I've finally done it. After eight years, seven novels, three publishers, many rejections, and much hand wringing, I've decided to dip my toe ever so gently into the swirling waters of self-publishing. If you've read any of my posts for indie authors you'd think I was a self-publishing machine. Think again. This is a first for me and it is daunting. The thing I feared the most turned out to be the easiest. I'd heard nightmarish tales of the difficulties in uploading a book to Amazon. I heard you needed to know how to write code. I heard you needed a converting program.
After downloading a program to convert my ms file to mobi (the format needed for Kindle) and failing at achieving a satisfactory book to share with the public, I decided to just start the process of signing up to be an author on Amazon while I searched for another, more user friendly, mobi converter program. I went to Amazon KDP and filled out all the forms--easy, added my tax info--easy, uploaded the cover--easy (I'd had a cover designed months ago), and arrived at the section where it says 'upload your book.' I tried uploading the pdf I'd prepared for the converter program. I got a message saying Amazon didn't accept pdfs. It listed the accepted formats and low and behold, one of them was Word document. What the??? What about all that very technical converting I needed to do?
Here's where it gets really strange: Throwing caution to the wind, I loaded the doc, waited for it to successfully upload. Once the ms was loaded successfully Amazon asked if I'd like to see what it would look like in several different Kindle formats. I held my breath and started with Kindle Fire--perfect. I scrolled my ebook through all the various formats and while some weren't so perfect, all looked pretty darn good.
Amazon then asked was I ready to publish. "No," I thought. "I'm doing something wrong. It can't be this easy." Yet after a few days of searching the internet and a conversation with my publisher, I discovered it can be that easy.
So here I am, friends, dipping my toe into the waters. The ebook I'm publishing is a funny, snarky novella I wrote after the publication of Never Slow Dance With A Zombie called I Want You Back! I'd been sitting on it for years. Earlier this year, I polished it again, sent it out for an edit, and here we are. It's available for presale at $2.99 here: I Want You Back! Why not pop on over and admire my Amazon page, but DO NOT BUY IT because I'm offering the same ebook here free: E's Website. You heard right, I'm giving the ebook away and I'd rather you try it for free than buy it.
Not to toot my own horn, but some of my books have been Amazon ebook bestsellers, and not in some obscure category, either. And I've been nominated for the prestigious ALA (American Library Association) Award, so I'm no slouch. I even wrote a short film that was nominated for an Academy Award, seriously, the Academy Award--you know, the show that's on TV every year. But I digress. The free ebook is my way of getting newer readers to try my work. All I want in return is that you sign up for my newsletter for special fans.
Please take a moment to click on the link above, and stop by my wbesite where you can hear more about the ebook & newsletter, and sign-up to receive it in time to read during the holidays.
Now that I know how easy self-publishing can be, you will be seeing more shorter works from me published by me. My longer works will still be published by White Whisker Books--for now. I've dipped my toe into the self-publishing waters and they're not as deep as I thought they'd be. If you're considering self-publishing, do not hesitate as long as I did. It's not as scary as it seems. Go for it!
If you'd like a short, funny, paranormal read, head on over to my website and give I Want You Back! a try.
Keep reading- Keep Writing!
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