A Big Decision...

For those of you who know me, and follow me on Twitter, you may be aware that I’ve been debating whether to pursue publishing traditionally, or take the plunge and self-publish.  With all the “buzz” on the internet, and after great consideration, I have decided to go ahead and self-publish.

I had asked myself, does this mean I’m giving up?  And, the answer is irrevocably no.  Self-publishing used to carry a type of stigma that somehow labelled the work as adhering to a lower standard, but things have changed.  Authors are taking pride in their work like never before, and just because of the increasing ease to self-publishing, they’re not allowing this to affect the quality.

In making my decision, I also considered the fact that just because a book is published traditionally it doesn’t mean that it will meet with success.  Many self-published books have received awards, honourable mentions, and have met with even more-than-modest sales.  In fact, there’s no real limitations on the success that can be experienced.  It only takes a solid-written book, and of course you, the readers to make that happen.

And am I scared?  Of course I am.  But I’m tired of letting it hold me back.  I look forward to hearing what you have to say once you get to read my novels.

Thank for all support and encouragement thus far.

I will keep you updated on the release date for my first mystery TIES THAT BIND, the first in a stand-alone series featuring Detective Madison Knight.  I hope to make it available on Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, and print-on-demand. 

Meet Detective Madison Knight:
Madison never set out to be a Major Crimes Detective.  In fact, a childhood trauma that left her with a distaste for blood made that career an unlikely fit.  But inspired by a grandfather killed in the line of duty, and a grandmother who believed in her, Madison continues to work through this fear.  And, even though her mother would have preferred Madison married with a mini-van full of children, Madison is only married to one thing - her career.  She will stop at nothing to hold the guilty accountable, and find justice for their victims.

Here’s a peek into TIES THAT BIND:
Detective Madison Knight concluded the case of a strangled woman an isolated incident.  But when another woman’s body is found in a park killed by the same line of neckties, she realizes they’re dealing with something more serious.

Despite mounting pressure from the Sergeant and Chief to close the case even if it means putting an innocent man behind bars, and a partner who is more interested in saving his marriage than stopping a potential serial killer, Madison may have to go it alone if there's not going to be another victim.

~~
To read the first chapter, click here.

Comments

  1. Way to go on your decision to self-publish, Carolyn! Congratulations!

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  2. Good luck with your ventures!

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  3. Thank you ladies! :D It feels great, and kind of scary lol

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  4. How exciting for you!! I actually decided just this weekend to self-publish one of my books. This is a whole new path and I'm really excited to see how your journey with self-publishing goes, too! There's so much to learn and do first--it's scary and exciting. :D (I need to do a blog post on this, too.)

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  5. Beautiful cover. Congratulations, Carolyn! I can't wait to buy!

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  6. Thank you, Laura and Jennifer :)

    Best of success to you as well, Laura, once you get to that point.

    And Jennifer, thank you for the comment on the cover, and the eagerness to buy! :D

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  7. good luck on your journey. as an aspiring author, I too have decided to take this path. I'm just doing my research to see which company will work best for me. thanks for the inspiration.

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  8. Go you! The premise sounds great and the cover is fantastic. I might just have to break down and buy a Kindle so I can get the book...

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  9. Good luck to you! There really are a lot of good self published authors out there. Unfortunately there are still some who forget the need for proofreaders, ect. But I can tell by your blog and the thought you've put into this that you aren't one of those! I wish you all the best.

    And that is a fantastic cover!

    Stacey

    PS- I do book reviews and author interviews for self pupped and small press. If you are interested please look me up. =]

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  10. Glad I inspired you Just me.

    And Ruth, the great part about Smashwords is you can download as PDF or HTML, as well as the files required for readers such as Kindle. The plan is also to make TIES THAT BIND available from Amazon as print on demand. Thank you for such interest in reading it :)

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  11. Hey, thank you Stacey! :D And as for the review and interview, I may just take you up on that in the near future :)

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  12. Yay for Indies! Welcome to the club. It's a lot of work, but rewarding! :)

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  13. Great decision! I wish you a ton of success in doing it. There is a learning curve to self-publishing, because you have to do it all yourself, but it’s very satisfying to walk it through every step of the way.

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  14. I've struggled with this concept for a while, and for the longest time I've been firmly in the opposite corner. Things are changing drastically in the industry, though. Change ain't going to wait for anyone either. E-books are the way of the future, and self-published ones are at the forefront there. Best of luck!

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  15. Thank you for all the comments, well wishes and encouragement! I'm going to be an "Indie" author :)

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  16. I returned tweeted too...CONGRATS! I'm a indie warrior so very biased. Let me know if you have questions, need support or talking down from a ledge! I'll follow your blog.

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  17. See, that wasn't so hard, was it? :) I really look forward to your book coming out.

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  18. Thank you Beth, and Ken! I'm pretty excited, and Beth, I just may end up taking you up on that. Welcome to my blog as well, BTW.

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  19. Hi Carolyn, congratulations on deciding to self-publish! Like all big decisions in life, it is a scary one, but I really think with your quality writing, and discipline to promote your book, you can definitely make a go of it.
    Please keep us posted on your self-publishing journey; I'm sure I'm not the only one fascinated by the process!

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  20. Thank you Charlotte! :) so excited! And I will defiantly keep everyone up-to-date.

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  21. Welcome to the Indie Author club. I made this same decision a month ago myself. I had been toying with it and researching and learned about Lightning Source to do my printed copies, and of course the e-book for Amazon, etc. I decided why shouldn't I take a shot at it? I even got a professional cover artist.

    Editing will be the biggest issue, but as long as you approach it like a professional and find a different set of good eyes to edit, you'll do great.

    Good luck on your journey, and from what I've read on your blog, your novels should do well. You are well informed and thought provoking.

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  22. Thank you TL for your comment, and the good luck wish.

    And, I completely agree about the editing part. It's like I told a good friend of mine today. I’m going to continue to strive for improvement, and be guided by the principles of the craft just as if I were submitting to an agent, because now I'll be submitting directly to my audience, and I wouldn't want to disappoint my readers.

    Good luck on your journey as well.

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  23. i know you've been working on your series for a long time. you deserve to be published. good for you! i lookforward to "picking one up!"

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  24. Thank you so much Tara! I'm so thrilled, and I know I've made the right decision. And with all of you being so supportive of me, it's really appreciated.

    I will keep you posted on when you can pick one up :) Thinking probably mid-June, maybe sooner for e-copy. My POD at this point will be the larger 6"x9" paperback, easy for reading, and holding. :) stoked!

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  25. Times are changing. Good for you for making the right decision for you, given these times! Your cover looks great, and I'm sure it will be satisfying to share the series you love with readers at last!

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  26. Gotta love a good title! Here's my Ties that Bind:
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/35856707/Ties-that-Bind

    Still needs another good rewrite while I shop #2 for an agent. I'm not ready to try the self-publishing route.

    Good luck to you!

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  27. Hey, just had a peek at yours, yep - totally different books! :)

    Thank you, and good luck to you!

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