When I decided to go "indie" with my first novel, my dear friend Francine L. Trevens, author and former theatrical publicist, advised me to produce both a paperback and ebook version of THE VOICE I JUST HEARD. "Why deprive yourself of the pleasure of seeing the book in print?" she once asked in an email. But I wasn't sure I wanted to shepherd the book onto the page after working so hard with my ebook formatter to create an electronic version. So for a while after the novel's debut on February 2, 2012, I was satisfied to sell it via Kindle and Nook.
A couple of weeks passed, however, and I mulled over Francine's email. As I thought about the needs of book club members and readers who had not yet embraced the ebook trend, I spontaneously launched a publishing process that was more detail-oriented and arduous than I'd ever anticipated. I was a novice, after all, and I made major mistakes. My ebook cover was beautiful, but now I needed a spine and back cover from my marvelous designer, Dave Hunter. And what did I know about font sizes, fleurons, and other interior design staples that I had to choose? In the end, it took endless proofing of my book to achieve the quality I wanted; frankly, I grew discouraged. Then a small miracle happened: in the final proofing phase, I noticed two plot errors that slipped by me in previous read-throughs, and when I made those corrections it felt as though my novel was being reborn. And not a moment too soon because it was heading to print which seemed permanent. (After all, I can reformat the ebook as many times as I want.)
The paperback made its debut on May 3, 2012, almost three months to the day I released the ebook, and when I held the finished book in my hand I knew Francine's advice had been wise and almost prescient. I was so glad I'd taken the time (and spent the money) to produce a paperback that I could happily send to friends, book reviewers who'd requested it, and the dedicated readers at Goodreads who entered my recent book giveaway.
Would I publish again in twin formats? You bet I would. And if you're planning to send your "indie" book into the world, you just might want to do the same.
Visit www.amazon.com to see both versions. The paperback is also available at Barnes and Noble.
My Sixties' Olympia portable.
How the Blog Got Its NameIt was Ernest Hemingway who, in a conversation with his biographer A.E. Hotchner, coined the term "unsynchronized passion." He was referring to his love for Marlene Dietrich, though the pair never had an affair. But maybe there are benefits to be found in unsynchronized passions. It's a subject my blog will explore, but in the meantime I salute Hemingway for all the ways he influenced writers of his own century--and the current era, too.
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UNSYNCHRONIZED PASSIONS: A BLOG |