Now What?

Thoughts on post-publication, traditional vs. indie publishing, and what lies ahead.

Oct 08, 2024

The release of Anyone But Her on September 17th marked my fourth time publishing a book, but my first foray into indie publishing. While there are similarities between traditional and indie book release days (“book birthday!” “pub day!” “celebrate!"), in many ways this one felt distinctly different, too.

First, the similarities: the book itself feels as good in my hands as any of my other books. When I decided to indie publish Anyone But Her, I made a commitment to myself that the quality of the book, both in content and design, would be as high as my traditionally-published books. I believe I met that goal, and readers seem to agree. (Check out Goodreads for the latest reviews.)

But isn’t indie publishing more work?

In terms of logistics and production, yes—by many degrees. I’ve never worked as hard to get a book into the world as I did for the past few months. My head swam with details—and still does.

In terms of writing, also yes—but mainly because I spent years working on this book. From first word written to ready for proofreading, it took me almost twice as long to write Anyone But Her as it did The Bookseller or The Glass Forest. The pandemic had something to do with that, as did editing Denver Noir.

In terms of anxiety, indie publishing greatly reduces it. Without gatekeepers, the only potential rejections are from readers. And because the timeline is completely in my hands, I feel a welcomed sense of control.

In terms of connecting with readers, it’s been similar to my trad-pubbed experiences. I attribute much of that to my established relationships with “book folks”—people to whom I’m forever indebted.

For me, the most important aspect of publishing a book is connection with readers, and I’m grateful to the members of the media, bloggers, podcasters, librarians, fellow authors, longtime fans, and everyone else who helps spread the word about Anyone But Her.

My most recent podcast chat is with author G.P. Gottlieb; click here to listen.
And if you’ve read Anyone But Her, please consider writing a review—links are here.
Thanks!

So, will I go indie for my next book?

I have no idea. There are benefits and drawbacks to both the traditional and indie paths, and when the time comes, I’ll weigh them and make a decision.

But first, to get the next book written! More to come…

P.S. For those unfamiliar with my publishing journey, I wrote about it for Jane Friedman’s blog; the piece published the same day as Anyone But Her released. Be sure to check out the comments, too. So many different stories, different journeys.

We are all on our own unique paths.

What If We Create? What If We Write?

Lately, I’ve observed chatter in writing circles about “churning out books.” Those who publish quickly say they churn nothing but instead hyper-focus to get the job done. I admire them, honestly—particularly those who manage to both write quickly and produce quality work.

Recently in The What If Journal, I talked about my goal to write “a word after a word after a word”—i.e., to get back into a regular writing habit, something that had fallen apart for me the past few years. I’m happy to say it seems to be working. Several weeks ago, I finished a draft of my next novel!

I’ll be honest—character development lacks and plot holes abound:

*My current draft more closely resembles a slice of Swiss cheese than it does a completed novel.*

But that’s okay—I’m currently reviewing the draft, taking lots of self-critique notes, and creating a plan for a subsequent, much-improved draft in the coming weeks. Slowly (see what I did there?), I’m learning to write faster and more efficiently.

Creatives—tell me about your process. What keeps you going? What inspires you?

What If We Step Out?

I’m excited about my first event for Anyone But Her, coming up this Saturday, October 12th at The Bookies Bookstore in Denver. All of my events are shown below, and details are on my website.

Share The What If Journal

What If We Read?

One of my favorite autumn traditions is my longtime book club’s September planning meeting. Everyone brings their suggestions, and we plan what we’ll read from October through August.

Below are this year’s books. (We generally take December and July off, and we’re waiting on a title from a member who was unable to attend.)

I just finished The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui—a gorgeous, illustrated memoir about a woman exploring her family’s past as they fled Vietnam in the late 1970s when the author was a small child, creating new lives in the U.S. Now, I’m eager to discuss it and to check out the rest of this year’s books!

What is your book club reading? I’d love to hear your suggestions.