a children's librarian, children's pastor and costume mascot. She lives in the beautiful but rainy northwest that is Portland Oregon with her husband and twin children.

UNENCHANTED An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1
Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated, that is until she saves her crushes life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her new found fame brings misfortune in the form of an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her it's next fairytale victim. To break the fairy tale curse on her family and make these deadly occurrences stop, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.

WELCOME to the Indelibles, Ladies!

The Indelibles say "Thank You" with a blogfest!

Hi everyone! Can you believe it's November already?  Nope, we can't either.  But we don't mind, because November gives another opportunity to give away awesome prizes! If you participated in our recent Get Your Spook on Bloghop, THANK YOU!

Before we introduce you to our next celebration, let's take a moment to shout Huzzah for our

Get Your Spook On Winners!

M.R. Buttars won the $50 gift card

and 

Denizb33, Gongjumonica, Suzy Turner and Donna K. Weaver won critiques!

Congratulations everyone ~ we'll be in touch!

And now that Halloween is behind us, it's time to start thinking about Thanksgiving.  I love the opportunity Thanksgiving gives me to reflect on the blessings I've received in the past year and to open my heart in an effort to find new ways to share.  One of things I am most thankful for is the journey I've begun as an Indie author.  It's been amazing.  So many people helped me find my way, and I have loved being able to help others just starting out in return.

That's why, in this spirit of thankfulness and giving,
the Indelibles bring you INDIE-giving!

This blogfest will run from November 18-25 (the Sunday-to-Sunday surrounding Thanksgiving).

During this week, each participating blogger will reflect on her or his blessings and share something with visitors.  Some may choose to give away a book.  Some may choose to share the best piece of advice they wished they'd known before they published.  The choice of what to share will be as unique as the individual blogger.  The only requirement is that you open your heart in the spirit of thankfulness and giving.

Although this is something we could do individually, banding together to share our blessings seemed like the right thing to do.  If you'd like to join us, add your name to the linky list and get your post ready for November 18th.  Whether you're an Indie author or just love reading Indie books, we hope you'll join us.  We can't wait to see what blessings have been bestowed upon you this year.