E-publish and/or be damned!

When you start writing a novel the first piece of advice you’re often given is to write for yourself.  But once you’ve toiled for what may be years on this mighty tome, the next question you’ll be asked is, ‘who is it for?’  And apparently the answer, ‘well it’s for me’ does not lead to publication.  New authors seem to be expected to slot neatly into fairly exact categories.  The advice when submitting to agents or publishers is to state clearly what genre, and which authors it would sit next to on a bookseller’s shelf.  For example, it is an Urban Fantasy aimed at the Young Adult market, and would sit next to Neil Gaiman or China Mieville (you hope).

My first novel, a thrilling story about a female wrestler battling to keep her past under wraps when fame finds her, was un-publishable because there was no category that it easily slipped in to.  So when I started writing ‘Bitter Roots’ I decided that I would aim it at the Romance market because at the heart of the story there is a couple who are clearly destined to be together.  But ‘Bitter Roots’ is a dark novel, inspired by gothic writers, although it is set in the present.  There is also a thriller element, and a hint of the paranormal.  Thinking of a classic novel such as ‘Rebecca’ would you class that as romance, thriller or paranormal?  Lucky old Daphne DuMaurier didn’t have that hurdle to jump.  And even within the romance category there are many sub-genres: historical, contemporary, paranormal, and chick-lit to name but a few. 

So after categorizing my book as Modern Gothic Romance I started sending it out to agents and publishers, and quickly gathered a pile of satisfyingly encouraging rejection letters.  All said that ‘Bitter Roots’ was a well written book with a strong story BUT that there is no place for it in the current market.

So e-publishing seemed the only way to go.  It was extremely easy.  With only moderate computer skills I was able to get a Kindle version onto Amazon both in the UK and US, and by using social networking to get as many people to buy it at the same time I was able to propel ‘Bitter Roots’ into the top 50 on the Contemporary Romance chart.  So with a best seller on my hands I embarked on a publicity campaign.  After one simple press release to the local paper I had one article printed, followed by a full-page spread, and then an interview on local radio. 

I feel very proud of myself.

But I’ve been following many online discussions about e-publishing, and there is a very clear split between the US and the UK.  In the US there is a thriving network of Indie authors pumping new and exciting work into the market, and more importantly supporting each other with many ways to develop readers and build sales.  In the UK there is a much more cautious approach, with many negative comments directed at e-published authors.  I won’t bore you with the arguments; you can find them easily enough online.  But I simply looked at how the music industry has evolved and thrived with online sales and I decided to be a part of this exciting new opportunity.

I am very happy to share information on any part of the process I’ve mentioned above, and I am always happy to meet or communicate with other authors.

My website has contact my details as well as more information about 'Bitter Roots' and how to download it from Amazon www.jarekadams.com

And you can find me all over the web by simply Googling my name.  It seems that there is only one Jarek Adams!

Citizen and Echo Weekend feature

I've searched for a link to the article about me featured in the Gloucestershire Citizen and Echo's Weekend supplement but there doesn't seem to be one, so here is the text, along with something nice that happened as a result of this article being published.

It was an interesting way of promoting Bitter Roots, and did help to boost my sales.  By asking me about my reading habits it seemed like an opportunity to promote my book without being pushy about me, me, me.

Here is the interview:

What books do you remember reading as a young child?
I loved reading about magic and witches. I remember one called Late for
Halloween about a witch who had to live in a girl's garden for a whole year
as she'd missed the big Halloween party. I imagined I was that little girl
and shared her adventures as I read the book. I also loved ghost stories as
my mother was always telling me what the ghosts in our loft were getting
up to.

What books shaped your childhood/teenage years?
I read anything I could lay my hands on by Joan Aiken.  She died a few
years back, but I still think she is one of the best children's authors I've
ever read.  She shifts events in our past creating an alternative history, and
invents a world that is so incredibly vivid.  I wanted to be my favourite
character from the Wolves of Willoughby Chase series, Dido Twite.  If you
love Philip Pullman's books, you would love Joan Aiken. She's the one
author from my childhood I still go back to and re-read.

What are the most memorable book(s) you've ever read and why?
Without a doubt, that would be The Colour Purple by Alice Walker.  I read
it in my early twenties and it has lingered in my mind ever since. I love the
story of strong women battling to break free of their dreadful lives, and
without giving the end away, I cried buckets of happy tears.

How many books do you have?
Walls covered with them in every room, which is why I bought a Kindle.

Do you have a favourite author(s)?
Anita Shreve and Alice Hoffman, who are both are both amazing
storytellers.  They're both American, but I am always on the look out for
UK authors I can love as much.  I did love Mad Joy by Jane Bailey who I
think is from somewhere in Gloucestershire.

What are you reading at the moment?
I'm re-reading Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, which I downloaded for free
onto my Kindle.  As you may be able to tell, I have a bit of a thing for
Gothic.

Where do you like to read?
I like to read in bed, just before I go to sleep.  That way my dreams are
often coloured by whichever story I'm currently wallowing in. Tonight I'll be
going back to Thornfield Hall to find Mr Rochester.

Do you think the way we read is changing for the better with e-books?
E-books are certainly better for the environment as there's no paper used,
but they will also open up publishing to new authors as publishers will not
have to risk the cost of a huge print run.  I am a committed book lover, and
I was resistant at first, but I've had my Kindle for a couple of months now
and I am a complete convert.

Why do you think reading is so important?
It expands our minds opening us up to new ideas and ways of looking at
the world.  We get to meet people we might otherwise never meet, and to
travel places we may never be able to go to.  In a word - escapism.

And the nice thing that happened?
A few days after the article was published I was contacted by Jane Baliey who I mentioned in the feature.  She was very happy for the plug and generously offered me advice that will help to get Bitter Roots out there to more readers. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bitter-Roots/dp/B004RPWJEE