On eBooks and Indie Writers

I finally got a Kindle in June of last year. Yeah, I know. Kinda late to the game. When I first told my family I was the proud owner of a new e-reader, I had to do some apologizing. You see, my mom got a Kindle a year or two before. And I Publicly Lamented.

"Oh No! What are you doing?" (Cries) "That's not a book! That's not how you read books! It will never last!" (Insert weeping and gnashing of teeth.) "It's the end of civilization as we know it!" (Falls onto couch and sobs.)

Needless to say, I came to my senses. And while I still lean toward print books, I have to admit that my Kindle is filling up pretty quickly thanks to publisher sales and new indie titles.

Since I've become a Kindle owner, one thing I've noticed is that the titles I'm reading are diversifying. I still read 75% YA, but now I'm buying indie books that I might not normally read otherwise, because the summary looks enticing and/or the price is right. Last year, I read 34 books. Nine of those were ebooks. So far, I've read nine books in 2012. Seven of those are ebooks. Do you see where I'm going with this?

The thing I love most about epubbing is that I'm in complete control of the whole story. What many writers fail to realize about "New York" is that, once your story is accepted for publication, it's not YOUR story anymore. An editor will go in and ask for changes. A copy editor will ask for changes. A graphic artist and sales team will sit down and come up with a cover that they think will make the book saleable (whether you like it or not). . . . And that's not necessarily a bad thing. I have nothing against "New York." That's just how they operate.

The best thing about reading indie authors, though, is that the story is 100% their own. No one tried to fit them into a cookie cutter category or cram their story into a mold to follow a "trend." My stories are 100% Katie Klein, and, while I realize not everyone will enjoy them, at least I know the story I wrote is the story that was in my heart to tell.

This has never been more apparent to me than after reading the new IN HIS EYES anthology.

(Begin Shameless Plug)

Sixteen stories from sixteen authors from sixteen different guy narrators. No two stories are the same. No two stories are even CLOSE to being the same. Each is its own unique creation, full of heart and imagination. And "New York" might stick its head in the sand and pretend not to notice this little Indie Revolution, but, while they're doing that, they're missing out on some insanely gifted writers.


But that's okay, because stories that were previously overlooked are now making their way into the world. This leaves me, the reader, with more titles from which to choose. More options. And let me tell you: there are some real gems out there.

IN HIS EYES is FREE on Smashwords. Even if you've shied away from Indie titles before, I dare you to download it and not find a new book to add to the top of your TBR pile.

I Dare You. :)

~Katie~

Ladies: Takin' Care of Business

Being that I have the post the day before Valentine’s Day, you’d think it would be the perfect opportunity to come up with something very lovey dovey. Well, I’m not that kind of girl. Today we’re gonna talk all about ladies. Yeah, that’s right. Strong ladies.

I was recently introduced to a show on PBS called Downton Abbey. While there are many reasons to watch it, as it’s a great show, I came away from it thinking about women and our roles in society. The three sisters on the show, Mary, Edith, and Sybil Crawley, are coming of age in England in 1912. Their struggles on the show, while fictional, are a very important reminder to women.


I think we as women often forget that for our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers, the world was a very different place. The Crawley sisters really were not given the credit or the options of doing anything for themselves. If anything, their main value is what they can bring their families by marrying well. Their parents are pretty much parading them in front of every wealthy man in the country. A little further into the show, I was happy to see the girls start to find their way and become a little more independent.


My readers seem to appreciate my approach to the strong female characters. My fictional ladies know what they want, are independent, confident, and don’t have to rely on men, or anyone else, for the most part. I think many of The Indelibles can claim the same regarding their female characters. That's not to say they don't have fierce love for their family and friends. It's important to be balanced!


Here are a few other strong female characters that I admire:


Hermione Granger/Harry Potter Series: She’s a true bookworm, but is proud of her intelligence and uses it to help others. While sometimes hard on herself for breaking rules, as she gets older, she gets a little less cautious and more adventurous, as we all know.

Katniss Everdeen/The Hunger Games: Katniss is the ultimate bad ass. She hunts and takes care of her family and is brave to boot. How many girls do you know that would volunteer to join a death match?







Emer Morrisey/The Dust of 100 Dogs: She’s a reincarnated pirate on the hunt for her long lost treasure. Emer knows how to protect herself. Be sure to hide your swords.

















Kendra Sorenson/Fablehaven Series: She has some special fairy-given gifts that give her powers some extra kick. Kendra isn’t afraid to get down and dirty and fight off gross demon baddies.








So Happy Valentine's Day to all my strong ladies out there!




~Karly

Creating a New Buzz Word: Entrepreneurial Author

Self publishing is hard. It is like running your own business. You do all your own finances, marketing, writing and more.

So I'm coining a new title for us self published or indie authors - just to get away from the negative stigma of the phrase "self published".

Entrepreneurial Author.

Now I personally LOVE running my own business but also recognize it may not for everyone.

I feel like I play all the roles that I played when I started my own marketing business and more. This will give you an idea of what you will have to do if you decide to take this journey. 

Writing Side (this one is obvious)

1. Writer - Not a big shocker here. This one is a given :) I guarantee you will do this but it will not be your biggest task. Even if it should or if you want it to be. Finding time to write once you publish is HARD. And as a self pubber - momentum is the key so you have to find ways to keep your name out in front without being obnoxious. So you have to write faster and smarter.
2. Editor - In order to not spend thousands of dollars - you need to be even better at editing. Then you need to use your money wisely and find a good copyeditor or you will pay for more than one.
3. Plotter - You need to grab your reader in the first page. Or as a self pubbed author - you wont get any sales. People are stricter on self pubbed authors so get them immediately.

Publishing Side (this one is expected)

1. Designer - You need to know what looks good for a cover as well as ads or swag or marketing materials and what doesn't. Placement, fonts, and copy. Whether you pay someone or not - you need to KNOW what concept you want and how to define quality design. If you know photoshop, you are even more golden because you can do some things on your own. So learn it if you can. It will save you time and money.
2. Copywriter - You need to know how to write good jacket copy unless you want to pay someone
3. Formatter - Unless you want to pay someone to format.  You will have to format in several different ways, depending on what ebook format you need (epub, mobi, pdf, paperback etc). I think I did four for Untraceable and 3 for On The Bright Side.
4. Researcher - Self publishing is hard and there is so much to learn. You need to be able to get online and find answers to your own questions as well as find questions you should be asking yourself. There is not a detailed guide anywhere. Just bits and pieces. You also need to be keeping up with the ebook/digital market.
5. Typer - I wish I could type faster, If you are a "pecker" (keep it clean) then take lessons.

Business Side (these may surprise you)

1. Budget - You could spend money all day trying to get your book out. Giveaways, swag, ads, covers, etc. So you need to come up with a budget and prioritize your (limited) funds (if you even have ANY :). There is absolutely NO way to do self pubbing for free.
2. Channel Account manager - You need to manage all your author accounts online. Right now with paperbacks and ebook formats - I probably manage and check at least five different sites a day including B&N, Amazon (2 different ones for PB and ebook), Smashwords, as well as all the places Smashwords delivers to (kobo, ibooks etc) - you need to know what your book is doing and check the information. 
3. Inventory - You need to know what you are selling and keep track for your numbers to reconcile records.
4. Accountant - You need to be able to figure out what you should be getting paid from each place. This requires spreadsheets and daily counts.
5. Lawyer - You need to follow up with pirates who are posting your book for free downloads and send legal letters. (trust me this happens more than you think). You also need to follow up because they won't.
6. Marketer - You need to know how to get the word out about your book, have the time to do it, and follow up. This includes understanding your target audience and how to reach them. This is a daily thing that is very time consuming. It includes attending chats, blog tours, giveaways, checking for ad sites, RTing people who are nice enough to tweet about your book. etc. You also need to know what you are doing for marketing - swag, book trailers, signings, etc
7. Social Networker - You need to keep managing all your social networks and stay out in front of people (without being obnoxious.) blogs, twitters, facebook. etc. This is also daily. 
8. Interviewee - You need to be able to fill out tons of requests for interviews, reviews, and more. And you need to find a way to do them quickly while still giving fresh information
9. Advertiser - You need to know what ads you can pay for, what ads are free, and which ones are most effective. This requires looking at free sites and searching for sites to sponsor. Knowing which have good returns and which don't.
10. Publishing Rep - You need to reach out and try to set up PR related activities. You need to write and drop multiple kinds of press releases to different audiences. Contact media for articles/features/ and interviews. Create your own press kits
11. Supporter - You need to support others in their journeys. It is not all about you. And this takes tons of time as well. If you do not support, don't expect any in return.
12. Agent
13. Project manager - When you have cover designs and editors and more than one book going on - you have to manage to a budget and especially to a timeline. You will be managing several different projects at once and they will all be at different stages.
14. Sales - You have to be out there selling (overtly and covertly) without being cheesy about it. You also have to watch overexposure because it can backfire on you. It is a delicate balance.

Miscellaneous

1. Problem Solver - Problems come up daily whether it is your numbers disappearing at amazon, or a blogger who forgot to post an interview, or a price discrepancy. They come up every day.
2. Self Believer - Indies get rejection too. And it hurts. You have to move on and find those who support you instead of chasing the ones who don't.
3. Thanker - You need to thank and reciprocate those people who support you.
4. Multi-tasker - I shift all day long between these roles. It's exhausting.
5. Panicker - you gotta be able to work while you panic. Crying is allowed but your fingers must never leave the keyboard. ;)
6. Night owl - it is when you catch up.
7. Psychologist - i have to talk myself down off a ledge every now and then. Of course I do live in a one story so not too bad. :)

All this along with mother, friend, wife, cleaner, laundry doer, cooker, dog walker, appointment maker.

Last on the list - To find a way to only sleep 6 hours a night and not be a total bear (still working on this one)

Basically, indie pubbing is like running your own business - all by yourself. So all the things a business would do - you would do. It's Entrepreneurial Authoring.

I think that is it. But I'm too brain dead to remember.

What do you think?/ Do any of these surprise you?

If you can think of another one, please add it to the comments. :)

My Big Bang Theory

A few years ago, my neighbor called me and asked if I'd watched that new show, The Big Bang Theory. I hadn't even heard of it, so she just giggled and told me I had to watch it. The next night, my engineer hubby & I watched it and nearly died laughing. We know Leonard, Raj, Howard, and Sheldon in real life. These are our people and we embraced the show with open arms.


But here's what annoys me - I get Leonard's obsession with Penny. She's pretty, and perky, and girly. That's what every guy wants, right?


Is it?


I don't think so. While I loved the interplay between the guys on the show and understood every nerdy scientific joke, I detested Penny. I spent too many years as a teen falling head-over-heels for nerdy guys who would only put me in the friend category because I wasn't a cheerleader. Or pretty. Or perky. Or girly. That sucked.

I've come to love the show more, though, as they introduced Bernadette and Amy Farrah Fowler (played by Mayim Bialik - who I worshiped in the early '90s when she played Blossom). Now these were girls I could relate to. They're funny, quirky, and totally nerdy. Finally some of these guys were getting some action (though if you watch, you know Sheldon & Amy's relationship isn't exactly normal) with some pretty cool girls.


But I still felt bad for Leonard. He continued to be hung up on Penny, who, in my opinion, always treated him like he should be grateful she bothered to date him. This season, as they slowly find their way back to each other, I see the playing field leveling. Leonard finally has a bit more say in their relationship, which I LOVE. He should! Just because he's the nerd and she's the hot girl doesn't mean she's better than he is. I think Penny's starting to realize he's more than just her nerdy next door neighbor that she can toy with, which I do find kinda sweet.


So, tell me, how do you feel about the nerdy guy dating the hot girl? Should the hotter person have more power in the relationship than the nerdy character? Would you like to see more of the nerdy girl with the nerdy guy? Or are you cool with whatever?


XoXo,


Megg

OUR VALENTINE'S GIFT TO YOU

Only one week left until Cupid makes his rounds. Are you hoping for chocolate, dinner, flowers, great love stories? We can help with that last one.

This Valentines Day, The Indelibles bring you a one-of-a-kind young adult anthology. Sixteen original short stories, all from the point of view of our favorite male characters - some are old flames from our novels and some were dreamed up especially for this anthology.

Let these imminently crushable, swoon-worthy guys show you what romance looks like – in his eyes.

The contributors to In His Eyes include award winners, frequent “Top 100” placers, and hot 2011 debut authors.

Sounds good, huh? Add In His Eyes to your TBR list on Goodreads

Stories included in the Anthology:

Surprise, Surprise by Stacey Wallace Benefiel, author of Glimpse: Half the women in Melody's family can see the future, which makes it nearly impossible for Raleigh to surprise her. What's a guy to do for Valentine's Day when his girlfriend is always one step ahead of him?

First Kiss or First Kill? by C.K. Bryant, author of Bound: Love isn't always rainbows and kittens, sometimes it can be downright deadly. (A deleted chapter from Bound.)

Shattered by Ali Cross, author of Become: James and Desi use each other in an effort to cling to the darkness in each of them, but in the end they discover that love changes you. (A chapter of Become from James’ POV.)

Before by Jessie Harrell, author of Destined: When a younger Eros is exiled to a land that doesn't believe in the Greek gods, he finds the first love of his immortal life. Read Eros' first person account of his romance, and heartbreak, in the time before he met Psyche.

The Qualm Before the Storm by Karen Amanda Hooper, author of Tangled Tides. Yara Jones doesn’t want to be a mermaid. Treygan doesn’t want to be the monster who turns her. You can’t always get what you want. (A short prequel to Tangled Tides.)

Unspeakable by S.R. Johannes, author of Untraceable: When Mo sees a strange girl in the woods, he follows her. He soon realizes they are both in a dangerous position and might not get out alive.

In the Beginning by Katie Klein, author of Cross My Heart: Seth is falling hard for Genesis Green, but the guardian angel is determined not to interfere, until an accident changes the course of their lives forever. (A short prequel to The Guardian.)

A Chance Encounter by Cheri Lasota, author of Artemis Rising: Finnian's eyes hide a terrible secret. But a girl on the train home, the girl in tears with a secret of her own...She sees right through him. A scene from the upcoming novel, Echoes in the Glass.

Family Bonds by Heather McCorkle, author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll: A Halloween party filled with teens who can channel energy and use it to kill, what could go wrong? For Spruce Knoll fans who are dying to read more about Fane.

Getting Closer by Lisa Nowak, author of Running Wide Open: Megan is smart, hot, and an upperclassman—in other words, way out of Cody’s league. So why did she choose him? (An excerpt of Getting Sideways.)

The Almost Assassin by Laura Pauling, author of A Spy Like Me, releasing Spring 2012: Malcolm tries his hand at the family business but his conscience and a beautiful "spy" may be his downfall.

Mind Games by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds: Raf wants to take Kira—the only girl in school who doesn’t read minds—to the mindware Games, but his friends have other plans. (A short prequel to Open Minds.)

By The Firelight by Elle Strauss, author of Clockwise: When Nate McKenzie asks an unpopular girl to dance on a dare, he's in for the time of his life.

A Very Alien Valentine’s Day by Magan Vernon, author of How To Date An Alien: After surviving confinement and an intergalactic war for his human half, Alex, now he has to live through the biggest challenge of them all: Valentine's Day.

Aligned by RaShelle Workman, author of Exiled: A half-Eternal boy and an Eternal girl must free millions of tortured souls from a creature whose been feasting on their pain and suffering.

Want to help us spread the love? If you'd like to review In His Eyes, or help us spread the word with a release announcement, cover reveal, etc., please email us or leave a comment with your email address so we can make you an honorary Indelibles cupid. (Plus, we'll love you forever.)

The Hope for Love: First Crushes

Every February I can't help but think back on old crushes and first loves. Those loves that caused the most joy and the most pain.


I could never forget Patrick, who stole my heart in second grade. His blonde curly hair and blue eyes, made him the perfect match for me, a blonde headed, blue eyed girl. We even got to walk home together. He lived just up the street. He never knew I liked him. There was no way I would have ever told him. That would have been too embarrassing. And guess what? I saw him just the other day at a book signing. And you know what? He's an author, too.....

Then came the crush that seemed to linger forever. Nathan. I'd tell you his last name, but who knows, he could be reading this. I better protect the innocent.  Oh, I fell hard for that boy, and it wasn't just me. Everyone loved him. Any girl that breathed in our elementary school or the near vicinity couldn't help but be drop-dead in love with him.


The horribly terrible and yet most lovely thing about it all was that he lived near me and attended the same church, so, not only did I see him every day of the week at school, but on weekends, too.


But honestly, the worst part was that the most beautiful girl also lived near us and went to church with us. I never had a chance, really. But, I never let the dream die. Even when they got together, the two most beautiful people in my world, I had a hard time swallowing it. Surely one day he'd see the error of his ways. He never did. He just got more luscious and more amazing, while I kept on wishing. He did occasionally talk to me, but in truth, I was on a completely different level socially than he was. I was on the bottom rung, while he stood on the top. Yep, I still have neck problems from looking up at him. I have seen him since I moved away. I saw him at Lagoon, an amusement park in Utah a few years ago.
We're forty now and guess what? My heart jumped.

Do first crushes and loves ever die?
Who was your first crush and have you seen him lately?