Friday, February 19, is Alexis, my main character’s birthday. Yes, it may be weird to celebrate a fictional character’s birthday, but I know her so well, she could be my daughter. Besides, it’s not just her birthday. It’s also my middle son’s and my sister-in-law’s (love and miss you, Sheree!). Do I really need any other excuses? Didn’t think so.
I’m going to make it easy. I’ll award two prizes and the winners can pick from the books below. For one prize, I’ll randomly select (well, I won’t, one of those handy online pickers will) from anyone who comments on this post. You can comment anything you want, but I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts about self-publishing, since this is something I’ve decided to do. If you’re a writer, have you considered self-publishing or do you already self-publish? Why or why not? If you’re a reader, do you care if a book is self-published? Or do you choose based on author and story, regardless of how it was published?
For the second prize, I’ll randomly select from all of you who post a link to this blog, either on your website, blog, Facebook or Twitter. Please post the link in a comment so I (and everyone else) can see and visit your page.
You have until Noon EST Friday, February 19, to enter. Then I’ll pick the winners and we can have an online celebration for the birthdays and the winners!
Prizes:
ALONG CAME A DEMON or THE DEMON HUNTERS by Linda Welch
This one is for Sheree because Tiff, the protagonist, reminds me of her – very tall and a butt-kicker, for all the right reasons. ALONG CAME A DEMON is the first in the Whisperings series, but if you’ve already read it, then you can select THE DEMON HUNTERS.
THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner
This one is for Austin because it’s the first book he’s read for fun since HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS…and he read it in two or three days. He really enjoyed it, can’t wait for the next one and hopes the rumors of it becoming a movie are true.
MISFIT MCCABE or NOWHERE FEELS LIKE HOME by LK Gardner-Griffie
This is for Alexis because she knows what it’s like to be a misfit. It’s also Young Adult and Alexis writes Young Adult.
And these are for both Alexis and me because we love our vampires! Alexis would love the TWILIGHT series (romance and vamps are right up her alley), but I’m pretty sure everyone who wants it already has it.
So check them all out and post a comment. Good luck!!
Self publishing is not as scary as it sounds when you take into account that you would need to do all the same work either way. This way you just get to keep control and stay true to your purpose....
ReplyDeleteWhile I won't mind doing my own marketing in terms of book tours, social media, etc., what I won't be able to do is talk to national book sellers (like Barnes and Noble, etc.) and convince them to carry my book. Self-published authors can get their stuff on Amazon just fine, and it's definitely true that they have more control over how it looks, right down to the font, but it's also a lot more work in some aspects. That's why self-publishing isn't for me. I think it depends on what you want to get out of publishing your book. If you feel good about your decision, that's what's most important. With e-publishing and more electronic books, I think self-publishing is going to become more popular.
ReplyDeleteAs a reader, I don't think it would bother me if a book was self-published. I've read some of C.D. Payne's self-published books, but I'm not sure if I've read any others. I think the average reader doesn't really pay attention to that kind of stuff - if they love a book, they love a book.
I also put a link to this contest in my sidebar! http://seeheatherwrite.blogspot.com
Although I don't know anything about it, I think self-publishing ensures you get what you want. You decide how the marketing, PR and everything else will go, as well as where you go on your book tour :)
ReplyDeleteI am really looking forward to buying a Kindle just so I can buy your book!!!
Lisa, there are some things traditional publishers do that take some of the workload off the writer. Unfortunately, you have to be a proven author to get most of those benefits. Plus, in trade-off, you lose so much control. And I will tell you...self-publishing is still very scary. But I'm looking forward to the adventure. Love your last line. :-)
ReplyDeleteHeather, It's difficult to get into two national chains, from what I've researched so far, but not impossible. We're looking into the possibilities and I'll be writing about our journey. I also have a thought about this, which I'll be sharing in future blog posts, too. Thanks for the link.
All Readers: Check out Heather's link to her blog. She has more contests listed AND, if you become a follower, she'll be holding her own contest soon.
Alys, Yay, Kindle! I love mine. It's going with me to Orlando today. Not only does it have my book on it, along with highlights and notes I've made, but if I can't sleep tonight but too tired to work, I have several books to choose from. All in one little device.
Lisa: I completed a self-publishing project a few weeks ago. I used Lulu for my project, here is a blog I wrote about it:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.steveledwards.com/2010/02/are-you-thinking-of-self-publishing/
Also, a great resource article that I cited for arguments for and against is:
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/pod/
Good luck!
Hey Kristie,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to stop by and check out the blog.
As far as self-publishing goes, I have no opinions about it yet. I have researched and researched self-publishing versus traditional but I have no personal experience with it yet. I am still finishing up my first draft. I'll let you know once I'm published. ;)
Do I care if something is self-published? No. If a book grabs my attention, I could care less who published it.
I'll be by to visit again.
Very cool contest. I've read The Maze Runner and loved it. :)
ReplyDelete