IT'S A LOVE THING Launch!

It's almost here. That's right. My first published work. (Well, unless you count that article I wrote in college that got published in the online history journal.) HAVEN and all the other stories of IT'S A LOVE THING will be released TOMORROW!

I got my copy a couple days ago. With all the stuff going on in this joint, I've only had time to proof my story. I'm looking forward to cuddling up with the rest of them. I haven't organized a give-away here yet, but there may be one in the works over at the Mommy Authors blog. (IT'S A LOVE THING's launch happens to coincide with some fantastic, new things happening over there. You should drop by in the next month to check everything out!)

So, TOMORROW IT'S A LOVE THING will be available at SO many different outlets you will have absolutely no excuse not to pick one up.

At Amazon:
Paperback
Kindle

At Smashwords

At Barnes & Noble

We'll definitely do some fun things here. A give-away of course. Keep an eye out, I'll let you know. And if you want to review it for your book-blog, shoot me an email. I'll hook you up. ;)

Check out the IT'S A LOVE THING book-blog and my really cool publishers, Prose By Design. AND there's already a contest going on. :)

The Pub Panel: Part 6, Wrapping It Up

Read all posts in the Pub Panel series here.

Finally, we talked about what each author felt were the strengths of their chosen publication path . . .

Ranee`: Okay and finally just to wrap things up: What do you feel are the strengths of your chosen path(s) to publication?

Jennifer Griffith: Okay. Well, I like finding a small publisher because, like I said, I like to have those personal relationships that come with being part of a small publishing house. I like to know the executive editor by name and become friends and have that tie. It’s very nice. For me, most likely, writing is never going to be a career per se. It will always have to be a hobby. I’m a stay at home mom and that takes up the vast majority of my time. Therefore, my goal is to find a way to make my hobby be the most pleasant and happy experience it can be. I don’t want my hobby to turn into a stressor. It’s got to be fun and positive or else I’ll have to take up embroidery again. And nobody wants that. I also love that the timeline has been so quick. Nine months might not seem fast to someone outside publishing, but I’ve talked to people who are on the docket for 2015 already. This is fast! I love that sorta immediate gratification. The people have been so fun and cool and I’m really feeling happy I’ve found them. I hope my book makes them some money and doesn’t end up breaking their bank!

Pub Panel: Part 5, Marketing

Read the first four parts here.

The panel discusses what's clearly a favorite topic . . . Marketing!

Ranee`: Okay, Marketing!

Jolene Perry: Ugh. Marketing.

Krista: Do we have to?

Jolene Perry: It's like looking for a job over and over and over and over

Ranee`: Hahahaha. When I talk about different pub methods with people, this is the topic that comes up most often.

What tactics were used to put word out before your publication, both by you and then by your publisher?

The Pub Panel: Part 4, All About Editing

Read Parts 1-3 here.

Ranee`: Now I want to talk about editing processes. We've already delved into it, but I'd like get into details. First off, describe sort of the step by step process of editing with the editor at the publishing house.

Jennifer Griffith: If we're on edits now, JFP gave me three passes of full editorial treatment. They didn't ask for an overhaul, but they did for another of their authors (change the plot, etc.). Mine was "fix this little plot hole" and word choice stuff. They gave it good eyes.

Sherry Gammon: Editing is LONG! But I enjoy it. Anything is better than staring at a blank page. I had to cut a lot of scenes out. My original story was 150,000. I edited it down to 115,000ish. I also joined a group of writers and we share our work for critiquing. I also found this to be invaluable. And I hired you [Ranee`]. . . ;]

The Pub Panel: Part 3, Publishing Timelines

If you missed Part 1 and Part 2, see them here. 


I asked each of the participates about the timeline of publishing their books . . . 

Ranee`: What was the timeline between when you submitted and your acceptance?

Sherry Gammon: 48 hours! Not really a question for me . . . just trying to be funny!

Jolene Perry: Most big pub houses will take at least 8 weeks. At LEAST. I have a book that's been on sub for almost a year . . .

Jennifer Griffith: That's a long time, Jolene. I guess the pins and needles would subside a bit after that long.

Jolene Perry: They totally do. And you stop getting excited when you hear from an editor who LOVES your work. It opens doors for later, but still a bummer when you think - I'M THERE!! Time for my national contract was about 8 weeks, but they already knew me, so that helped. It'll be over a year before it’s on shelves at B and N and I'm lucky it's not two

The Pub Panel: Part 2, Agents and Publishing

If you missed Part 1, read it here.

Next, I asked Jolene about finding representation with her agent Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. Then the others discussed how they chose their different routes to publishing . . . 

Ranee`: So the next questions will be mostly for Jo, unless someone else wants to chime in, about finding her agent, Lauren Hammond. You said you queried from Feb to June when you signed with her?

Jolene Perry: I found my agent on Twitter, lol.

Review: MATCHED by Ally Condie

Had I not come across this book on display at my local library, I probably would have never discovered it. And if you haven't discovered it, you should.

From Amazon: "Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow."