The Artist Unleashed: CHANGING GENRES … AND THE JOY OF BEING INDEPENDENT, by Gillian Hamer

The Artist Unleashed posts have moved to a new domain. Please click HERE to read the rest of this post and for the opportunity to comment. Just search for the title of the post in the search bar on the new site.

How To Survive Writing In A Narrow Niche: Diversify!

Today I'm honoured to be a guest at The Alliance of Independent Authors Self-Publishing Blog talking about how I survive as an indie author writing in a unpopular genre.

I also share my sales stats. I know. Now I'm an open book. Eeek!

Hope to see you there!

*Comments here are closed, please comment on the other blog.

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CLICK HERE to subscribe to Jessica's newsletter. Every subscriber will receive Book #1 of the Writing in a Nutshell Series, Show & Tell in a Nutshell, for FREE. And be the first to know about new releases and giveaways!

DO YOU AGREE, OR DISAGREE? (#03) [TOPIC: Review Blogs Turning Down Indie Books]

The other day on Facebook, author Roz Morris, wrote how a review blog turned down her novel because it was self-published. But little did they know that this self-published book was written and published by an author who has ghost written about a dozen bestselling books. Millions of readers have enjoyed her books, and as she states on her blog "that’s no exaggeration because average sales were 500,000 copies each."

She is also an extraordinary editor and book doctor.

Did the people behind this review blog even LOOK at who they were turning down? I guess not. I guess they saw "self-published" and turned up their noses.

Huh. Pretty disgusting if you ask me.

Source

So my statement for you today is as follows:

There are still traditional publishers and professionals who continue to feel threatened by the ever-expanding and improving quality of indie books, and as a result, they are cutting their noses off to spite their faces. The indie movement is here and it's not going anywhere. There is no turning back. It's about time everyone jumped on the bandwagon and started looking at authors individually, rather than by the process in which they decide to publish their books.

Do you agree, or disagree?

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CLICK HERE to subscribe to Jessica's newsletter. Every subscriber will receive Book #1 of the Writing in a Nutshell Series, Show & Tell in a Nutshell, for FREE. And be the first to know about new releases and giveaways!

PS: Bitter Like Orange Peel Only $1.99 until January 31st! Click here for details.

Why Should Readers Care about the Indie Revolution? by Anne R. Allen #Indiestructible

Only $0.99 on Kindle!

Indiestructible tells the stories of 29 writers who chose the non-corporate path to publication. They are all published by independent small presses or have hired a team to help them self-publish. They are all part of the “indie revolution.”

I realize some book-lovers find this a terrifying time. Everything in the publishing industry is in upheaval. Bookstores are closing all around us. Publishers and online retailers are battling each other in the courts.

Change is scary.

But you know what’s scarier than change?

No change.

Before the electronic revolution, publishing was a calcifying industry:

1. New writers found it impossible to break in. 
2. Whole genres were eliminated at the whims of a handful of corporate marketers
3. Anything innovative was stifled because it didn’t have a “track record.”
4. Successful career authors were dropped if they couldn’t produce annual blockbusters in spite of no marketing budget. 
5. The antiquated system of returns—which makes every bookstore a consignment shop—means publishers waste millions shipping books back and forth to warehouses and eventually pulping them.

But digital technology is changing everything. So is social media.

I’m sure you’ve read rants about how the eBook and Facebook are killing real books.

But they’re not. More people are reading now than ever before. We are not losing our literature to a “tsunami of self-published crap.”

There is certainly a lot of not-ready-for-its-close-up writing out there. But you don’t have to read it. Every book on Amazon has a “look inside” feature, so all you have to do is take a peek. Amateur writing announces itself in the first five pages.

But the self-publishing revolution is helping us all grow in new directions. I love this joke from social media guru Kristen Lamb: “Great, thanks to that Gutenberg jerk, everyone can be published.”

Just as Johannes Gutenberg took power from the ruling priestly caste and gave it to the people—who could then read the Bible and find out for themselves what it said—eBooks and POD technology are taking power from the ruling publishing caste and letting the people decide for themselves what they want to read.

This means more power is now in the hands of readers and writers than any time in history.

Thanks to eBooks, cheap POD paper books, and social media marketing, writers can now go directly to readers with fresh, innovative ideas and stories.

If they want to.

Here’s the thing: the revolution doesn’t mean everybody has to self-publish. But the self-publishing option changes the playing field for everybody.

Your life is being changed for the better by the electronic revolution right now—no matter where you buy your books, or what format you use to read them.

I admit to preferring paper books, and I’m not self-published, but that doesn’t mean I have to support the old paradigm. I’m published with a small digital press that is as non-corporate as they get. All profits from the company go to fund literacy programs in East Africa. But I’m making a living writing.

That’s why I’m proud to be part of the “indie revolution” and the Indiestructible team—both as a writer and a reader.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE INDIESTRUCTIBLE

100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

____________________

Contributing authors:

Alex J. Cavanaugh <> Angela Brown <> Anne R. Allen <> Briane Pagel <> C.S. Lakin <> Ciara Knight <> Cindy M. Hogan <> D. Robert Pease <> Dawn Ius <> Emily White <> Greg Metcalf <> Jadie Jones <> Jessica Bell <> Karen Bass <> Karen Walker <> Kristie Cook <> Laura Diamond <> Laura Pauling <> Laurel Garver <> Leigh Talbert Moore <> Lori Robinson <> Melissa Foster <> Michael Offutt <> Michelle Davidson Argyle <> Rick Daley <> Roz Morris <> S.R. Johannes <> Stephen Tremp <> Susan Kaye Quinn

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About Anne R. Allen:

Anne R. Allen is a former actress and stage director who lives on the central coast of California. She’s the author of six romantic-comedy mysteries. Her newest is NO PLACE LIKE HOME. She has written a guidebook for authors with Catherine Ryan Hyde (author of the iconic novel Pay it Forward.) HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE…AND KEEP YOUR E-SANITY! She shares an award-winning blog with NYT bestselling author Ruth Harris at Anne R. Allen’s Blog…with Ruth Harris. 

I have a confession to make ...

I work too much. (who didn't know that, right?)

So, it's time for a "new season resolution": one personal project at a time.

On top of the day job, Vine Leaves Literary Journal, Vine Leaves Press, and the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop, writing time is ... hard to find. But I DO find it. And I also find the time to BE AN INDIE AUTHOR. That does not just involve writing books, but managing all the other tasks a publisher, designer, typesetter, and publicist manage. As much as I love it, it can get exhausting.

So from now on I have decided to write, design, typeset, publish, and market ONE book at a time until all the major tasks involved with that book are complete. THEN I will start the next one. I can't handle the juggling anymore. I don't have a life beyond the computer. And I realized this while I was away this August. (Okay, I realized it earlier than that but chose to ignore it.) After a couple of weeks of not turning on my laptop, the thought of turning on my laptop made me feel sick to the stomach.

That's not a healthy reaction.

So, I am going to become a "healthy worker". And stop pushing myself to get more and more and more and more done. What have I got to prove? Nothing.

I'm going to limit myself to a certain amount of tasks, and when I find that spare time, I'm not going to start another project (which is what I usually do when I find myself twiddling my thumbs), but I'm going to step away from the desk and LIVE a LIFE that does not involve books or computers.

How about you?
Are you a workaholic?
Have you tried to step back from your work to live a little more? How did that work out for you?
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PS: drop by this Wednesday to read a guest post by Karen Kondazian! Karen is an American award-winning actress and author. She has appeared as series regular lead in CBS’s Shannon and guest starred in over 50 television shows and films including, TNT’s James Dean with James Franco (dir. Mark Rydell), NYPD Blue, Frasier, Steal Big Steal Little with Alan Arkin, Yes Giorgio with Luciano Pavarotti, and played Kate Holliday in Showdown at OK-Corral (David Wolper’s award-winning series).

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CLICK HERE to subscribe to my newsletter. Every subscriber will receive The Hum of Sin Against Skin for free, and be the first to know about new releases and special subscriber giveaways.

ONLY 99c TO HELP SUPPORT THE INDIE AUTHOR & AN AMAZING CHARITY!

On the road ... literally. ~ in Asenovgrad.

I'm back to the drawing board after an amazing month-long road trip in Bulgaria! We travelled all over the place, totalling over 3000 kilometers. And it was really quite amazing.

Want to see some awesome pics? Click here, here, here, here, here and here.

Now back to business ... Guess what's finally available?

INDIESTRUCTIBLE!!!

The day I realized I’d been obsessing over my sales figures way too much was the day I closed my eyes and tried to think about the real reason I am an indie author.

Is my primary goal to make money? No. So why do I keep obsessing over my sales stats? I realized it’s because more sales means more people reading my work. What I really really want is to be read. I want to share the one thing in this world I would cut my fingers off for. I know. If I didn’t have any fingers, I wouldn’t be able to physically write, but you know what I mean.

My passion for writing comes with a perpetual replacement button, attached to my side seam, just in case it becomes unraveled, and falls off, after a day gallivanting through the publishing jungle. It can be tough in there, but in the end, being an indie author is OH SO WORTH IT.

This made me wonder …  what’s everybody else’s story?

Then Indiestructible was born.

Add me to Goodreads!

Need motivation and inspiration to self-publish, or sign that contract with an interested small press? Have you done all the research you can, but still feel ambivalent about the idea? Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle brings you the experiences of 29 indie authors—their passions, their insights, their successes—to help you make the leap into indie publishing.

This is not a how-to guide. This is the best of the indie tradition of experienced authors paying forward what they’ve learned, giving you information to help you on your journey. The personal essays in this book will leave you itching to get your work into the hands of readers and experience, first-hand, all the rewards indie publishing has to offer.

Not only is this anthology packed full of interesting, unique, and genuinely helpful information, and totally worth the 99c (only 99c!!!), 100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

Pretty amazing, huh?

What are you waiting for?

Buy Indiestructible—support the indie author and an amazing charity—TODAY!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE INDIESTRUCTIBLE

If you're not signed up to participate in the blog tour, but you'd still like to help spread the word, please feel free to copy, paste and post the following on Twitter and Facebook.

_______________

FOR TWITTER:

Wanna support the #IndieAuthor? Buy INDIESTRUCTIBLE today! 99c! 100% profits go 2 @buildOnEmpowers #SelfPublishing http://goo.gl/aS0ri

FOR FACEBOOK:

Need motivation and inspiration to self-publish or sign that contract with an interested small press? Have you done all the research you can, but still feel ambivalent about the idea? Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle brings you the experiences of 29 indie authors—their passions, their insights, their successes—to help you make the leap into indie publishing.

Buy INDIESTRUCTIBLE today! Only 99c! http://goo.gl/aS0ri

100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

_______________

eBook: $0.99 USD
Publisher: Vine Leaves Press
ISBN 10: 0987593102
ISBN 13: 9780987593108
Language: English

Edited & Compiled: by Jessica Bell

Contributing authors:

Alex J. Cavanaugh <> Angela Brown <> Anne R. Allen <> Briane Pagel <> C.S. Lakin <> Ciara Knight <> Cindy M. Hogan <> D. Robert Pease <> Dawn Ius <> Emily White <> Greg Metcalf <> Jadie Jones <> Jessica Bell <> Karen Bass <> Karen Walker <> Kristie Cook <> Laura Diamond <> Laura Pauling <> Laurel Garver <> Leigh Talbert Moore <> Lori Robinson <> Melissa Foster <> Michael Offutt <> Michelle Davidson Argyle <> Rick Daley <> Roz Morris <> S.R. Johannes <> Stephen Tremp <> Susan Kaye Quinn

CLICK HERE to subscribe to my newsletter. Every subscriber will receive The Hum of Sin Against Skin for free, and be the first to know about new releases and special subscriber giveaways.

A MONSTROUS SUMMER GIVEAWAY!!!

Firstly, I hope all those in the US had a great long weekend and did lots of long-weekenderly stuff, like eat a crazy amount of food that one would normally avoid in fear of putting on the pounds! Was it good? Still feel bloated?

Secondly, if you subscribe to my newsletter, you are going to receive the following in your inbox this Friday.

Not a subscriber? Want a chance to win something from this amazing list? It's not too late. You can sign up now!

Want to donate something to the giveaway? For every prize donated I will give 50 cents to BuildOn.org. Email me with the following info:

item(s) + link (Amazon if book) + format + personal website/blog

Hey Everyone!

It's SUMMER! And what do people like to get in summer? FREE STUFF!!! I'm going to make that happen for you.

As a token of appreciation to you all, I'm hosting a monstrous summer giveaway. There are lots of books up for grabs, a few services such as manuscript edits and book cover design, and even some music and really cool T-shirts!

So, this is how it's going to work:

• If you are a subscriber of this newsletter, your name will be put in the hat.
• If you become a subscriber upon hearing about this giveaway, your name will be put in the hat.
• Winners will be chosen randomly and announced in two weeks time via this newsletter.
• Prizes will be allocated randomly, but you may email me with your preferred category prior to Friday, June 14. (i.e. Services, Poetry, Young Adult, etc). 
• If you win (one prize per name drawn from the hat), and your prize is digital, you will receive it automatically via email. If you win something physical (i.e. paperback, CD, T-shirt), your donator's email address will be forwarded to you, so that you can contact the donator with your postal address. If you win a service, your donator's email address will be forwarded to you. It is your responsibility to follow up on your prize.

See below for the list of fabulous prizes up for grabs!

*All items are linked to a product page, and all names are linked to authors'/donators' websites. Just click on them to check them out!

Services

$40 Morgan Media Voucher (author services), by Rachel Morgan

10 chapter (up to 25,000 words) developmental edit, or a 20 chapter (up to 50,000 words) copy edit. A $1,000 value, by Amie McCracken

Free book cover design for paperback and/or eBook. by Virginia Haenni

Apostrophe Apathy and Comma Chaos (a writing workshop), by MM Pollard (PDF)

Poetry

Fabric (Goodreads Choice Awards 2012 Semi-finalist), by Jessica Bell (eBook, PDF)

Twisted Velvet Chains, by Jessica Bell (eBook, PDF)

Muddy-Fingered Midnights, by Laurel Garver (eBook)

i cannot bring myself to look at walls in case you have graffitied them with love poetry, by Dan Holloway (PDF)

Romance/Historical Romance

Ripper, My Love, by Glynis Smy (eBook)

The Role of a Lifetime, by Jennifer Shirk (eBook, PDF)

A Love Rekindled , by Myne Whitman (eBook) 

Young Adult

Rouge, by Leigh Talbert Moore (eBook)

Bestest. Ramadan. Ever., by Medeia Sharif (eBook)

Shifting Pride, by Laura Diamond (eBook)

Neverlove, by Angela Brown (eBook, PDF) 

The Breakaway, by Michelle D. Argyle  (eBook, PDF)

Transcend, by Christine Fonseca (eBook)

Lacrimosa, by Christine Fonseca (eBook)

EleMental: A First-person Shooter, by Steven O’Connor (eBook)

Escapement, by Ciara Knight

Battle for souls series: Rise from Darkness, Fall from Grace, Ascension of Evil, by Ciara Knight (eBooks)

Thriller

The Mistaken, by Nancy S. Thompson (eBook)

Oracle, by J.C. Martin (eBook, 2 copies avail)

Inceptio, by Alison Morton (eBook or paperback)

Literary/Contemporary Fiction

The Book, by Jessica Bell (eBook, PDF)

String Bridge, by Jessica Bell (eBook, digital soundtrack included, Melody Hill: On the Other Side)

Black Cow, by Magdalena Ball (eBook, PDF, 5 copies avail)

Never Gone, by Laurel Garver (eBook)

Up So Down, by Briane Pagel (eBook)

Just Exactly How Life Looks, by Briane Pagel (eBook)

Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves, by Dianne Ascroft (eBook or paperback)

Science Fiction/Dystopian

muted: a short story in verse, by Jessica Bell (eBook, PDF, or paper chapbook)

Debt Collector (Vol 1-3), by Susan Kaye Quinn (eBook)

Eclipse, by Briane Pagel (eBook)

Santa, Godzilla, and Jesus Walk Into A Bar, by Briane Pagel (eBook)

Lyon's Legacy, by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan (eBook)

CassaStar, by Alex J. Cavanaugh (eBook)

Becoming Human, by Eliza Green (eBook)

Fantasy

The Faerie Guardian, by Rachel Morgan (eBook)

Letters to Psyche, by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan (eBook)

Fireseed One, by Catherine Stine (eBook)

To Carry The Horn, by Karen Myers (eBook)

Ghost

The Glass Guardian, by Linda Gillard (eBook or paperback)

Despite the Angels, by Madeline A. Stringer (eBook)

Nonfiction (Writing/Publishing)

Sell Your Books!, by Debbie Young (eBook)

Nail Your Novel, by Roz Morris (paperback)

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression , by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi (PDF)

Nonfiction (Self-help)

Keeping Your Spirits Up, by Sarah Dale (paperback)

This We Know, by Tom Evans (eBook)

The Zone, by Tom Evans (eBook)

Horror/Speculative

River of Bones, by Jodi Cleghorn (eBook) 

The Scariest Things, You CAN'T Imagine, by Briane Pagel (eBook)

the After, by Briane Pagel (eBook)

Children’s

Zeb and the Great Ruckus, by Josh Donellan (eBook)

The Secret Lake, by Karen Inglis (eBook or paperback)

Eeek!: The Runaway Alien, by Karen Inglis (eBook or paperback)

Anthologies

The Best of Vine Leaves Literary Journal 2012, donated by co-editor Jessica Bell (paperback)

Spirited, donated by contributing author Dawn Ius (paperback or eBook)

The set of Literary Mix Tapes anthologies, donated by eMergent Publishing (4 x eBooks) 

Music Albums

Melody Hill: On the Other Side, by Jessica Bell (CD, 2 copies)

Bitter Delicious, by Lola Demo (MP3s)

T-Shirts

Ithacagreece.com T-shirts, donated by Erika Bach at Ithacagreece.com

NOTE: This is just a heads-up for my Friday newsletter announcement, if you want a chance to win one of these items, please sign up to the newsletter. It's also possible that additional items will be added to this list before I officially send it out.

The complications of a writer's location & nationality (and how to overcome them).

As most of you know, I live in Greece.

"Ooh, aah, what a dream!" I hear you cry.

But is it?

No. Here are some of the problems I face.

1. No local writer's events to attend. If I wanted to go to a conference, or a book launch, or a workshop, I would have to fork out airfare and accommodation to visit the English speaking country it is held in.

2. I can't get any writer's grants. Okay, I'm Australian. But I don't live there, so I'm not eligible. I'm not eligible for any grants from the UK either, despite living in Europe, because I'm not a European citizen. I'm not eligible for a US grant because, well, I'm not either American OR a US resident.

3. I can't enter many book awards. For the same reasons, plus some, in point 2.

4. I can't publish on NOOK. They require a US bank account. (I don't like Smashwords, it has got to be the most complicated bookseller in this world. My opinion.)

5. I can't take advantage of all the literary candy that is in Australia either. Though I am a citizen, I am not a resident. And my books are self-published through the US, so my books can't even be considered "Australian Literature".

6. I am constantly coming up against problems with my royalty payments with Amazon. They only pay into bank accounts from certain countries. Greece is not one of them. I used to get checks. But that meant a shit load of fees on my end when cashing them. I'm lucky that I now have a UK bank account. Sometimes my royalties go in. Sometimes they don't. All my royalties from Amazon EU (i.e. UK, DE, etc) get paid direct into my account without any problems. But every time they try to pay me my royalties accrued from the US sales, I keep getting an email saying that my bank account information is incorrect. UGH. I keep complaining. They keep telling me they're looking into it, and I still keep getting emails saying my bank account info is wrong. It's impossible to be wrong if they are already paying some royalties into it. I'm owed more than three months worth of royalties. Why? I cry!!!

7. I can't market my book in a real public venue where I talk to real faces instead of virtual ones. I'm confined to the internet. It's tough. And isolating. And lonely.

There are more. I can't think of them right now. But my point is. My life as an Australian writer living in Greece is DIFFICULT.

I'm working really hard to do the best I can with the facilities I have. I create my own opportunities (Vine Leaves Literary Journal, Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop). I start community projects (Indiestructible, The Artist Unleashed). I guest post as much as possible on other people's blogs. I join awesome Indie Author Organizations (ALLi).

My point? Somehow, I still make it all work. I know this isn't going to get any easier. But I'm still motivated, and determined to never drop the ball. I NEED TO STAY VISIBLE.

No matter what your circumstance, you can succeed in one form or another. All you need is patience, stamina, passion and determination.

Have you got PSPD? If so, don't let any obstacle, big or small, set you back. Get out there, and make the most of what you HAVE. Because you can. We all can. If you want it.

Do you want it?

Then go get it!!!

Are you an expat writer? How do you cope with the limitations?

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Don't forget to sign up to help promote INDIESTRUCTIBLE in September! 100% of the profits go to BuildOn, an amazing charity that aims to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

AND ADD IT TO GOODREADS!

If you could Tweet about the sign-up form it would be great!

You can just copy/paste this:

INDIESTRUCTIBLE—Help promote fab new #IndieAuthor book—All profits go 2 @buildOnEmpowers! Sign up here: http://goo.gl/mNjo3 #amwriting