I have met some of the coolest people in my few years of being a part of My Book Therapy, a craft and coaching community for novelists–and Michelle Weidenbenner is one of those people!
Michelle is joining the ranks of an ever-growing population of writers known as hybrid writers–people who pursue both indie and traditional publishing. So when she offered to stop by Tag(g)lines, I jumped at the chance to hear from someone who is, well, playing both sides of the field in a savvy and studied way.
Michelle also offered to do a giveaway of her novel, Cache a Predator. So be sure to leave a comment below for a chance to win!
Thanks for hosting me Melissa. I can’t wait to meet your friends and read your book. I’m amazed at writers who can write comedy like you. It’s like you have a bow on your writing gift.
I met Melissa at a My Book Therapy retreat a few years ago and we’ve kept in touch. It’s encouraging to watch other writers like Melissa become published authors. It gives us hope that our hard work will pay off too.
Melissa asked me to share what it’s like to be a hybrid author.
What is a hybrid author?
It’s an author who self-publishes (Indie author) and publishes with a traditional publisher too. It’s kind of like the hybrid car—you get better mileage, but it costs more money.
Being an Indie author allows authors to get their books out faster. However, there’s a price to pay. We pay for and manage all the editing, marketing, cover art, promotion, formatting, printing, and suffer the consequences if our novels fall flat. We control everything—including the risk.
Why did I decide to self-publish my debut novel?
My agent wouldn’t rep my suspense novel, Cache a Predator. She’s works for a Christian literary agency and my book won’t be sold in that market. Books have to fit a certain criteria to make it into that arena and mine crossed the lines, mostly because of a few pedophiles. Many Christians have read Cache a Predator and loved it. My agent encouraged me to self-publish or find another agent who would rep it. I loved that! Being an entrepreneur spirit, I decided to go it alone.
Why is there a bad stigma attached to Indie authors as writers?
Part of the reason I waited so long to self-publish (over five years) is because I’ve been burned by Indie authors. Maybe you have too. Have you paid for a book only to discover the writing was awful? Many Indie writers hurry to publish their novels before honing their craft. I didn’t want to be one of those writers.
How do readers like you know a good Indie book versus a bad one?
Read the sample chapters at Amazon before you buy a book. You can tell quickly if you’re going to like the story. If the author doesn’t hook you early, then save your money. If you’re confused or feel the writing is sloppy or dragging, don’t buy the book. (Although if you’re reading the first chapter of CACHE don’t judge too quickly. It’s gross, but for a good reason. Chapter two is much better. Ha!)
Developmental editors and line editors
Before I published Cache a Predator I hired a reputable developmental editor (Susanne Lakin) to critique it. For eight months, I rewrote the novel. Then I sent it back to her. She guided me on the rough spots and line-edited it afterward. Then I had twenty beta readers give me input. It went back to Susanne for more editing. Last week, I had it formatted for MOBI, EPUB and Create Space and sent it to an OOPS editor who will comb through it for typos, missed periods, and formatting problems. So you see, the hybrid part is definitely expensive.
Art is in the eye of the beholder
When our book group read, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, everyone gave it an 8 out of 10. I gave it a two. It made me mad that the author did so much telling in the first 100 pages. I’d been working years to avoid that in my novels. He tried to make us feel sorry for one of his characters, but overall I didn’t like any of them. Why was this traditionally published novel such a huge success? It certainly wasn’t the writing.
It’s because story trumps. Even when the writing is bad, if the story is good sometimes readers overlook the prose.
If you’d like to win a free download of Cache a Predator please comment below. The more readers and reviewers I get the better. And if you’re a writer, I wish you luck in your publishing journey. Don’t stop writing. Writers who quit writing never get published.
If you’re a reader, thank you. Authors are nothing without you.
Stop by Random Writing Rants (http://www.randomwritingrants.com) where we teach adults and teens how to get published. I’m sharing tips on Indie publishing and doing a series on “How to Write a Novel in 30 Days.”
Cache a Predatorwill be available through Amazon Kindle July 30, 2013. The paperback edition is slated for release in August. Check it out the book trailer here.
Readers, how familiar are you with indie publishing? And how do you find new authors to try out–whether indie or traditionally published?
Comments 17
I totally understand the reluctance to go Indy. And so totally agree that there’s a rush to publish sometimes. That said, some of the best books I’ve read have been Indy published…Great interview!
thanks for the chance to read this mystery 🙂
karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
Hi Pat and Karen –
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. It’s great to be here hanging out with Melissa and her friends today!
M
Great post. I’ve heard much about traditional publishing, it’s neat to get a glimpse into Indy publishing–an honest glimpse. Loved your cover and the trailer!
Hi Susan –
Thanks for watching the trailer and leaving a comment. The voice in the trailer is my granddaughter’s so for me it was a little chilling, to say the least. We had fun recording her voice over and over again until she learned how to put the fear in her voice.
I hope you have a great day!
Michelle
Susan, I thought the same thing–that it was great to get a look at indie publishing from someone with a foot in both worlds…sometimes people on either “side” can be awfully biased. I love that hybrid authors recognize the strengths of both.
Brava, Michelle.
Your definition of a hybrid author is one of the best I’ve read to date. I wish you great success with your novel!
Hi Beth!
Thanks for the encouragement!
Michelle
I love hearing about each author’s individual writing journey and what leads each one to publication. I think it’s neat that more and more agents seem to be pointing their authors toward indie publishing and guiding them in that pursuit. That seems much better than trying to sell a book they know might not have success due to the current industry (genre popularity, etc.).
Good luck with your release!!
Thanks Lindsay –
I had this conversation with my agent. I said, “The business model of the publishing industry is changing. The paradigm in shifting. Why don’t you think of ways to help Indie authors? WIth all the publishing knowledge you have, think of ways to help those authors you believe in.” She was already in the “thinking” stages of this. I think that no matter what profession we’re in change is inevitable. To stay ahead we have to look at the whole picture and be willing to change. But change is scary. For sure.
Thanks for your well-wishes with my release.
Michelle
I fully understand what you are saying. I read a lot of books that are from Hydrid authors. Most are really good. I would love to read yours.
Blessings
joeym11@frontier.com
Thanks, Melissa, for hosting Michelle. Honestly, I have never heard of the term hybrid author. I know, right? Thanks for this in-depth explanation for the literary challenged. Blessings and best wishes on your new release, Michelle!
Hi Diana and Donna –
Thanks for commenting and wishing me well. I’m going to need it! It’s nice to meet you both. What do you like to read? Is there one genre that excites you more than others?
Michelle
Thanks for having me Melissa! I had my husband pick a name and he chose… Diana! Yay! I’ll be sending her a download of Cache a Predator. Congratulations, Diana. I hope you like the book, and even though the rest didn’t win a copy, I hope they’ll buy it.
Best,
Michelle
And thank YOU for being here, Michelle. Sorry I wasn’t able to stop in yesterday much–busy, busy day. But I’m happy to read the comments and see how helpful your post was to readers. Thanks so much!
What an interesting thing to read about self-publishing vs. signing with a publisher. I know there have been LOTS of authors choosing the former over the latter. Thanks for sharing about your journey Michelle – and how wonderful to still receive encouragement to publish your suspense novel. Congrats on its release! 🙂
Hi Rissi –
Thanks, yes, I’m blessed to have an agent who understands the industry. She believes in me. But it’s tough not to have her holding my hand on this one. The good thing is that I’m finding so many Indie authors who are an encouraging bunch of authors. I love that too.
I hope you have an awesome writing or reading week, Rissi.
Best,
Michelle