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For me, it wasn't about being a
published author, it was about getting the stories God had inspired
into the hands of hurting people. We see them every day, even in our
churches. They’re standing on the fringes, wanting to belong but
wondering how. I felt an urgency to make these stories available to
help such people step across that invisible line into the presence of
God Most High and join the body of Christ.
I was one of those fringe
people, attending all the church functions but never really knowing
Jesus, until one day I asked Him a question, and He answered me. I
heard His voice. It changed the course of my life. And several years
later, when the time was right, He gave me a story to write, and then
another, and then two more. Yes, I took the usual route for the first
two books—query letters, synopses, proposals—but they were harder to
write by far, and it wasn't up to par. I still have the stack of
rejection letters to prove it. Even so, I appreciated the editors'
encouraging comments and have learned from them.
Since I am a graphic artist,
proofreader, editor, and copywriter now retired from the printing
field, it wasn't difficult for me to take on the role of cover
designer, page formatter, and editor. I did have help with the
proofreading, but we could have done better. If you choose to
self-publish, be sure to gather as many qualified helpers as you can.
The first POD publisher I tried
proved to be a costly mistake. I wouldn't recommend X-Libris. But I
have enjoyed working with Book Surge (booksurge.com), now an affiliate
of Amazon. Their book prices (and set-up fees) are higher now than they
were in 2003, when I first began publishing. (I suppose that's to be
expected, but I don't have to like it.) I buy a quantity of
books—whatever their periodical sales promo stipulates, usually at half
price, and sell them to customers at a more reasonable rate. I'm not in
this to get rich, but to reach hurting hearts that only God can mend.
PROS
AND CONS OF SELF-PUBLISHING/POD
PRO: You have full control over
cover design, formatting, and type styles.
PRO: You can make changes in
your book or cover at any time.
PRO: You have full control over
the content of your book(s).
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PRO: You have full control over
marketing and sales.
PRO: You choose how much you
charge per book based on how much you paid for it.
CON:
If you do not have graphic
arts experience, you may have to hire a graphic artist or pay the
publisher to do it.
CON: You have a fee each time
you print books.
CON: Your judgment may not
always be the wisest. There is safety in many advisors.
CON: You have full control over
marketing and sales.
CON: If you choose to keep the
retail price low, your profits are low. If you choose to keep the
retail price high, you lose sales.
Feel free to contact me with any
questions you may have.
MY NOVELS
My four-book generational saga
begins in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair. Two people meet and
marry. Each has just lost a loved one. Both are in pain. One loses
herself in self-pity and recrimination, so the other loses himself in
work. Their daughter, Ruth, suffers through it, and can do nothing to
draw them out of their self-imposed prisons. Then the flood of 1927
claims her parents, and Ruth discovers family secrets in the attic.
Letters hidden in a trunk. She has a mysterious aunt out there she's
never met. And a shunned grandfather.
The Secrets of the Heart series
is written by fictional storyteller, Kinzey White, who meets Ruth as
she nears the end of her life, and is fascinated by this spunky lady.
Book 1 (Family Secrets) follows Ruth on her journey
to find the truth. She travels cross-country by train and meets more
than a handsome traveler . . . she meets Jesus. Book 2 (The
Secret Cove) is set in the 1960s, when Ruth's niece, Rachel,
defies her father's wishes and elopes with her new teacher, David. They
are separated almost immediately by schemers. But their son eventually
brings them back together with a simple prayer. Book 3 (Sins
of the Father) begins in the ‘90s, when Rachel and David's
twins befriend the new girl in town and encounter resistance. Book 4 (Snatched),
however, is about Kinzey White herself as she tries to find her
kidnapped daughter, and it is set in the present. From reader response,
this psychological thriller seems to have become everyone's favorite.
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