To publish or not to publish, that is the question.
At least it’s one of them.
In today’s environment the world is an author’s oyster. One no longer controlled by a few ‘big names’ and a slew of agents, no slur to agents intended.
Authors have a vast array of e-book publishers to choose from, and if they don’t fancy going down that route, they can self-publish.
Yuk! Self-publish! There is still a residue of disdain amongst the publishing world with regard to self-published books, and yes, in some cases they are justified. If you cast your mind back two to five years, you may remember it is not so long ago the e-publishers carried the same kind of stigma. Indeed there are still some organisations which do not give them the entitlement and recognition they deserve.
There is a saying, ‘What goes round comes round.’ And indeed in the publishing world it is ‘coming round’ at a rate of knots. The number of e-publishers is growing, so what is an author to do? Well, as with everything else, especially while constructing their story, authors should do their research.
First if you don’t know what genre you write in, new authors don’t panic, your readers may not agree with what you consider is your genre, take stock and when you have, sally forth and visit every website of every e-publisher you can find that takes submissions for your chosen genre. You will find a whole swathe of them, unless, that is, you write stories of *Pure. Fiction.* and then you will find your choices remarkably slender.
Why?
Because Astraea Press is one of the few, that insists on a ‘no swearing’ policy. Your first impression may be it is impossible to write a tight, fast-paced, intriguing story of any genre under those circumstances, but Astraea Press has a ‘stable-full’ of authors who have done just that in every genre.
When Astraea Press opened its doors in February last year I was drawn to the name. At the time I was inundated with edits and everything that entails for two books with other publishers, and vowed that one day soon, I’d visit their site and see if what they offered would suit me.
‘Life’ as they say, got in the way, and it was a few months later when a friend introduced me the Astraea Press again. Shortly after Astraea Press accepted, From Now Until Forever, the first in my Gasquet Princes series, and then my second, His Chosen Bride, a Valentine story, due to hit the market in mid-February.
Why did I accept Astraea Press for my latest releases?
Their exceptional attention to detail that ensures the books they publish are all top quality; their exceptional staff who have become friends, and their wonderful authors who feel like an extended family. Sometimes words are not enough. All I can say is they ‘feel right’ for me.
The world of publishing is not an easy one and there are many who fall by the wayside, but Astraea Press is not one of them.
In twelve months, Stephanie Taylor has taken her dream and made it a reality. She has taken that reality and made it a success. She has taken that success and made phenomenal strides forward in every aspect of her domain.
And I am proud and delighted to be a part of that dream.
His Chosen Bride
Blurb:Prince Henri Gasquet is happy to let his father, the king, choose his bride for him until he meets Monica Latimer.
Monica Latimer is not prepared to risk letting any man close enough to learn about her Gift. A gift that normally has men running for the hills when they find out about it.
Excerpt: She lost track of time until the flames caught her attention once more. They flickered from orange to gold, to silver, to white.
A flurry of snowflakes masked the flames and for a second Monica watched the most beautiful, pristine snow-scene she’d ever seen. Her lips curved in longing. How she’d love to get a toboggan and slide down that slope. She knew where it was, and had done just that many times in her childhood, first with her parents and then, in clandestine manner, with her brother. Sneaking an old tin tray from the back of her mother’s walk-in pantry, she’d then grabbed Billy’s hand and they’d rushed out the back gate, heading for the lakeside track that led up into the hills.
Darkness, dense and thick with grief dropped over the scene. Startled and disconcerted by the strength of emotion emanating from the vision Monica shifted to her knees, ready to stand, when a voice, a deep male voice, sharp with fear called out her name.
“Monica!”
“Monica!”
She knew she’d never heard the voice before, and yet—it was as familiar to her as the image she saw in her mirror each morning.
“Help me, Monica.”
Desperate for more clues, she searched the darkness within the flames until it sputtered and faded. With a curse she jumped up and ran for the phone. With her outstretched hand hovering over it she halted and let her hand drop to her side once more. What could she say? What would the police or rescue team think of her if she called them and told them she’d seen a vision of a man in distress?
They’d laugh in her face and classify her as a lunatic. Well, maybe not. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d contacted them with positive information but something—an instinctive gut reaction told her what she’d seen this time hadn’t happened yet.
Multi-published author, Sherry Gloag is a transplanted Scot now living in the beautiful coastal countryside of Norfolk, England. She considers the surrounding countryside as extension of her own garden, to which she escapes when she needs "thinking time" and solitude to work out the plots for her next novel. While out walking she enjoys talking to her characters, as long as there are no other walkers close by.
Apart from writing, Sherry enjoys gardening, walking, reading and cheerfully admits her books tend to take over most of the shelf and floor space in her workroom-cum-office. She also finds crystal craft work therapeutic.
Sherry, your thoughts about writing for Astraea Press echo mine exactly! The support here is amazing. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete:-) Patricia, thanks for coming by.
DeleteBRAVO !!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete:-) Iris
DeleteI can echo all the wonderful things Sherry said about Astraea! Great post!
ReplyDelete:-) Jennifer
DeleteI subbed my 7th novel ms. to Astraea in late Oct. and had a signed contract at the end of Dec.
ReplyDeleteEverything I've seen and experienced so far has been great ...and I'm delighted to be in this 'family'.
Hopefully, soon, my book will appear along with the rest of the 100+ titles released so far.
It'll be worth the wait Jeff. Thanks for coming by.
ReplyDeleteVery enlightening article. The world of publishing changes dramatically almost by the moment, it seems. When you find yourself with an opportunity to be on the ground floor, it's nice to know you have backup in the form of a publisher with solid support in place.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by, Kay :-)
ReplyDelete