Two Weeks 'Til ONE - Part 4

Two Weeks 'Til ONE - Part 3

Two Weeks 'Til ONE - Part 2

Two Weeks 'Til ONE - Part 1

Two Weeks Til ONE

Hi, sweet readers. 

It's a funny thing, when you publish a book. Friends that you never really realized were so dear to you come out of the woodwork, wanting to help however they can. A bunch of them even join a Street Team whose express purpose is spreading the word about your book.

In the two weeks before ONE's release, to help spread the word throughout cyber space and give us an intro to the story, the team is releasing a series of graphic-novel style teasers on their blogs! Please find the schedule below, click over every day, and leave the posters some love!

Drawn by my friend and nemesis (it's complicated) Chessie Zappia.

Tuesday, May 28th - Installment #1
 Jolene at Pen and Muse
Catherine Scully 
Amber Maudlin
Kat Ellis

Wednesday, May 29th - Installment #2
Clare Davidson
Jessi Shakarian
Rebecca Mahoney

Thursday, May 30th - Installment #3
J.A. Ward
Elyse G (@brainywordsmith)
Jamie Krakover

Friday, May 31st - Installment #4
Jani Grey 
JC Lillis
Rachel Solomon

Monday, June 3rd - Installment #5
Megan Whitmer
Helen Boswell
Michelle Smith
Liz Lincoln

Tuesday, June 4th - Installment #6
Catherine Scully
Samantha Sessoms
Tara Allen 
Nikki Diehm
KK Hendin


Wednesday, June 5th - Installment #7
Paul Adams
Sarah Hudson
Aimee Arnold
Catherine Ciccarelli
Veronica Bartles
Chyna Ngie
Rachel O'Laughlin
Suzanne VanRooyen

Thursday, June 6th - Installment #8
Dianne at "Oops! I Read a Book Again."
Raven Ashley
Alex Brown
Leigh Caroline
Amanda Olivieri
Virginia Boecker


Friday, June 7th - Installment #9
Jamie Grey
Francesca Zappia
Kaye M
Tawney Bland
Jenny Kaczorowski
Rachel Simon
Louise Gornall

Monday, June 10th

All of the above, plus...

Phil Bartles
J. Liz Hill
Leslie Lagman
Serena Lawless
Megan Orsini
Tiffany B
Heidi Schulz

An Apology

Hi, sweet readers.

I've realized, in a couple different ways over the past two weeks, that my Publishing 101 posts caused some pain and/or offense to some that read them. Several folks read them as a declaration that I thought that my publishing process was the only right way to publish, or the only legitimate way to publish, and by extension, that other ways were wrong, substandard or not legitimate. I now see that, with the way I wrote them, it was pretty easy to read them that way.

I want to be very clear: I think that the way I'm publishing my book is the right way for me and for this particular book. I don't believe there's any one right, true, good, or legitimate way to publish. In fact, I think that there are as many right ways to publish a book as there are books themselves.

It certainly never was my intent to hurt anyone, only to be transparent about my process in the hopes that it might be helpful to other authors. Still, that's no excuse for any pain I caused anyone, in any way.

I'm so very sorry for any hurt or misunderstanding I caused through those posts. I take full responsibility - please accept my apologies.

(Disabled comments, because I'm not looking to start a conversation here - only to share my apology.)

Cover Reveal: ADDICTED TO YOU by Colina Brennan (NA Romance)

Hi, sweet readers!

I'm so excited to bring you another cover reveal for an incredible-looking NA romance! (Though I don't write NA romance, I work with college students, and the girls, especially, love these books. Awesome.)

This one's by a fresh new voice on the scene, Colina Brennan.

Here's what ADDICTED TO YOU is about (sounds amazing!)

When twenty-one-year-old Leah Carter's latest one night stand burglarizes her apartment, her roommate forces her to attend therapy for sex addicts. Leah insists she isn't a sex addict; she just doesn't do relationships. After all, sooner or later, everyone lets you down.

At first, the group sessions are little more than an education on how to be promiscuous. Until she meets the newest addict—blue eyes, killer body, and a smile that tempts relapse.

Psychology student Will McLean is posing as a fellow addict while researching a case study on unusual addictions. But the more he learns about Leah, the more certain he is that his desire to break through her walls and unearth her secrets has nothing to do with his assignment.

As the uncertainties spike alongside the sexual tension, the only thing Leah knows for sure is that falling in love would be disastrous. Too bad love might be one addiction she can't kick.

Mmm. Will sounds delicious, doesn't he? What's that? You'd like to take a look at him? Well, he miiiiight be on the cover....

Wanna see?

Okay....

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GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!
What a beautiful cover!!!!!
Congrats, Colina!

Okay, okay. I know you want to add it to Goodreads. 

Here's the link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17860572-addicted-to-you

Go! Add!

And here's a little more about Colina....

Colina Brennan is a new adult writer with a love for the fantastical and the romantic. When she isn’t writing, she’s attached at the hip to her kids or chasing her dog or daydreaming about what she wants to write next.

Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrennanColina

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrennanColina

Blog: http://colinabrennan.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7068218.Colina_Brennan

Cover Reveal: FIXED ON YOU by Laurelin Paige!

Hi, sweet readers!

I'm so excited to be part of ANOTHER incredible New Adult cover reveal! This one is hosted by AToMR tours, and it's a doozy. Get out your fans and smelling salts if your inclined to fainting fits and swoons! ;)

Title: Fixed on You (Fixed, #1)

Author: Laurelin Paige

Genre: Contemporary

Age Group: Adult

Expected release date: July 31, 2013

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17828418-fixed-on-you

Book Description:

Stalking and restraining orders are a thing of Alayna Pierce’s past. With her MBA newly in hand, she has her future figured out – move up at the nightclub she works at and marry the manager, David. He’s perfect for her because, although he’s attractive, he doesn’t get her all turned inside out and upside down like some other men have. It’s a safe plan, one that assures she’ll remain in control of her obsessive love disorder.

But what Alayna didn’t figure on is Hudson Pierce, the new owner of the nightclub. He’s smart, rich, and gorgeous – the kind of guy Alayna knows to stay away from if she wants to keep her past tendencies in check. Except, Hudson’s fixed his sights on her. He wants her in his bed and makes no secret of his plans to seduce her. Avoiding him becomes impossible after he offers a business proposition Alayna can’t turn down and she’s drawn further into his universe, unable to resist his gravitational pull.

Soon Alayna’s charmed by Hudson in every way possible and the control over her old behaviors slip. When she learns Hudson has a dark history of his own, she realizes too late that she’s fallen for the worst man she could possibly get involved with. Or maybe their less than ideal pasts give them an opportunity to heal each other and finally find the love their lives have been missing.

Are you ready for this?

Really? 

You sure?

Okay...

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Optional giveaway by author: If you would like to offer the below ARC giveaway of FIXED ON YOU, please copy/paste the below Rafflecopter code in the html tab when creating a post.

(1)   $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men or the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine. She is represented by the wonderful Bob Diforio of D4EO Literary Agency.

Author social media links:

Blog: http://laurelinpaige.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurelinPaige

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaurelinPaige

Publishing 101 - Money

Hi, sweet readers.

I really, really, really wanted to do a post about money and self-publishing. Money's a difficult topic to discuss, because some of us have more of it and some of us have less, social stratification, privilege, opportunity, etc etc etc. I know. But we're all adults, professionals, and hidden safely behind our computer screens here, yes? So this will be easy (-ish.)

One of the first questions I ask people who are considering self publishing is whether they have the money to do it well. I see other self-publishers giving the advice to "only spend what you can afford," and I think that's wrong.

Yes. It's wrong. What I think they should say is "If you don't have the resources to do it right, either wait and save up or don't do it at all."

Yes, it's sort of a harsh message. Yes, I stand by it.

Before I made the final decision to publish ONE and TWO, I spent some time quietly gathering estimates from the various professionals I'd need to hire to make these books a success. I talked to Trisha, who helped me add things to my list I didn't even know I might need or want, and put myself through a reality check, too. (For example: In theory, I could organize a blog tour myself, but would it drive me crazy? Yes. And did I have any of the right experience to do a good job? No.) She also helped me assess whether I needed some of the professionals I was waffling on. (For example: ONE had been through so many revisions with agents and I felt so good about it that I did not hire a developmental editor.)

Then I made an Excel spreadsheet of all the costs, and added up the total.

Then I sat down with my family's (very tight, four-kids-in-full-time-daycare) budget and hemmed and hawed and sweated and groaned and SQUEEZED until I figured out a way to make it work. (Basically, there will be no date nights or new clothes or electronics or, like, any luxuries for....awhile.)

So,  you guys want to see ONE's budget, right? 
Well, I'm not going to do a line-by-line, because I don't want this post to become some sort of standard for the professionals on my team should any of my readers want to hire them. Further, I just don't really want everyone to know who I paid for what tasks, and how much. Everyone has different comfort levels

But here's a basic breakdown: 


Editing, formatting, packaging, and distribution services: $825
Promotional materials and services: $700
Print ARCs (including shipping): $450
Audio book studio time*: $150

Grand Total - $2125


Included in some of those categories are some deeply discounted services, that could have easily added $1500 to the project if I had kept them at full price. All writers have different connections and different personal skill sets, so this is not meant to be a guide for any individual author or project - just one example of  one person's budget for one particular project. (ONE.)

You might be wondering why I spent so much money on "unnecessary" stuff, i.e., everything that's not the book itself. After all, I didn't have to spend money on swag, or send physical ARCs. But, remember - my goal for ONE is for it to look and read and be marketed no differently than a traditionally published book. 

Traditionally published books have postcards and stickers and magnets. So does One. Traditionally published books have a street team. So does One. (An incredible one!!!!) And a surefire way to tell a book's legit? It has paper ARCs. It can send copies to high school classrooms across the country and reach its readers even before release. Paper books are power. (I would never have thought this, by the way, but it's amazing how many people think that self-publishing and paper books are mutually exclusive. Printing books not only for sale, but for advanced readers as well, shows that you're serious, that your book's worth the hassle. Readers will pick up on that.)

I just want to stop right here and say that I fully recognize that putting money into publishing a book up front is the biggest drawback to self-publishing. So, here are the reasons that I decided it was worth it:

I was speaking (read: complaining) to a prominent literary agent about the stress of putting money into the project at the outset. She responded with something like, "Yes, but just think - if you got a book deal today, your book wouldn't be out until 2015. All the money you make between now and then, consider your advance."

And, of course, she was right. One year after I made the decision to publish my own books, I will have not one, but two published books on the market, collecting royalties of up to 70% of sale price. They'll never be pulled from the shelves, remaindered, or put in the bargain bin (unless I strategically decide to put them there myself.)

In short, from where I sit, the capability to publish often and to price strategically with high royalties makes up for the fact that I paid so much up front.

But, will I make my money back? 

*shrug* I don't know.

Of course, that's the first goal of most self-publishers - recoup their losses. It's likely that any self publisher will make back every cent she's spent...eventually. It could take one month, and it could take two years or more, to see profits that exceed costs.

If money is tight, or if you're borrowing to publish, know how many books you have to sell to recoup your costs, and how long you can afford to wait for your money to come back...before you make your decision.

Okay, I think that's all I have to say for now about money and self-publishing. But I will answer some questions in comments, and if you yourself are considering self-publishing, shoot me an email at leighannkopans [at] gmail [dot] com and we may be able to speak more candidly.

As always, thanks for reading! You all make this a joy. <3 b="">

*Yes, you read that right. There will be an audiobook of ONE. I'll do a longer post on that - the decision and the method - later.

Cover Reveal: EYRE HOUSE by Caitlin Greer

Hey, sweet readers!

If you know me at all, you know about my obsession with Jane Eyre. The deep themes, the rampant creepiness, and the way it drips with sexuality, even for an 1800s classic, well...*shiver*. I just love it, okay?

Which was why when Cait told me she was tackling a redux of Jane Eyre set in a sleepy Southern tourist town, where the Jane character is played by a ripped boy named Evan with gorgeous tattoos? I FREAKED OUT. I mean, I was jealous, because why hadn't I thought of that? But mostly I was so so happy, because maybe she'd let me read it?

Well, it's a good thing she did, because I adored being a right-hand CP on this project. It's everything Jane Eyre is, done so masterfully I can't even. Mysterious, sexy, heartbreaking, beautifully written....oh my gosh, you guys. You're going to adore this.

So here's the scoop. EYRE HOUSE comes out this July (!!!!) and I am D-Y-I-N-G for you all to read it too.

 Here's the synopsis, which is way more thorough than my crazy fangirling:

When eighteen-year-old orphan Evan Richardson signed up to work at Eyre House, on the sleepy tourist getaway of Edisto Island, SC, he never expected to find himself dodging ghosts. But Eyre House seems to have more than its fair share of things that go bump in the night, and most of them seem to surround his employer’s daughter.

Back from her freshman year of college, Ginny Eyre is dangerous from word one. She’s a bad girl with ghosts of her own, and trouble seems to follow her everywhere she goes. But living or dead, trouble isn't just stalking Ginny. When her ex-boyfriend is found murdered in the pool, Evan knows he’s got two choices – figure out what’s going on, or become the next ghost to haunt Ginny Eyre.

Ohhhhh my. See? I fan myself just reading it. 

Wait, what's that? Your greedy little eyes want to see the cover? Well, I suppose that's what we're here for, huh?

Okay.....

Are you sure you're ready?

*sigh* I suppose I have to share sometime....

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TA-DA!!!!!

Well, what are you waiting for? Add it! Add!

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17694883-eyre-house

Cover Reveal: CATCHING LIAM by Sophia Bleu

Hey, sweet readers. 

It's no secret that I have mad love and respect for New Adult literature. That's why I'm so excited to be participating in the cover reveal for an up-and-coming New Adult author's debut!!!! It's called CATCHING LIAM and oh my goodness I cannot WAIT to get my hands on it....and to recommend it to the students I work with.

Here's what CATCHING LIAM is all about:

Twenty-one year-old Jillian Nichols only has one rule when it comes to boys: catch and release. Boy-catching isn't just a game for Jillian and her friends, it's a lifestyle. After all, boys might be good for a dance or a drink and certainly a little under-cover action of the scandalous variety, but expect much else and you're bound for heart ache.

So when her best friends and fellow boy catchers start dropping like flies junior year, Jillian is determined to keep boys in her bedroom and out of her heart. Until she meets Liam McAvoy, the kind of guy that sticks around to make waffles and who can't—or perhaps won't—take a hint.

Study abroad student Liam doesn't want to be another notch on Jillian's bedpost. Actually he has much more interesting ideas for Jillian and her bedposts, but his student visa's set expiration date means he can't promise her forever. That doesn't mean he's going to walk away from the challenge of discovering why Jillian is hell-bent at keeping people at a distance.

Before long, neither is sure who is catching who—or if they're playing for keeps. Jillian knows one thing though: falling in love will not only break the only rule of boy-catching, it could also break her heart.

Sounds AWESOME, right? Wait, what's that? You want to see the cover? Yes, you definitely do. Because it manages to be cute and a little sexy at the same time. 

Ready? 

You sure?

Okay......

Here it is!

Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

Publication date:  Summer 2013 

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17839132-catching-liam

And here's a little bit about the author....

Sophia Bleu is a secret identity where I can write about fantasies and falling in love and all the smexiness in between.  In real life, I'm likely catching a plane, chasing kids, or making out with the love of my life—all 6 ft 3 inches of hotness that he is.  Life is pretty good.

Author links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Thanks for letting me host your cover reveal, Sophia! What an honor!