happy 
[Originally written June 9, 2011] It's time. I've thought about it very carefully. I'm going to epublish my debut novel. I've had impassioned talks about my decision with dear friends, including a wonderful chat with a very dear friend yesterday. We talked about so many things and have known each other as writing buddies since 2005, the year I started this blog. She's so sweet. In fact we call each other the Hawaiian name for sister, we are so close. And my Tita asks me, "But, Laura, don't you want to hold Winnemucca in your hands?"
It's an interesting question. And after hours of gabbing and years and years of writing Winnemucca what it comes down to, for me at least, is the message. It's less about the medium. And there's three reasons why.
One. I worked as an HTML programmer and multimedia designer in 1996 at a start-up company that developed this crazy new thing called online banking for credit unions.
Two. I worked as an multimedia designer at The Los Angeles Times in the embattled newspaper industry and witnessed the clash of civilizations between old school journalism and new media. And witnessed, to a lesser degree, a similar clash working as a multimedia designer at E! Entertainment Television producing online content for the cable network.
Three. So here I find myself at my third crossroads: the changing, developing world of publishing. And what I've learned at all of these crossroads is that one thing never changes. It's the message that's important. Not the medium. There are still banks. There are still printed papers. There will always be books, IMHO. But, for me at least, an unagented, aspiring author of YA and middle grade fiction, [at the time of this writing, I was unpublished but Winnemucca has since been released on Amazon.com] it makes more sense for me to epublish my work and I'll tell you why. So far, it's been fun. So much more fun than not hearing back from people. More fun than having a full manuscript read and dismissed similarly. I'm doing everything for my book that I've always done in my professional life. I've always enjoyed riding the wild wave of the new. Can I ask you to wish me luck? I'll need it:)
It's not to say that's it's been easy. There's been many challenges. The most important one was how I was going to get solid editorial input, since I'll lack the typical, very important back and forth that occurs between an agent, author and editor that takes a story to a whole new level. As a matter of fact, soon after I started working at The Los Angeles Times, my editor asked who edits my fiction. I tried to explain that it's not like that in fiction, that I had critique groups and trusted readers and I attend conferences. He turned to me and said, "Laura, everyone needs and editor." I never forgot that. This has been my biggest challenge. I'm going to blog about how I've tried to meet these challenges. [I've since blogged about said challenges, see Publishing Mountain] But, more importantly, I'm going share the fun I've had in the process.
The party gets started here in the next few weeks. [The party started last Friday with the release of Winnemucca]
Here is the trailer for my upcoming debut novel.
One mistake changes Ginny forever.
One answer sets her free.
Our wonderful YA Indie Carnival fan M. Leighton just released Madly & Wolfheart. Check back here on Monday, I'll have an author interview with Michelle.
Next, take a wild ride with:
Danny Snell's Refracted Light Reviews
Patti Larsen
Courtney Cole
Wren Emerson
Nichole A. Williams
Fisher Amelie
Amy Mauer Jones
Rachel Coles. Geek Mom. Book Reviewer
T. R. Graves
Cyndi Tefft
P.J. Hoover
