tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post8660158044148447272..comments2024-03-16T07:27:27.752+00:00Comments on Novel Points of View: In praise of Indies and expanding our reading horizons by Mary SmithRae Cowiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213969901991611348noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-11422133036790482682014-04-17T11:45:47.328+01:002014-04-17T11:45:47.328+01:00Thanks, Rosemary, glad you enjoyed the post. Good ...Thanks, Rosemary, glad you enjoyed the post. Good luck with getting the rights back and going Indie - exciting.Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-73549471794597787772014-04-17T08:57:51.460+01:002014-04-17T08:57:51.460+01:00Excellent post, Mary - and what a great initiative...Excellent post, Mary - and what a great initiative! I'm getting the rights back to my first published book soon and am looking forward to bringing that out again myself!Rosemary Gemmellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09311840205603508422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-72185356556957231802014-04-16T18:56:09.364+01:002014-04-16T18:56:09.364+01:00Hi Mike, thanks for dropping by and leaving a comm...Hi Mike, thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. The point you picked up on is an important one and soemthing the major publishers should note. I think what it makes it difficult for authors of the 'quirky and the individual' to be published by traditional publishers is that they (publishers) are only interested in making as much money as possible and aren't interested in books which might not sell shedloads. Writers, though, of course we want to make some money, don't see that as the only goal. Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-4148349012687156392014-04-16T18:49:44.755+01:002014-04-16T18:49:44.755+01:00Thanks for this article, Mary. One point you make ...Thanks for this article, Mary. One point you make that I haven't seen before--but that is obviously important--is that being an indie enables the author to write the kind of book he or she wants. Once the indies commit to better quality control, as they (we) are starting to do, we will see many more books that are quirky and individual--and that would never be published by the major publishers. I'm happy to be part of the eNovel group and to try to play a small role in making that happen.<br /><br /><a href="http://mikemarkel.com" rel="nofollow">Mike Markel</a>Mike Markel mikemarkel.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18123013667776379598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-30434597625711378312014-04-16T18:27:55.982+01:002014-04-16T18:27:55.982+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Mike Markel mikemarkel.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18123013667776379598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-75425387805617809652014-04-16T14:32:20.652+01:002014-04-16T14:32:20.652+01:00Hi Jennifer, yes, things have changed a lot in the...Hi Jennifer, yes, things have changed a lot in the publishing world and at quite a speed recently. Who knows what will be next? I think there will be more interactive eBooks.Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-3944548543766532352014-04-16T11:09:22.317+01:002014-04-16T11:09:22.317+01:00Mary, what a timely and thought-provoking post. Pu...Mary, what a timely and thought-provoking post. Publishing is certainly changing, so fast that it's scary. I wonder where we'll be a few years - even a few months - hence?Jo Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12976757854217324838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-75175834932088778602014-04-15T20:00:12.143+01:002014-04-15T20:00:12.143+01:00See, Jackie, you made me so nervous about not sign...See, Jackie, you made me so nervous about not signing my name I replied to you instead of Christine (apologies Christine). I'll go back to your email. I did read it and was very inpressed...I'm getting better, though, you must admit!<br />Thanks for your comments on my post. I've been hugely impressed by the folks from eNovel Authors at Work who have taken the time to read it and respond. I'm beginning to know who will!<br />I also used to visit the forums and yes, there was the anger about badly produced enovels but there are a number of people on those forums who spend their entire lives knocking Indie authors, especially if we dare to promote our work. Even though it rarely happens now we have the Meet our authors forum, the same people are like dragons guarding a den - makes me laugh. Their lives must be so sad. Rant over!<br />Thanks so much for visiting and I'm glad you enjoyed the post.Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-57756286728679070532014-04-15T19:53:32.753+01:002014-04-15T19:53:32.753+01:00Thank you so much, Christine. I'm so pleased y...Thank you so much, Christine. I'm so pleased you liked it. You are right that 'paying it forward' helps us to grow networks. Not everyone we meet along the way will buy our books but they might help spread the word and we all gain. And readers find great books!Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-44475698300040583602014-04-15T19:51:20.167+01:002014-04-15T19:51:20.167+01:00My Gosh, Mary! What a wonderful post. You are so r...My Gosh, Mary! What a wonderful post. You are so right. The ebook universe has matured. Early on bricks and mortar publishers sneered at indie authors, and pooh-hoo'd ebooks as a passing fad. Now, they embrace it, because if they don't--their authors will. Indie authorship is an immense learning curve, but the more we learn about producing quality books, the better it is for each new author who steps into our indie universe. We don't have the big bucks behind our book promotions as do the trad publishers, but we have something better. We have a community of pay-it-forward authors who help one another to get our books visible and in front of readers. Here's another tidbit. Two years ago I lurked in reader forums. The complaints about indie authors were rabid! the readers were angry that indies were using them as beta readers, publishing books before those titles were ready for public consumption. Now, when I lurk in those same forums, the readers are chatting about ebooks they've read, authors they love and best of all recommending books to one another. It is a huge sea change. I love being an indie author from frustration to fruition. I would never go traditional again. I'm smiling as I read all of the comments--it's a short roster of our membership in eNovel Authors at Work. Fabulous writer all. But! I sent all of you that little gem about how to sign your names on comments and you didn't do it! Name your dog house. <br /><br /><a href="http://jackieweger.com/blog/" rel="nofollow">Jackie Weger</a>Jackie Wegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08466481230849870174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-89144785822820539172014-04-15T18:14:45.318+01:002014-04-15T18:14:45.318+01:00What a fabulous post!! I love paying it forward f...What a fabulous post!! I love paying it forward for fellow authors. I feel it helps grow networks and I've made so many wonderful new friends that I will forever cherish. We can all learn and grow from each other which is so incredibly beneficial to everyone. I really enjoyed reading this...your post is spot on!! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02838518282507288976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-17088968041647046562014-04-15T17:52:15.602+01:002014-04-15T17:52:15.602+01:00Hi Dianne, thanks for your comments. I am so glad ...Hi Dianne, thanks for your comments. I am so glad you enjoyed the post. It's great how much the stigma surrounding self publishing is disappearing. <br />A writer whose blog I follow (Lexi Revellian: http://lexirevellian.blogspot.co.uk) self published and had an agent come to her with an offer, which after some thought she turned down. As an Indie she can do what she likes and not be constrained to write what someone else tells her she should write.<br />Yes, we need to support anything which will keep our libraries open. I don't know about where you are but here libraries are closing or having the opening hours cut to a minimum.Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-29328470542173641122014-04-15T17:07:25.171+01:002014-04-15T17:07:25.171+01:00Thanks for this post, Mary. I became self-publishe...Thanks for this post, Mary. I became self-published in 2010 and I'm amazed at how fast the publishing scenery has changed since then. Back then, it was widely announced that if an author self-pubbed, then s/he was ensuring the death knell tolled for his/her writing as far as ever being considered by trad publishing world. Now agents and publishers ( and Hollywood producers, I might add) troll the internet looking for self published books to consider. <br /><br />I also enjoyed hearing about the ebook night at the library. Handing out ebooks - what a grand idea. It promotes the author's ebook version while introducing and encouraging a library service to those in attendance. Brilliant!Dianne Greenlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14711276193673909087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-60563865856236268222014-04-15T16:26:36.186+01:002014-04-15T16:26:36.186+01:00Thank you Lorrie. Someone else left a post picking...Thank you Lorrie. Someone else left a post picking up on the fact readers are being given more choice and I am sure the trend will continue. Traditional publishers more or less said people wouldn't want to read my book and - guess what? - they do.Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-24120016284854741952014-04-15T16:24:40.483+01:002014-04-15T16:24:40.483+01:00Thanks, Abby. I'm also glad to be in eNovel Au...Thanks, Abby. I'm also glad to be in eNovel Authors at Work. Writers doing it for themselves is the way to go.Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-29932078660999920682014-04-15T16:23:08.868+01:002014-04-15T16:23:08.868+01:00Hi Joanne, I appreciate you dropping in and leavin...Hi Joanne, I appreciate you dropping in and leaving a comment.Glad you enjoyed the post. I know about rejections and still have a big fat file of them! <br />I struggle to find reading time, too. I often wake in the morning with the light still on and my Kindle under me. Good thing it switches itself off or I would be forever charging it up. Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-4811891666360484782014-04-15T16:01:18.855+01:002014-04-15T16:01:18.855+01:00This is so true, Mary! eNovel Authors is a diverse...This is so true, Mary! eNovel Authors is a diverse group of gifted authors who write what they love to read. And you point out something very important – Indie novels give us as readers a much greater choice of high-interest books than do most traditional publishers. Wonderful article! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16665672072552145418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-86114226512010761842014-04-15T15:38:24.576+01:002014-04-15T15:38:24.576+01:00Great article. The stigma put on self-published au...Great article. The stigma put on self-published authors is bad, but fingers crossed that this article's bright future for us will come true. eNovel Authors is a great group of people. Many were traditionally published and have a wealth of knowledge to share. I am so glad to be in the company of them all. Good article, Mary.Abby L. Vandiverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03199160846945614705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-73907995363186588132014-04-15T15:15:16.965+01:002014-04-15T15:15:16.965+01:00Great post, Mary - thanks!
My background was of re...Great post, Mary - thanks!<br />My background was of rejection rejection rejection as I targeted category romance over many, many, many years, and its amazing to me people read my books now, and leave 4 and 5 star reviews and the trad pubs didn't want a bar of me!! My books are real indie efforts from designing my own covers to doing my own formatting and I love the whole, often frustrating! process.<br />Here's a negative aspect though - being introduced to so many fabulous and exciting authors like our fellow eNovel authors but with less time to read now we are involved in so many more aspects of the publishing process.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10834287545724630683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-78758920279858074862014-04-15T12:18:30.202+01:002014-04-15T12:18:30.202+01:00Thanks for sharing your story, Sharon.I feel these...Thanks for sharing your story, Sharon.I feel these are exciting times for Indie writers - despite the hard work involved in promoting our books. Thanks for dropping by.Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-13992690503520343882014-04-15T12:12:36.193+01:002014-04-15T12:12:36.193+01:00I, too, started with book releases via a small pub...I, too, started with book releases via a small publishing house (which closed its doors last September - a sad sign of the times). First I panicked as this also meant I lost the cover art for both books. The books couldn't even be displayed on my web site without a disclaimer. Then I jumped at the chance to self-publish my novels in second editions. That meant, of course, that the brunt of quality editing, interior and exterior design, marketing etc. fell on me. Now my books - lock, stock and new cover art - belong to me, and I love the idea of that! Thanks, Mary, for giving indies this pat on the back. Well said. Happy sales to all of you!Sharon Cupp Pennigntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09025444246107316430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-70473286235272288762014-04-15T11:19:18.035+01:002014-04-15T11:19:18.035+01:00Thanks for dropping by, Carmen, and taking the tim...Thanks for dropping by, Carmen, and taking the time to post a comment. Like you I am also published by a small independent publisher (narrative non-fiction book). There is something so rewarding in seeing the results of your own efforts in everything from writing the book to finding readers.Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-92231579081984783262014-04-15T11:07:22.733+01:002014-04-15T11:07:22.733+01:00Great post! I ride the fence, of course, coming fr...Great post! I ride the fence, of course, coming from a small pub. But after meeting all the wonderful authors who'd ventured out on their own and were successful, it gave me the courage when I jumped genres to self-pub my new line. It was a lot of working having to do everything from start to finish, but it's also rewarding knowing you did everything from start to finish. :)Carmen DeSousahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08835462755654747169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-23235884855473542122014-04-14T18:14:51.217+01:002014-04-14T18:14:51.217+01:00Thank you, Gill. Glad to have helped!Thank you, Gill. Glad to have helped!Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855283511538601375.post-51956199369219543012014-04-14T18:14:14.601+01:002014-04-14T18:14:14.601+01:00I so agree about wondering how some books were pub...I so agree about wondering how some books were published, Jenny! And with eNovels on Amazon you can dowload a sample before you buy so if it is rubbish or badly edited you've lost nothing.Mary Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14688996930245857265noreply@blogger.com