From Small Pub to Self-Pub: Rising Again from a Small Press's Ashes

with guest author Dusty Crabtree

Phoenix art by Laura

I know a number of author friends who were delighted to publish with a small publisher that felt like family. But in today's publishing climate, it's tougher than ever for small publishers to survive. So what do you do when your cozy family in the publishing world decides to close its doors? If rights revert to you, you might decide to go the route of today's guest. I asked her to share her experiences with that starting over process with an existing book. Take it away, Dusty...



Thank you for hosting me again, Laurel! Last time I was here it was for the one-year anniversary tour for Shadow Eyes. Now, here we are three years later releasing it again.

(Be sure to enter the rafflecopter at the bottom of the post for a chance to win a print copy of Shadow Eyes and a $50 gift card to Amazon!)

Shadow Eyes, my YA urban fantasy, was first released in 2012 by Musa Publishing. Being a young, small publishing company, Musa closed in 2015 as so many small publishing companies are forced to do. After a lot of thought and advice-seeking, I decided to self-publish it this time. A lot of reasons went into this.

1. I didn’t want to wait anymore. Publishing through a traditional publishing company takes time! There’s waiting to get accepted by a publisher, waiting to sign a contract, waiting to get assigned an editor, waiting to get all the edits done on your part, waiting for the company to finish their edits, waiting on the cover art, and then finally waiting for the release date (they often have a long line ahead of you). Self-publishing is much faster, and having gone through it all before, I really just wanted to get Shadow Eyes back out there as fast as I could. I have a sequel waiting in the wings for goodness’ sake! Let’s get this show on the road!

2. I was tired of searching and getting rejected. That may sound shallow or childish, but come on, who likes getting rejected. And, believe me, I know rejection by publishing companies is normal and not to take it personally. I went through a lot of them the first time around before Musa picked it up. Many of the rejections were most likely by companies who didn’t even look at the book because they didn’t have time or space for new authors. Most others have certain tastes and a certain market they are trying to sell to, and my book just didn’t fit.

I didn’t take it personally. But it still got old. When doors kept slamming in my face, I didn’t doubt myself or wallow in self-pity. I got frustrated and discouraged. I kept seeing the light at the end of the tunnel grow dimmer and dimmer as the end kept getting farther and farther away. I started to feel like I’d exhausted all possible options, and what would I do then?

That’s when I realized there was another door. A door that wouldn’t slam in my face. Sure, the world beyond that door was new and scary, and I was sure to be met with opposition and possibly judgement. But it was an open door nonetheless. And it gave me a breath of fresh air.

3. My genre and content has a unique and specific market. Most traditional publishers don’t want a book with a limited market, so if yours doesn’t seem like it would appeal to a wide audience, they won’t want to take a chance on you. This is probably what influenced my decision the most. After talking to a trusted author/editor about it, I realized that what she said about my genre and content was true. It is unique. And that’s okay!

In fact, I'm proud to not fit their traditional, mainstream, please everyone and cater to everyone mold! My books will find an audience that will love them for what they are -- bold, unapologetic, unique, spiritual and morally grounded, yet too edgy to fit a Christian mold either. I will find my audience without a publishing company’s help. Thank you.

4. Self-publishing gets you more profit for the same amount of time promoting. True, you may not have quite as much reach as you would with a publishing company, but you will make much more profit. Also, I found that with a small publishing company, I was doing most of my promoting anyway. They helped out with what they could – gathering a few reviews from me, helping their authors cross-promote, giving us ideas, hosting tours, etc. But much of the promoting fell on me. So that much isn’t very different now.

5. I learned to view self-publishing in a different light and swallowed my pride. It’s no lie. Many people in the book community have a prejudice against self-published books. They view these books as “not good enough” to get picked up by a traditional publisher. Like a lot of prejudices, there is some foundation for this. The truth of the matter is anyone can self-publish. Sure it takes some research and asking a lot of questions, but anyone can do it. The book doesn’t have to be professionally edited, and the author doesn’t have to be any good. The thought is that if a book is traditionally published, at least it’s been screened by someone out there who deemed it as worthy enough to be in the book market.

But here’s another truth. Just because a book hasn’t been screened, doesn’t mean it’s not any good. Now, I do still think books need to be professionally edited because even the best writers are blind to their own limitations. We all need an outsider who knows what they’re doing to help us with what we can’t see. But if it has been edited, who’s to say it’s not just as good as a traditionally published book?

I just had to get out of that prejudiced mindset, swallow my pride, and simply be secure and confident in my work, knowing it’s just as professional and worthy as any other book out there, with or without the “self-published.”

Closing thoughts – I will say that going through the traditional publishing process the first time was extremely valuable! I learned so much that I believe will help me be successful this time around. The connections I made, the lessons I learned, and the ideas I gleaned have all been very helpful. Plus, having been traditionally published at least once does help give you some credibility amidst the sea of self-publishers out there.

So, if you’re looking to publish your first book, I recommend at least attempting to go the traditional route first. After that, it’s totally up to you and what you feel is best. Just don’t let fear or your own prejudice get in the way of your decision.

About the Author

Dusty Crabtree loves a good story, but she also loves young people. These two loves are evident in all parts of her life. She has been a high school English teacher since 2006 and a creative writing teacher since 2014. She's also been a youth sponsor at her local church for as long as she’s been teaching. She feels very blessed with the amazing opportunities she has to develop meaningful relationships with teens on a daily basis. With her love of reading in the mix, becoming an author of young adult books was just a natural development of those two passions in her life. She lives with her husband, Clayton, in Yukon, Oklahoma, where they often serve their community as foster parents.

Blog / Twitter / Facebook

About Shadow Eyes

Iris thought she could ignore the shadows…until they came after everyone she loved.

Seventeen-year- old Iris Kohl has been able to see both dark and light figures ever since a tragic incident three years ago. The problem is, no one else seems to see them, and even worse…the dark figures terrorize humans, but Iris is powerless to stop them.

Although she’s learned to deal with watching shadows harass everyone around her, Iris is soon forced to question everything she thinks she knows about her world and herself. Her sanity, strength, and will power are tested to the limits by not only the shadows, but also a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows, a new friend with an awe-inspiriting aura, and a mysterious, alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend. As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, Iris must ultimately accept the guidance of an angel to revisit the most horrific event of her life and become the hero she was meant to be.

Goodreads / Trailer 
Available for pre-order Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Apple iBooks / Smashwords

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To see other posts on this tour and to increase your chances of winning, visit Dusty’s blog for the schedule with links as they are posted. 

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How characters emerge: the mystery of composite selves

Photo by Gabor from Hungary / morguefile.com

Characters can be found in all sorts of places--among our families, friends, acquaintances, even strangers on the train. Yet we never borrow traits without tinging them with our own interpretation of those we observe and mixing in bits and pieces of our own imagination.

In other words, every character, even those you base on real people, have some of you in them.

I'll give you an example. The poem below I'd written as a sort of tribute to some of the ordinary yet extraordinary boys whose friendship I'd cherished in childhood.

Gilbert

My friend Gilbert
had the kind of face
you see on milk cartons
on rainy Thursday mornings
that puddle in your brain
without a grain of sense
or purpose but dripdrip drip.

Gil played games
that brought down bullies
to no-longer-larger-than-life lugs
we could look in the eye
and not cringe.

Gil's games
made emperors of roaches
and elf queens of
bucktoothed, freckled girls
who are good at math
and can't sing.

Gil thought thoughts
that entered me like garlic
and permeated blood
and lungs and skin,
reeking and lusty of life,
lingering in the pores
for days.

Laurel Garver, Muddy-Fingered Midnights p. 8. 

This fictional friend's name is, of course, an homage to Gilbert Blythe from L.M. Montgomery's Green Gables books.

Some of the details are bits and pieces of Duane, who lived next to the awesome graveyard and let me be Bionic Wonder Woman to his Bionic Batman. And also Billy, who was willing to be Pa from Little House on the Prairie. And finally Brad, who agreed that the monkeybars was totally a spaceship, and storing gobs of maple seeds for our fort's winter food supply was a dire necessity. These boys were kinder than average--and willing to give anyone a shot at joining the imaginative game of the moment.

But to be honest, I was usually the one who came up with most of the ideas when we played. You might say Gilbert is the kid I wish I'd been--imaginative, sure, but also the kind of leader who brings people together by drawing out their best selves gently and naturally.

When you build a hero or a villain, you will (mostly unconsciously) add pieces of yourself to the mix--what you admire and aspire to, what you find most loathsome, and at times even parts of yourself you most want to heal or change. This is the aspect of writing that some consider therapeutic or even mystical.

What aspects of yourself have you been surprised to discover coming out in your characters?

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Helping kids find their courage

with guest author Peggy McAloon

Today I'm talking with guest Peggy McAloon about how her own difficult childhood inspired her to write stories to empower children in difficult circumstances, and give them the joy that can be found in imaginary worlds with heroes much like them.

Tell us a little about the fantasy world you've created.

My goal was to create a world where children would not only feel safe but could imagine themselves visiting. The flowers in the dimension of Fiori are as big as tractor tires and provide a form of entertainment for the inhabitants as they play on swings suspended from the flower petals with spider webbing.

Elle must search for her missing brother 

There are numerous reflection ponds throughout the valley. A massive turquoise bird called a Truero. The Trueros are large enough that the Fiorins and the guides can sit atop them and float on the waters. The ponds in Fiori are alive with brilliant colors. They reflect the crimson, gold, and purple colors of the skies there.

There are fancy parties at Mother Blue’s castle with dancers and acrobats to entertain the guests whenever there's a victory against evil on earth.

The Fiorins who aren’t currently assigned to protect a human child stay in the valley among the flowers until their next assignment.

Guides love riding in a carriage like Cinderella, except these are pulled by a giant Spider instead of horses.

Some things are quite different from life on earth. Miniature house pets that look like our elephants live in many of the houses there.

It’s a magical fairy-tale kind of place, and any child would love to be able to go there. You can float on a Truero on a reflection pond or take a ride on Pegasus into a valley where lions and koala bears live in harmony.

image credit: marcus scott reed for morguefile

What drew you to write for children?

That’s very easy to answer. I was one of those unfortunate kids who suffered abuse as a child. I was threatened not to tell anyone, so my only escape was through books. I loved to enter a fairytale land and pretend I was the princess or float down the Mississippi River with Huck Finn. My reality was too painful for a child to live in, so I used the books at the library to escape my life for hours at a time.

I want to give that same gift to other kids in trouble, but do it in such a way that they can find their courage too.

I worked with a child counselor to put together a discussion sheet so parents can use the characters in the first book in the series to discuss bullying and abuse in a non-threatening way through the characters.

I’m currently working with a teacher to prepare a discussion sheet for “Missing.”

Too many children in the United States and throughout the world continue to be victims of both bullying and abuse. Some of those children will not only try to commit suicide, but they will succeed. Unfortunately, most of the parents who have lost children didn’t know anything was wrong. I’ve blended reality and fantasy in such a way that kids will be more willing to talk about the topics we try to avoid. We can’t afford to do that any longer.

What is your favorite chapter in Missing?

I don’t want to give any spoilers here, so I’ll share that the adult side of me loved the segment where Elle rediscovered her faith.

That said, the little kid who still dwells somewhere deep within me laughed at the part where the class bully, Jimmy Backus, had a run-in with a manure pit.

Is there a message in Missing that you hope your readers will grasp?

The underlying message of this book is to have a kind heart and never to lose faith. We can face nearly insurmountable challenges when we show a caring spirit to ourselves and others.

What was the hardest part of writing Missing and why?

That question is a painful one. This book is the final 100 pages of the original first book plus another one hundred and fifty pages.

I wrote the first book and was accepted by a publisher willing to work with me. Shortly before Elle Burton and the Reflective Portals was to be published, I learned the publisher intended to sell it for over $20.00. I was heartbroken. I didn’t want to make money from the series (Breaking even would be nice); I wanted to help kids in trouble.

No child can pay $20.00 for a book.

The publisher told me they could cut the final pages out of the first book and close it in a cliffhanger. They explained cliffhangers are good and would entice people to want to buy the next book.
In theory, that might have been a good idea, but I don’t particularly like cliffhangers.

I agreed to their terms to bring the cost of the book down, and the first book in the Lessons from Fiori series launched. What I didn’t know…what I could never have planned, was a fall I took in London about the same time as the release of book one.

I returned home from that trip in tremendous pain, and I couldn’t figure out how to take the ending of my first book and turn it into a ‘stand-alone’ novel.

Pain and creativity don’t seem to work in conjunction with each other well for me. I spent nearly six months trying to find a resolution for my injury and pain without coming up with any logical idea on how to rewrite my original ending for book one.

It was painful for me not to be able to release book two almost immediately, but it was physically impossible for me to sit at the computer and write after the fall.

My warning to other authors: If you want to end a book in a cliffhanger, make sure the sequel is ready to publish no longer than a month after the first book launches.

Did you learn anything from writing this book? What was it?

Writing this book was rather like being given a second chance to find my strength as a child. Through Elle, I’m able to realize how much I missed as a child and how important it is for us to provide strong role models for our sons and daughters. I will always wonder if I’d found a role model like Elle in my books if I’d have found the courage to tell someone about my abuse.

What advice would you give writers interested in creating a fantasy for younger readers?

You need to remember that children have vivid imaginations and are looking for a world where they can find action, excitement, and challenges.

You need to balance the good with the evil and give children something safe to hold onto within the fantasy world you’re creating for your characters. Build a world any child would want to not only visit but come back to over and over again. Make them believe anything's possible!

You also need to keep copious notes on the characters and the descriptions of your imaginary world. Kids are discerning readers too, and they'll remember if you change something about the world you've created between books.

In the first two books of my series, I’ve allowed readers to see two segments of Fiori. Who knows what they may discover as additional books are released?

About the author

Peggy M McAloon is on a mission to inspire kids everywhere to stand up to abuse and bullying. Her “Lessons from Fiori Series” about a young girl from Wisconsin, provides a strong female role model who isn’t afraid to show compassion or hack into a con man’s computer if the need arises. Peggy’s courageous battle with depression, abuse, and a traumatic brain injury has enabled her to identify with both children and adults who have suffered from abuse and bullying.

She’s a retired trainer and speaker in the field of commercial credit. Her first book, “The Art of Business Credit Investigation” was featured in Inc. Magazine. She’s been interviewed by the Associated Press and appeared on news shows in her efforts to protect our water resources.

Facebook / Twitter / Google Plus / LinkedIn / Amazon Author Central

About the book

Missing
Genre: middle grade fantasy

Kidnapping. Monsters. Magic.

Elle's desperate to find her kidnapped brother. She teams up with the winged warriors from the dimension of Fiori to save him, but JJ isn't the only one in danger. What will Elle sacrifice to bring her brother home? Can she fulfill the ancient prophecy and restore the magic of the Bronze Pendant?


You will love this coming of age, action-packed fantasy for middle-grade readers. Elle Burton's goal is to rescue her brother. What she discovers is pure evil. The author provides a female role model who strives to overcome her flaws and inspire kids everywhere.

"Missing" blends the magic of a fairytale with the contemporary realities of the world today's youth inhabit. You will discover a new world order through the journey of a young girl who exhibits both compassion and jaw-dropping courage in her quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Find yourself caught in the ultimate struggle between good and evil. "Missing" is the second book in the "Lessons from Fiori" series.

Available from Amazon

Book 1 available HERE

There are seventeen prizes with seventeen winners! Peggy is generously giving away 5 signed copies of the first book in her series, Elle Burton, 10 signed copies of her new release, Missing, and 2 replicas of Elle's necklace.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

August 8

Bookish Orchestrations-Tour Introduction

Zerina Blossom's Books-Guest Post

Britbear's Book Reviews-Excerpt

August 9

Laurel's Leaves-Author Interview

So You Want to Write Christian Fantasy?-Character Interview with Amadeus

August 10

Frances Hoelsema-Excerpt

Rachel Rossano's Words-Excerpt

August 11

A View From the Other Side of the Hill-Excerpt

Letters from Annie Douglass Lima-Excerpt

Peggy's Hope 4U-Character Interview

August 12

Perpetual Gardener, Writer, and Mormon-Excerpt

Alex McGilvery's Worlds-Book Review

August 13

Bookish Orchestrations-Giveaway Winner


How about you, readers? Is there some aspect of your life story that has led you to write for certain audiences?

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Transforming our struggles into art

with guest author Laurie Lewis

Image credit: jclk8888 on morguefile.com

I was eager to learn more about the story behind the story of The Dragons of Alsace Farm from my guest, author Laurie Lewis. Her new women's fiction novel  has some resonances with my new YA novel  Almost There: family secrets tucked away in an elderly person's home, a French grandparent, dementia, and the haunting presence of WWII, though I deal with different generations--Millennial, Gen X and Silent Generation (born during the war).

The real-life issues she turns into fiction will resonate with many of us watching our parents or grandparents decline. And so will the hope infused in this novel.

What's the story behind your intriguing title?

Great question. I wrestled over that title for months, even up to the day I submitted the manuscript, and I still worry whether it will resonate with readers, but my heart told me this was the title, and I’m crossing my fingers that when the last page turns, readers will agree it was the perfect title.

Here’s how I came up with it. Agnes survived the bombing of the Alsace region of France during WWII, and when her family moved to America, they named their farm after their homeland. The Dragon reference ties into Agnes’s past, and a mystery in the book, so I can’t give that away, but because of Agnes’s past, “Dragons” became the catchphrase for everything that challenges or frightens her.

What drew you to write about a character with dementia?

My beautiful, gentle mother inspired the story. She had a ramshackle farm she loved, and sadly, she was diagnosed with dementia several years ago.

We were unprepared for the decisions we had to make on her behalf. I soon realized how many friends were experiencing the same challenges with their parents, finding themselves in the uncomfortable position of parenting a parent. We knew Mom was afraid of the changes over which she had no control, but she was also still Mom—fun, happy, loving, caring. So instead of just creating a WWII survivor, I ramped up the tension by placing Agnes on the dementia spectrum.

What special research was required to write this intergenerational story?

A lot came from personal observation. A young couple with mild disabilities moved onto Mom’s farm for a few months. Mom believed she was helping them, and they felt they were helping Mom. I was fascinated by the way these three disabled people strengthened one another and themselves through serving each other, and I wanted to introduce that element into the book.

I met with a social worker to suggest a program where people who need a home could be paired with people who had a home but needed a little help. I cited the story above, and they thought the idea had promise, but there was no funding to try such an experiment, and it never was implemented.

As for Noah and Tayte, I remembered a sequel I had written years ago to my first novel, “Unspoken.” I never published it, but I loved the personal dynamic of the emotionally broken characters, so when I began drafting “Dragons,” I placed them in the story, and had them fill that helping role with Agnes.

I interviewed doctors, caregivers, therapists, and other families affected by dementia in order to illustrate the challenges families face with this diagnosis. Two friends/family therapists helped me assure that all these complicated characters—Agnes, Noah, and Tayte—were accurate depictions of people with their mental and physical concerns.

Tell us a little about your story's themes.

My favorite theme comes from a moment when Agnes fights the pull of dementia by remembering love. “Remember love,” is my battle cry now.

The power of redemption runs strong through the book. I hope people will close “Dragons” and feel hopeful, empowered, and refreshed.

The book really is about families and love. The power of tested love, the promise of new love, the strength of family love, and the courage they require from us.

What did you learn while writing this book?

I had a long hiatus between my last book and this one, so I first relearned how much I adore creating stories and characters. I also wish I could get a do-over with Mom. I would have spent more time asking her questions, recording her answers, and her stories. So we have little adventures now. Agnes has taught me how to love Mom where and as she is.

Which chapter was your favorite to write?

Oh, that’s easy. Twenty-seven, with twenty-three coming in a close second. These are the chapters when Noah comes into his own, when he loses himself through helping Agnes, and in the end, finds the answer to question that most plagued him—what kind of man was he?

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

Just start. We all have a story to tell. Just begin getting it down on paper. The editing and perfecting can come later, but get your ideas down on paper, for yourself, for your family, and for others who will be impacted by what you write.

Everyone has their secrets and Tayte, Agnes, and Noah are no exception. In Agnes’s home, though, those secrets—or dragons—might just tear them all apart. Part of the Kindle Scout competition, The Dragons of Alsace Farm, was hot and trending for four weeks before its launch. Find out why during this blog tour!

About the Book

In need of his own redemption, Noah Carter finally confronts his childhood hero, the once-beloved uncle who betrayed him. Instead of vengeance, he offers forgiveness, also granting Uncle John a most curious request—for Noah to work on the ramshackle farm of Agnes Deveraux Keller, a French WWII survivor with dementia.

Despite all Agnes has lost, she still has much to teach Noah. But the pair’s unique friendship is threatened when Tayte, Agnes’s estranged granddaughter, arrives to claim a woman whose circumstances and abilities are far different from those of the grandmother she once knew. 

Items hidden in Agnes’s attic raise painful questions about Tayte’s dead parents, steeling Tayte’s determination to save Agnes, even if it requires her to betray the very woman she came to save, and the secret her proud grandmother has guarded for seventy years.

The issue strains the fragile trust between Tayte and Noah, who now realizes Tayte is fighting her own secrets, her own dragons. Weighed down by past guilt and failures, he feels ill-equipped to help either woman, until he remembers Agnes’s lessons about courage and love. In order to save Agnes, the student must now become the teacher, helping Tayte heal—for Agnes’s sake, and for his.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HKMU014/

About the Author

L.C. Lewis (Laurie) was born and raised in rural Maryland, surrounded by history-rich Philadelphia, Washington, and Baltimore. She and her husband Tom reside in Carroll County, Maryland, where they raised their four children.

The Dragons of Alsace Farm, Laurie’s eighth published novel, was inspired by a loved one’s struggle with the dragon of dementia. Her women’s fiction novels include Unspoken (2004) and Awakening Avery (2010), written as Laurie Lewis. Using the pen name L.C. Lewis, she wrote the five volumes of her award-winning FREE MEN and DREAMERS historical fiction series, set against the backdrop of the War of 1812, America’s nearly forgotten second war of independence: Dark Sky at Dawn (2007), Twilight’s Last Gleaming (2008), Dawn’s Early Light (2009), Oh, Say Can You See? (2010), and In God is Our Trust, (2011).

Dark Sky at Dawn and Twilight’s Last Gleaming were finalists in the 2008 USA Best Books competition. Oh, Say Can You See? was a 2010 Whitney Award finalist.

Three new books are in progress. Please watch for her remake of Awakening Avery, a political suspense novel titled The Shell Game, both of which are slated for later in 2016, and a March 2017 novella, Laurie’s contribution to the multi-author “Destination Billionaire Romance” series.

Laurie loves hearing from her readers and may be contacted through her website: www.laurielclewis.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @laurielclewis or on her blog at www.laurielclewis.blogspot.com. She also enjoys interacting with book clubs. Contact her to arrange a video chat with your group.

Book Club

The back of the book contains some thought-provoking book club questions. Laurie would love for you to schedule a video conference with her if their book club chooses The Dragons of Alsace Farm as one of their selections in the next six months. You can email her at: laurielclewis@laurielclewis.com.

Giveaway

First and foremost, The Dragons of Alsace Farm is a love story, about the power of tested love, the promise of new love, and the strength of family love. Here's a love basket, with a fun date night, Agnes's favorite breakfast for the morning, and an autographed copy of the book to read on a lazy afternoon.  Always remember love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodreads Giveaway

Enter here for the chance to win a paperback of The Dragons of Alsace Farm.

Tour Schedule

July 31

Bookish Orchestrations-Tour Introduction

Laurie L.C. Lewis: A View From the Other Side of the Hill-Excerpt

Writing in the Light-Excerpt

Charity's Writing Journey-Excerpt

August 1

Ruth's Real Life-Excerpt

The Overactive Imagination-Author Interview

Author Franky A Brown-Excerpt

August 2

Rachel Rossano's Words-Excerpt

Rebekah Lyn Books-Excerpt

August 3

Frances Hoelsema-Excerpt

Kandi J Wyatt, author: Where Fantasy and Reality Meet-Interview with Noah

Zerina Blossom’s Books-Excerpt

August 4

Letters from Annie Douglass Lima-Excerpt

Laurel's Leaves-Author Interview

August 5

Perpetual Gardener, Writer, and Mormon-Excerpt

Good and Clean Reviews-Excerpt

Phrey Press-Author Interview

August 6

Bookish Orchestrations-Tour Conclusion and Giveaway Announcement

 

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