Starting a new novel is always so exciting. Everything feels shiny and fresh, and you just know it will be the best book you’ve ever written.
I love that moment, before the inevitable self-doubt sets in. I don’t have any particular rituals when I sit down to write a new book, but I always sketch out the obstacles my characters will face and how I want them to change and grow by the end of the book.
I also think about their backgrounds and their internal conflicts, either as a result of their history or character traits. I often don’t have a picture of my protagonist in my mind, but I do need to ‘know’ them: their fears, their likes and dislikes, and what they want out of life.
I’ve tried both exhaustive planning and ‘pantsing’, and I usually fall somewhere in the middle.
byDay thirty of National Novel Writing Month. Earlier, author Julie Cohen took us through her editing process and now Talli Roland talks to us about her experience with self publishing.
Self-publishing provides another route for authors to get their books directly to an audience. I think it’s wonderful to be living in a time when authors have choices. No longer do they need reach readers through a publisher – they can decide what is right for them and for the book.
I had a wonderful relationship with my publisher, but as a small independent, their distribution reach was limited. Most of my sales were ebooks, and I’d spent a great deal of time building up my platform. It made sense for me to go out on my own, hire a cover designer and an editor, and keep my profits. It was very scary jumping ship – jumping off the ship! – but I’m so pleased I did.
It’s been an amazing journey – hard, challenging, and somewhat obsessive – but I’ve really enjoyed having control over everything from cover to content to timelines. And it’s been wonderful to make living from writing, too. That said, like any business, sales can fluctuate, depending on many factors. You don’t have the security of an advance from a publisher, so that can be a little daunting.
byTalli is releasing two new books before Christmas and is also giving away a Kindle Fire.
Talli Roland’s previous novels include Build a Man and The No-Kids Club. She has two new book releases coming before Christmas and she has also announced a great giveaway too (details at the bottom of the post.)
The first book she has coming out is a novella called Married by Midnight: A Christmas Story. It’s due to be released by Notting Hill Press on 14th November 2014 and it’s currently priced at 89 pence* on Amazon UK (a bargain in our opinion,) and $1.49* on Amazon US (it’s already available on the US store.)
It’s a Christmas book so we can’t help but be excited.
Here’s the blurb:
Christmas is coming . . . and so is the biggest day of Kate’s life.
While choosing a vintage dress for her Christmas Eve wedding, Kate finds a cryptic note pinned to the inside of a 1930s gown. As doubts about her own ceremony loom, Kate is determined to track down the dress’ owner and determine what became of her – and the marriage.
Will Kate find the answers she’s seeking to propel her down the aisle, or will her discovery prompt her to call off the wedding for good?
If a Christmas novella wasn’t enough, Talli also has a new Serenity Holland book coming out (the third in the series – Build A Man and Construct a Couple being the first two.) It’s called Marriage to Measure, it’s due to also be released by Notting Hill Press and will be available to buy on 10th December 2014 (it’s available to pre-order at a special price of 99 pence* on Amazon UK and $1.61 on Amazon US.)
About Marriage to Measure:
When Serenity Holland proposes to her long-time boyfriend Jeremy, she’s certain ‘forever’ is a perfect fit. As the wedding train steams forward, though, Serenity starts to wonder if they really are an ideal match. From a crusty old ring to a dilapidated house she’s left to renovate on her own – not to mention the appearance of Jeremy’s clingy ex-fiancée – engagement feels more like disengagement.
Even worse, wedding planning’s like a bad hangover as Serenity juggles the wishes of family and friends with her bossy mother-in-law-to-be, resulting in a Frankenwedding nothing like the simple ceremony she envisioned.
Can Serenity knit her relationship back together and fashion a celebration that suits, or will ‘I do’ become ‘I don’t’?
To celebrate the release of her new book and novella, Talli is giving you the chance to win a Kindle Fire HD 8GB. It’s open to anyone living in the UK & Europe, Canada and the US. There are a few ways you can enter and you can also enter as many times as you like. Just follow this link to see how to enter. The contest closes on 10th December (the day Marriage to Measure is released.)
To find out more about Talli and her novels, visit her website at http://www.talliroland.com/
(*prices correct at the time of publication.)
byNovel Kicks is a blog for story tellers and book lovers.