Cover, editing, series, move to the next. THIS is the problem when you write about a novel a month for almost two years. The entire process gets all bottle-necked. Let me assure you, it’s an amazing problem to have.
You see, at first, I wanted to have my books published by one of those big places. You know the ones I mean. The problem is that I don’t write the stories they want. Vampires? Nah, that’s been done. I make genetically modified humanoids subjugated by population. Feudalistic Europe? I’m more of a Germanic/Rome kinda fan. Humans vs. monsters? I prefer monsters vs. humans. Over and over my fans keep saying two things consistently. 1. Characters that feel real. 2. Unique plot.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict the sales of a “unique plot”. That means companies who are forced to watch their bottom line get a bit nervous. A series about gamers, written in a style like romance serials but with an action/adventure style plot? They can’t figure out how to market it. Then again, I can’t either, so I just tell my fans on twitter and facebook and hope that word of mouth really works.
But, the rambling point I’m coming around to, is that while waiting to see who would be interested in my first, second, or whatever book, I kept writing – and researching. The deeper in I got, the more I realized that trade publishing may not be the answer I’m looking for. There’s no way the big publishing houses can keep up with my writing. They wouldn’t give half my books the time of day because there’s no profit/loss research on that subject. And….
Truth be told, I’m a fan of the indie control. I don’t have access to $5000 cover artists, but I do have people with skills. Maybe it takes my artist longer. Maybe my editor has a day job. Maybe my beta readers are literary fanatics sick of reading the same ol’ thing. Everyone involved in getting these books out to the fans are readers, the kind who like to curl up with a book and escape for a while. And now that I have decided to throw all of my eggs in one basket (indie publishing) they are right behind me making this happen.
Which means two new series for my readers. And yeah, all of these books are “done” (but waiting for editing and the finishing touches). I just don’t want to scare away my fans, making them think their favorite series will be forgotten. Most of these books are complete, sitting on my hard drive, waiting for a little polish to make them worthy of being seen. Most of the work needed to get these books to the readers are things out of my control, so while I get excited about a new cover, or being able to announce yet another release date, know that I’m at home, frantically typing away on the rainbow colored list of corrections that need to be made so you all can get the one after that.
And this is why I love being an indie author. Because I can tell you all the truth. I am not gagged by an agent or publisher, urged to hold my tongue so that expectations aren’t crushed with the print is running late or the release date is pushed back. I love being in control, even if that means accepting that I’m going to make mistakes. I love knowing that the book I created will be the book you see – and hopefully love enough to tell all your friends about.