Tuesday, March 15, 2011

I've been an indie writer all my life

I keep reading about the revolution that is coming into full swing: authors going or staying independent to spite the Big Publisher system.   The same electronic forces that toppled the dictator in Eygpt and threaten  totalitarian governments globally can lead to a similar destruction of the publishing world, starting with the large bookstores before it gets to the agent/editor/publisher circle.

I completely bought into the system.  After I wrote Morning Ran Red, my dreams were of being anoited by a publishing house.  I knew it was a great book.  But it didn't matter.  Not until it was blessed.  Finally I worked with a small local publisher to get the book in print.  It sold 5,000 hardcover copies the first day.  5,000 the first day of the second run.  5,000 the first day of the third run.  Then 150,000 copies in paperback.  The paperback publisher filed bankruptcy and I didn't see a dime.  But, wow, almost 200,000 people were out there carrying around my book.  I loved the idea of it.  A review house said it was an infectious read he couldn't put down.  A newspaper said it was better than In Cold Blood.  And Clive Cussler added a blurb that I was one of the top mystery writers. 

Still, after all this, I had an aching that my work was never blessed by the Gods of publishing.  Then one day a little old lady recognized me on the street and said, "I just want you to know that I stopped reading books forty years ago.  But I picked yours up and I loved it.  You convinced me to start reading again!"

I realised that I had forgotten why I started writing in the first place.

Now the e-book versions of my books are enjoying a resurgence and it is so exciting to think that a whole new audience is enjoying my work.

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