Panelists:
- Caroline Comito (writing as CJ Archer – self published and Montlake digital imprint)
- Shannon Curtis (Carina Press)
- Denise Rosetti (Berkley publications and Elora’s Cave)
- Elisabeth Rose (Avalon Books, Whiskey Creek Press (digital) Amazon’s Montlake digital imprint)
- Annie Seaton (Lyrical Press, Entangled, and self published)
- Kandy Shepherd (Berkley Sensation and self published)
Paths to publication:
- local writers groups
- many conferences (RWA)
- enter competitions
- RWA pitch sessions
- being in the right place at the right time – having your luck break (due to networking and contacts within RWA)
- social media circuit – do blogging, articles, self promotion – connect with your readers
- freelance editors in RWA to assist with that side
- indie loop: Indie Romance Inc – has editors and cover artists
Caroline – when dumped by agent, read blogs about self publishing. Dusted off manuscripts she had confidence in and decided to self publish. After success there she was contacted by an editor from Montlake (Amazon) who want to republish two of her self published titles.
– She is an Amazon digital best seller
– does not have an agent
Kandy – sold to Berkley through the slush pile
– self published an unsold manuscript – top 5 romance ebook on Amazon
– republished a book that the rights had reverted on via Amazon
– new readers are now buying her Berkley books after finding her via Something About Joe and Runaway Bride (the self published title)
Elizabeth – published by Avalon, who were a hardcover / library based imprint.
– Avalon was bought out by Amazon in 2012.
– They are going to reissue back catalogue as digital imprint via Montlake
Annie – Entangled is going gang busters
– business model is such that all staff get a percentage off sales (editor, designers etc)
– have a film & tv options team and a foreign rights team
– have a social media team, authors get told when they are have articles for blogs etc
– are actively looking for new authors
– Annie has a website, twitter account, facebook account, does self promotion of her books before they are published. Social media presence is required by many epublishers