Recap of the Indie Author Day Event on Facebook

Let me start by saying that when I first heard of the event I was immediately interested. What a wonderful way to meet other indie authors and learn from them. As an author of an indie publication, the marketing for the book falls on my doorstep.  I can use all the help I can get.

The day started at Midnight EST and I stayed up until 5:30 so that I could support the other authors and make sure they were not alone.  That was the number one fear. That no one would show up for the hour.  It was great to actually see how many readers and writers showed up for each hour.

The questions were interesting and extremely thought provoking. So many people asked for advice on publishing and writing. As an indie author, that is a huge question. Everyone has their own writing schedule and timetable, so it was so enlightening to see how others plan out their writing day.

One of the creators of the Facebook event and poet, Joanne Van Leerdam, author of the book of poetry Leaf, shared a new poem called Wine Cups  and it was just beautiful. It can be found on   WordyNerdBird Writes.  Maple Lee fAussie began by answering the question, How hard is it to get published? Wordy Nerd bird, said:

Getting published is a hard road. You either need to find a company that will invest in someone they’ve never heard of, or the ability and willingness to invest in making it happen yourself. If you find a big company like that, they often want you to sign over most of your rights as an author in return for a very small share of the profits. If you take the plunge to self-publish or part-publish, the learning curve is huge. It means doing your own research, advertising and promotion, and then going out and selling your book person to person if that’s what you have to do. Sometimes, that can feel like selling your soul.

Having said that, it’s completely worth it.

Doing anything worthwhile will present challenges, but everyone who achieves those things is an ordinary person who manages to do something extraordinary. We should remind ourselves, and each other, that Jane Austen got rejected by publishers, too.

Whatever your dreams may be, never dismiss them as impossible. Always hope. Always try. You just never know when things will happen.

This is so accurate and such a positive message for writers just starting out and those that have already indie published once or twice. It bears repeating.

 

Fiona Cooke Hogan author of the short and long stories, and flash fiction,  Lights Went Out and Other Stories, added:

Totally agree with the above – have faith, believe in yourself and dive in 😄

 

On the question, What advice would you give to other authors, Lyra Shanti author of the Sci-fi series Shiva XIV stated:

Always be true to your inner voice, never give up, and do your googling homework about what it takes to promote your work, especially if you’re an Indie. It’s hard work, but worth it when someone says they love your story! 🙂

 

Ben Hammott shared news about his Lost City books. Book 1 Journey to the Lost City and Book 2 Secrets and Treasure are both out and free on KindleUnlimited. 

 

Another series  was represented by indie author, Lizabeth Scott. She brought her Royal Vow series and her latest release You Promised Me Forever .

 

Right before my hour J.B. Richards, author of Miriamne the Magdala The First Chapter in the Yeshua and Miri Novel Series, (which happens to be one of the best books I have ever read) was hosting. She warmed up the visitors for me and I was so thankful to have an author of her caliber ahead of me.

 

I can not believe how many questions Sojourner McConnell got to answer about The Path of the Child. and other projects. It was so fun.  (yes, yes, that’s me.)

 

Gina Briganti, the author of The Dreaming, shared her response when asked, why  she writes romance novels:

I love watching a couple fall in love. I read all genres, but when I start writing, it has to be about love.

So many types of books contain the centerpiece of love. It is one of the most beautiful things about books, finding the character, setting or storyline to love.

 

As an example, there is the book Abduction by Ester Lopez which is a sci-fi adventure romance. That sounds wonderful to me. At the event,  we had an hour-long chat about aliens. It was fantastic.  Ms. Lopez has a giveaway on Goodreads going for the next few days.

 

We had the Regency genre represented by Ms. Heather King, author of A Sense of the Ridiculous and Devil’s Hoof. She brought her dashing date (John Thornton aka Richard Armitage) and she wore traditional Regency clothing. She looked amazing in her gown and bonnet. Sadly one author who shall remain anonymous stole her dashing date. But in my defense who could resist him?

 

When asked by  Kelly,  Where did the idea of her story, Sweet Vengeance come from, Aliya DalRae replied:

Actually, I started writing Sweet Vengeance as a sort of therapy after the loss of our only daughter. This story was my way of giving life to a little girl who would never have one. The PNR aspect was another way for me not to confuse my story with reality. To keep our Jessica separate, but always in my heart.

That response made me realize we all pour our hearts, memories, and emotions into our books, no matter the genre. It was a special moment for me.

 

Deborah Baldwin is the author of the best-selling middle-grade book, Bumbling Bea. Way to go Deborah! Deborah had so much to share about her own experience with children and drama and finding that perfect niche for your book. She came to us while she was on the road and it was a lively hour. She had a wonderful response concerning reviews:

They’re super important to Indy authors because they keep our ranking high. So I would really appreciated if you would write a review. It would be like reviewing a product you found. You’re not hurting my feelings if you don’t give it a full rating.

 

NaNoWriMo came up and several of the authors like Alex Dunn, the author of School Monitor,   and Rebekah S. Fiore, the author of Apparitions, participated and have written some of their published works during the month of November. As a huge fan and participant in NaNoWriMo, I was thrilled to hear this.

 

There also was amazing trailers premiered by several authors including An Enlightening Quiche author, Eva Pasco

 

Emmanuel Obi, Jr, Indie author and aspiring filmmaker shared his new trailer for Bruce Howard Gentleman with a Loaded Gun, which releases on October 11th. You can pre-order on Amazon.

 

R. M. Gauthier, one of the creators of the event shared her new trailer for the new mystery thriller, Control. Ms.Gauthier is also the author of Longing, which is available now.

 

Richard Gradner introduced his new novel Unicorn. A story set over 6000 years ago. A book filled with adventure, magic,  mystery and unicorns. He also provided links to his book Lemuria. A story of mystery, a search for descendants of an ancient civilization.  Free at this time.
In dark fantasy, paranormal & Urban, we had Tabi Slick. She introduced us to her Tompkin’s School Trilogy. Book 1 Tompkin’s School for the Extraordinarily Talented.  She gave a nice sneak peak at Tompkin’s School: For the Dearly Departed.

 

Romantic comedy genre weighed in with Lou Kennedy and the book Temporarily in Love. An indie author that came for the fun and was able to learn more about the indie community, marketing, and publishing, as well as an opportunity to promote her first book.

 

Mystery and thriller author, Laurel Heidtman showed up with her thriller Whiteout. This is her third book and it sounds like a winner. Nothing like being stuck in a snowstorm with two escaped prisoners.

 

S K Wee brought us her book the Absence of Color: Spectrum of Color Book One. This book is a coming of age story complete with magic, friendship, and romance.

 

Another fantastic hour was filled with T. L. Clark author of Broken and Damaged. A romance that has a strong backstory.

 

For history and magic lovers there was the fantasy Murder in Absentia (Felix the Fox Volume 1) by indie author, Assaph Mehr. Blending a detective story based in an ancient Rome inspired world with togas , daggers, and Magic, who could ask for more. I personally love history and a little bit of what if thrown in!

 

There was an opportunity for this reviewer to garner books to read and review such as Mythos Christos, by Edwin Herbert. This is one of those books that will make me think and look at the archaeological and historical evidence.

 

I hope I have not inadvertently left anyone out. If I did mention it to me. I can always remedy my mistakes on here. 🙂 I want to remember it all. It was a powerful and fun day. I loved every moment of it. I learned so much and I was able to share so much. It was fantastic. I can’t wait until the next event.

 

If you are an Indie author and want to join in next go round, join us in the Facebook group  Indie Writers’Cooperative, and the Goodreads Author Feedback Group. If any of us can help in your journey, feel free to ask. We all agree there is something wonderful about the community of Indie Authors.