by Steve DeWinter
How did I get to become a published author? In the words of the ever immortal crooner, "I did it myyyyyyy waaaaaaayyyyyy."
Well, not exactly my way. I followed a path that had been carved out for me by others braver and wiser than I. But follow it I did and I was able to self-publish my debut novel, Inherit The Throne, directly to the Kindle, Nook and other eReaders (at the awesome price of $2.99) as well as make it available in print (still just as awesome at $9.99).
Two months before taking the ultimate leap, and ending my active search for an agent, I sat down with another writer friend of mine over lunch and told him, "I'm going to self-publish my book."
We both had completed manuscripts and were in the midst of the agent query/rejection phase of our writing careers and neither of us saw anything wrong with that. It was just part of the game that all published authors must endure. He looked at me mid-chew, thought for a moment, and replied, "Good for you. I'm going to keep looking for an agent and get my book picked up by a publisher."
We then discussed the many pros and cons of going it alone in a world that seemed to be dominated by the New York publishing houses. If this were 2001, I would have agreed with anyone that the minuses of self-publishing far outweighed the pluses.
But this was 2011, and the world of publishing had shifted; practically overnight.
I was no longer worried that the old ways of becoming a published author were a thing of the past. My worry was that I was too late getting into the new way of publishing. Early adopters in any industry usually are the first to show any real success. Think of Amway. You would have wanted to get in on that the first year it started, not the tenth year. The wildly successful millionaires in Amway were made up mostly by the early adopters who started at the top of the pyramid as it grew under them.
So I decided to become as early an adopter as possible into the self-publishing world of eBooks. Maybe not early enough to become the next Amanda Hocking or John Locke, but now that I have crossed over, I am never looking back.
I am currently hard at work on book three of my six book novelette series, Hired Guns, as well as a non-fiction book on the craft of story structure. I am self-publishing those as well. So, am I a hard and fast self-pubber? Nah. I haven’t given up on the search for an agent or a publisher (often regarded as the Holy Grail for authors), but they get far less of my attention than they did before I was actively publishing books.
About the author
I was born and grew up loving to read. But enough about me; you’re here for my books. If you like super-charged thrillers that merge high-tech gadgetry with ancient mythology and pit the outcast against powerful
clandestine organizations, you are among friends.
My goal as a writer is to transport you to fresh and exciting worlds that not only take you on a white-knuckle ride but leave you hungry for more when you finally turn that last page and reluctantly slam shut the back cover of the book.
This is my promise to you the reader.
I will continue to satisfy your never-ending desire for more. So keep reading!
When one story ends, another begins.
To find out more about Steve, visit www.stevedw.com
Some lines should never be crossed. Living under a new identity in the tiny Northwestern tourist town at the base of Mount Hood, Melissa thought she had finally escaped her past. That is until an assassin tries to kill her and forces her back into a treacherous shadow world she vowed never to return.
That same night an unmanned robotic SUV slams into the limousine of the Vice President of the United States and detonates with several hundred pounds of explosives. Melissa soon discovers that the attack on the Vice President and the attempt on her own life are related.
And time is running out to find out who wants her dead and why she alone holds the key to saving the President of the United States.
For a review on Inherit the Throne, please click here.
Thanks for having me on your blog Stephanie.
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