Saying "I Knew You When..."

It's not about the money, money.
A quick internet search showed results for participating authors' 2014 earnings. Over 50% of annual writing income from either traditional or self-published authors made less than $1,000. Hybrid authors made slightly more. The next largest percentage of moneymakers was the $3,000-$4999 range for all three types. Annually. Very few authors make it big.

 Signing the Contract

I'm going to be published soon. Do I think that means I expect to be rich and famous? Absolutely not. Especially in a niche market for the LDS audience. Do I still hope that people will read and love my book? Absolutely. Most authors want to send some kind of a message, make a difference in people's lives, and they continue to write because they love it.

Along with these stats, it might be fun and interesting to learn a few facts from my personal journey to publishing.
1. I'm estimating it took two years between 2010-2012 to write Secrets of the King's Daughter, including revisions.
2. I submitted the first chapter to two contests in 2011 and won first place in both for my category.
3. The manuscript was rejected by my publisher once before I fixed some crucial problems and resubmitted.
4. I submitted the manuscript in spring of 2013 and received acceptance news in August.
5. I was offered a contract in April 2014 and signed an in-house revised contract on 9/29/14.
6. Number of release dates: 3 between November 2014 and March 2016.
7. Became a LDStorymaker member August 2015.
8. Cover Release date: January 29, 2016. Watch for it!

So what do writers do between all that waiting? They write something else, of course!

My Traditional vs. Self-Publishing Experience

Signing a Publishing Contract, October 2014

Welcome! You are in the write right place. I'm doing a little construction on my blog.

Here I am at the point of two months or less until my first book release and I still don't know the specifics. I almost typed that I still don't know what's going on, but that isn't completely true. I realize my book is in a lineup, and it's not quite crunch time for my publishing team to focus on me. It's a little frustrating, but I have no regrets about my publishing decision. Let's call it a learning process. There are pros and cons to everything.

Some of the delays have been self-imposed. I asked for a simple tweak on my cover, which is why I haven't revealed it yet. I had hoped to start building excitement for my book release by now.

I could have self-published Secrets of the King's Daughter a year ago. Yep, my publisher waited for the most opportune time, January 2016--when LDS bookstore catalogues feature Book of Mormon related items. With traditional publishing, I gave up my control over things like that. It's a good thing I'm not a big control freak, and this is not my sole source of income. With self-pubbing I would have had to take the time to learn to formatting or hire it out. That initially felt like a lot to take on, though I may end up learning to do that later for other projects. Consider your control and patience levels and financial needs when making your decision.

Leaving the challenging part to my publisher has allowed me time to work on the sequel. It ended up that by waiting a year, my next book will easily be ready without the stress of deadlines. The biggest factor in deciding to sign my contract was having exposure from a respected company in my niche market to represent me. Those who are more national market writers should check out how books are doing between different publishing directions for their own genre.

The hardest part for me currently is not knowing which marketing tactics to use that I've read or heard about. For example, I began making a list of which blog reviewers to contact, but found out they take care of that. So, I'm tweaking this blog layout and doing some critiquing while I'm in limbo. Soon enough, things will be heating up, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Bring it on.

The Bumpy Road to Publication

It's been a week of highs and lows for me. If I could have foreseen the bumpy road to publication, would I make the same choices? Before I answer that, let's take a look at my week. 

The High: I asked, on short notice, three authors to read Secrets of the King's Daughter for the back cover blurb reviews, and all three came through for me with wonderful reviews. Great news, right? Even better, was the fact that I just had to ask one of these authors for the favor because, well, it's H. B. Moore--as in the researcher and writer of LDS historical fiction and Whitney Award winner! How cool is that? I felt so grateful that I had the courage to ask a busy author who probably gets a lot of requests from unknowns like me. To have her endorsement is HUGE. Feeling grateful; feeling good.

The Blow: Friday I learned that my book's release date was moved back from February 2015 clear until January 2016. What? Eleven months later!?! Instant deflation. How can I wait that long?

But I understand the publisher's reasons. Scriptural fiction sells better if it's the Gospel Doctrine topic of study--three to four times better, some say. 2016 is the year for Book of Mormon study. It might make sense to wait. One who wasn't emotionally attached to the situation would have to agree. (Disclaimer: This is not to say they won't change their minds again. I'll keep you posted.) 

I've given up my control to a publisher who holds the best market niche for my type of book, rather than self-publishing how and when I want. Do I regret that decision? No. I don't need a psychic consultant; I'm trusting in a marketing team with experience and emotional detachment. I have a great editor that I didn't have to seek out. I believe that sharing the same publisher was a contributing factor to Heather Moore taking time to write a back cover review. I just need to be patient. It's kind of like preparing a glorious feast and then finding out the guests have been caught in traffic. Delay mode. Don't worry; I've got some things to work on in the meantime.