Self Destruction Talk with Rue Volley
Here on the Self Destruction Blog we want to get different Indie Authors input. We are hosting a series of Self Destruction talks and we are honored that our first guest is the very successful Rue Volley. I will let her take it away!!
Well, I
wrote a book and then I looked at it and went “what next?” I had not
investigated anything, no publishers, no way to get it out there, hell…in 2010
I did not even have a Facebook page. At that time I was working in retail
management and thought I would eventually work in the corporate office helping
set up floor sets and marketing of which I am trained to do, but…I had a moment
of clarity when my Father died in Feb of 2010 and suddenly I started to write
it out…the emotions and struggle with that loss and The Blood & Light
vampire series was born.
So…I had a
‘book one’ and then I said “wow, I should have been a bit more organized with
this.” And that was truth. Writing the book is nothing compared to the job that
comes after and should have honestly been going on during the writing too.
First of all
be sure to set up a fanpage and get people involved. To start out with having
“betas” to read and review your work as you go is so important. They will catch
plot glitches better than you can if you write fast like I do. You also need to
be on twitter and make a website or blog. There are so many free places out
there to do this and not get strapped financially. I use moonfruit for my
websites and did not mess with a blog. My website gives me the ability to blog
on it so no need really. Also you need to join as many groups as you can find
and read the about. If they have a ton of rules and what not’s avoid it.
Nothing personal but you want safe places to share links and your news without
someone complaining about you and starting drama so join groups that allow it
and have interaction with each other. There are so many great ones and very few
crappy ones so it should be easy. Also, you need to really shop your work out
there with Indie Pubs, I say this because Vanity presses are not a good thing
at all. I will tell you why…thank you for asking me. Lol
I self
pubbed my first book in 2010 after I decided it would be the best thing to do.
Like I said before, I did not think it through at all and I so wish that I had.
I went with a BIG company, and yes there were good and bad reviews on this
company as there are for everyone but I thought what option do I have? As I had not
investigated my own outlets like createspace and formatting programs and author
programs on amazon. Anyway, I was WAY overcharged on everything from formatting
to final edits to tiny little “hidden” fee’s and it went on and on. Then it
released and I waiting as I started to work hard to make a name for myself and
get people to notice me. I did everything I mentioned above too late as in I
should have been prepped BEFORE I released my book but you live and learn.
So…I sold
the crap out of that book to friends and family and then started to get a
fanbase too and continued to sell more and more and I was getting so excited
about a royalty check! I mean my first pay from being a writer and anyone would
be excited right? Well, they sold my hardcover for $30.00 my soft cover for
$15.99 and the kindle for $8.99 and my first check was $22.00. I stood there
with that check in my hand and then called them to have them pass me along to 5
people who explained to me all of the “fee’s” that had to be taken out and in
the end I was getting less than .33 cents a book. I hung up completely
disgusted and it was then that I decided I would do something different so I
reached out and got an offer to do an anthology short with Vamptasy Publishing
and I did a prequel short to my vampire series and submitted it. From that
talks opened up and 3 months later I was signed. Is that normal? NO, not at
all, but very lucky, yes.
Maybe it was karma, who knows but I found a great
home of which I am still with three years later and now they have merged with
Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing and hosts over 100 people on
staff with authors included. So, the story did not end there. My Blood &
Light series has been released, all 6 novels are now available and this entire
time that first book, with the original cover was listed for sale although I canceled my contract with them and did everything in the proper way as they
told me. I got the run around for quite some time as to why they had it listed
on amazon and other sites and they kept claiming they made no money from it but
it was available for sale. So, I hired two nasty lawyers of which I have to
this day and they sent them some fabulous cease your behavior and copyright
infringement and now the book is FINALLY gone after I stopped my contract with
that original Vanity Press almost 2 years ago.
Moral of the
story is this.
1. Do your homework on releasing a book
of any kind.
2. Avoid Vanity Presses if you are able
too.
3. Release the book yourself! With all
the things now in your court as a writer you can set up a website, paypal and
sell your own ebooks and prints for less than what some of those places charge
you.
4. Shop to Indie Pubs, but ask around
and see what your fellow literary brothers and sisters
say…and NOT drama, real “what the pub actually does for its writers”. You will
encounter people who love to try to do damage to others out of jealousy and
spite and they are straight up liars. Lol
5. Set up a fanpage, website, twitter
and get betas and people excited BEFORE you release your book NOT after.
6. Stay positive, do not take trolls
seriously, if they were doing something…ANYTHING in life, they would be busy
doing that and not messing with you and trying to tear you down.
7. Last thing…believe in you. Project
that and a giving nature to truly help others and you will go far.
Xoxo~rue
