The Career Post

A few of my novels

Quite often these days, I am emailed or messaged on Goodreads or Facebook by readers, other writers, or sometimes even family and friends, and asked about my career. What is the path you've taken to publication, exactly? Why did you decide to go with self-publishing? How does it work? Do you like it? Do you make any money? How much money? Would you ever work with a publisher? Would you recommend self-pub to others?

Of Sea and Stone

So I thought it would be nice to have a blog post I could direct people who ask these question to read, something that is more comprehensive and detailed. I also think it might be good to put this out on the blog for anyone who might happen to come across it and be inspired, partially because my own journey started with such a blog post by another author, and for that I am forever grateful.

This is long, so I'll split it up into parts.

What is the path you've taken, exactly?

Well, let's start at the beginning.

THE BEGINNING

It was back in 2010, I think. At that time I was religiously querying a fantasy novel to agents, reading all the recommended blogs on the biz, and I had A Plan. I would find an agent. I would build my online platform. I would get an offer from an editor, and then I'd be very patient and hard-working and cooperative as I wrote my next novel and waited for that first novel to be published (I was already emotionally prepared for it to take YEARS). Then, when it was finally released, I would cross every finger and toe that it would sell well enough for me to continue my career.

I never planned to get rich.* I never even hoped to get rich. I just wanted to tell stories. I just wanted to reach readers. I just wanted to write.

I just wanted the words in my head to get out on paper and into other people's heads.

* What is rich, anyway? "Rich" is relative.

So, with my feet planted firmly on the ground and my head nowhere near the clouds, I was working and waiting. Writing, and writing, and waiting, and writing, and waiting some more. It had already been almost 3 years of this, and slowly, I was getting disillusioned and tired. I heard good things from agents. They said they loved my book, but it wasn't quite right for them. They said I was a good writer, but not what they were looking for at the time. I got requests for partial and full manuscripts, and then those manuscripts were rejected in the nicest possible ways.

Then I read a blog post by Amanda Hocking. This was when she was famous but not, y'know, FAMOUS. She made a great deal of money every month, and articles were being written about her, but this was before her 2 million dollar deal with St. Martin's Press or the movie deal for the Trylle Trilogy. She was just an independent author making a very good wage from her books, with full creative control over titles, covers, release dates, and marketing. She wrote a blog post about how she was self-publishing and making $20k a month from her royalties.

Bluewing

And holy guacamole, it wasn't even that paycheck. Something about the descriptions of control over covers, and marketing, and advertising, and editing... I WANTED IT.

So that was the start.

 Why did you decide to go with self-publishing?

See, I was already getting jaded about the industry. I had lots of ideas. I've always considered myself at least eager to learn, if not savvy, about things like marketing, advertising, design, and various other business concepts. It's like a strategy game, a frustrating, fun, rewarding strategy game. And I knew from the get-go that I wouldn't have a say in my cover, my release schedule, or potentially even the title of my book. I wouldn't have any kind of control, at least not unless I got to be important enough to have clout. This was what I'd read on author blogs and agent blogs and editor blogs. Sit down, shut up, and write. Be a good author. Be patient. Trust the team.

I wanted that. I believed in that. I'm a good team player, I'm realistic.

But I was still getting discouraged and frustrated, because the process took a long time, and I didn't have a day job at the time, and I had sooooo many ideas that were going to have to wait soooo long to ever be told, IF they got told at all. The market was fickle. What was popular now changed rapidly. The market got saturated. Editors got sick of trends years before those trends ever hit the market. I fretted as I wrote. What if what I was writing now was not what editors wanted by the time it got to their desks, after the months/years of getting an agent? And in the meantime, during this fretting and writing and waiting, I wasn't making money. I sat at home and worked my tail off for zero dollars while my husband supported us. I felt like a worthless, penniless, non-contributor to both society and my household. I was ready to quit.

At this point I think it's worth pointing out that my husband, who is the rock in our relationship, urged me NOT to go out and get a soul-sucking full-time job as a receptionist or some other such thing while I wrote on the side as I had time. He told me over and over that my days writing and making no money were an investment in our future that would pay off someday, that he believed in me, and that I was going to make it. He believed in me for years when I started to lose all faith in myself. He forever deserves the credit for keeping me going. Seriously, if you like my books at all, this man is responsible for them existing. Without him, I probably (definitely) would have quit.

Weavers

So I read the blog post, and I remember saying to my husband, "I'm not going to self-publish, of course, but if I did, here's what I would do..." And I said this A LOT. After about 2 months of saying it, I started saying, "Well, if I self-published something small and short, maybe a novella, maybe something I'm not planning to query...?"

So I asked a few agents if it would torpedo my chances, and they told me no, that publishing was changing, and as long as I kept my full-length novel virginity then it would be okay. So I wrote a very short book, called it a novella, and self-published.

How does it work?

Well, this is the part that gets technical and perhaps boring, so I'll skip the details (they are available on many blogs in great detail for the interested). But in short, I distribute directly to retailers. I work with a freelance editor, proofreader, and so forth. I work directly with artists (or design covers myself). I work with bloggers, advertisers, and so forth. I'm completely independent. 

THE FIRST YEAR

Fireworks did not go off. My world did not change. The money did not pour in. It trickled in. I had sales, excitement, and lots of fun. I experienced discouragement at times, and engaged in lots of hard work, and experienced a steep learning curve.

But fundamentally, something was different.

I was no longer jaded. Suddenly, I was excited to write again. I was inundated with ideas--creative ideas about writing, business ideas about promotion and marketing and platform-building. I was alive, and it was the most beautiful gift.

About a year went by, I published a book of short stories, and generally piddled around learning a few things: that I cannot read my reviews or spend most of my time fussing with over-promoting, because it is a time suck and demoralizing. I also learned a lot about becoming a professional. Paying for things. Making quality products. Honing my craft.

Frost

Then, I wrote Frost, and that's when things began to be different.

THE SECOND AND THIRD YEAR

There wasn't an immediate uptick with Frost's publication, but I remember noticing a gradual climb in sales. It went from "hey, I could buy a nice steak dinner with this month's royalties" to "hey, we could pay some bills with this month's royalties."

Then it became "hey honey, I out-earned you this month with my royalties."

Do you like self-publishing and being independent?

Quite simply, YES. This is my dream job, and I love it. Sometimes I feel downright bad about how much I like it. I adore it.

Do you make any money? How much?

I am uncomfortable listing exact numbers, partially because of my upbringing and the way my family felt about discussing money, although many wonderful authors do tell their specific earnings (for the sake of making information available for others to make choices about their careers), and I don't think there's anything braggy or bad about doing that. I will say that I can live off my royalties, I've surpassed any dreams I might have had about income, and self-publishing has been wonderful to me.

I kept publishing books. The Frost Chronicles has five novels and several novellas in it now, and I have a new series with the third book coming out summer 2014, in addition to a couple of stand-alone titles.

By Sun and Saltwater

Would you ever work with a publisher?

I began to get offers from publishers and agents last year, in 2013. To date, I have declined such offers, although once was in negotiations for months and I considered it seriously. I don't have any kind of particular commitment to being "indie only," and maybe in the future I will become what they call a hybrid author. I don't belong to an ideology or a particular camp when it comes to the industry.

I don't have a commitment to a particular way of publishing.

I have a commitment to creative freedom, making a living wage, and providing quality stories to my readership. I have a commitment to loving my job and living my dream.

Right now, that means I remain independent and continue to self-publish.

Would you recommend self-pub to others?

Yes, MAYBE. Being an independent is hard work. It requires a lot of hats, so to speak. Being successful requires effort, (some) business savvy, patience, and consistent professionalism in both behavior and quality of work. But if you feel like you can and want to do it, then go for it.


THE FUTURE

I plan to keep writing! I have many, many stories I want to tell. I am so thankful for every reader, every email, every tweet. I'm humbled by the journey I've had thus far, and while I have no idea what the future holds for either myself or the publishing industry in general, I am hopeful and excited to find out.

Once Upon A Beanstalk

I hope this helps anyone who is curious or has questions. I am happy to answer emails if you want to know more, and if I get enough specific questions, maybe I will write more posts on this matter. I don't talk about it much because I am mainly interested in focusing on my writing, but the business side does matter, it is exciting, and I hope this post was informative and inspiring to those who want to take a similar journey.

You can find more about me here:

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon Author Page

Want to have a Frost story dedicated to YOU?

Hi everyone!

 

So, AERALIS has been released!!! And FROST is temporarily on sale at $0.99 to celebrate!!

I am very excited about it, and I want to spread the word to the ENTIRE INTERNET.

Well, at least SOME of the internet. :D

Also, I am writing a new Frost novelette called Fugitive that will be released (hopefully!) in late October or early November, and a Frost novelette called Brewer that will be released in late November or sometime in December.

I was thinking about who to dedicate them to, and then I had the idea to dedicate each of them to a fan of the Frost.

Of course, how to choose??? There are a lot of you. :)

So. I thought we could have a giveaway of sorts. You guys help me spread the word about Aeralis's release and Frost's $0.99 sale, and you can enter in this Rafflecopter giveaway to win. Winners get Fugitive or Brewer dedicated to them. As in your name, in the dedication page, forever. I'll pick 2 winners!

Enter below! No purchase necessary. Etc.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Aeralis is AVAILABLE NOW and Frost is ON SALE!

Hey everybody, so many exciting announcements!

First...

FROST is on sale for just $0.99 for a limited time to celebrate the release of the final book!!

In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After the monsters called Watchers kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Mayor and his council of Elders. With dangers on all sides, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest—a handsome young stranger named Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.
 
And it changes everything.

Buy Frost from Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/mcdzqo5

Buy Frost from Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/ldzjeq9

Then...

And AERALIS, the final book in the Frost Chronicles, is now available for purchase!


Now, in the final chapter of Lia’s story, she faces her greatest challenge yet. Her beloved brother is dying, and when an unexpected enemy appears in the Frost and threatens her sister’s life, too, Lia must travel to Aeralis, the world of the Farthers, to save her family.

Buy Aeralis from Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/n7tpn85

Buy Aeralis from Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/o237m4q

And lastly...

You can have a Frost story dedicated to you! Enter here to win.

AERALIS IS AVAILABLE!

Squeeeeee!

I'm so excited!! AERALIS, the 5th and final book in The Frost Chronicles, is now available for purchase in the Kindle and Nook stores!

* wild cheering ensues *

You can grab a copy for your Kindle here!

You can grab a copy for your Nook here!

If you read the paperbacks, stay tuned, because they will be out in a few weeks.

Enjoy, everyone. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Update!

Hi everyone :)

There is going to be a SLIGHT delay in Aeralis's release...look for it later this week, maybe Thursday? I was hoping it would be out tomorrow, but the launch has been pushed back juuuuust slightly. And of course I will let everyone know when it's here.

As always, you can sign up for the new releases newsletter or (if you're a Kindle reader or Amazon shopper for the paperback), you can go here and click on the right-column tab where it says "Stay Up To Date" to be notified of new releases by me if you want to be sure you know when it's available.

Can't wait!

AERALIS is coming soon! First, some TEASERS

Hi lovely readers!

I have a few treats and news for you today.

First, did you know you can sign up to get an email from Amazon whenever an author you like releases a new book? If you look here on my Amazon author page, in the right-hand corner, it says "STAY UP TO DATE." Click the text below it that says "E-mail me when there are new releases by Kate Avery Ellison" and voila! You're signed up. It's THAT easy. Pretty cool, I say.

You could also sign up for my newsletter if you want to be sure to get fast notice of a new release. Like, say, AERALIS!

*shakes pom poms*

Either way, it's a cool feature that I didn't know existed. I'm definitely gonna be using that Amazon notification thing with some of my favorite authors in the future.

Now for the treats. Here're some some TEASERS from Aeralis!!! First I've got some quotes. I won't tell you who said them, but I'll give you choices. Okay? :)

This quote was said by either Korr, Gabe, or Adam. Who do you think it was?

“I’ll concede to you the battle,” he said. “But not the war. Sooner or later, Lia Weaver, I’ll have something you want.”

This one is either spoken by Gabe, Lia, or Korr.

“How dare you tail me like I’m some suspect your organization wants to spy upon? Who ordered you to do it?”


And here's a small excerpt of a rather tense scene between Adam and Lia, which includes a new character named Raven. Adam and Lia aren't very happy with each other at this particular moment.

~~~

HE SCANNED THE room and spotted me. He went still, his shoulders tensing, his eyebrows pulling together as he regarded me. “Lia?” he spoke as if to himself only, as if I were just a dream conjured in his mind.

I met his eyes without flinching, although a jolt of something tense and electric and frightening shot through me at the intensity in his gaze. “Yes.”

“What are you doing here?” The words were calm, soft, but an undercurrent of something cold lurked in them.

Raven stepped from behind the curtain in the silk shirt, and her lips curved in a slight smile as she saw Adam. “Brewer,” she said, not sounding surprised. “I thought I saw Merrick slipping away through the crowd when we arrived. He must have told you right away.”

Adam didn’t answer her. His eyes never left mine as he laid his hat on the table and stripped off his gloves.

“Is it Jonn?” His tone was flat, with no discernible glimmer of emotion in it.

“Jonn’s condition hasn’t changed,” I said.

Raven looked from Adam to me. We continued to ignore her. Adam raised his eyebrows at me and tipped his head. He looked calm, but I saw the tension in his fingers, his neck. His question was clear.
 
Why had I defied my orders, then?

~~~

So, be sure to sign up for my newsletter OR go to my author page on Amazon and click the text to get an email from Amazon when Aeralis releases in just a few weeks. Less than two weeks, actually. Very, very soon!!

Cover Reveal for AERALIS!!

Ladies and Gents, we have a cover reveal!!

Aeralis, book #5 in the Frost Chronicles series, releases in just a few weeks. Until then, feast your eyes on the cover and add it on Goodreads!

Aeralis Synopsis

You guys, I forgot to share the Aeralis synopsis!!

I wrote it ages ago and then I forgot to share it.

So here it is:


Lia Weaver and her friends have finally driven the Farther soldiers from the Frost, but all is not settled yet. Ann Mayor and her father have found themselves the target of violence, the villagers are fighting, and Jonn’s life hangs in the balance.

When an unexpected enemy surfaces in the Frost wilderness and endangers Lia’s family, she is faced with a terrible choice, and against Thorns orders, she sets out to find answers in Aeralis.

Sorry that synopsis is SO SHORT. It has to be, because I don't want to give away spoilers!!

The cover is coming soon!

Aeralis Teasers

Hi lovely folks!

I cannot believe it's almost July. Seriously. In some ways this year has really dragged by for me, and in some ways it's passed in the blink of an eye.

I'm still working on Aeralis. I had another project that commandeered my attention for a few weeks, but I'm back to the novel now and I'm now two-thirds of the way done with the rough draft.

Earlier today, I tweeted some teasers for the final book. Here they are in case you don't have a Twitter account. (and if you don't follow me on Twitter but you want to, you can find me here!)

So #Aeralis is coming along. I'm about 2/3rds of the way through the first draft. Lots of new characters in this one. Lots of reveals.

We'll learn another Weaver family secret #Aeralis #Frostteasers

Some relationships will be tested #Aeralis #Frostteasers 

There is a traitor #Aeralis #Frostteasers

I'm excited about this book, friends! I hope you love it as much as I do. Hopefully I can finish the draft by mid July and have it ready for release sometime in September.

Stay tuned for more teasers, hints, and excerpts in the coming weeks. :)

Updates and Things

Hi folks!

A few updates:

Aeralis (Frost #5) is coming along well, so yay for that. I'm getting close to halfway done with the first draft. I am hoping for an August release at this point. We'll see!! I know you lovelies are impatient to read it, and that warms my heart. It also motivates me to work harder/faster. It also makes me want to reassure you! So just so know you, I am working on it.

I wrote a post over at the group blog I share with some other writer folk about the pros and cons of writing a series. You can read it here.

Annnnnnd I am just finishing a ten thousand word novelette set in the Frost world (but featuring some new characters) that I wrote for a short story collection I'm doing with a couple of other authors. I'll let you know more about that and when it will be available as I have details.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day, those who are American/celebrating, and the rest of you, have a wonderful Monday!

Can't Wait for Inspiration

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” — Jack London

I love that quote. That's what I'm doing these days...going after that inspiration. And sometimes I seriously feel like the inspiration is fighting back. Drafting a novel can be pretty emotionally exhausting. You're creating a world from scratch, and you're conjuring up all these emotions along with the characters, and you're grinding out a lot of things that feel mundane at the moment (but will work well once everything has been edited and polished). It can be intense work, and some days I'm utterly spent when I finish working. Right now I'm staying motivated by rewarding myself with episodes of my favorite TV shows when I finish my word count for the day. It's keeping me on schedule.

On a more cheerful note, I'm about 1/3 of the way through the first draft of Aeralis. Woohoo! I'm still hoping for a late July/early August release date, but I can't promise that. These things have a way of taking more time than I expect. But hopefully!

Teaser: Earlier today I finished writing a sad scene (well, it made me sad) between Lia and a male character who will remain unnamed. You'll have to speculate who it is, and what "sad scene" means, because it could mean just about ANYTHING. Muhahaha.

Encouragement Is Good

Hey everybody,

Bluewing's launch went really well, and the response has been awesome (as always). I've had a week to veg and recover a little and watch lots of Netflix (I'm currently obsessed with Alias), and now I'm about to dive back into the rough draft of Aeralis, the final book in the series. I think Lia has a pretty intriguing journey in the final book, with lots of juicy interactions with other characters and some changes both in regards to various relationship dynamics and personal understandings. Also, as usual, secrets are revealed and some new knowledge comes to light. I'm excited about it. (Sorry, I know that's all pretty vague. I can't really, you know, tell you anything. Not yet. :P)

I'm also working concurrently on a companion novella from Ann's perspective that will cover the events of several books, but I'm not sure when that will be released. Originally I thought it would come out before Aeralis, but now it might contain some spoilers for book 5, so it might release after that one comes out. We'll see. I'm not sure yet. I really enjoy writing about Ann--she's very different than Lia, and it's fun to get to be in her head for a bit.

I also wanted to say how much I love the comments and tweets and messages and emails I get from you guys regarding the books and the characters and how much you can't wait for the next book. I read everything you say, and your enthusiasm carries me through each grueling rough draft. Thank you for reading my books. I write them for you.