Category Archives: Sequel Writing

Why I Decided to Self-Publish: An Indie Author’s Perspective

October, 2019Blogging, Editing, Indie Publishing, Publishing, Self-publishing, Sequel Writing, Series writing, Time Management, Traditional Publishing, Writing, Writing Business, Writing CraftAuthor, Book Cover Design, Craft, editing, Indie author, Manuscripts, Mentoring, Persistence, Reading, Writing lifecarolyn

I have exciting news, readers: my second novel, now OFFICIALLY named Treasure Bound, will be published this month! Woo hoo! The road to publishing this book, the sequel to Emerald Obsession, was long and jarring, so I’m all the happier for its coming release.

The preparation these past months has been tedious. As an indie author, tackling the essentials of pre-publication—like editing, conferring with the Library of Congress, obtaining ISBNs, designing the cover—is crucial and a tad nerve-wracking (and ultimately very worth it).

A fun exception to the nervy parts is that while tackling those tasks, I encountered a number of curious folks who asked why I decided to self-publish. Well, that question got me to thinking. 😉 Considering I blog about the writing life, I realized I had a great topic to share with my audience.

If you’re trying to make the indie-vs-traditional decision for your book, spend some time discovering what your goal is and who you want to reach. Why do you want to send your story into the world? Many factors will weigh in on your final decision, as they did for me. But figuring this out, or at least giving thought to your goal will offer you a good starting point.

My original decision to self-publish came about eight or so years ago, prior to the release of Emerald Obsession, and I haven’t once regretted that choice or changed my mind. Before I scoop you on why I chose indie publishing, I’d like to share something that not many of you know. When I wrote my first (still-unpublished) novel, Blind Notice, I decided to try the traditional route. Self-publishing, while not in its infancy back then, was still fledgling, full of tricky bits, and daunting.

Let me add a couple of quick points here for consideration: first, for anyone with a connection in the industry, absolutely ask for their input and advice. So many good things can come from a mentor, or someone able to direct you to the right source for help. The experience and wisdom of those who’ve traveled a similar path is invaluable.

Second, totally my gut feeling, but I truly believe any writer looking to put her- or himself out there should try the traditional path, at least for a short time, to experience that process regardless of the outcome.

Back to my “traditional” journey: I researched and found receptive agents in my genre, wrote and rewrote and polished my query letters, kept an Excel file of my efforts, and then received a number of polite rejections. That taught me a ton about persistence and belief in myself. But the whole process felt like it took an eternity to receive constructive feedback.

You know by now I’m someone who likes to learn and experience things. So you understand why I wanted to pursue traditional publishing, even knowing I was competing with scores of other mystery writers, vying for the attention of a small group of agents, and then publishers. And, ultimately, I failed.

But through all of that, I continued to work on my craft. During this time, I began writing EO. I was dealing with the death of my cousin, who had been my biggest champion (and not dealing well, I have to add), and I felt the driving need not to waste precious time waiting on other people. I grew frustrated with the length of time it would take to make any publishing progress, and I became determined to keep the fate of my work in my hands.

And that’s when I began to seriously research self-publishing options.

So, what made me commit? The short answer was (and still is, despite how long TB has taken) the speed and the control of the process. For me, those two items are intertwined, so I don’t rush either one. And now, for authors looking to earn a living writing (eventually, please, God and fingers and toes crossed!), there are broader opportunities available with self-publishing.

Even so, a ton of work and time goes into producing a quality book—and considering my desirousness of becoming a world’s best-selling author 😉 —I really, really do my best to make sure the work is done, and is done with the highest quality possible. Of course, by that I mean I pay the pros to edit my manuscripts and to design my book covers.

To be treated as a professional author, my book must meet or exceed the professional standards of any other. The writing must be the best I can make it, the book must have an experienced editor review it, and the cover must be the most compelling sales tool my designer and I can create.

There are a lot of “musts” in that paragraph. But those are the requirements of the professional world, so they’re my requirements.

With constant change in the industry, traditional publishers are mandating their newbie authors handle the bulk of their own marketing. This is the other reason I chose the indie route. I’m not a huge fan of plugging the books myself, but I believe in my stories, and so I will. But with having to manage the marketing in both cases, I’d rather retain the creative control and ownership of my timeline that comes with self-publishing.

So the best thing for me is to continue to write at my own pace, produce the books I want to read, publish them myself as expertly as I can, and keep on writing.

And that’s the trick, my friends. For those who want to write, keep on doing so. Writing more will make you a better writer. So will reading more. Sharing your words with critique partners will also make you better. And becoming better will make you want to share your gift. I say, go for it!

But before you go, haha, you may want to check out this post, “Should You Self-Publish Your Book? 5 Essential Questions to Help You Decide,” from a website I enjoy, thewritelife.com. The author, Blake Atwood, has relevant advice to help you decide which choice would be best.

One last thought: whichever path you choose, and for whatever reasons, don’t forget you may need to reassess at some point. Or consider new options. Try to stay true to the path that makes sense for you and your goals. If an agent or traditional publisher knocked on my door, would I answer? Sure, I’d let them in and see what we could work out; after all, there’s that whole “world’s best-selling author” thang for me to consider. Haha. 😉

Which choice will you make? Tell me in the comment section below, or directly at carolyn@carolyngreeley.com. Would love to hear from you. 😉 Happy writing and reading, all.

PS—Stay tuned for Treasure Bound release details and cover reveal! Coming soon!

A Writer’s Refresh

August, 2018Blogging, Editing, Indie Publishing, Publishing, Refresh and reset, Sequel Writing, Series writing, Writing, Writing Craft, Writing timeblogging, editing, Indie Publishing, Learning, management routines, Publishing, Refresh and reset, writing, writing craftcarolyn

Sometimes, I need to hit the refresh button. Both in life and in writing. How about you? These past few months, I’ve been pinballing fast once again. (Not that I’ve ever really stopped, I suppose.) 😉 But, rolling with that “work in progress” thing I’ve got going, I do my best to keep up.

But then you realize, it’s time to pause and flick that switch.

Pause

On the happy side of the zigzagging, I have some good news: I haven’t been idle writing-wise on my book. If you guys recall, it was a year ago June that I had my first cow, (click here in case you missed that blog), when I realized about half of my sequel novel to Emerald Obsession remained written only in my notebooks and my brain and not on the computer as it should’ve been. Oy, I tell ya! Then in February, I described my mini cow, which you can find by clicking here.

But on the plus side is that for these past few months, I’ve been writing away—yes, writing on the computer and adding to—the sequel, still lovingly referred to as Treasure Bound. And guess what?

I’ve added 19,000 words to the story! Woooo hooo! Which means I’ve finally gotten much of the secondary plot line from my head into the Word doc. YAY!! I’m so pleased!

But, okay, this isn’t the time for me to rest on my laurels, per se. This is simply my reset period. I still have tons of work to do. But………….I’m happy to feel I made the kind of progress I needed to at this stage.

My next step, and part of the refresh and reset—which I’m currently in the midst of, hence having time to focus on this blog—has me putting aside the edits for a couple of weeks to clear out my brain. (Not of everything, I hope, but of just enough to give me a breather from focusing all my writerly attention on TB.)

After these weeks are up, I’ll print out the current TB, and then I’ll reread EO and TB as quickly as I can in succession, looking for any holes and inconsistencies, checking flow, and overall reviewing everything. After that, if things go smoothly (please, please, please, and fingers crossed!), then it’s on to the next stage of professional editing. Whee!!!

But once again………let’s not put the cart before the donkey. (BTW, I love donkeys, check out this Instagram feed if you do, too.) I still have a few points rattling around my brain that might need to become minor scenes or added info bits. I’m definitely prepared for the possibility of more tweakage. That’s one reason I need this reset; to detach my brain from the project so I’m able to sharpen my focus when I return to reviewing the story.

Also, since this is Book 2, with Book 3 still to come, I have to look forward to the next story and build into TB any relevant details and teasers. Whee again, but not in the good way; this is more like: “Whee, what the hell was I thinking when I decided to write a series??!!”

All I can say, though, is I’m committed now. Or wait, is that supposed to read: “I should be committed now”? Probably. The men in the white jackets are waiting behind me to carry me away. Here we go again.

Just kidding already. What I really mean is I’m committed to telling you good stories, ones I hope entertain, excite, and engage you. If that takes more time and research than I’d originally planned so be it, as long as the outcome satisfies me and you. Thanks for your patience on that score.

Well, dear readers and friends, that’s about all she wrote for the time being. I’m not heading back to edits just now—whew, what a relief to say that’s done for the moment!—but it is time for a little walk to free the brain for some Book 3 brainstorming. Hmm … I’m finally excited to get started again. Yippee!

Before I go, tell me in the comments section below how you reset. Writing-wise, this was something I couldn’t do until the timing jived with completing a certain portion of my writing, but personally speaking, we all need periodic resets, too. Last week, I took my first, solo Me Day in years. It was fabulous and so necessary. Perhaps I’ll blog on that soon, too. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you do to reset, so please fire away. Thanks again for reading and joining the convo.

February in a Flash … and Sequel Writing

February, 2018Blogging, Editing, New opportunities, Sequel Writing, Writing, Writing Craftblogging, editing, Learning, Sequel writing, tips, writing, writing craftcarolyn

No, I don’t mean Flash Fiction. I mean, February—as per usual—has passed in a flash. And I’m not too keen on it happening, I can tell you. Once again, I find myself behind the eight ball of editing and blogging. I long ago jumped onto that adult bandwagon of repeatedly commenting on the swift passage of time. So, what the hell, I’ll do it again.

Where does the time go???

Partly, the days zip by so readily because of my semi-unique work life. It’s a bit odd, working multiple part-time positions. Changing brain functions between them is a nonstop juggle, as they all seem to draw on a different element of my psyche: creative, practical, professional. Two of my jobs mean working from my home office (which, by the way, we’re finally setting up, yay!), so that adds a near-constant battle to get “everything household” done that needs doing. After all, I’m “home,” right? Oy! The distractions are numerous and the pull great. I can only imagine how people with kids cope. The drive to handle it all must be that must stronger.

Anyhoo, enough blathering. The struggle is real, for pretty much all of us, and so it continues. At the moment, I have a few contiguous hours to myself, and I’m writing and will return to editing TB after I finish this post. Which is also to say, I’ll keep this short. ; )

Now, onto the “… and Sequel Writing” portion of the program. Here’s the latest on Treasure Bound: I finally finished round two edits on my laptop, added a few scenes, tweaked others, and printed out everything. And it’s still short! As in, too short for my taste. But, as I’d mentioned in December, I suspected that’d be the case as I completed that round.

I’ve begun round three, which in this instance is reading through the hardcopy in as few sittings as possible. On this round, I’m looking to add more backstory in key places, flesh out the new characters, add some tension and bad-guy scenes, and hopefully fill in a few holes. I write this longhand on the printouts, which I usually enjoy.

Well guess what? Last week I had another cow, although it was a smaller cow than last summer. A calf, I suppose. With horns?

But, seriously, I was like “For real?” What I’ve learned is that writing a sequel, though fun and easy in some ways, is incredibly challenging for keeping facts consistent throughout both novels. No surprise, but I thought I’d already passed this hiccup. I found out last week that I’d written something about one of the main characters in Emerald Obsession that is counter to a large portion of what happens to that character in TB. DOH!!!

Crazy part, I wrote the detail practically as an aside in EO, which is how I almost forgot about it. But the words are in print, and unless I want to revise EO and create a second edition, then I have to work with what I’ve got.

But…….okay, mini cow had, and possible workaround already figured. Not completely, but with fingers crossed and striving to access those creative brain cells, hopefully all is not lost.

You guys, dear friends and readers who know me by now, know I (usually) enjoy a challenge. Well, writing this sequel certainly is one. I began it so long ago, and I’ve had some surprising good feedback and a few bad experiences.

I guess my point is this: I tried something new in how I approached writing this story, and I’m not sure it worked. Especially because TB is a sequel, the more time that passes from the original story, the more I have to refresh my brain to maintain accuracy and the longer my readers have to wait to read the next chapter. So bummed about that. Hopefully, I’ll have lived and learned my lesson and will attempt a different approach with Book 3. Yes, as of now, there’s still a Book 3 plodding through my brain. Lord help me. ; )

So that’s it for now, folks. Time for me to work on the back-end of this post, send it out into the nether regions of the web, and then get back to editing. Damn, despite all this BS, I still really love writing. And I really appreciate you visiting, hanging with me, checking in. You guys rock. Oh, and comments, please share them below and tell your friends. : )

PS–Here’s a little peek at the new office furniture. : )