Re-Release of Going Home Again

It seems like forever since I was last on here, but as a I said in my previous post I've been busy. One of the things I've been up to is re-releasing my first book Going Home Again. My contract with Romance Divine ended earlier this year and I had to make a choice on whether to resign. For a while I’d been thinking about switching my book to self-publishing and the decision was tough, I kept going back and forth on what I should do. After a long process, I finally decided not to renew my contract and self-publish Going Home Again. I began editing and formatting Going Home Again for re-release and a few weeks ago I published it both in e-book and paperback. Sure it seemed like a risky move, but in the end I felt it was the right decision and I had to do what I thought was best.

Available at:

Createspace  

Smashwords

Amazon

My Journey as a Writer

As I've stated before I'm an indie author, but I originally didn't start out that way. My first book Going Home Again was traditionally published, and today I’ll be talking about my journey to get published.

After graduating from college in the winter of 2008 I began writing Going Home Again and by June 09 it was finished. Then came the query process, which was a hassle because each publisher had different guidelines. Some wanted the entire manuscript, while other only asked for the first three chapters. And most of them had a specific format for the manuscript, for example one publisher wanted the font to be 14 pt and in Arial along with double spacing. So at times I had to tweak the manuscript to fit their preferences.

I researched and emailed numerous companies only to receive rejections, however in October my luck turned around when I was offered a contract with Romance Divine. Now, I admit I was a bit naïve when it came to the publishing process. I thought it’d be like it was in the movies: get a book deal and the publisher does all the promotion. Boy was I wrong.

The manuscript needed some tuning and with the help and patience of my editor Gregory Causey, I spent the next three months revising the book.  We went through the editing process at least three times, but in the end it was worth it.

After a year a hard work and dedication, Going Home Again was released in February 2010. As an author there’s no greater feeling than seeing your book come to life. However, I didn’t have much time to bask in the happiness because I had to promote my work. In the beginning, I slacked off a bit, but over the years I’ve improved my promotional skills and racked up plenty of reviews, interviews, and guest blogs.

Even though I love being an indie author, I'm thankful I began my career with a traditional publisher. It opened my eyes to the business and how hard it is for writers. I also learned about the importance of editing and promotion, something I keep in mind as I move forward on my journey as a writer.