Friday, April 26, 2013

Friend Friday



I met Rhonda McCormack at an amazing (and mostly scorpion-free!) SCBWI retreat in Arizona (kudos to Michelle Parker-Rock and her posse for a great weekend). She has a passion for writing and philanthropy that she combines in a wonderful way. Her first book, Wildflowers, is now out and I invited her to tell us a bit about it and how it came to be. Take it away, Rhonda!




Hello, Kirby’s Lane Readers.  I’m Rhonda McCormack, Indie author and artist, invited to Friend Friday to share a bit of my journey into the growing world of Independent (Indie) publishing.  I thank Kirby for hosting me.  As a long-time fan of her blog and books, I’m honored to provide a guest post.  I’d also like to congratulate her on Hattie Ever After, a lovely follow-up to HBS and a new personal favorite.  Kirby, I wish you oodles of praise and abundant readership.

In mentioning Kirby’s latest book, I’m reminded of the day I began drafting this post.  I’d just finished the novel and had Hattie on my mind.  Off to a foreign place, where things move fast and life lessons abound.  Interesting, I told myself.  That sounds like Indie publishing.  Like Hattie, I had an idea of what could be discovered and accomplished when I arrived in a new place, but a year later, I admit what I knew was ‘eh’ and what I learned reshuffled my deck.         

So what is the Indie movement all about?  Well, in short, Indie publishing is a hybrid creation, borrowing the tools from the self-publishing model and the guidelines of traditional publishing to create a community of authors/artists who, as individuals, behave like a traditional press.  In other words, the Indie book author commits to being a responsible steward of words, art, design, and even marketing, and in the end, offers well-crafted, quality works of art.  Because books are works of art.

For me, learning details about the movement happened organically over the six months I spent readying my novel for publication.  Information was scattered everywhere, though, and after I launched my debut title, I published a series of blog posts called the Indie Publishing Equation hoping to help others just starting out.  I explained the process from start to finish, trying to stick to facts but wading into opinion every now and again.  In the short space of now, even a brief summary would take up valuable space that I’d rather use telling you things that no one told me, but I found to be useful.

So, let’s say we all understand online publishing.   We know that the two choices for online self-publishing are print-on-demand (POD) and eBooks.  Let’s say we also know that, like most things technology-related, as online publishing becomes more popular, it gets easier to use with more sophisticated options.  And truthfully, a self-published book today can equal the quality of those produced by traditional presses and sold in brick-and-mortar stores…if written and designed well. 

Ah, there are the magic words we needed to hear.  The ones that launched the Indie publishing movement.  Let’s repeat them, if written and designed well.  Mmm, yes, we can all understand that.  But…wait…how do we do that?

My advice is simple.  First, learn all you can.  Second, consider if it’s a fit for you.  Third, create to your highest good.  And I mean for you to do these things with both Indie publishing and your writing. 

To learn: Read a book, use Google, or go to the source (Createspace, Lulu, KDP, PubIt, Smashwords).  Also, by joining a writing organization you can learn about traditional publishing, which some find to be a better option because it’s a place where professionals (who are really good at their jobs) guide you.  I belong to SCBWI, and there are other groups in specific genres like romance and mystery.

To consider: Not to get all squishy on you, but this is a time for self-reflection.  How are you with risk?  Are you self-motivated, even when frustrated by the unknown?  Do you ask for help when needed?  Can you embrace a more innovative, patient, and persistent you?  Will you commit to quality without getting lost in perfection?  These are important tenets at all stages, including marketing. 

To create your highest good: Be well-read, well-rested, and well-nourished in mind, body, and spirit (sorry, more squish, but it’s true).  Also, write, write, and then write some more.  It’s the only way to improve.

Once you decide what’s right for you, just take one step after another.  And like our friend Hattie, remember to be open to the Ever After, in whatever form it takes.

And here’s a happily ever after just for Kirby Lane Readers: The first reader to make a comment below wins a free, signed copy of wildflowers, my YA ecotopian novel. 


To learn more, please visit my blog where you can see the Indie Publishing Equation and marketing in action with my Earth Day celebration hosted by The fRead Project.  To read more about my journey, this interview at Chroi and Me, Meet the Writer Series explains lots.

 Thank you, Rhonda, for sharing all this great information, and for modeling what it takes to get one's book out there. Readers can follow Rhonda on Twitter: @rmackwrites





9 comments:

  1. What an imformative post! Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello My Full Bookshelf Reviews, and congratulations, you're the first commenter, which gets you a free, signed copy of my novel, Wildflowers. If you'll email me your name and address, I'll drop your gift in the mail right away. My email: rmccormackwrites at gmail dot com. As for the post, I'm glad you found it informative (and imformative :)). Thanks for your interest, and I look forward to chatting with you soon.

    Kirby, thank you again for hosting me as a guest. It's such a lovely blog. Be well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello My Full Bookshelf Reviews, and congratulations, you're the first commenter, which gets you a free, signed copy of my novel, Wildflowers. If you'll email me (rmccormackwrites at gmail dot com) your name and address, I'll drop your gift in the mail right away. As for the post, I'm glad you found it informative (and imformative :)). Thank you for your interest, and I look forward to emailing with you soon.

    Kirby, thank you again for hosting me as a guest. It's such a lovely blog. Be well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kirby, Great information for those looking into indie publishing. I have read Rhonda McCormack's book Wildflowers and loved it. She writes with such passion and her characters pop out of the book and take you along on their journeys. The twists and turns in the story keep you reading well into the night just to see how it ends. I would recommend this book to all ages.

    ReplyDelete
  5. "if written and designed well." These are the magic words when it comes to indie publishing. That, and a whole TON of elbow grease.

    As a writer (and friend and critique-reader of Rhonda), I have noticed that the 2 main differences between SELF-publishing and INDIE-publishing come down to this: Quality and Effort.

    In self publishing (not all of the time, but a LOT of the time), the author has taken the time to write a book. They may have even revised it once or twice. They may or may not have sent it out to agents and editors in the hopes of a traditional publication. After a few rejections, they get frustrated and decide, "Oh, I'll just do it myself!" and they get so impatient to just have that BOOK IN HAND that they take the quickest route.

    The result is a book that has NOT been gone over with an editor's eye, One with a less-than-inspiring cover, and a story that could have been made so much better with a little more effort. And there it sits. Your book. Published? Yes. But going places? No.

    With Indie publishing, not only has every effort been made by the author (as publisher) to create a high-quality, POLISHED read, one that has gone through many iterations before meeting approval, AND is stunning to look at, but the work does not stop with the printed book.

    Publishing nowadays, even if your book is done by a major house, involves more effort than ever on the author's part. Mainly: marketing. If you think the work of writing a book ends at "The End," you've got another thing coming.

    Creating a website and/or blog in order to be present to your audience; utilizing social media to network and meet others in the industry and reach out to readers; connecting with local business owners to host book events; going to industry meetings (i.e., SCBWI, RWA, Sisters in Crime, etc.) and learning how to make what you did even better; continuing your critique group connections; Giving away many many copies of your book as promotion; and all this while you are already working on your next book. And not giving up.

    It's a lot of work. Being an author no longer consists of sitting behind a typewriter, sending out your manuscript in manila envelopes, and collecting royalty checks. You've got to wear a lot of hats, and be diligent in each role. Which I can say with pride, my friend Rhonda is doing rather well. Kudos to you, my friend! May every effort pay off tenfold! I'm so proud and happy to be witness to your process, and can't wait to see what the future holds for you. Your efforts in the Indie realm are a lesson for anyone interested in becoming their own publisher. I encourage everyone to read Rhonda's Indie Publishing Equation series.

    Thanks to Kirby for hosting Rhonda today, and thanks as well for the link to my interview with Rhonda at Chroi and Me.

    Good Luck and Happy Reading.
    xo Heidi

    ReplyDelete
  6. "if written and designed well." These are the magic words when it comes to indie publishing. That, and a whole TON of elbow grease.

    As a writer (and friend and critique-reader of Rhonda), I have noticed that the 2 main differences between SELF-publishing and INDIE-publishing come down to this: Quality and Effort.

    In self publishing (not all of the time, but a LOT of the time), the author has taken the time to write a book. They may have even revised it once or twice. They may or may not have sent it out to agents and editors in the hopes of a traditional publication. After a few rejections, they get frustrated and decide, "Oh, I'll just do it myself!" and they get so impatient to just have that BOOK IN HAND that they take the quickest route.

    The result is a book that has NOT been gone over with an editor's eye, One with a less-than-inspiring cover, and a story that could have been made so much better with a little more effort. And there it sits. Your book. Published? Yes. But going places? No.

    With Indie publishing, not only has every effort been made by the author (as publisher) to create a high-quality, POLISHED read, one that has gone through many iterations before meeting approval, AND is stunning to look at, but the work does not stop with the printed book.

    Publishing nowadays, even if your book is done by a major house, involves more effort than ever on the author's part. Mainly: marketing. If you think the work of writing a book ends at "The End," you've got another thing coming.

    Creating a website and/or blog in order to be present to your audience; utilizing social media to network and meet others in the industry and reach out to readers; connecting with local business owners to host book events; going to industry meetings (i.e., SCBWI, RWA, Sisters in Crime, etc.) and learning how to make what you did even better; continuing your critique group connections; Giving away many many copies of your book as promotion; and all this while you are already working on your next book. And not giving up.

    It's a lot of work. Being an author no longer consists of sitting behind a typewriter, sending out your manuscript in manila envelopes, and collecting royalty checks. You've got to wear a lot of hats, and be diligent in each role. Which I can say with pride, my friend Rhonda is doing rather well. Kudos to you, my friend! May every effort pay off tenfold! I'm so proud and happy to be witness to your process, and can't wait to see what the future holds for you. Your efforts in the Indie realm are a lesson for anyone interested in becoming their own publisher. I encourage everyone to read Rhonda's Indie Publishing Equation series.

    Thanks to Kirby for hosting Rhonda today, and thanks as well for the link to my interview with Rhonda at Chroi and Me.

    Good Luck and Happy Reading.
    xo Heidi

    ReplyDelete
  7. Shirley, Thank you for stopping by to offer these kind words about the book.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Heidi, You've included many interesting points in your comment, and I thank you for stopping by to share them. What you say about marketing and continued efforts to improve your product are true. Your compliments are appreciated. Thank you. Though I've made lots of mistakes and had many efforts fall flat, there's a lesson at every turn. As always, your support means the world.

    ReplyDelete