Exciting Announcement!
Published September 16, 2023
I’ve been teasing at a big announcement, so here it is!
After much soul searching, I’ve decided to become an indie author. I’d like to introduce you to my new company, Up a Tree Media, LLC.
Did you catch the reference? If you’ve been following me for a while, you know my favorite writing quote is:
“The writer’s job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them” – Vladimir Nabokov
So, what better name than Up a Tree?
Before I tell you more about this new endeavor, I need to give a huge shout out and thank you to Chris the owner of Sapphire Books. I couldn’t have asked for a better publisher to begin my writing journey.
In my day job, I’ve been at the same company since 1990, so I haven’t had much experience “quitting” a job. It turned out to be harder than I’d expected. How could I quit when I’d been treated so well? Was I being a disloyal jerk?
I wrestled with these feelings for several months, until I finally found peace. Sometimes in order to grow we have to move on, not because something is bad, but because it’s simply time.
Chris was not only gracious but supportive. I think she knew how hard it was for me. I will forever be grateful to her, and thank her from the bottom of my heart.
WHY DID I DO IT?
After those glowing comments about Sapphire, you’re probably wondering why I decided to go indie. It truly came down to two things– control and math.
Let’s start with control. While Chris gave me a ton of flexibility, the thought of having complete freedom in my writing career appealed to me. I’ll have total control over everything; who I hire, pricing, release dates, sales, marketing, where I sell my books…
It also allows me room to fail. I can try wacky ideas, and the only person it will affect is me. I don’t have to worry whether Sapphire will take a loss on the things I try. Besides, I’m an optimist and believe eventually I will succeed.
I always loved this quote attributed to Edison: “I just found 2,000 ways not to make a lightbulb.”
By going indie, I can say, “I just found the fiftieth way how not to have a successful book.” And I’m okay with that. I’m tenacious and before the dust settles on my last failure, I’ll be on to the next idea.
What about math? It’s simple. If a pie gets divided three ways (the distributor, the publisher, and the author) there is less pie for the author to eat. And I love pie, especially pumpkin or coconut cream. Oh sorry, that’s not the point here.
I don’t want to give the impression that I’m only in this for the money. I doubt many Sapphic authors are.
I’ve never calculated how many hours I put into my books nor do I want to. As much as I love writing, psychologically it’s hard to stomach if I only earn twenty-five cents an hour, which is why I never track my time.
The good news is not only will I get to keep a bigger slice of the pie, but I can pass some of the pie on to my readers. It can be expensive to be a reader. I get it. I’m a reader, too.
I plan on selling my indie books at a lower cost, as well as, putting them on KU. So now you aren’t just on this journey with me, but you’ll also be eating pie with me.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
I still have one more book coming from Sapphire. Family is Forever will be released on November 1, 2023. I’ll tell you more about that in an upcoming newsletter, so be sure to sign up!
Sapphire will also continue to publish my other eight books. Since they produced them, they should continue to get a slice of the pie.
The first book published by Up a Tree Media, LLC will be Through the Storms and will be released sometime in early 2024. I’m really excited about this book and the team of people I’ve hired to help me produce it. I’ll tell you more about it in my upcoming newsletter.
You might have noticed that my LLC is Up a Tree Media not Up a Tree Publishing or Press. That was by design. For years, I’ve toyed with other projects beyond writing fiction. I’ve been researching and studying the best way to make this happen, so stay tuned!