Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Guest post: The Dawn of Angels by Vivienne Malynn and Sean Kade



Hello everyone! I'm so glad to have Sean, one of the co-authors of The Dawn of Angels, doing the special guest post in this book tour presented by Hollow Tours!



Why did I become an Indie author?

Let’s face it, every author dreams of seeing their book in Barnes and Noble on a large display at the front or at least sitting somewhat conspicuously on the shelf in the right section. I know I have. So why would one throw away a chance at that recognition to become an indie author. The easy answer is that I’m not good enough to be published by the big publishers, so why try.  While I admit this may be the case (the jury is still out), to use it as the only reason for a person to write indie, is not a fair representation of a growing sector of artists.
I was the ghost writer for a book that was published—a memoir. We even got a popular local publisher to publish it. For three months, they marketed it fairly well and we sold about 8,000 copies. Not bad for a small area publisher. For each book we got about a dollar, nothing to complain about until you see how much the customer had to pay. For every dollar we got, the customer paid at least twelve dollars, often more. This seemed ludicrous. Did it really take that much to put the book out? The really outrageous thing was the ebook prices, which were just as high. No one can argue printing costs for an ebook.
As an independent author, I can post my book at a price much lower. In my case, I will not sell a book above $2.99. I still get double the amount I would going through a publisher, but at a far reduced cost to the customer. Even with print on demand, I can provide a far greater savings. Granted the publishers do market the books and this can be costly. But this marketing last on average three months and then the book is thrown by the way side and forgotten in the avalanche of new books coming. It still does not justify the costs.
There is also a deeper consequence of mainstream publishing. Mainstream publishers tend to gravitate toward gimmicks and trends. They inhibit true creative expression that exists in other art forms by only forwarding those books that will make them a buck. For years this has been a detriment to writing as authors are forced to conform their styles of writing to that which publishers will accept. A similar affect has affected music, driving out true talent for the counterfeit kind found in the modern pop star.
The beauty of the internet and digital books is that it opens a new gateway of expression that circumvents that corporate skittishness that prevents them taking a risk on a new style of writing. Now an author can take those creative risks. Maybe it will work out, maybe it won’t. I know that I have not explored the ends of this open space with my writing, but I hope to in the future. My true hope is that others will take hold of the vision and explore its bounds.
Sure there will be a lot junk out there, but hopefully in the mix will emerge something truly amazing. That is the magnificence of the internet, out of its seeming chaos comes the most awe-inspiring innovations and creations. Who would have guessed that through social networks revolutions would be plotted and executed to take down dictatorships? Who would have guessed that an encyclopedia or learning resource could emerge completely on volunteer contributions? That is the nature of human interaction. It is both unpredictable and remarkable. It is the essence of art and the essence of what makes us human. It is the reason that I am an Indie author. 

by Vivienne Malynn and Sean Kade

Left by her mother at a young age, Kyra has grown-up in the foster system, leaving her angry and hateful towards the world. The only person she can trust is Hammond, her case worker who has watched over her since the time her mother left. When Hammond places Kyra in a foster home located in a small town, strange things begin happening and Kyra starts unraveling the mystery of her past. When Kyra’s life is threatened, she is saved by an angel, her guardian angel, Ashur, who falls from heaven to save her. Together, Ashur and Kyra must figure out why her life is in danger and stop a strange cult from bringing about the end of days.
   Website * Amazon

Thank you very much for taking your time writing for this guest post, Sean! Your view of technology and social network is amazing! I'm really speechless after reading this guest post. :)
PS: There is really cool giveaway going on, so you should check it on this Hollow Tours post!

9 comments:

  1. Such a great post! It's always fascinating to read about self-publishing from the author's perspective. I know I have discovered some GREAT self-published gems over the years and hope I will continue to do so. :)

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    1. The way you phrase it is amazing, Sam! <3 Finding a wonderful indie books is just like finding a gem! Self-published titles always seem to amaze me! <3

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  2. Wonderful guest post, this was quite a nice view! I've actually never thought about it in too much detail before, but it's very interesting to read it coming from an author!

    P.S. the book title's font is "Angelic War"! I love that font!!! 8D (random)

    Vivian @ Vivaciously, Vivian

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    1. I agree, Vivian, this is such an insightful post! I also noticed that the font is Angelic War! I love the font too LOL, it's so pretty! I'm such a font geek. :P

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  3. What an amazing post! As a girl who dreams of being a published author when she grows up, the information that you gave was really helpful! :) I've been thinking about it a lot lately, actually, whether it's better to be self-published or through a publishing company. And I guess it depends on the author! Some, like Amanda Hocking, can be incredibly successful as a self-published author, so there's definitely no doubt that you could too. (Your book sounds fantastic!)

    But others like to go mainstream, and that's definitely okay too! I never really thought about the downsides to publishing through a company and how you might be encouraged to follow trends first -- that's definitely something to think about!

    Amazing guest post, Sean! It's always cool to hear things from a self-published author's point of view! :) <3

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  4. I honestly believe that quality has nothing to do with it. There are self-published works out there that are far better than anything big publishing houses have to offer, mostly because they are less restrained and not formulaic. To people who still think that self-publishing industry has nothing to offer, I'd mention Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park, or Wander Dust by Michelle Warren, or The Academy by Zachary Rawlins.

    Great post, ladies. i really do agree with every word.
    Maja @ The Nocturnal Library

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  5. Thanks so much for allowing us the opportunity for a guest post on your blog. I love all the comments that have been left here. There is no road to publishing that is an easy one, but I truly believe that self-publishing gives the author more control of the outcome. If you have a book worth reading, then hard work and dedication to your cause will get you a long way. Vivian, as for the font, we chose it especially because of the title. In the later books, there will be an "angelic war" and we thought, how fitting that this font can be both beautiful and yet symbolic at the same time. We like to play with things like that. Even the character's names are symbolic and relate to different things in Angelic lore. You can say it, we are nerds, but we think it's a lot of fun to hide meanings in the simplest places, like a font. :) Thanks again for having us. You are a great group of people!

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  6. Great post! Thanks for sharing Hilda, Vivienne and Sean.

    It's funny, I used the same font style for my character of Dawn (see "ReVamped" Characters or Bookmarks! I love the way it looks. :)

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    1. I noticed the font too the moment I looked at your site, Ada! It's a pretty font style and I love using it too! Great pick for your bookmark! Thanks for commenting! <3

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