What in the world could I be talking about? I can see the wheels spinning in your head.
Well let’s give some background. Anyone who knows anything about publishing knows that self-publishing has a certain amount of stigma attached to it. There aren’t riots in the streets and no one is calling for the heads of the CEOs of the Big 5 publishers, but there’s still a stigma.
But a little tiny sliver of hope has appeared on the horizon. The Washington Post featured a self-published romance novel as one of it’s “Best Romance Books of 2015”.
Alisha Rai’s Serving Pleasure made the cut. And it’s thought to perhaps be the first such book to make one of these best of the year lists.
So now maybe Alisha Rai will be mentioned in the same breath as Hugh Howey, E.L. James, and Andy Weir? Or not, but it’s still nice to see.
What do you think of a self-published book being named one of the best romance books of 2015? I have nothing negative to say about it.
Johnny Reads 
At the San Francisco Writer’s Conference, I talked to a couple agents who were potentially interested in my book. They both informed me that, while yes, I’d be agented, I should be prepared to self-pub or small-indie-pub my first 1-to-3 novels… and that even if they managed to work me into one of the larger houses, I should be prepared to do all my own marketing. The stigma is almost non-existent anymore, unless the book is utter tripe. There are a handful of review houses that won’t review self-pub… but there are ways of beating that system, too. Step 1) look professional. Step 2) *be* professional. Step 3) Work it like you own it. Because you do.
As time goes on, we’re going to be seeing more and more people giving the finger to big-pub in favor of smaller houses. More control = more money in the pocket of the artist. As long as your book doesn’t suck, and you take the time to learn a thing-or-ten about marketing, there’s really no need anymore for the esteemed publishing contract.
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Well you’d know better than I would. Doesn’t mean I agree. I’ll believe you when major publications stop charging outrageous fees to review self published books. Like Kirkus.
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It’s nice to hear this, especially when landing an agent and publisher seems like a pipe dream to any writer nowadays.
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Mhm. Or we can all just write erotica. 😂
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Um… Sssuuuuurrreeee… 😛
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Well, it could work. 😉
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I don’t know if I could do it. I’d probably blush the whole way through writing it. Heh.
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Hmmmm. Wouldn’t matter once you start counting your millions. 😂
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Apparently, vampire erotica = instant millionaire. I’m just not sure I could sell my soul to that level. LOL! Could I write it? Sure… and it would be hilarious for about the first 10 minutes. Then *yawn*
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*Opens Google. Searches “How to write vampire erotica.” 😂😂😂
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Just go read True Blood. Or watch the series, you know, if you’re down for HBO soft porn. LOL
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😂😂😂 I actually haven’t ever seen that. But if it’ll assist me do finding my millions, then maybe I’ll give it a look. 😉
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