Morphtastic! Traditional + Indie = Hybrid Author

by Jennifer James

Almost one year ago, my first book LOVE KINECTION (Sexy geek romance) was released from Decadent Publishing. I was ecstatic. Finally, I’d sold a manuscript. I had the street cred I thought I needed to say that I was a “real” author…. At that time, I had the mistaken impression that an Indie author was someone who couldn’t sell a manuscript to a publishing house and so they were forced to self-publish their crappy story. 

Don’t hit me with rotten tomatoes and old sardines! I like to be as frank and honest as possible. *I was an undereducated, mislead, brat.* Any Indie titles I’d picked up at that point were a hot mess in need of editing. My little, closed off world view combined with a few bad purchases on Amazon left me with a bad case of tunnel vision author snobbery. (Of course, I think everyone can agree that there are plenty of books out there published by the Big Five in NYC that are a freakin’ overpriced doorstop.)

Now, almost a year later, I’m getting ready to publish two titles myself. Originally I had planned on having MARKED (a BDSM Werewolf short) up and ready to go for free. Unfortunately I’m still waiting on cover art. But, I have high, HIGH hopes that it will be ready to go very soon. I’ve got a 20k erotic paranormal romance called COVERT CRAVING at the editor’s right now. 

What caused the change of heart? Well, I got educated. 

I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought, and that my limited experiences greatly affected how I viewed Indie authors and publishing. Add in the traditional thinking that permeates the publishing world (you have to have an agent, you have to be published by a huge publisher, only novels can be sold, if you don’t have an agent, you’ll never get published anyway, Indie books are garbage) and I had unwittingly closed myself off from an entire world of possibility.

After realizing that I could publish a book faster than a publisher, that I had a circle of fellow authors with the chops to edit for me in exchange for things I’m good at, reading some amazingly good Indie books (happiness abounds when I get a new Felicity Heaton, Tonya Cannariato, or Tom Winship book), and discovering the blogs and books of authors who have been Hybrid for a while and are hitting the Best Sellers list, I got out my thinking cap.

Was Indie really bad? Or was Indie being vilified?

How could I get my book out when *I* wanted it out, instead of having an approximate six month wait from submission to release? What was I missing? Indie didn’t mean bad. I came to realize Indie meant control. Indie meant a lot of work. Indie meant I could get more books out faster . . . with a circle of talented friends to help me. 

When you really think about it, going the Hybrid route makes loads of sense. I can write books with publishers and have the advantage of their built in systems for getting a book on the market. Very little out of pocket cost for me, I get to work with great editors who help me hone my craft, and my readership base can grow because my books have the publisher’s name attached to it. When I want to release something Indie, I get to decide the publication date, I get a larger share of royalties, I can set the price myself, and I can keep my readers happy because they’ll have more books to read more quickly. 

Being Hybrid is a win-win. 

Author Bio:

Jennifer James lives on the coast of a lake fed by a famous burning river. She and Jack Daniels have a good, if slightly unbalanced relationship. Chocolate and peanut butter were meant to be together, and should be considered the ultimate celebrity couple. Two Tiny Divas, a dog, a cat, a husband, and a whole ton of imaginary friends follow her wherever she goes. This can make bathroom breaks awkward. 

Author Links:

Website: http://www.authorjenniferjames.com/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-James/212335188856799?ref=hl

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/644267.Jennifer_James

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferJames34

Love Scenes and Wet Dreams : http://www.lovescenesandwetdreams.com

  

 Contest Time!

To get ready for Jennifer James' guest blog, I read her paranormal ebook Hunger Embraced.  I loved it so much, I want to give it away!  So here's the deal:  The book features the Celtic goddess Morrigan, who can appears as an old wise woman, a warrior, or a mother. To enter, simply post below which side of Morrigan you most embody.  I will use Randomizer.org on Saturday, May 4 to pick a winner of an ebook copy.  PLEASE leave a contact email so I can contact the winner.  -- pearls

Preparing for the Madness of RT (Giveaway)

by JM Madden

I joined the Lexington chapter of Romance Writers of America almost seven years ago now. I remember walking into a lunch at a local eatery and just being entranced by the women there. They were real writers. Unlike me. I just scribbled in notebooks at the time. Had no idea what to do with what I had, but knew I needed to do something because the stories just kept coming.

That group of women started me on my career as a writer. I worked on my manuscripts for a couple of years, then eventually built up the courage to submit to a newly opened digital publisher. That was in October of 2010 and my first book, Second Time Around, was accepted almost immediately. I cried that day, unable to believe that somebody believed in me that much!  

That following April, I flew out to LA to meet my publisher and to attend the Romantic Times convention, my first as a published author. Sounds cool, huh? I have to say, it was a hell of a thrill for this country girl.  Romantic Times is one of THE biggest conferences for romance writers in the country. And readers. I certainly found myself falling into reader/fangirl mode a lot out there. Definitely more than author mode.

If you’ve ever been to a conference like that, you’ll understand what I’m saying. It’s thrilling to walk through the halls of the hotel and pass women whose names you’ve only ever seen on the covers of books. Or listen to the innovators of the industry talk about their visions for the future. You are just in awe of the sheer brilliance surrounding you.

I find that as I get ready for my third Romantic Times conference, that excitement is still there, although it has morphed to a certain extent. I’ve met wonderful writers over the years and have realized that they are just regular people, like me. They have kids and mortgages and bills. Insecurities. Weaknesses.  

But it’s funny because I now have people coming up to me with that fangirl mentality. Which feeds my enthusiasm for writing. I love meeting readers that have read my books, because many times they’ve fallen in love with my characters as much as I have, so we automatically have a lot in common. 

Each conference I go to, and I’ve been to a good many in the past couple of years, is different. They nurture different environments and different readerships. Different genres of writing. But so far, RT is the only one I’ve been to that nurtures everything. It’s the most all-inclusive get-together I’ve ever been to, and it feeds my creative soul.

This conference begins on May 1^st, and the excitement is building inside me. I’m anxious for this week to fly. Anxious to get in the truck and drive for eight hours to get there. Anxious to stand in line to get my Published Author badge. Anxious to sign the first request by a reader. 

It’s been hectic getting ready, ordering swag to give away, books to sell. But I know once I get there it will all have been worth it.

Book Blurb

I’m promoting a new series this year that’s very dear to my heart. It’s called the Lost and Found series. It’s about wounded veterans returning from overseas and having to build a new life for themselves. The prequel to the series, The Embattled Road, is free right now. You can check it out at Amazon here.

 

The second book, Embattled Hearts, deals with one of the partners, and his search for love. Here’s the blurb:

John Palmer hasn’t felt like a real man since he was injured during combat in Iraq. Though not content with his new life, he is mostly adapting, just like the other vets at the Lost ‘N’ Found Investigative Service. When Shannon Murphy is hired on as the new office manager, life suddenly gets a lot more interesting. Before long, John finds himself wondering if he could ever be the kind of man Shannon needs.
Shannon Murphy wasn’t really looking for love when she hired on at LNF, but finds herself hopelessly attracted to the sex-on-wheels former Marine, John Palmer. The man is grumpy and nearly impossible to work with, but his brand of masculinity appeals to her on a basic level. Soon Shannon is wondering just what it would take for John to want her the way she wants him.
When an old enemy tries to settle a vendetta against Shannon, John insists on protecting her. He moves into her house, fanning the spark of attraction into a blaze. But the danger continues to escalate. Will the connection that they’ve found survive when they’re thrust into a fight for their lives?

 Giveaway Contest

John Palmer was one of my most difficult yet satisfying men to write. I’ll be giving away a download of Embattled Hearts to one lucky visitor, just tell me if you’ve ever been to a romance conference of any kind, and your experience, good or bad.

 I sincerely appreciate you stopping to read!  And Happy Birthday Inner Goddess Blog!!!

JM Madden loves to talk to readers on:

FB ~~ Twitter~~Blog~~Website   

or you can contact her directly at authorjmmadden@gmail.com

Bound by Seduction Tour & Giveaway

Inner Goddess is excited to be hosting Kharisma Rhayne's Bound Tour.  Today, we get to show an excerpt from part 5 of Bound by Seduction.  AND Kharisma stops by to show us her WIP, Somewhere in Time.   Check it out!

Part 5 blurb: 

JACOB & ISA

Jacob liked Isa, maybe even loved her, but if she couldn’t accept everything, it was time for them to both move on.  Would she accept what he was about to tell her?

Book FIVE Excerpt

Standing in the middle of the room, Jacob let the whip crack. He loved how it sounded hitting the tile floor, the hiss it made as it flew through the air, the crack it made when it hit its target. Feeling himself get hard, he adjusted his cock, cursing his uncomfortable jeans.

Could he get Isa to feel the same way he did about the whip? He’d know soon enough since she was on her way over and he’d already decided tonight was the night he was going to be honest. He’d hidden this part of himself from her for a year already. 

He liked her, maybe even loved her, but if she couldn’t accept everything, it was time for them to both move on. Would she accept what he was about to tell her?

Amazon – All Romance – Barnes & Noble – Bookstrand

 Upcoming: Bound by Seduction:  Somewhere in Time, Book 4

 Thanks so much for being a stop on the Bound Tour.

Are we having at least a little fun yet? Today I’m going to introduce you to Bound by Seduction 4: Somewhere in Time. This one is short stories of time travel.

SOMEWHERE IN TIME (Which is becoming Book 4 will include books 16-20)

--NOTE: blurbs are not final and are subject to change--

Book 16: Sionn & Beth (Highlander)

Coming 2015

Beth is a waitress in current time. She’s spoiled and enjoys her life of luxury (being that she only works when she wants and mostly has Daddy’s money). What happens when Beth suddenly finds herself in an unknown and hard world hundreds of years before she was ever born? Will Sionn convince her it’s a good thing?

Book 17: Agnar & Kallye (Viking)

Coming 2015

Forced into becoming the clan leader earlier than planned, Agnar has no desire to wed the match that was set for him before his father’s death. Can Kallye, while in a world she doesn’t belong in, convince him he’s wrong?

Book 18: Maska & Lissette(Native American)

Coming 2015

Lissette finds herself somewhere she never dreamed of. Somewhere she’d only seen in old movies. Being an outsider was never easy, but to survive here, she had to fit in. Maska, the man who looked at her with kindness when he thought no one saw, might be her only hope.

Book 19: Klaus & Tatum (Pirate)

Coming 2015

Klaus didn’t know how the strangely dressed woman came to be at one of the seaside sales sites, but something within him urged him to purchase her. Would this feared pirate ruin his reputation as he got to know Tatum?

Book 20: Chance & Kasia (Cowboy)

Coming 2015

Chance likes things uncomplicated. He has his ranch, some good farm hands, and that’s all he needs. On his way back from town, he finds Kasia wandering around. She claims to have no idea where she is. Has Chance been tricked into a wife, or has he just been saved?

I hope you’re enjoying the sneak peeks at future books in the Bound series. Be sure to stop by the rest of the stops to see what else I have in store.

Buy Links: ARe – Amazon – Barnes & Noble

 

I’d love to hang out with everyone. You can find me at: Website – Blog – Facebook – Bound by Seduction   Twitter @KharismaRhayne

Contests

To enter the tour wide giveaway, enter here: http://www.kharismarhayne.com/2013/04/bound-by-seduction-tour-wide-gveaway.html 

 Print Book Giveaway Rafflecopter Widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Please be sure to stop in and visit all the blogs on this tour (also, there should be daily direct links posted) http://www.kharismarhayne.com/2013/03/full-april-1-20-for-bound-by-seduction.html