Indie Life

It's the second Wednesday which means it's time for Indie Life blogfest. Thanks to the Indelibles for starting and running this group. Once a month we reach out to each other to give and receive support. There are many more writers publishing by themselves or working with a small, independent press than there are traditionally published authors.

Don Helin at BAM

If you've been in this field for long, you'll either experience for yourself or know someone who has worked with a publisher who either goes belly up or that changes their course. Changing course is publisher speak for dumping an author. I've experienced both. Having a publisher you've signed a contact with go bankrupt is a long, drawn out headache as you try to get your rights back. It can take years. It took me nearly a year to get my two books back, neither had made it as far a being released, and I did find a home for that series with another publisher. I've also had the misfortune to have a publisher 'change course' to concentrate on celebrity books and books written by celebrities. It was infuriating but that's another story. I self-published that series after I had my rights returned. But an author friend of mine for the same company rewrote the second book in his series and started a brand new thriller series with a new publisher.

Don Helin, author of Devil's Den, is a perfect example of an author who had a setback but instead of giving up, he reached out and took control. Don found an independent press who he was comfortable working with and who had the professional reputation he sought to bring his work to the world. I recently attended one of Don's booksigning at the local BAM. He's a happy writer, doing what he loves.

I also found a new publisher for my newest fantasy series not too long after Don found his. We had talked many times about what we should do after that first publisher kicked us to the curb. What we both agreed on was not to give up. There are lots of wonderful indie presses out there run by talented publishing professionals. If you are looking for a publisher, talk to other writers, investigate your options and never, ever give up.  Don didn't and he's smiling with success.

Today is also Movie quote day at Alex Cavanaugh's fun blog. The focus today is computer-animated movies. I'm without an idea. I'll probably see lots of good candidates when I check out others' offerings but I seldom watch any animation since my kids are grown. But you can check it out or give me some suggestions.

Have you ever had a publisher go bankrupt or drop your line or genre? What animation are you watching?

Indie Life: Learn Everything

Welcome to the second month of Indie Life, a second Wednesday Monthly blogfest where writers publishing with small presses and self-publishing their writings. Each month we give and receive advice, supporting each other in this lonely life of the modern writer.

This Friday we're having an inservice day at school. The powers that be have arranged two hour sessions of lessons in technology and a lot of other school related issues. I'm not above selecting a presentation that will assist me in my second career. On Friday I'll be joining one of the art teachers in learning more about Photoshop.

With the dangers of using other people's photos on my blog or anywhere else, I asked for a new camera for Christmas. And now I'm going to learn more ways to use my amateur photos. More ways that will help me promote my book and perhaps make my own book trailers. I could hire someone to do that but I'm indie published which means a limited budget.

In today's world, especially those of us who are indies, you have to know every piece of the writing business. I'll be doing some of that on Friday.

Also helping me with learning every part of it is L. Diane Wolfe. I was fortunate enough to be one of the winners of her book, How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now. I've just skimmed it so far, but I already have some notes. I really believe no one can ever know everything about promotion. Check out Diane's book on her blog.

Check out the other member of Indie Life here. What part of the writing business are you confident about? What part do you feel you need to learn more about? How are you going to learn more?

Indie Life

Welcome to my first post in the Indie Life blogfest. To join, go here, where The Indelibles Writers have started this second Wednesday group where indie writers can share, comfort, encourage and basically, help each other manage the sometimes lonely life of being a writer.

Though this group is small, I believe it will grow and thrive because there is a need for it. Most writers get the answers they need from other writers. Need to know how to promote, how to use social media, how to self publish, how to find an agent, how to investigate the reputation of a small press, ask another writer. If they don't know, they know how to find out or someone who does know.

This brings to my point for this first post. When you become published, you'll find yourself checking your sales numbers, your reviews, and your ranks against other books in your genre. What you find might be encouraging or quite the opposite. It might discourage your from trying again. You might feel hopeless. But ... remember you're not competing against those numbers you obsess over.

If your book isn't doing well, do a better job or promotion. If your book isn't getting good reviews, try to learn something from them. And then make your next book better. You're competing against yourself. You must try to make every book better than the last one your wrote. You must improve your voice, make it unique and memorable. Create characters who readers will care about. Challenge your characters more than you did in all your previous works. The competition is your past work.

Do you see improvement in your work from one project to the next? Do you have other indie authors who have helped you along in your career?  Am I the only one that blogger won't let upload a picture?