Heaven to Betsy (Emily #1)
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Be careful basing your “go indie” decision too heavily on widely touted indie-riches stories. For instance, Fifty Shades of Gray was originally indie published, but it became a massive commercial success only after Random House picked it up. From my perspective, it was still a huge coup that Random House discovered it.
Before you decide whether to indie publish, ask yourself:
—Can I deliver the quality needed to make sales?
—Do I have the necessary business skills?
—Can I promote my books to the point of recognition and sales?
—Will I still have time to keep writing my next books?
And, most importantly,
—Why am I choosing to indie publish?
If you only want copies of your book for yourself, your friends, and your family, and you don’t care about making money, it may not matter to you if you ever sell a single book.
For some of us, despite the odds and the cons, our goals reflect our desire for independence. If you’re one of those intrepid souls, stubborn to the bone and yearning to work like a pack mule, then you’re just the kind of loser who’s right for indie publishing.
If that’s a “hell, yeah” or even a “hmmm, maybe,” read on.
To continue reading Loser, click here.
Acknowledgments
Once upon a time a bright-eyed Amarillo girl took a course on persuasive speaking at Texas A&M University. She wrote and delivered an assigned speech in support of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. A class member of Mexican descent argued passionately against IRCA and the girl’s points, using personal, family examples and pointing out, correctly, that all Americans descend from immigrants, except Native Americans. The girl, appearing calm and cool on the outside, debated with her classmate and walked out with an A+ as her grade. But the girl never forgot that exchange and the shame she covered up in that moment, as she was confronted with the ease and privilege in her own life. And for failing to see the perspective of her classmate’s family, even though she never knew their names. The girl—me— grew the heck up, and eventually she wrote this book.
Thank you to my classmate at Texas A&M, for your passion, courage, and eloquence in speaking your truth.
Thanks to my husband, Eric, for brainstorming the Emily books with me over many miles hiked in Pedernales Falls State Park and on our property in Nowheresville, and during 11,000+ miles logged in the Bookmobile. Eric gets an extra helping of thanks for plotting, critiquing, editing, listening, holding, encouraging, supporting, browbeating, and playing miscellaneous other roles, some of which aren’t appropriate for publication.
To each and every blessed one of you who have read, reviewed, rated, and emailed/Facebooked/Tweeted/commented about the Katie & Annalise and Michele books, I appreciate you more than I can say. It is the readers who move mountains for me, and for other authors, and I humbly ask for the honor of your honest reviews and recommendations.
Blessings and hugs to my friends Stephanie, Betsy, and Walt, who inspired me to write about my own hometown.
Editing credits go to Rhonda Erb, Sara Kocek, and Emily Kristin Anderson. The beta readers and critique partners who enthusiastically devote their time—gratis—to help us rid my books of flaws blow me away. The special love this time goes to Patty, Gay, Melissa, Nandita, Dina, Stephanie, Ginger, Ridgely, Melissa, Terry, Rebecca, Susie, and Ken. Thanks to Walt for expert assistance, as well.
Kisses to princess of the universe, Heidi Dorey, for fantastic cover art. Thanks for evolving with us as we evolve with the world of publishing. Credit for the photo on the cover goes to Beau and Shirlene Baer. Isn’t it amazing?
Finally, my eternal gratitude to Eric and our kids for teaching me the ways of blended household love.
About the Author
Pamela Fagan Hutchins holds nothing back and writes award-winning and best-selling mysteries and hilarious nonfiction from Nowheresville, Texas, where she lives with her household hunks—husband, Eric, and their one-eyed Boston terrier, Petey—plus three rescue dogs, a herd of goats, a coupla cows, a flock of turkeys, and a peacock. She is the author of many books, including Saving Grace, Leaving Annalise, Finding Harmony, Going for Kona, Heaven to Betsy, Earth to Emily, How To Screw Up Your Kids, Hot Flashes and Half Ironmans, and What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes? to name just a few. In 2014, just two years after publication of her first book, the Houston Press named her as one of the Top 10 Houston Authors.
Pamela spends her non-writing time as the Chair of the Board of the Houston Writers Guild, a writing coach, a workplace investigator, and as an employment attorney and human resources professional, and she is the co-founder of a human resources consulting company. You can often find her with her husband—and a few grown kids from their blended brood of five—hiking, running, bicycling, and enjoying the great outdoors.
If you’d like Pamela to speak to your book club, women’s club, or writers group, by Skype or in person, shoot her an email. She’s very likely to say yes.
You can buy Pamela’s e-books, audiobooks, and paperbacks at most online retailers. You can also get her paperbacks from “brick and mortar” stores. If you want a signed copy, contact SkipJack Publishing: http://SkipJackPublishing.com. If your bookstore or library doesn’t carry a book you want, by Pamela or any other author, ask them to order it for you.
You can connect with Pamela all over creation, and you should:
Website http://pamelahutchins.com
Email pamela@pamelahutchins.com
New releases newsletter http://eepurl.com/iITR
Facebook http://facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutchins.author
Twitter http://twitter.com/pameloth
Goodreads http://goodreads.com/pamelafaganhutchins
LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/pamelahutchins
Books by the Author
Fiction from SkipJack Publishing:
Saving Grace (Katie & Annalise #1)
Leaving Annalise (Katie & Annalise #2)
Finding Harmony (Katie & Annalise #3)
The Jumbie House (Katie & Annalise Outtake)
Going for Kona (Michele #1)
Heaven to Betsy (Emily #1)
Earth to Emily (Emily #2)
Hell to Pay (Emily #3), coming 2016
Nonfiction from SkipJack Publishing:
The Clark Kent Chronicles: A Mother’s Tale Of Life
With Her ADHD/Asperger’s Son
Hot Flashes and Half Ironmans: Middle-Aged Endurance
Athletics Meets the Hormonally Challenged
How to Screw Up Your Kids: Blended Families, Blendered Style
How to Screw Up Your Marriage: Do-Over Tips for First-Time Failures
Puppalicious and Beyond: Life Outside The Center Of The Universe
What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes, and How Can I Be One, Too?
Other Books by the Author:
Eve’s Requiem (anthology), Spider Road Press
OMG – That Woman! (anthology), Aakenbaaken & Kent
Ghosts (anthology), Aakenbaaken & Kent
Easy to Love, But Hard to Raise (2012) and Easy to Love, But Hard to Teach (coming soon) (anthologies), DRT Press, edited by Kay Marner & Adrienne Ehlert Bashista
Audiobook versions of the author’s books are available on
Audible, iTunes, and Amazon.
Other Books from SkipJack Publishing
The Closing, by Ken Oder
Old Wounds to the Heart, by Ken Oder
Deadly Thyme, by R. L. Nolen
The Dry, by Rebecca Nolen
Tides of Possibility, edited by K.J. Russell
Tides of Impossibility, edited by K.J. Russell and C. Stuart Hardwick
My Dream of Freedom: From Holocaust to My Beloved America, by Helen Colin
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