How Fragile it Is

Had a real curve ball tossed at me yesterday. I've still not picked myself up. A year ago in September, I found a publisher for my book Cold Case: Sleeping Dogs Lie. I was thrilled. Up to that point I had self-published and things seemed to be going no where fast.

I had initial sales but I couldn't seem to sustain them. I had not done ebooks, I was still skeptical of those. So finding a small press that believed in me as a writer was a huge boost to my ego. It also told me I was worth taking a chance on.

Cold Case: Sleeping Dogs Lie was released on Feb. 28, 2012. I was ecstatic. It was everything I'd hoped for and more. I had a book launch scheduled in my home town for May, one near where my parents live in June, and I ended up with a third in July. Sale have run pretty high. They have tapered off for August and September, but I'm still selling one or two. I don't know how the ebooks are doing or any that might be sold through amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. I know some have sold there, but I don't have that to report as of yet.

I have completed the second book in the series. It was done by the end of May. I have done first round revisions. Completely rewriting the ending. I'v been waiting since August for the ARCs (Advance Review Copies) to be ready for distribution. Since the theme in the second book is bullying and it has been a big issue in the news lately, now is the time to strike.

Yesterday, I received an e-mail that at first devastated me, although I understood the reasons behind it. Today I feel rudderless. There are some management changes taking place with my publisher. At this point, my book is on hold. I'm not even sure for how long. ARCs are not yet ready to be sent out. Some of them have a four month waiting period just to be read. That means instead of releasing my book the end of November we could possibly have to wait until the end of February again.

So, while all this is going on I have been diligently working on book three in the series. I am six chapters and nineteen days of work into it. It has been sorely neglected the past couple of weeks. Once things settle a bit, I'll be back to it.

I don't know what to tell you as a potential author. This kind of stuff happens all the time. Big publishers buy out small publishers. Small publishers cannot sustain themselves and dissolve on their own. I don't even know how to prepare an author for something like this. I obviously was not expecting it.

My publisher has been open and honest with me. I will stick with her as we figure it all out. We've built up a trust and a good relationship. I know if it's in her power to get Crossing the Line out she will do that. Where we go from there, well time will tell.

To those of you looking at small presses, continue to do so. They are a lifeline to those of us starting out. I would look at another one if that is what needs to be done. Right now I'm making lemonade and hanging in there.