The wonderful Bianca Sommerland is with us today chatting about why she loves being an indie author. Β Grab a drink, kick back and enjoy Bianca.
What I LOVE About Being An Indie Author
FREEDOM!
Now, hear that word and picture me dressed up all Braveheart style, thrusting a Ninja Turtle pencil in the air, my Cookie Monster nightgown flowing around me because the muse is feeling chatty and I havenβt had a chance to get dressed yet. That also explains the crazy look in my eyes. Dear muse, please give me a moment. When you shout over the voices in the real world, people start looking for a nice padded room for me.
Seriously though, nothing tops the freedom of writing for the characters, for the story, and not having any gatekeepers beyond the readers themselves. When I first published, I worked with two different small publishers. Both helped me grow in several ways, and I think that was important for my development in this industry. I made connections, and I learned the importance of an amazing editor and a great cover.
I actually decided to go indie with the Dartmouth Cobra series because, after many rejections, the publisher that finally offered a contract wanted to make some HUGE changes. Changes that would have cut into the heart and soul of what makes the series so great. Granted, those rejections were the best thing that ever happened to my career, because it gave me a chance to become a full time writer, but at the time I had no idea how successful the series would be. I wasnβt looking at potential earnings or even considering what the cost of publishing on my own was going to be.
All I cared about was protecting the story and the characters.
The book market is a tricky thing, and thereβs no way to predict whatβs going to be popular. Sports romance, hockey in particular, is taking its turn as the hot new trend. Back in 2012 when Game Misconduct came out, there werenβt that many books that had hockey players as heroes. MΓ©nage was still hanging around the fringes of the romance world, not expecting too much. Itβs still not as popular as its monogamous counterpart, but people have come to expect a genuine love story, no matter how many bodies are getting sweaty in the bedroom.
Throw in some BDSM and it becomes pretty obvious Iβm not the kind of author that can follow a formula. I have no issues with authors who do, but I do have an issue with anyone being forced to because a contract is limiting their creativity. Granted, publishers have their reasons. They have all kinds of experts that try to predict what the public wants to read.
Being indie means I donβt have to worry about all that. I have crit partners and betas that help me dig deeper when character motives arenβt as clear on the page as they are in my head. Editors that make sure my writing is clear and Iβm not finding weird new ways to spell words and use commas. I have an amazing formatter that lays out the books so they look just as neat and clean as any mass published novel, both in ebook and print.
But the stories themselves? Completely no holds barred. Word count is determined by the characters and how much they have to share with me. The scenes that are cut are the ones that have my heroines digging in their heels and my heroes scowling at me, saying βThereβs no way in hell Iβm doing that.β
Some people assume anyone can be an indie author, but Iβm not sure thatβs true. Yes, self-publishing makes it easier for anyone with internet access to slap a cover on a few thousand words and sell it. Which can make online bookshelves look a lot like the slush piles on an acquisition editors desk. But I found this awesome article which I think clears up the difference between βself-publishedβ and βindie-authorβ perfectly. Check it out if you have a minute: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2015/05/22/pros-and-cons-indie-author/
Hereβs a quote from the post that resonated the most with me:
βThe term self-publishing implies doing everything yourself and doing it more as a hobby. Thereβs certainly nothing wrong with this and itβs wonderful to create books in the world for the love of creation.β
βBut I use the term independent author, or indie author, for myself. I work with top freelance professionals to create a quality product and this is a business for me, not just a hobby. I left my job in 2011 to become a full-time author-entrepreneur and I make my living with my writing.β
Some AMAZING indie-authors arenβt able to write full time, but they share one important quality with those who do. They arenβt publishing alone, theyβre publishing with a team of editors and formatters and cover artists. They connect with reviewers and bloggers to share their work with the world. We have a respect for the craft and the readers who crave a great story; eager to escape between the pages of the book weβve spent months, or even years creating.
In the end, I guess thatβs what it boils down to. What I truly love about being an indie author is sharing my stories with a freedom that doesnβt make my books any less than those who go through big publishers. Theyβre just different enough that, in the beginning, no one believed they were worth the investment. No one but me.
Looking back at the rejections I used to get, it would be easy to say βHa! You didnβt think I was good enough, eh? Well, look at me now!β But I donβt have time to dwell on all that. Iβm just getting started. π
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If you haven’t checked out my work before, a few of them are free just to give you a taste. The most popular is GAME MISCONDUCT(The Dartmouth Cobras #1)
I should give you the warning though:
This ebook contains material not suitable for readers under 18. In also contains scenes that some may find objectionable, including BDSM, mΓnage sex, bondage, anal sex, sex toys, double penetration, voyeurism, edge play, and hockey equipment being used inappropriately.
The game has always cast a shadow over Oriana Delgado’s life. She should hate the game. But she doesn’t. The passion and the energy of the sport is part of her. But so is the urge to drop the role of the Dartmouth Cobra owner’s ‘good daughter’ and find a less…conventional one.
Playmaker, Max Perron, never expected a woman to accept him and his twisted desires. Oriana came close, but he wasn’t surprised when she walked away. A girl like her needs normal. Which he can’t give her. He’s too much of a team player, and not just on the ice.
But then Oriana’s father goes too far in trying to control her and she decides to use exposure as blackmail. Just the implication of her spending the night with the Cobra’s finest should get her father to back off.
Turns out a team player is exactly what she needs.
Tell you about me? Hmm, well there’s not much to say. I love hockey and cars and my kidsβ¦not in that order of course! Lol! When I’m not writingβwhich isn’t oftenβI’m usually watching a game or a car show while working on promo. Going out with my kids is my only down time. I get to clear my head and forget everything.
As for when and why I first started writing, I guess I thought I’d get extra cookies if I was quiet for awhileβthat’s how young I was. I used to bring my grandmother barely legible pages filled with tales of evil unicorns. She told me then that I would be a famous author.
I hope one day to prove her right.
You can find me here:
Website: http://www.im-no-angel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Im-No-Angel-Bianca-Sommerland/201933239834387
Twitter: @BSommerland
I’ve never paid attention to who were Indie authors but I’m liking all the authors I’ve seen during this celebration.