Re-issuing Ellora's Cave Backlist Books!

I've got big news about four of my favorite sexy stories!

You might have noticed that Punishing the Art Thief, Ginger Snap, Chastity Belt, and Hollywood Spank are no longer for sale from publisher Ellora's Cave.

That's because the rights to these books have reverted to me, and I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be self-publishing them soon! 

The new editions will be re-edited (while keeping the story intact), have brand-spanking-new covers, and every single one will have lower prices!!

So keep your eyes peeled.... these stories are going to be re-issued soon!

I'm also going to put Punishing the Art Thief, Chastity Belt, and Hollywood Spank into trade paperback editions!

Get ready... this is gonna be fun!!

Best,
Shoshanna xoxo

Sexily *Evers* After...

12/1 LAST DAY to win $50 GC in celebration of THE PULSE!!!!

LAST DAY to enter to win a $50 GC in celebration of THE PULSE, Book 1 in the Pulse Trilogy!

ENTER NOW!!!!!!!!!

Goddess Fish Promotions has organized a wonderful book blast - we've got 25 participating bloggers, and you can increase your chance of winning a $50 Giftcard to Amazon or Barnes and Noble by commenting on the blogs! Support our blogging community by stopping by and saying hi! Some of the bloggers will also have reviews of THE PULSE, too!

  The Book Blast is on the following sites... get ready for some fun!!
 1: Author Koko Brown
2: Bunny's Review
3: Farm Girl Books
4: Wicked Readings by Tawania
5: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
6: Rachel Leigh
7: Booklover Sue
8: Snarky Mom Reads...
9: Author Raine Delight's Blog
10: Accolades and Book Burnings
11: Dawn's Reading Nook Blog
12: Wake Up Your Wild Side
13: Wickedly Wanton Tales
14: The Talent Cave Reviews
15: Aly's Miscellany
16: Punya Reviews...
17: Margay Leah Justice
18: Blood Moons and Nightscapes
19: Worlds of Possibilities
20: The Hedonistic Minimalist
21: Simply Ali
22: Beyond Romance
23: Desiree Holt
24: Long and Short Reviews
25: Christine Young Romance Writer

Want to read THE PULSE (post-apocalyptic, dystopian erotic romance)? 

It's available on sale for a limited time for just $1.99, before it goes up to $5.99!

Kindle: http://amzn.to/H879cU 
Nook http://bit.ly/1hQfOhA 
iBooks http://bit.ly/18GMoLO
...and wherever ebooks are sold!

Win a $50 GC on Monday 11/25! RELEASE DAY!!

Monday, 11/25/13 is release day for 

THE PULSE, Book 1 in the Pulse Trilogy!

Goddess Fish Promotions has organized a wonderful book blast - we've got 25 participating bloggers, and you can increase your chance of winning a $50 Giftcard to Amazon or Barnes & Noble by commenting on the blogs!

 Set your calender, and support our blogging community by stopping by and saying hi! Some of the bloggers will also have reviews of THE PULSE, too!

The 11/25 Book Blast will be on the following sites... get ready for some fun!!

1: Author Koko Brown
2: Bunny's Review
3: Farm Girl Books
4: Wicked Readings by Tawania
5: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
6: Rachel Leigh
7: Booklover Sue
8: Snarky Mom Reads...
9: Author Raine Delight's Blog
10: Accolades and Book Burnings
11: Dawn's Reading Nook Blog
12: Wake Up Your Wild Side
13: Wickedly Wanton Tales
14: The Talent Cave Reviews
15: Aly's Miscellany
16: Punya Reviews...
17: Margay Leah Justice
18: Blood Moons and Nightscapes
19: Worlds of Possibilities
20: The Hedonistic Minimalist
21: Simply Ali
22: Beyond Romance
23: Desiree Holt
24: Long and Short Reviews
25: Christine Young Romance Writer

Want to read THE PULSE (post-apocalyptic, dystopian erotic romance)? 

It's available on sale for a limited time for just $1.99, before it goes up to $5.99!

Kindle: http://amzn.to/H879cU
Nook http://bit.ly/1hQfOhA 
iBooks http://bit.ly/18GMoLO

...and wherever ebooks are sold!

Want an ARC of The Pulse?

Book Bloggers (and authors with blogs!):

 *****Do you want an ARC of The Pulse, Book 1 in the Pulse Trilogy, and be part of my release day Book Blast that Goddess Fish Promotions is doing? ******

The first 25 bloggers can sign up here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/10/virtual-book-blast-tour-pulse-by.html

If you're a reviewer, you can get an ARC of The Pulse on Edelweiss here: http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com/ProductDetailPage.aspx?sku=1476728259

Please note: If you already got your ARC before 10/15/13, then you were probably given the wrong book (a mix up that probably occurred because both books are called The Pulse and both have a heroine named Emily!). :( But the correct book file is now available!

More info from Goddess Fish: "The Book Blast Tour will take place on Monday, November 25, 2013 and is limited to the first 25 people who sign up. This tour will not include interviews or guest blogs; however, a blurb, excerpt and author bio will be provided to every host for inclusion on their blog. Additionally, a PDF copy of this story will be available for review in conjunction with a promo post. 

Shoshanna will be awarding a $50 gift card for either Amazon or BN to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour."

 Thanks! xoxo Shoshanna

The Pulse is on Edelweiss now!

If you're a book blogger or reviewer, just wanted to let you know that my publisher, Simon & Schuster Pocket Star, put The Pulse, Book 1 in the Pulse Trilogy up on Edelweiss!

Link to The Pulse on Edelweiss

Here's the blurb and cover for The Pulse:

Book One in the heart-pounding Pulse Trilogy—a gripping erotic romance set in post-apocalyptic New York City one year after an electromagnetic pulse destroys America’s power grid. "Intense, exciting, and sizzlingly sexy—a perfect post-apocalyptic romance!" (Heather Thurmeier, bestselling author of Escape to My Arms and Stuck on You)

Emily Rosen lives in a military camp at Grand Central Station, where women sell their bodies to soldiers for extra rations. When she discovers a dark secret—that America is rebuilding outside of New York City, and everything the city’s refugees have been told is a lie—she escapes, the soldiers hot on her heels…

But Christopher Mason, a convict who broke out of prison after the Pulse, finds Emily first. Although he’s survived this long on the streets by looking out only for himself, Emily is beautiful, alluring, and impossible to leave behind.

Now Emily must convince this intimidating, magnetic stranger to be her guide as they journey out of New York and into the unknown. She’ll barter with her body, but sex with Mason can never be currency—it’s pure passion, and everything she desires. Despite the crumbling world around them, can Emily and Mason discover true love blooming in the darkest of places?

The Pulse is available for preorder at Amazon and B&N at a limited-time sale price of $1.99.

Review: The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software

When I first read literary agent Evan Marshall's book The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing in 2009 (before I was published) -- I tried to use his system to make a novel outline using paper in a notebook. (This was my review, back then). It didn't work out for me, mainly because I write romance (which has very specific formulas of sorts, that can't be put into a system that has the romantic involvement as secondary).

He's created software that follows the principles of his book, and offered it to me for free to try out and write about it. ***None of the links are affiliate links, btw. This is a brand-new version of The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software for both Windows and Mac.

If writers want to try out Marshall's outlining system, then using the software will help make an outline more easily than if they tried to do it with paper, from scratch. But...

Personally, I really don't outline. I'll write a one page synopsis to sell a book, but that always changes as I write. I know that if I'm going to write a romance novel, then my book starts with two people who are not together, and ends with them in love and living happily ever after.

I've found that my stories naturally fall into three acts, with a game-changer at the end of act 1, one in the middle, and one at the end of the middle (before the last act). If I hadn't read Marshall's book I might not even be aware that's what I was doing.

Some writers are outliners/plotters. I sort of wish I was, as well, because then I wouldn't have to go back and change the beginning of every single book I wrote when I hit the end. Alas, I'm a pantser. That one time I tried Marshall's outline, not only did I not finish the outline, but I didn't write the book. At all. The story felt all used-up to me.

I like discovering what will happen as I write. It keeps it fresh and fun and interesting, even if it involves more clean-up work at the end when it's time to edit.

So... do I recommend this software? Not if you write romance. And not if you hate outlining. But if outlines are your thing, and you're writing some other genre fiction that's not romance, it might work for you. I really wish there was an option to change the outline to fit the romance genre more easily, because writing an outline for a book with a romance subplot won't work.

One big issue I found: if you decide to change your wordcount, you will actually lose entire sections you may have already filled in. The data will be lost.

One good thing about his outlining system is it will help writers remember to have a reaction scene after something big happens, and to keep track of alternating POV characters.

The last three books I wrote (The Pulse Trilogy - book 1 releases November 25th from Simon & Schuster/Pocket Star) - I had so many different characters and POVs and surprises/game-changers etc that I'm *still* unsure how I kept track of it all. My copyeditor made this crazy-long style sheet to keep track of it herself.

I wish I could say that I tried the software, was able to successfully plot out a book, and then write it. But instead I just looked at each section and thought "that'll come out as I write" - because that's what happens for me. That's me, not everyone. Your mileage may vary.

Put simply, even though I read his book four years ago when I was brand new to all of this, I am not his target audience now. I've already got a method that works for me -- it's messier than his way, but it works. However, if you're overwhelmed by the complexity of writing a full novel (and that's okay! It's not easy!), then this type of hand-holding through the outline could work really well for you.

I bet after doing it once or twice, the rhythm of what should come where and when and how will come naturally.

In summary... read the book first. Marshall  knows what makes a book fast-paced and what looks good to publishers. But he doesn't necessarily know how your individual author-brain works (my brain just wants a blank MS Word doc). If you like his book and want to try his outlining method, then I suppose it makes sense to do it using the software.

The software costs $149 and has a 30 day guarantee, per the website.

Keep on writing, my friends :)
Best,
Shoshanna Evers

Cover Reveal for The Pulse!

The Pulse, Book 1 in the Pulse Trilogy from Simon & Schuster Pocket Star, releases November 25, 2013 and is available for pre-order now!

S&S.com: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Pulse/Shoshanna-Evers/The-Pulse-Trilogy/9781476728254

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Pulse-Book-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00C0CPCXG/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1377725270&sr=1-9&keywords=the+pulse

iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781476728254

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pulse-shoshanna-evers/1115234242?ean=9781476728254&itm=1&usri=9781476728254

Guest Post by Sascha Illyvich: Writing Kink

Hello, Fellow Writers!

As many of you know, most of my published books are kinky erotic romances, like the bestselling Enslaved Trilogy. I keep this blog rated PG so that the advice can work for authors of any genre, and the guest blog below by erotic romance author Sascha Illyvich isn’t graphic or anything. But it is helpful in that she talks about researching props that play a major role in her book.

So if you’re writing a cowboy romance and you have a chance to ride a horse to see what it’s like, smell the barn, touch the hay, etc, go for it! And if you’re writing kink... well, see what Sascha has to say ;)

xoxo Shoshanna Evers

Writing Kink

by  Sascha Illyvich

I recently read a blog post that talked about writing a novel in an entire three day span because the author had set himself up with heavy plotting and image finding so all he'd need to do was sit and write.

Used a formula too, like most great writers.  The voice is the important thing, not the formula of course.  This got me thinking about the set up in my office.  True, I have only a laptop desk, and chair but I also have my whips hanging off the wall beside my desk.   By that is a necklace my former PA made me that's her version of the Triple Goddess symbol.  These reminders are because I write kink and I tend to write a lot of paranormal romance, two genres I sometimes blend because I can!

Having reminders allows me to stay focused when I'd rather sit on youtube and watch music videos or howto stuff all day LOL! 

The fun thing for me is that the toys (whips, floggers, various paddles) all have memories associated with different stories, different events in my life and even share some secrets.  But they're also tax write offs, woohoo!  You know, all that research just for a scene in a story.

Can't have a whip bottom unhappily reading my books, now can we?

Learning the skill for a toy, even if you're not kinky is important because it allows you the writer, some experience, feelings, emotions, based on the education you're getting about said toy.  This plays well into your stories where kink is a heavy hand in the plot, due to resistance, fear, or whatever device you use to keep your characters engaged while maintaining conflict.

In the end, it makes you a versatile writer and allows you to drag your readers deeper into the stories you write.

Buy link for Surrender to Love on Amazon.
Read an excerpt here.

Do Free eBooks Increase Backlist Sales?

Hello, Fellow Writers!

I'm doing a marketing experiment. I recently got the rights back to Taste of Candy, a short novella originally published in 2011 by The Wild Rose Press.

After re-editing the book and giving it a shiny new cover, I self-published it for free by making it free on Smashwords, and having Smashwords distribute it to Apple and Barnes and Noble at the free price point.

Of course, at this moment it's still stuck in Apple's notorious "naughty jail" where all erotic romances go to do time before they're approved. ;)

Anyway, Amazon price-matched from 99c down to free once B&N had it up for free.

Right now, going through Smashwords seems to be the only way to get a perma-free book on iTunes, B&N, and Amazon. I uploaded it directly free to Kobo.

The first week the downloads were intense, getting me to #154 overall Free in Amazon, and up to #3 on the Free Amazon Erotica Bestseller list (which is higher than my paid books have ever gone, including Overheated and Enslaved, both Paid Amazon Erotica Bestsellers).

The book's gotten great reviews, but so far it seems like the Also-Boughts on Amazon are other free books, or other rockstar romances. We can compare that to Enslaved, where the also-boughts are the rest of the Enslaved Trilogy, or to books like Snowed in With the Tycoon or The Man Who Holds the Whip, where the also-boughts include the rest of my books.

So the experiment is still up in the air! So far, I'm happy reading reviews that say the reader loved my voice and will read my other books. Free for the win? Perhaps!

If you're an author, have you experimented with making one of your books free?

Read an excerpt from my free rockstar erotic romance Taste of Candy here.

Book Signing at RWA 2013 in Atlanta!

I'll be signing the beautiful postcards Simon & Schuster/Pocket made for me at the Literacy Autographing on Wednesday, July 17th in Atlanta, Georgia!

If you're there, I hope you come by and say hi! Even if you already own the Enslaved Trilogy ebooks, I can sign a postcard for you. If you want to buy one of the books, I have ten of each of the trilogy books available as postcards with download codes, so you can support the charity.

I'll also be giving away bookmarks and taking pictures! Can't wait to meet my readers!

xoxo Shoshanna

This is info about the event from the RWA website:

At the "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing, hundreds of romance authors—more than 400!—meet with and sign their books for fans, with the proceeds from book sales going to literacy organizations.

Since 1990, RWA has raised more than $775,000 to fight illiteracy. The 2013 beneficiaries of the Literacy Autographing are ProLiteracy Worldwide, Literacy Action, Inc., and Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta.

This event is open to the public and there is no entry fee. 

2013 "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing
Wednesday, July 17
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atrium Ballroom A–C (Atrium level)

Note: Please help us raise money for literacy by purchasing books at the event instead of bringing books from home to be signed.

Ready for BAD Boy Roman? New Release: Enraptured

Enraptured, Book 3 in the Enslaved Trilogy, is available now!

Enraptured, Book Three in the Enslaved Trilogy, from Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Star imprint, is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

I'm so excited to share BAD Boy Roman's story with you...

The stunning conclusion to the red-hot Enslaved erotica trilogy finds a curious young beauty baring more than her skin...

Lovely, blonde, and young, Jessica accepted a job at New York’s most exclusive BDSM nightclub to make ends meet...and to satisfy her curiosity. Nobody is more intriguing than the BAD boys — Billionaire Arrogant Doms — a trio of unbelievably rich and sexy men. Jessica willingly gets involved with the group, shedding her formerly shy persona to explore the limits of her own desire.

But she isn’t sure how vulnerable she wants to be...until the one BAD Boy who never wants to fall in love again — the gorgeous, passionate, and unexpectedly tender Roman — takes an interest in her, and Jessica finds herself drawn deeper into his world than she ever expected.


Click here for an adults-only excerpt from Enraptured, Book Three in the Enslaved Trilogy.

CONTEST!!

Visit http://shoshannaevers.com/contests/ for a chance to win a free digital (eBook) copy of Enslaved, Book One in the Enslaved Trilogy!


Shoshanna Street Team!

Want to get some cool swag and a chance to win monthly prizes? Join the Shoshanna Street Team!

* * *

Books on Amazon | Books on B&N | Twitter | Facebook | Blog

Sexily *Evers* After.... xoxo Shoshanna Evers

www.ShoshannaEvers.com

Enamored, Book 2 in Enslaved Trilogy NEW RELEASE!

Wheee! It's finally here! Last month Enslaved, the first book in the Enslaved Trilogy released on April 8th, 2013. Today, on May 13th, the sequel, Enamored, is out!

Here's the blurb:

Enamored, Book Two in the Enslaved Trilogy, from Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Star imprint, is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iTunes.

The second original eBook in the red-hot Enslaved trilogy begins with a dangerous bet that turns good friends into exquisite lovers. 

Billionaire BAD Boy Marc Wilde has never met a woman who could fulfill his every need…until he takes his good friend and fellow dominant Mistress Lauren up on a dangerous bet—a bet where she ends up as his sex slave for a week. Can a Dominatrix fall in love with a Dom? Only if she can find a way to submit to Marc’s every desire and be happy about it. Lauren has her doubts…but the flirtation, the friendship, and the sex might be too much for either to resist…

Click here for an excerpt so steamy I can't post it on this blog. ;)

Happy reading!

Enamored, Book 2 in the Enslaved Trilogy:  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iTunes.

Enslaved, Book 1 in the Enslaved Trilogy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iTunes.

Writing a New Genre

Writing a New Genre

Guest Post by author Heather Thurmeier 

 I really love writing contemporary romance, but when I heard there was a call for prepper romances for a new line at Decadent Publishing, I couldn’t resist trying my hand at one. I had a little experience with the prepping lifestyle, as I am a mild prepper. I don’t have a hidden bunker full of supplies, like my heroine Sara does. But I have researched long-term food storage options, go bag supplies, alternate energy sources and a myriad of other survival/preparation related things. So I felt I had a good background of information to go into this new book with.

 What I didn’t account for before starting to write was that my hero Dane and my heroine Sara would have a very different mindset than I was used to writing. Most characters in my contemporary stories have pretty minor problems compared to Dane and Sara facing a pandemic and potentially the end of the world as we know it. They wouldn’t make the same decisions that maybe you or I would make in a normal setting. For example, the book opens with Sara stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway. She’s trying to get out of the city and so is everyone else.

Now you or I would probably gripe a bit about the circumstances and complain about having to wait or be late to where we were going. But Sara doesn’t feel she has the option of waiting. She knows (as do other preppers) that the first few hours and days are crucial in your survival success. So she does what any other prepper would do—she drives her all-terrain vehicle off the road and into the woods to find an alternate route to the bunker.

 There were other moments where I really had to stop writing and think like a prepper to determine how my character would act and respond in different situations. It’s not our typical human nature to think that everyone is wonderful and good, but generally speaking, I think we do give people the benefit of the doubt until they prove us wrong. But to Sara and Dane, that kind of thinking is not only a luxury they no longer have, but also a vulnerability they can’t afford.

Once again I had to think about what a prepper might do in their situation. Often times the outcome was surprising and not surprising at the same time. No one really wants to think about how scary and different the world might be if something catastrophic were to happen, but once you do start thinking that way (even temporarily to write a book!) you’d be surprised at the decisions your suddenly willing to make if the circumstances are bad enough.

 In the end, I’m happy I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and wrote something so different than what I usually write and from what I usually think and feel. It was a good writing exercise and I also learned that I really enjoyed writing these kinds of adventurous, dangerous books! I may just write another one some day!

 So tell me in the comments, have you ever written anything that forced you to think a different way? How did you approach it and how do you think it turned out? Would you do it again or are you sticking to “writing what you know” from now on?

 Happy prepping and writing!

Heather Thurmeier
http://heatherthurmeier.com 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HeatherThurmeierAuthor 
Twitter: @hthurmeier

 Escape to My Arms blurb: 

Sara’s been preparing for this moment her whole life—she just never believed it would actually happen. With her bug-out bag and emergency food already in her truck, her only goal is to get to her family’s hidden bunker and wait out the pandemic that’s hit every major cruise ship port in the US. But her plan quickly falls apart. She’s out of gas, her route to the bunker is now a two-lane parking lot with no alternative in sight, and her only weapon is a pocketknife. For an experienced prepper, she’s made every rookie mistake.

Dane believes he’s safe in his cabin, off the beaten path and in the woods with his own source for water, electricity and an endless supply of food to hunt. After finding Sara stranded and alone, he’s suddenly not only providing for and protecting himself, but also the girl who wandered out of the woods and into his life. When looters come looking to take what he has, Sara and Dane’s only option is to make a run for their last hope—the bunker.

Can Sara and Dane find safety in each other’s arms and will they survive long enough to escape to a future together?

*** 

Read an excerpt here! http://heatherthurmeier.com/prepper-romance/ 

Escape to my Arms ~ Available now at:
 Decadent Publishing 
 Amazon 
 Nook

New Release! Enslaved, Book 1 in the Enslaved Trilogy

Enslaved, Book One in the Enslaved Trilogy, from Simon and Schuster’s Pocket Star imprint, is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes!

Here’s the blurb and links to excerpts you won't find in the sample pages:

From a red-hot erotica writer comes an original eBook—a sensual romp across the playgrounds of the unbelievably rich and extremely sexy. 

Elisabeth Anderson has seen Trevor and his friends at the infamous Manhattan BDSM club WhipperSnapper, where everyone calls them the BAD Boys, for “Billionaire Arrogant Doms.” The BAD Boys—Trevor Brooks, Marc Wilde, and Roman Chase—are aptly named; they’ve made money hand over fist due to their aggressive investing at the Brooks Wilde Chase Fund. These guys are so rich they can get away with anything, or so the rumors go.

Trevor gives Elisabeth full reign of his estate in Westchester, letting her do as she pleases. He has only two rules. Rule One: she must obey and submit to him while she is living in his house. Rule Two: always answer the blue cell phone. She’s happy to oblige, because being with Trevor makes her want to obey, to love him the way he seems to be falling for her.

But Elisabeth’s never been good at being the quiet sub; she’s feisty and gets off on the punishments more than she does by pleasing Trevor. Elizabeth can’t submit to Trevor the way he needs her to, so his friend and business partner (and fellow BAD Boy) Roman takes her in hand. But love triangles can have sharp edges…and somebody’s bound to get hurt.

Read an adults-only excerpt from
Enslaved, Book One in the Enslaved Trilogy 

And here’s another exclusive excerpt from Enslaved on
Heroes and Heartbreakers! 

CONTEST!! I have a contest going on! Just go to http://shoshannaevers.com/contests/ for a chance to win an autographed paperback edition of The Man Who Holds the Whip, a sexy BDSM erotic romance like Enslaved! :)

Also.... Want to get some cool swag and a chance to win monthly prizes? Join the Shoshanna Street Team! 

Books on Amazon | Books on B&N | Twitter | Facebook | Blog

xoxo Shoshanna

Indie vs Traditional Publishing Video

Here I'm talking about indie-publishing vs. traditional publishing, writing erotica, and about my upcoming Enslaved Trilogy and Pulse Trilogy from Simon & Schuster, with Indie Author Jason Matthews!
 

FREE copy of Successful Self-Publishing book!

Big news! If you're an author or an artist, you might be interested.

My NEW non-fiction book Successful Self-Publishing: How We Do It (And How You Can Too) is available now as a FREE pdf download at SelfPubBookCovers.com - a new venture I've co-founded with my graphic designer, partnering with dozens of artists.

 At SelfPubBookCovers.com, authors can search through almost 1000 premade book covers (and growing!) and instantly customize one with the book title and author name, then immediately download it, ready to use. The book cover is then removed from the site, so each cover is one-of-a-kind.

We're also on Twitter at @SelfPubBkCovers and on Facebook, too! Get your free pdf copy of Successful Self-Publishing!

Here's the intro from the book. Copyright Shoshanna Evers 2012, All Rights Reserved.

Introduction by Shoshanna Evers

Welcome! Successful Self-Publishing: How We Do It (And How You Can Too) is all of the advice and inspiration I’ve wanted to share with authors for a while now. As both an independent and traditionally published author, I can tell you from experience that there are pros and cons to both routes. Ultimately, the best thing about self-publishing is the ability to retain control over all aspects of your own book, and to make more money per sale doing so.

Numerous other successful authors have joined me to contribute their knowledge and tips on how they’ve achieved their goals through self-publishing. We’ve got specific suggestions, Do’s and Don’ts, and so much energy and excitement for this new world of publishing that by the time you finish reading, you’ll be ready to take the steps to put your manuscript out into the world as a published book.

I’m not against traditional publishing. I consider myself a business woman as well as an author. My business is the business of “being Shoshanna Evers.” That involves much more than just writing books. More than half of my work day is spent not writing, but in publishing or promotion-related endeavors. When I heard that I could get 70% royalties based on list price if I published a book myself instead of going through one of my publishers, I made a business decision: It was time to dip my toes in the self-publishing waters. And wow, the water feels great!

We start with USA Today Bestseller Kallypso Masters’s inspiring journey of how she quit her part-time day job making thirty grand a year (including benefits) and went on to net well over six figures as a debut indie author. She’s very pro-indie, to the point that she thinks getting an agent and accepting a traditional book deal that includes her digital rights is like flushing money down the toilet.

I can see where she’s coming from—after running the numbers before accepting a six-book deal with a large traditional publisher, I felt I could make more money on my own, since as JA Konrath says, 70% royalties forever is worth more than 14.9% royalties, and forever is a long time—but I wanted to try something different to see how it went. Point being, I went into it with open eyes. Whatever you do, go into a project with your eyes open and know what you’re gaining and what you’re losing by taking a certain route. Most important to me in any contract is that I am still able to self-publish if I sign it.

Author Gia Blue hit number twenty three on the overall Amazon Kindle Bestsellers list with a short erotic story and continues to self-pub what she calls her “smut” since she feels publishers won’t touch it but…readers love it.

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller H.P. Mallory talks about the importance of great cover art and how to make the most of your cover to sell your books, and build your brand.

Then, author Cara Bristol interviewed me about the business of writing. In the interview I give candid answers about how I went from completely unknown (in fact, Shoshanna Evers did not exist at all, since it’s my pen name) to making a living as a full-time author. It includes my tips on when—or if—to find an agent and go the traditional publishing route, or whether self-publishing is the best choice for you.

Liz Matis’s book spent almost two years in editor limbo before she pulled the plug and decided to go it alone. She also talks about how she put her self-published book out as an ebook, a print book using print-on-demand, and an audio book—all with a zero to low start-up costs.

Having a high quality product that’s well written, well edited, well formatted, and has a great cover are all an important part of respecting our readers, something Katriena Knights (who also writes as Elizabeth Jewell  and KC Myers) discusses in her essay.

Author Heather Thurmeier gives us her top ten list of tips for successful self-publishing, plus a bonus tip. She doesn’t gloss over the hard work involved or the fact that your book-baby might not sell as well as you hoped. Then again, it might…

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jennifer Probst found a place for her story about a rescue dog by self-publishing it, and now writes a check each month with part of the book proceeds to the animal shelter where she volunteers. She found a wonderful way to contribute to charity with the gift that keeps on giving—royalties!

Skye Warren did an experiment. She put two novellas up for sale and told no one to see what would happen. Her experiment led to some fascinating insights on self-publishing, including the importance of discoverability and word-of-mouth in the absence of marketing.

Price points are an important facet of self-publishing, since we have the ability to be nimble with our pricing and make adjustments as needed. We can try different things to see how our books sell best and what makes the most money. I’ve found that when I price my books higher, I get less sales (and therefore a lower ranking on lists) but I make more money. My bestselling short story Overheated, however, is only 99 cents simply because it’s too short to make it cost more, in my opinion. It outsells my other books. Jackie Barbarosa discusses the pros and cons of the 99 cent price point and whether that should be part of your marketing strategy.

Donna McDonald kept getting rejections from traditional publishers who said her books were wonderful but there was no market for an older heroine. She proved them all wrong by self-publishing and now makes a living off of her self-pub income.

I interviewed USA Today Bestseller Debra Holland, and she explains how good reviews and making category bestseller lists on Amazon made her sales go through the roof. She sold over 120,000 books in her first fourteen months as a debut author.

Then David Kazzie, Amazon Bestseller and creator of the viral YouTube hit “So You Want to Write a Novel” talks about how putting his book up for free brought life to lagging sales.

I’ve also included Valerie Bowman’s Twitter primer for authors, which includes information on how to use hashtags and Triberr to maximize your follower reach. Being on Twitter is a great way to get connected to the publishing community and connect with readers.

Author K. Rowe gives her tips on marketing using free promo, including the importance of making it easy for readers to discover and get to your books via links.

So what happens if you put out a great book and it’s not selling? When Heather Hiestand, (who also writes as Anh Leod) had lagging sales on one of her indie books, she took it to a review website loop and asked for honest opinions on why it wasn’t selling. She changed her cover, blurb, and sale price to increase sales. One of the biggest benefits of self-publishing a book is that we can change things that don’t work until they do work.

The last article in this book is my essay Getting Published, which breaks down all the publishing terms, what they mean, how to format your manuscript, how to write a query letter, and how to decide if you want to pursue traditional publishing, self-publishing, or as I have done, both.

If you’re reading this introduction as an excerpt or sample pages, please know that you can download the book for free at www.SelfPubBookCovers.com. We want you to be successful. This is how we do it, and how you can too.

Ready?

My New Website Design!

I've got a brand-spanking-new website at www.ShoshannaEvers.com. Come, make yourself at home. :)

There's new navigation, the books are easier to find by category, there are new pages about the upcoming Simon and Schuster Enslaved Trilogy and Pulse Trilogy (with the never-before-seen cover for Enraptured, and the blurbs for all three Enslaved books!)

And, of course, the design is new, edgier, and totally hot. Big thanks to web designer Amber Shah.