A Great Article by Hugh Howey about Self-Publishing

I know I keep promising I'll write more about my reasons for self-publishing, but the work-in-progress continues to call, and I continue to stumble upon articles by other writers who say it so much better than I could. Here's one in particular that explains it so well (not surprising--given that it was written by Hugh Howey, author of the bestselling WOOL).

Here's the link, from Salon: Self-Publishing is the Future and Great for Writers

Thanks to fellow writer Robert Gregory Browne for posting the article on his Facebook page for me to stumble upon. ;-)

My New Year's Resolution: to Keep No Secrets . . .

If you're connected with me on Facebook, you might have noticed a few posts in which I hinted at some exciting news. It's also a bit scary - for me, at least, because I'm trying something new and might just as easily fall flat on my face as succeed. But as I've always told my daughters - nothing ventured, nothing gained - and I figure I'd better practice what I preach. Plus, I've always been a bit of a control freak (those who know me well are smirking about now), and what I've chosen to do places the responsibility for the success or failure of my writing career squarely on my own shoulders. Just the way I like it!

For those who are interested, I'll be sharing "the story behind the story" on this blog in the next few weeks, discussing why I've chosen this new route. But for today, I'm simply sharing the meat of the news:

KEEP NO SECRETS, the sequel to my debut novel, TELL NO LIES, is just weeks away from being published, and this time I'm doing it myself! Okay, not all by myself: I've got a fabulous new cover designed by an up-and-coming designer at SCAD (who just happens to be my oldest daughter, Jessie):

For those of you who read TELL NO LIES, you probably can tell from the KEEP NO SECRETS cover that a key character from the first book will be making an appearance in the sequel. A big appearance.

For a sneak preview of KEEP NO SECRETS, click on over to my website to read the first chapter.

Speaking of TELL NO LIES, it, too, has a brand new cover (courtesy of Jessie) that nicely complements KEEP NO SECRETS, and just days ago I re-released the eBook edition on Amazon. The Kindle edition of TELL NO LIES is now priced at only $2.99! That's right, for less than a Starbucks grande nonfat mocha latte, you can buy an entire book! (Even if you've read the novel, I'd really appreciate it if you'd "Like" it on the Amazon page, and even better, if you'd write a review. I'm told these things help a book rise in the Amazon search rankings, which in turn helps other readers find it.) Oh, and did you know you can also buy an eBook and gift it to someone else?

So that's the news! If you like my books, it would mean a lot to me if you'd tell others about them.

As I mentioned above, there are a lot of nitty, gritty details behind my decision, and for those who want to know more, I'd recommend following this blog and/or connecting with me on Facebook. Eventually, the FAQ section of my website will discuss it a bit, too. And of course, I always love to get emails!

As always, THANK YOU for your interest and continued support! The notes and emails and comments I get from my readers are the best part of what I do - right up there with the incredible joy I get from the actual act of writing. Last night, on New Year's Eve, a reader posted a comment on my Facebook page that said:

"julie please im so scared! i need this book like air! ive been waiting for so long. but im so scared im scared hes going to break my heart all over again. please tell me he wont"

What a lovely note to start the New Year! The funny thing is, all of my readers, and notes like these that come from them, are MY air. So thank you for helping me breathe!

Here's hoping all of you have a fantastic 2013!

A Little Shout-Out to the Readers Who Make This All Possible

I get many emails from readers who write to tell me they enjoyed one or both of my books, or sometimes to ask a question about something, the most popular being "Did __ actually do it?" (I won't fill in the blank because I don't want to spoil things if you haven't yet read Tell No Lies.) Next to the actual writing, those emails are the best part of being an author. They are like food for my soul, and I save every one of them. Every single one. I'm still amazed that someone chooses to read my book over the many others available at any point in time, so when a reader goes the extra mile to let me know he/she loved my work, I'm incredibly thrilled.

Every once in a while, though, I receive an email from a reader that truly blows me away. An email that makes me sit back and think, "Wow, someone took the time to do all this to help me succeed as an author, simply because she loved my book."

Today I sat down at my computer to find just that sort of note from Debbie Haupt, a reader who lives near my hometown of St. Louis. Debbie had recently won a signed copy of Rescuing Olivia from an online contest. Not only did Debbie tell me how much she loved the book and that it would receive a "place of honor" in her library, she also told me she planned to pick up my first novel, Tell No Lies, on her way home from work that day, and that she would spread the word about me "to who ever will listen." And she wasn't kidding! She posted a review on her blog, The Reading Frenzy, on the Barnes & Noble site, and on Facebook and Twitter.

An author can't ask for more than that from a fan. :-)

Thank you, Debbie – you really made my day!