There
is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under
heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
February
was a month of bittersweet endings and new beginnings for me. For one thing, I
finished my last contracted novella. It was probably the hardest story I’ve
ever written, one because I didn’t want to write it. I’m excited to start my
journey into indie publishing, and just wanted to ‘get on with it.’ So writing
this novella was not at the top of my to-do list.
But
write it, I did. Once I dug into Patrick and Grace’s story, I didn’t want to
let it go. Their story could have easily turned into a full-length novel, and
as usual, I got a bit frustrated I was limited to a novella. But it might just
be one of the best ones I’ve ever wrote.
Once
the manuscript was sent, I was a mixed bag of emotions. I’ve been blessed to
have been traditionally published these last ten years. For a girl who wondered
if she’d EVER get the call, I’ve loved every single second of it. It’s a dream
fulfilled by God who had bigger plans for me than I’d had for myself. And going
indie doesn’t mean I won’t turn to traditional publishing again. It just means
that my focus will be on my indie projects.
Once
I mourned a bit, the excitement of going indie caught up with me and I have
work to do.
Now
for what I learned last month.
In
February, I found the Self-Publishing Show podcast, and as I
was going through past shows, I came across one regarding rapid release that
piqued my interest. If you don’t know what a rapid release is, let me explain.
Rapid release is when you write three or four books, then releases one each
month for four months. During that time, you write the next book in the series,
and the next. The quick release of those first four books builds excitement for
your next book and dovetails into backlist sells.
Because
I’m not the quickest writer, I wondered how I could use this to my advantage. I
have two books written and in edits, and the cover for one of them. I also got
the rights back on the WWII series I wrote for Love Inspired Historical and
arranged for new covers.
While
I won’t have a new book out until July, here’s how I’m using the rapid release
system.
- April 1—Release of Hearts in Flight (WWII series, Book 1)
- May 1—Release of Hearts in Hiding (WWII series, Book 2)
- June 1—Release of Hearts Rekindled (WWII series, Book 3)
- July 1—Release of Gold Dust Bride (Rushed to the Altar series, Book 1)
- October –Release of Rushed to the Altar series, Book 2
- November—Release of WWII Box set with bonus Christmas Novella
- Early 2021—Release of The Baby Barter (WWII series, Book 4)
My
hope is this will build my reader base and give me enough time to finish the
third book in the Rushed to the Altar series as well as the first two books of
a contemporary series (one written and needs editing.) I’ll be running Amazon
as well as Facebook ads, and offering all the books on Audible.
A
busy month ahead. But I want to give you a little preview of the cover of my
new Rushed to the Altar series coming out in July.
Once I mourned a bit, the excitement of going indie caught up with me via @pattywrites #SeriouslyWrite #amwriting
~~~~~~
Patty Smith Hall lives in North Georgia with her husband of 36+ years, Danny. Her passion is
to write tender romances based in little-known historical moments. The winner of the 2008 ACFW Genesis award in historical romance, she is published with Love Inspired Historical, Barbour and Winged Publishing, and is a contributor to the Seriously Writing blog as well as Journey magazine. Patty is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.
Crinoline Creek, Texas, 1868
A Cowboy of Her Own by Patty Smith Hall
A Cowboy of Her Own by Patty Smith Hall
Bookish southern belle Madalyn Turner knows what she wants—to be a cowboy and own a Texas ranch. But books are far different from real life and soon she realizes she needs help.
