This week was the first book club for the Defining Gray 2017 revised edition, and I’m pleased to announce it was a great success. For this event, I had made a special, one-time, pre-release edition specifically for “The Street” book club, which included the member’s names and a picture of their street on the back cover. This, I figured, was one of few perks to being a self-published author!

The consensus from the club is that DG is ready to go, (no more typos, finally!) and they are looking forward to the sequel. They also asked why I self-published instead of finding a publisher. If you are also curious, here is a little history:

In January of 2008, my uncle Richard said to my dad: “Tell that daughter of yours to get her book finished and published before the deuce!” The deuce, as mentioned in Defining Gray, is a slang term for the Icelandic Independence Day celebration in Mountain, N.D. that takes place during the weekend of (or before or after) August 2nd.

That challenge, so to speak, prompted me to research publishing options. I soon learned the odds were slim of getting a traditional publisher: I had no prior writing credentials, DG was too long for an ideal first novel, I had no social media presence, and the list goes on. I jumped blindly into the publishing arena and in July 2008, I had my first order of 300 books.

I remember holding that first book in hand, thinking “Wow, I did it.” And then “Oh, God! What have I done?” when I realized I knew nothing about getting the books into bookstores, marketing, sales tax, websites, legalities, etc.

And, since my dad ended up in the hospital, my parents and I didn’t make it to August the Deuce that year. Instead, I kicked-off my first book in my hometown of Tucson and began learning more about the publishing industry. The more I learned, the more overwhelmed I became.

I put writing, marketing, and publicity on hold and instead took a deep dive into publishing and business ownership. In addition to classes through the Small Business Association, I attended Society of Southwestern Authors meetings, joined the Independent Book Publishers Association, and attended publishing conferences and the Book Expo in NYC in 2009 and 2011. In other words, I was doing everything except what I had wanted to do most … write!

When it came time to consider publishing options for the revised edition and the sequel, I’ll admit I wasn’t sure I wanted to utilize all my hard-earned wisdom, and self-publish, again. But seriously, the alternative of finding a traditional publisher doesn’t seem like a picnic, either. So I’m forging ahead, with only my enthusiasm for the Defining Gray series, and that of it’s readers, to act as my compass.

Just today I finished tweaking the cover and interior design, and ordered a proof. So in my next post, hopefully by June 1st, when I announce that this edition will be available to order, I’ll also give information as to why I felt the need for a revision.

Until then, thank you, again, for your continued interest and patience!

Denise

June 3rd update: My proofs for both Defining Gray and Ashes in Bloom arrived a few days ago and although I’m pleased with the overall appearance and quality, I have a few more adjustments to make. (Argh!)