UPDATE!!!

This fresh in from Amazon...Dark Days of Promise is available in paperback for a limited time at $9.49!!!!!! Great news and if you miss the sale, you can still snag a copy in the coming days. Last check at Amazon had price dropped to $8.99 for a short time!

Make Things Happen

Things do happen unexpectedly like the email I include here. But seriously, we've got to be proactive. Let me encourage you, especially if you are an author considering self-publishing... Learn from my mistakes. Decide NOW whether or not you are going the self-pub route. I have waffled on that decision for the better part of a year. Why? Because one of the big four was interested in the second book. Notice I said "interested" and "second book". I didn't have a contract or even the promise of a contract and it certainly didn't include the other two books.

Okay, so I'm one to think about things too long or jump without thinking--no middle of the road here in this animal chick. (I must think possitive.) That said, I really need to follow the links in the email that I'm sharing and jump BEFORE I squibble with my cover art, ISBNs, graphics, trailers, etc. Why? So I don't put needless energy where I don't need to. Think: Writers Conference at Home (at my own leisure, I might add.) Why isn't it just surfing the web and looking for articles? The $$$ and yes, I believe it will be worth it after attending #?? conferences already this year and walking away with useless info or repeated info, or a mess of networking that might fizzle. And for me that means -- between my polishing of Book Three, the Freelance writing I am currently doing, and the book reviews. Have I mentioned I'm a full time mom? So here, let me share the email which I'm invited to share. Enjoy and i hope the links work.

Hi Shaunna,

Today I was interviewed by a journalist for a story in a big magazine who is writing an article about self-publishing. A former Self-Pub Boot Camp student told her about me - thank you Susan! - and we had a very long talk. The journalist didn't know very much about self-publishing but she sure does now! I wonder how she's going to distill the information I gave her into a one-page article.

"What do self-publishers need to know most?" she asked.

"BUY YOUR OWN ISBN NUMBERS!" I replied, without hesitation. Oh no, did I shout? Maybe.

Buy a set of 10 for $250. You may not need 10, but one costs $150 and you need at least three: one for PDF (print), one for MOBI (Kindle) and one for EPUB (all other ebooks). You might also need one for your audio book and another for your multimedia edition.

The point is that with your own ISBN you can change services as you wish. Don't trap your book with a single service.

If you buy your own ISBNs you will not be sucked into purchasing a publishing package from one of the many services run by companies like the notoriously unscrupulous Author Solutions, because they do not allow you to apply you own ISBN number to a book they produce for you. Lesson: If you cannot apply your own ISBN, your book is essentially trapped with the company that owns it.

I also pointed the journalist to experts in my tribe... people who have founded companies based on their desire to help authors. I'm proud to say that many of these experts have participated in my Self-Pub Boot Camps, which are (in case you didn't know) are now online as a virtual program.

So that's my reminder to you, today. Please buy your own ISBNs from Bowker. It's the single most important action item for you to do in order to remain an independent author.

Please spread the word! Forward this email to your writer friends:
http://us4.forward-to-friend1.com/forward?u=dabcb9e533dcf9b66d2b0ebb1&id=d6be918179&e=93e175f383

Links:
Buy your ISBNs from Bowker here http://motosfo.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=dabcb9e533dcf9b66d2b0ebb1&id=44411bfe22&e=93e175f383
Indie Book School and Self-Pub Boot Camp http://motosfo.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=dabcb9e533dcf9b66d2b0ebb1&id=98d0e444bc&e=93e175f383

Thanks!
Carla
That's it! go explore but come back soon!