Adventures in indie publishing

A while ago, I indie published my novel CONVERGENCE. I had submitted it to about ten New York publishers and received a variety of kind but mostly generic rejections. However, I believed in this book more than I believe in basic things like gravity and the wetness of water. I didn't want it to live only on my computer. Plus, I am a tech nerd by training and lifetime interest, the hurdles others who were exploring the very beginning of indie publishing weren't a concern to me. I learn software quickly. I am comfortable exploring or googling until I can figure something out. Etc.

So years ago I put CONVERGENCE up for sale and…mostly didn't do anything about it. No cover reveals, no giveaways, no specific requests for reviews (though if a friend says they have read it I always ask them to at least rate it or review it on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.)

And…it sells enough copies each year that I can buy myself a cup of coffee. Or two. Maybe three some years. ;)

This is fine at the moment, as I know I have done very little to promote it and I have been busy with other writing and life priorities. However, recently my friends have started pointing out that the novel is showing up in their feeds/custom emails from Amazon and others. !! So much fun!

In addition, a writer friend I respect and admire recently read it and wrote the nicest, most complimentary review of CONVERGENCE that I have ever seen. I'm blushing just thinking about it (but sure, I'll post a link so you can read the review, too!) And this writer is, he'll not mind me saying, far from the age target I wrote for as a semi-retired male individual. If my teen-has-to-adapt-in-new-environment-and-make-friends…IN SPACE story appealed to him, it's got to really hit my teen/tween target audience, then, right?

It's hard for us writers to ask this sometimes. We're not used to being this direct with our requests since most of us view the creative process as our life's work, not the "sell it" part (and most of us think we're kind of cruddy writers. I promise you, we are all our worst critics.) BUT - will you consider suggesting this novel to the young people in your lives? It's on Amazon and BN.com and Apple's iBookstore and Smashwords and most anywhere else you can imagine for only $2.99. For less than the cost of a double whip tall half-caf mochachino you can enjoy a lovely book about, well, let the book description tell you:

Anya is pissed when her family moves from earth to the Space Station Convergence. Everything is strange from the food (soy paste in all its colors and forms) to the frequently changing gravity conditions at her new high school.  Anya soon uncovers a plot to take over the central computer’s core processor. While this might not bother your typical geek, Anya is anything but your typical geek. She has discovered that the central computer is self-aware, and that computer is Anya’s first friend on the Convergence. Anya will do anything to protect her computer friend, Isis, even if it means breaking into Central Computing and telling her other new (human) friends about Isis.

For some reason I wrote two different book descriptions, so here's another take on CONVERGENCE:

Download This. 

Pissed about moving to the space station Convergence, Anya expects life to suck. Lonely and afraid, she makes an unlikely friend. When her friend is threatened by dark forces aboard Convergence, Anya has to pull out all the stops to stage a heart-pounding rescue.  

Some friendships transcend even carbon-based life forms.

I and all the other indie published authors out there thank you. I hope you enjoy CONVERGENCE! (And if you/the young people in your life enjoy it, would you pretty pretty pretty please consider writing a review or putting in a rating on whichever platform? Thank you!)