Magic of the Muses

Yeah, me! 2-book publishing deal signed

2012-01-30T16:03:00.000-08:00

It was the third week of January 2012 and I was totally prepared toself-publish the sequel to The Traz. Ihad an editor and proof reader lined up, a cover artist, reviewers, blurbers,and beta readers. A formatter—to upload mymanuscript to Amazon, Smashwords, and CreateSpace.

I was set to get ISBN assigned. Ihad a person in my sights to do my video trailer and was making preliminaryplans for a launch party (I might still do that. It involves a hot tub, somebubbly, lots of chocolates….)


I celebrated my 2-book contract in front of the media at St. Paul Literacy Day celebrations

I was planning a spring release for this sequel and was diligentlyrevising and editing my way through the manuscript and…desperately trying tofind a suitable and marketable title for the book. I was posting teasers on my social networksand was running a free draw for a Kindle to coincide with the release.

It was going to be easier to self-publish this time, I told myself. Because now I knew what was involved and theorder in which things must be done. Ihad a realistic budget, a book marketing coach, and the beginnings of a fanbase

Then, Imajin Books emailed me an offer—for not only the paperback andebook rights to the sequel, but to re-release THE TRAZ ebook—with a snazzy newlook and a comprehensive, professional marketing strategy designed to snag myshare of the elusive eBook market (something I was having trouble achieving).

Whoa, I thought. (Or somethinglike that. Perhaps it was more like, Wow!) I’d never had a publisher approach mebefore. My sci-fi novella, Schrodinger’s Cat, had been picked up by WolfSingerPublication—but only after I’d emailed a query and a submission.

Plus, I was totally flabbergasted that someone would bet money on anovel that wasn’t even finished yet, that I was still revising—a novel that they’dnever read. I didn’t believe all thiswas really going to happen until my Paypal account showed the advances had arrived.

I set about cancelling all those I had lined up to help me self-publish. I sent out a news release and announced mygood fortune to family, friends, and fans. Then, it began to sink in…there are downsides to having a publisher.

I no longer had total control over my work. It wasn’t going to be medesigning the cover, or selecting the title; it would be Imajin Books. It would be them setting the release dates anddetermining the prices. Them, with whom I’dbe sharing the profits.

I’d done a lot of research and thinking way back when, beforeI decided to self-publish The Traz—now all the reasons I'd used to convince myself to go ahead with the project, cameflooding back. Most of them centred onhaving control over my career, seeing my book in print, and actually havingother people read my stuff.

But I'd also told myself that I wanted to get my product out therefor industry insiders to see, to spark the interest of agents and publishers,to ensure them I’d be a good investment for them and that I was willing andable to invest in my career.

That goal, I’d achieved with Imajin Books.

I knew from my experience with Schrodinger’s Cat, that having a publisherfrees up a lot of time—time that I’d rather spend writing. Besides, although I must nowshare my profits, Imajin Books is picking up all those initialscosts for editors, and covers, and trailers, press releases, and marketing(Although I don’t know if I can convince them to cover the costs of my hottub-chocolate-bubbly Book Launching Party. Perhaps if I invite them?)

With my publishing contract, I will be freely tapping into Imajin's established markets, promotionalexpertise, and technical and literary skills. Financially, I will be saving a lot of money on publishing, coaching, and promotingand if my sales increase dramatically (as I anticipate), even though I’ll be splittingthe profits, I’ll be making more.

Having said all that and having made my decision, I did ensure that thecontract I signed wasn’t going to smother me—that if things don’t work out asanticipated, I will still have options.

One clause I looked for is a time limit on the contract. The rights will revert to me automaticallyafter so many years, should Imajin Books and I not sign a new agreement. If, in the not-too-distant future, it becomesapparent that my publisher isn’t able to do for me what I’m expecting, or ifbetter offers come along, or if technology opens up new opportunities—I will befree to self-publish or market my books elsewhere. The other thing I looked for in the contractwas confirmation that I retained all rights to my other writing andnovels. I didn’t want my entire careertied to this one publisher.

I have those freedoms. If ImajinBooks kicks starts my sales in the international online marketplace, gets myname and work out there and known, establishes an extensive and loyal fan basefor me, I can take advantage of all thatand, without having to share royalties, self-publish other novels.

That is—if I again want to assume all those publishing expenses, andtake on all those publishing roles, and invest all that money and time…

Always nice to have options. Always nice to have access to free expertise.

________________________________

Eileen Schuh,Canadian writerwww.eileenschuh.com

Nursery Cat

2012-01-19T01:06:00.000-08:00

Nursery Cat

Changeling. Shape Changer. Shifter

from

father to

black

cat

seeking

night-time nursery visits for

nameless

bedtime act.

Cat eyes gleaming.

Evil soul.

That cat stole

into my space.

Shared my

place.

Touched my face.

Icy claws.

Then

left

tears.

Raw, dark fears.

I am a Changling.

Shape Changer.

Shifter from happy to sad

Daylight to dark

Confident…then not.

Heaven then hell.

All is not well for that

child who time

shape-changed to a lover.

Then, a mother

and who will now

and forever…and

still be

a changeling child

stalked by

that…

wild

black…

nursery cat.

Eileen Schuh,Canadian writerwww.eileenschuh.com

Chance to win Kindle

2012-01-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

If you leave a comment on my article "On forseeing tragedy..." I'll enter your name in my draw for a Kindle. Draw will take place in Spring 2012 to celebrate the release of BACKTRACKER: sequel to The Traz

Eileen Schuh,Canadian writerwww.eileenschuh.com

On foreseeing tragedy....

2012-01-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

I abandoned my writing for the month of December to enjoy the Christmas season with my family, friends, and community. It was a joyous and busy time. I had altogether too much fun and way too many chocolates.

I'd planned to get back to my writing once the New Year hit and the kids and grandkids went back to their own caves. However, I hadn't counted on having to use the entire first week of January to catch up on things like bill-paying, housecleaning, undecorating, laundry, and grocery shopping.

What I'm saying is: I'm quite far behind in readying the sequel to THE TRAZ for publication. I promised my fans a Spring 2012 release, but winter is just flying by!

For the past week, I've been reading through the manuscript, correcting errors, improving my writing, deleting the extraneous, and other such fun things. I'm also trying to settle on a title, design the cover in my head, and line up authors and reviewers willing to read the novel and write me little promotional blurbs.

Things were going along lickety-split and tickety-boo (despite being hectic) until last night when I came to the part in my novel where a couple excitedly announces they are pregnant. My heart fell to my stomach. My breathing almost stopped--because, although I'd forgotten that announcement scene, I clearly remembered the tragedy that's going to strike eight years from now...in Book 4 of the BackTracker series.

That they were so excited about the baby, so in love with it, so devoted to each other. When I'd written this scene, I, like them, hadn't know that in a few short years....

I became incredibly sad. I wanted to rewrite my story. I wanted to make the future better for them. It was something I could so easily do.

I felt a bit God-like and wondered if God too, felt pain about what was going to happen in our lives. Did He ever want to rewrite our futures before we got there? I wondered what it would be like to be a true fortuneteller. Would I want to be one? Would I want all my todays coloured by what I knew was going to happen tomorrow? I thought about how this works both ways.

I keep going with the BackTracker series because I know things are going to work out well for Katrina...eventually--at least most things will. If I knew in real life that things would all work out okay in the end, would it make my troubles seem more manageable?

Then I thought of what I do know about my future...I'm going to die...

And then I realized it was 3:00 a.m and I ought to go to sleep because such thoughts become rambling and incoherent when entertained by a sleep-deprived, imaginative, novelistic mind...

p.s. the title for the sequel to The Traz will be "BackTracker"

Eileen Schuh,Canadian writer
www.eileenschuh.com

Live Links to my eBooks

2011-12-24T08:55:00.001-08:00

WHERE TO BUY MY eBOOKS: Click on any of the following links

Amazon.com

Eileen Schuh,Canadian writerwww.eileenschuh.com