March 26, 2018 – Being the CEO. How do you handle all the tasks you must juggle in this writing/publishing world? Do you hire out certain tasks? Why or why not?
I thought I got into this writing gig with open eyes. I'd done my research, figured out what I needed to do, made a plan for releasing my first book. How wrong I was.
As an Indie, it's not just writing the book. There's a whole host of other things that have to be done.
Editing is the first thing that comes to mind.
No matter how much you edit and correct your story, chances of you catching every error are slim to none. Even a second set of eyes is unlikely to spot every mistake. There are numerous grammar checking sites and programs on the internet, but even they aren't perfect. How many people does it take to catch every slip of an extra space or misspelled word? No one knows. It hasn't happened yet.
Then comes putting your words into the proper format for publication. It's a time-consuming process of you don't have the correct program. (and different companies may have slightly different requirements.) I decided that I didn't want to devote the time and energy to figuring the process out. So I pay a formatter to prepare the book for me.
But a book is more than words. There's the cover. Now, I'm aware that there are some talented folks out there who not only write books, they design their own covers. Not me. I don't have the skill. Luckily, I know someone who is a graphics artist and she actually likes making my covers. (Here's to you, K.M. Guth!) Have you seen my covers? Isn't she great?
Once all those pieces are in place comes the task of getting your book up on various book-selling sites. You can do that through a company like Smashwords or Draft2Digital, you can pay someone else to do it, or you can do it yourself. I've gone with the do-it-myself route. (mostly) It takes a bit of time, but once you've figured out each retailer's system it gets easier. The one exception if for Apple- I don't own the hardware and software that will allow me to load to their site. So I go through Draft2Digital. ( It also gives me access to some overseas distribution) By doing it myself, I have more control over the pricing of my books and can change the cost on a whim.
But the work doesn't end once the books are available at the various retailers. Somehow you have to get people to buy them! There are lots of social media websites to help with that (many I didn't know about when I started this adventure.) That could be a whole post of its own, but I'm sure you've heard of Facebook , Twitter, etc.
I've tried several different methods to get the word out about my new books in the past, without much luck. I'm going to try something new when I release my next book in a few weeks. We'll see how it works out.
Oh, my next book, you ask? Tell you more about it? Sure!
Wolves' Gambit is the third book in the Free Wolves series, but can be read as a standalone. It's the story of Lori Grenville, who we met in Wolves' Pawn. (Bet you don't remember her!) I've slated the book for release on April 15th. Here's the blurb, in case you're interested. :)
Wolf-shifter Lori Grenville was rescued from near-slavery and a brutal pack leader by the Free Wolves. To pay back the favor, she's dedicated her life to helping others in the same situation, leading shifters to safety and a new start, risking her life in the process. She's faced down alphas and has no qualms in undermining pack structure.
Now she's challenged with the task of restoring an alpha to his rightful place. If she gets it right, she can stop a war from ripping apart two packs and spreading across an entire state. If she fails, she'll be among the first to die.
There's still the option of walking away and letting the Jaeger and Destin packs destroy each other. That means she'll fail in her original mission of rescuing the daughter of the Jaeger alpha before the girl is forced into marriage for political gain.
Lori hasn't failed in a mission yet. This one may be the exception.
And I have another great cover, thanks to K.M. You want to see it? Okay, here ya' go!
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