Indie Gems

Let's face it. Some self-published books, even a few of those extremely popular ones, are badly written and horribly (if at all) edited. They give all other indie authors a bad name.

But sometimes, if you dig hard enough, you come across a true indie gem. There are lots of them out there, books so professional-looking and polished and well-written, you can't tell them apart from the traditionally-published ones. Now that self-publishing is being taken more seriously, the quality of the books seems to be improving. People are working hard and making a living off self-publishing, and that is fantastic. The stigma is lifting. We have choices. We can take control. It's an exciting time to be a writer!

So, I've decided to compile a small list of some true Indie Gems I have read so far this year:

Easy by Tammara Webber

New Adult. This was an "easy" (haha) choice. Started out as an indie but I heard it was picked up by a traditional publisher. Oh, this book. Lucas. *swoon* I was hooked from the start. Great writing, great story, great voice. Sexy as hell. New Adult is a very popular self-pub genre because apparently it's hard for an agent to sell. But boy, does it sell the self-pub way.

Twisted by Amity Hope

Young Adult Contemporary. This one has romance, mystery, suspense, bullying, and some really heart-wrenching moments. Compelling story and characters. Tight writing. I'll be sure to check out Amity Hope's past and future books.

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

New Adult. Another swoon-worthy, sexy romance with so much more. Ms. Sorensen is extremely talented at sprinkling backstory only when it's needed. No info-dumps here. Great chemistry between the main characters. Just enough mystery and intrigue to keep you reading. And there's a sequel (or two?) coming!

Lost In Thought by Cara Bertrand

Young Adult Paranormal. Mystery, suspense, likable narrator, twists, turns, hot guys, dead people...what more can you want? And look at this beautiful cover! Cara is a fellow Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award finalist and I'm a big fan of her writing. She sure leaves me hanging with those endings of hers.

Wool by Hugh Howey

All I can say about this indie author is damn, he can write. This incredible, riveting, post-apocalyptic story is split into five parts. The first one is free, and only 56 pages, so you can test it out risk-free. You can also buy all 5 parts together. As for me, I read the first part and then RAN to Amazon to buy the entire book. Ridley Scott wants to turn this book into a movie! Now that is an indie success story.






That's it for now, but I'm positive this list will grow as I discover more talented indie writers.

What are some of your favorite Indie Gems? Let me know and I'll be sure to check them out.

The benefits of ABNA

When querying agents, did my status as ABNA Finalist give me a leg up?


First, here is the query I used:

I am currently seeking representation for my 69,000 word contemporary young adult novel, titled OUT OF NOWHERE.

At eleven years old, Riley Tate witnessed the sudden death of her father. Now, at sixteen, she still can’t bring herself to step on “the spot”—the section of kitchen floor on which her father landed after collapsing from a brain aneurysm. For someone like Riley, a hypochondriac with anxiety issues, moving on is never easy.

Since losing her dad, Riley has become obsessed with the human body, how it works, and what can go wrong with it. Reading about diseases distracts her from the things she’s not ready to deal with, like the fact that her mother started a whole new family with a man who has more muscles than brains and tries to act like her new dad. And that her doctor thinks she’s a mental case. And that her ex-boyfriend dumped her because she wouldn’t have sex with him. But she refuses to let anything—especially not a guy—interfere with her dream of becoming a surgeon.

When she meets Cole Boyer in an ER waiting room, Riley realizes immediately that he’s far from the safe, predictable boy she usually goes for.  A fearless daredevil with mysterious scars and a thirst for all things dangerous, Cole is like an accident waiting to happen. Still, despite their differences, they forge an unlikely friendship that eventually blossoms into something more. Dating someone who’s so casual about death has its challenges, but as Riley soon learns, not everyone can be—or needs to be—saved.

OUT OF NOWHERE was one of the three finalists in the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, YA category. Publishers Weekly called it “a very good example of a contemporary coming-of-age novel, with well-rounded characters and honest emotion”. With a blend of heavy issues and humor, OUT OF NOWHERE explores the total randomness of life, death, and love.

I started querying on July 16, 2012. Out of all the agents I queried, I got 3 requests for partials and 7 requests for the full manuscript. Responses came quick, most within the first week. I signed with my agent on August 3. Less than three weeks...that was how quick it was.

I believe ABNA did open doors for me. I got personal feedback from several of the agents who passed on me. Only a couple of form rejections. Tons of compliments. All the agents were extremely encouraging. Such a different experience than a few years ago, when I was querying my first book.

This is a hard business to break into and every little bit helps. So make your manuscript shine. Use contests like ABNA. Seek feedback. Query your butt off and never give up. If it can happen for me, it can happen for anyone.

Author Interview and Spookygirl

I have two things I want to mention today:

1) I'm featured today on Laurie's Non-Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews. You can read an excerpt and enter to win a FREE copy of my first book, Just You.

(If you're an author, I highly recommend contacting Laurie. She does a great job organizing and promoting these interviews.)

2) 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest winner, Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator by Jill Baguchinsky, is available today! Check it out. Jill, I wish you much success!

New website!

My husband made me this awesome new website and I didn't even have to pay him.

www.rebeccawritesya.com

Isn't it pretty?

Agent News!

Today, I'm thrilled to announce that I have an agent. It's been a crazy week, a crazy year, and these past two months especially have been the most exciting, exhilarating, stressful months of my writing career. Being a finalist in ABNA has led me to this day.

My new agent is Carly Watters from P.S. Literary Agency  (info@psliterary.com). I'm so excited to be working with Carly. She's enthusiastic and attentive and she also has an awesome blog. She loves and believes in Out of Nowhere, just like I do, and I can't really ask for much more than that.

Official Announcement