The Indie Road Show & A Quirky Little Contest

Like most new things that require computer savvy, someone had to drag me kicking and screaming into the world of self-publishing. I had to try it, if only to make an informed decision about the process and the results.

Lest you think this whole thing came out on a whim, I want to set the record straight. It took my accomplice friend MONTHS to convince me this was worth the effort. It was pure luck that I happened to have a story looking for a home.

Originally, I'd written The Devil To Pay for a small press who was putting together an anthology of angel and demon stories. Only they had a very strict word limit (20k), and mine was way past that. I let the deadline pass and realized Kismet was giving me an opportunity to walk on the 'wild side'.

I had kept mum about it, not because I was trying to keep it a secret, but because I had no idea how long everything would take to accomplish. I'd look like a schmoe if I promised a story and then didn’t deliver on time. (I don’t need any help in the schmoe department.)

I studied successful indie authors, read books, asked a thousand questions about format (which was the part that scared me the most) and started the tedious process of gathering potential artwork.

If I was going to do this, I was going to do it just like the big boys. That meant multiple editors, my own ISBN, professional art, and a promo budget. Granted, it had to be on a much smaller scale, but I refused to skimp on quality. I contacted the best people I knew for advice and their expertise.

By the time I started designing the cover layout, I realized it was time to put my money where my mouth was.

Would I be successful?

There was only one way to find out. I had to go to the deep end of the pool and jump in. And me without a life-vest!

So now The Devil To Pay is out in the cold, cruel world hoping someone will notice it.

In the past, my publisher was the one who put out ads, tweeted about my book, or talked about me on Facebook. Now it's all up to me.

Yeah. It's as scary as it sounds. Big Scary.

That's why I need your help.

Starting in July, I want to do a special blog tour where I’ll talk specifically about what I’ve learned about the indie process. I'm calling it the Indie Road Show. If you think your readers would be interested in reading about one author's experience on the indie superhighway, I’d be pleased and proud to write a guest post for you. Email me.

I’ve already come up with several topics, but I’d love to hear what you personally are curious to find out. What do you want to know? Tell me in the comments and I’ll put it on my list.

Even if you don't host me, would you mention the book to your Twitter, FB or blog followers? I'm serious. Almost no one knows me! It's embarrassing. 

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But wait, there's more!

I put a Google Alert on the title "The Devil To Pay". If you post the most links and mentions through the end of August, I will write in a character with your name into the next novella. And of course, you'll also win a copy of the book.

I promise I won't write you in as a bad guy...unless you insist. :grin:

There's so much I want to tell you about all the things that happened behind the scenes, but this will do for now. It was an exciting, nerve-wracking, nail-biting and exhausting experience. But I'm glad I did it.