3.16.2013

Self-Publishing: Journeys and Resources

Happy Weekend! I'm almost recovered from the wonderful whirlwind experience that was the Tucson Festival of Books. I met some amazing fans, authors and volunteers. What a great time! This event just gets better every year. Already looking forward to the next one!

Writers and anyone interested in self-publishing or Indie Publishing, I'm being interviewed today over at Frankie's Soapbox, the blog of author Frankie Robertson as part of her interview series of Indie-published Authors for the launch of her new resource book, BLAZING A TRAIL. If you want a taste of what her incredibly helpful self-publishing guide has to offer, check it out! 

3.13.2013

Publishers as Pimps?

Even the handful of remaining NYC publishers (about to get even smaller with the merge of Random House and Penguin) are turning into predators out to pimp their author's work and gouge them using viciously unfair contract agreements. Coming under heavy fire, Random House has just backpedaled significantly on it's contract agreements (though there are still major problems) after several large writer organizations and writer protection groups came down hard on them. Read all about it here on David Gaughran's Blog. Deciding not to publish with a supposedly prestigious New York Publishing house could save both your butt and your wallet. Writer beware!

One thing I'd also like to point out to romance writers is to please take note that the largest writing organization leading the way in litigation and outspoken challenge to the Big NYC houses is not a romance writer's organization, but one that represents Science Fiction and Fantasy authors (SFWA). And this is despite that the SF/F market makes up a fraction of the total book sales market, while romance makes up a much larger sales chunk (specifically $1.4 Billion annually for Romance books vs. $579 Million for Science Fiction and Fantasy books, combined (2011 figures)). I'll let you draw your own conclusions about the state of internal support for writers in both of those genres. I hate to sound like a harpy, but there is no better time to be an INDIE. Get on that! 

photo credit: Anna Fischer via photopin cc

3.06.2013

Get A Taste of 50 Shades This Weekend!



Love books? Romance? Well, romance is only a small portion of the literary fun to be had this weekend at the Tucson Festival of Books! You'll find plenty of talks and presentations on romance and erotica, and of course new books to discover in every genre. Come join me for a FREE book event at the University of Arizona in Tucson this weekend--for our annual TFoB! Over 100,000 people will attend the free event to learn about new books, meet their favorite authors or new ones, buy books, see demonstrations and enjoy a variety of entertainment.

I'm speaking on a panel Saturday afternoon at 4:00 PM in the Koffler Room #216. It's provocatively titled: 50 Shades ??? - Is Erotica Really Romance? Well, I write both, so answering that question won't be too difficult, but I suspect we'll also touch on BDSM in fiction and how kink has shown up in romance books with increasing frequency in recent years. Kink in the erotic romance genre has always been very popular with readers, even more so now that the 50 Shades books have piqued the interest of readers who are new to the sub-genre. But the festival offers much more than just romance and erotica -- there are fiction and nonfiction books of all kinds being offered, and this event gets larger every year, with publishers, agents, and authors traveling from all over the U.S. to attend it.

Perhaps your spouse loves history? And your daughter, cooking? You'll find books for every taste at the festival this weekend. To find out more about this fun, free book event, visit TFoB web site. The event and the parking are absolutely FREE at the University of Arizona, on the Mall, March 9 - 10, 2013. So come out and get your fun on this weekend!

Book Giveaways!


Still need more incentive to come out and play? Well how about some free books?! I'm giving away two eBooks and a print anthology during both my 50 Shades author panel at 4:00 PM Saturday and that morning at a panel I'm moderating, titled The Final Frontier of Romance - Science Fiction and Fantasy. I'll also be signing books, since the UA Bookstore is selling my short erotica during the event (Dover to Victoria Station appears in the print anthology Going Down: Oral Sex Stories, published in 2012 by Cleis Press). Just click on that book cover at the right side of my blog for more information on it. I'll be signing the anthology from 10:00-10:30 AM for readers who've purchased it at the UA Bookstore (check your program for signing locations), and I'm happy to sign my cards for you if you've purchased my eBooks from Amazon, B&N, Apple or any other retailers. You can also come find me at either of my panels--I love meeting and hearing from readers! If you're unable to attend the festival, please friend me on Facebook or send me an email via my web site.

Happy Reading! Wishing you all that's Green,
ROXY

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