Learn more about Lori at her website.
The New Self Publishing
A few years ago the idea of self publishing brought with it all kinds of negativity. The common agreement was that self published authors would be forced to spend money printing their books only to be left with hundreds of copies and a hole the size of Texas in their wallet. With the popularity of E-readers, companies like Amazon and Smashwords have changed the self publishing world. What makes this new form of self publishing different? Self publishing an E-book on a place like Amazon costs the author no money.
Even New York published authors have seen the benefit of self publishing their backlists and making a little extra cash. Check out designer and Kensington author Kimberly Killion’s site:
http://www.hotdamndesigns.com/bookcovers.asp
Notice anyone familiar? Kim has designed book covers for quite a few E-authors, some of which are self publishing their backlists and she’s getting orders from even more authors.
A friend of mine and self published author, Edie Ramer, was the first to tell me about the new self publishing world. When she introduced me to Zoe Winters, I realized just how well a self published author could do. Zoe has found great popularity with her three romance novellas. Amanda Hocking is another author who has actually been able to make a living off of her self published young adult books. And when my friend H.P. Mallory self published her two paranormal books and immediately started making good money, I finally decided to give it a try.
My debut historical romance, Wild Heart, had been published by Kensington. But I had a contemporary paranormal romance, The Ghost Hunter, which was just sitting on my computer. I figured why not self publish it? And so a month ago, I became not only an Ebook author, but a self published author. Self publishing isn’t for everyone and of course not everyone will have success. Both Amazon and Smashwords have guidelines on how to format your books for their sites. Still, if you’re computer illiterate like me, the formatting can be difficult. You’ll have to edit your own book and spend hours promoting.
As a reader, what should you look for if you want to buy a self published book? The same thing you look for when you buy a printed book; recommendations. Read the blurbs and excerpts, read the reviews, and ask for opinions. As self publishing is becoming more popular, don’t be surprised if one of your favorite authors ends up self publishing her next novel.
To celebrate the release of my self published book, I’m giving away two E-copies of The Ghost Hunter. Interested in a blurb? Here it is!
As a fallen angel destined for a life of servitude, Cristian Lucius is relegated to protecting earth from unwanted spirits. But he can’t accomplish this daunting task alone. He requires assistance from the very woman who frustrates him as much as she intrigues him. Cristian is determined to ignore his intense attraction for Ashley, and focus on his mission. If they don’t work together, they won’t have a chance in hell of defeating the demon threatening their lives. The problem is getting Ashley to trust him. No easy task, considering Cristian is the very man responsible for her father’s disappearance.
So feel free to leave a question about the self publishing world and I’ll try to answer. Or just leave a comment!
Thanks for blogging with us today, Lori and clearing up a few questions I'm sure we all had about self publishing. I love the premise of your new book. Good thing I have an Amazon gift card just waiting to be used! :)
Remember, two people who leave comments today will each win an e-copy of Lori's new paranormal contemporary, The Ghost Hunter!
