Changing (or using?) the business...by Cathy Ace

If you were in charge, what one big change would you make to the business of publishing?

The entire business seems to be in a constant state of flux, so it’s hard to pick on just one aspect to change. I wouldn’t change the people – who are usually delightful – nor would I change their enthusiasm and passion for books, which seem all-pervasive. It’s a bit of a Catch 22 question really – because I think it would be hard to change one thing without everything else changing too.

Since it is the way it is – at the moment – maybe the best thing to do is to tell you how I as an author choose to use the system that’s available.

Ta-daaaa...my new book!

I have just re-self-published a collection of novellas and short stories I first self-published ten years ago. I have spent the past six months rewriting them, working with an editor to polish them, have dropped some I originally included in the collection, and have inserted some new ones. It’s been a fascinating process which has allowed me to go back to where I "began" and apply what I’ve learned in the past five years of working with two different “traditional publishers” on two different series of books. 

 

I have set up a new corporation to facilitate my works

I have also worked through the process of formatting and setting up a manuscript for both e- and print versions, and working with designers directly to get a cover I want, as well as choosing typefaces etc for the whole book. It’s been a blast!  And now – this week – there’s an e-book up on amazon, and a print book too…actually in my hand. It’s amazing.

Now my readers can find out how my characters (Cait Morgan, Bud Anderson, the WISE women) all met and set up together in the first place. It’s been a weird feeling for me to do this because – having written all these “genesis” stories ten years ago – I always knew my characters’ backstories, even though they were a mystery (or something alluded to) for my readers.

By self-publishing, what I have learned is that – unless you’re a big name with big five publisher – you stand pretty much the same chance of getting the word out about your work to those who might read it as you do with a small publisher. But I believe the book is doing well only because I have the twelve books published traditionally behind me, with the Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Globe and Mail etc. reviews to go with them.

So maybe I wouldn’t change the way the business works, but I am hoping that using the way the business works in a different way will prove fruitful for me. Fingers crossed! Oh, and if you fancy giving a book as a gift, you could do worse than my anthology MURDER KEEPS NO CALENDAR which contains the first three Cait Morgan Mysteries ever, the first WISE Enquiries Agency Mystery ever, introduces you to DI Evan Glover of the Glamorgan Police Service, and several standalone tales of murder, and dark deeds! The links are below. Thanks!

PRINT IN USA CLICK HERE

KINDLE IN USA CLICK HERE 
PRINT IN UK CLICK HERE 
KINDLE IN UK CLICK HERE 
PRINT IN CANADA 
KINDLE IN CANADA 

Cathy Ace is the Bony Blithe Award-winning author of The Cait Morgan Mysteries and The WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries.  You can find out more about Cathy, her work and her characters at her website, where you can also sign up for her newsletter with news, updates and special offers: http://cathyace.com/