Category: Self-Publishing (Page 4 of 6)

No New Year’s Resolution, But Hitting the Ground Running In 2021

January 4, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

It seems I say the same thing at the beginning of every New Year: mainly that I’m always in the middle of things and a resolution doesn’t make much sense. Well, 2021 is no exception, so my plan is to keep moving forward on what I’ve been working on.

I’m so very close to finishing this big revision of my witchy middle grade novel, which finally has a title (not sure if that will end up being THE title, so not sharing right now). I think my next move is printing out a copy to do smaller line revisions before sharing it with critique partners.

I’ll also be presenting a Virtual ShopTalk with the New England SCBWI called “What to Expect When You’re Self-Publishing” on January 26, 2021 from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. Having booked this workshop has finally given me the motivation to work on setting up a page on my website for resources on self-publishing, so keep an eye out for that.

You may have seen my surprise announcement (see “The Journey of Self-Publishing the Picture Book THE BEDTIME KNIGHT”) that I have a picture book coming out as well. THE BEDTIME KNIGHT, illustrated by Erika Baird, officially releases January 26, though I know some of the pre-orders went out early (long story!). I’ve added THE BEDTIME KNIGHT to my Books tab, so you check that out for details on how to order.

All in all, lots of good stuff going on. I’ve thought about doing a 2020 book wrap-up post, but like everyone else, I’m kind just ready to move on and not look back. I hope the New Year brings you and yours health and happiness, and I’d love to hear your resolutions or plans for 2021.

The Journey of Self-Publishing the Picture Book THE BEDTIME KNIGHT by Katie L. Carroll, Illustrated by Erika Baird

December 7, 2020 / Katie L. Carroll

Surprise! I have a picture book coming out soon. While I wait for all the files to be finalized, I figured I’d share the journey of self-publishing this book and once again giving another one of my titles a second life.

Way back in 2012, my picture book THE BEDTIME KNIGHT, illustrated by Erika Baird, released on an ebook platform. I had entered the manuscript in a contest, and it didn’t win but the publisher offered me a contract all the same. It was really exciting to go through that process and seeing how the illustrator brought my words to life.

It was a positive experience in general, but a few years later when that company got bought out by a bigger publishing company, I opted to have my rights reverted back to me. There were several factors for that, but mostly I didn’t care for the terms of the contract and made the tough decision to walk away.

Fast forward a few years, and I had self-published my middle grade novel PIRATE ISLAND and found I really liked the process. I thought about doing that with THE BEDTIME KNIGHT. But publishing a picture book required design skills I did not have and I would have to get the rights from the previous illustrator or hire a new illustrator. I was also focusing on self-publishing my YA fantasy ELIXIR BOUND and writing the sequel ELIXIR SAVED. So once again, my little picture book about being scared of the shadows in the night was set aside.

Then one day, my sister and I were out on a hike with our families. We got talking about what writing project I was working on, one of which was a picture book inspired in part by her family. The conversation turned to what had ever happened with THE BEDTIME KNIGHT. I don’t remember her exact words, but she said something about how she had really liked the book and hoped it would be available again one day. I know she’s my sister, but we’re not the kind of people to compliment each other and not mean it, so I knew she was being sincere in her praise.

As a traditionally published author turned self-published one, it’s been hard not to doubt myself. Hard not to wonder if my work is good enough. And very hard to find an audience. So many books come out every year, and it’s often hard to find readers even with the backing of a publishing company, never mind when you’re doing it all yourself. So the fact that my sister enjoyed my book and wished it to be out in the world again meant something. It reminded me that my books–even when they’re only reaching a small audience–are important.

So I slowly started thinking about republishing THE BEDTIME KNIGHT. This time I wanted to have a print version, not just a digital one. I eventually reached out the to the illustrator and asked if she’d be willing to negotiate for the rights to use her illustrations. And she was!

We came to an agreement, and I taught myself how to design and format a picture book. This was all done in between other projects, and learning a design program can be a time-consuming process, so writing out the process sounds much less complicated than it felt while doing it. But I did it.

Now I’m super excited to announce that THE BEDTIME KNIGHT will be coming out in paperback and ebook very soon. Stay tuned for links!

Indie Author Day Children’s Panel Today & ELIXIR BOUND Sale

November 9, 2020 / Katie L. Carroll

I have a fun book announcement coming up next week (check out my site’s header for a hint of what it’s about). Quick post today to let you know that at 3:00 p.m. I’ll be on the Indie Author Day Children’s Authors Panel with the Norwalk Public Library.

Carol Gordon Ekster, Allia Zobel Nolan, Amy Oestreicher, Eric Sondergeld, and Frederick Thurber, and I will be on the panel discussing indie children’s publishing and our books. I’ll be reading from my latest YA fantasy ELIXIR SAVED. This will be the first time I’ll be doing a reading of this book! And this is a good opportunity to check out my virtual author visit space live, which I recently blogged about setting up.

You can email Cynde Lahey at clahey@norwalkpl.org to join the Zoom directly or join us live on the Norwalk Public Library’s Facebook page.

Last order of business is to share that ELIXIR BOUND is on sale for $0.99! Also, if you have purchased any of my paperwork books, I’m happy to send you a signed bookplate. Signed books make great holiday gifts. Just send me an email.

Happy Book Birthday to ELIXIR SAVED by Katie L. Carroll

July 14, 2020 / Katie L. Carroll

Today’s the day…ELIXIR SAVED is out in the world! It’s been quite the journey with this book. It took me a very long time to write (here’s a post I wrote back in 2017 “Why Is It Taking Me So Long To Write The Second Elixir Book?”) and was more work than I anticipated, even though I knew it was going to be a hard book to write.

I’m really proud of it, though. I think it reflects how much I’ve grown as a person and a writer since those long ago days when I wrote ELIXIR BOUND. Most importantly, I think it gives the character based on my sister Kylene the journey I wanted for her, the story I couldn’t give her in the first Elixir book because I wasn’t ready yet. And it has a gorgeous cover thanks to the very talented Susan Tait Porcaro, who has turned from a colleague to a friend.

I decided to roll with the idea of book birthdays and give ELIXIR SAVED its very own birth story. This video was fun (and embarrassing) to make, but I hope it shows how much I love writing and my books, even when they’re difficult…much like having kids. Plus I got to wear the dress I got (pre-pandemic) for book events.

I’m trying to be positive in this release post because I want to send my book baby out into the world with good energy. But I can’t say it’s been easy to release a book during a pandemic. I rely on hand-selling at events to help get the word out and reach new readers. I’m also missing out on an unknown number of opportunities for both Elixir books that may have arisen as a result of ELIXIR BOUND winning an award last year. I’m also aware of the privilege I have of getting to this at all.

There are the usual release day nerves and jitters there, too. This book is long–maybe too long–despite my efforts to trim it as much as possible. Things have been so hectic this year, I ended up doing most of the final edits on my own, so I’m nervous about what I may have missed. After working so long on a book, it’s hard to have any perspective. Way to sell you all on buying the book, right? *insert awkward laughter*

So if I haven’t totally scared you away by now, here are the details on what the book is about and where you can buy it. Thanks so much to each and every one of you for being a part of my author journey!

ELIXIR SAVED by Katie L. Carroll

Three lives saved by the Elixir; three lives bound by it.

The Elixir entwines the lives of those it touches. Once upon a time, Kylene, Zelenka, and Devon tasted it and escaped death. None were left without scars. Now, a shocking message from the Ice Queen—one of Mother Nature’s higher beings—sends each survivor on a quest. Kylene travels to the frozen depths of Blanchardwood, Zelenka heads back to the wilds of Faway Forest, and Devon journeys to a reclusive mountain temple. The three paths converge in a war against an ancient and tricky foe. And even the Elixir cannot save everyone. The fate of the world balances on the edge of a sword, and the outcome depends on whether the survivors will sacrifice their second chances.

Escape back into the world of the Great Peninsula in this much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND. Perfect for fans of the Thrones of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

Buy the book on Bookshop, Amazon, Kobo, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple Books, and Book Depository (for international folks).

What Does A Writer Do When Not Reading or Writing?

February 4, 2020 / Katie L. Carroll

I haven’t been reading much lately. I’ve only finished one book this year, though I’m in the middle of at least five books right now. I haven’t been writing either. The last drafting I did was in the fall, though I’ve been working through edits of ELIXIR SAVED, which, of course, are taking longer than expected as has everything with this story.

(If you’re curious about how an indie author differentiates between writing, revising, and editing, I’ll be blogging about my process later this year.)

So what have I been doing? I’ve been taking part in a few challenges. In January I did Storystorm, which was created by author Tara Lazar and is a brainstorming event where you come up with 30 story ideas in the 31 days of January. Are all my ideas winners? Definitely not, but I think there may be a few gems in there when I sort through them when I’m looking to start a new project.

This month, I’m doing Nonfiction Fest, presented by the Nonfiction Chicks and is a “month-long crash course in writing nonfiction for children.” I’ve been reading through the daily blogs, but I’m little behind in the daily challenges. I should have some time to catch up by the end of the month.

I like these types of challenges because it forces me to think about writing-related things every day, but they’re quick and you can do as much or as little as you want towards the challenge. For me, it’s not always about “winning” (i.e. completing every aspect of the challenge) but about learning and trying new things.

I’ve also been taking some time to celebrate ELIXIR BOUND for winning the Connecticut Author Project for Best YA Fiction. It’s not every day your book wins an award, so I’m trying to pause and enjoy it. I’ll be heading to Nashville later this month for the Public Library Association Conference where there will be a reception for all the Indie Author Project winners. My awesome cover artist Susan Tait Porcaro took the time to put the award badge onto the cover, so that version is now available (with a couple of small updates to the text as well, though the story is still the same…I might blog about this later, too).

I’ll be revealing the cover for ELIXIR SAVED soon, which I love so much, and was also created by the talented Susan Tait Porcaro. If you like Frozen 2, feminist matriarchal worlds, magical queens holed up in an ice palace in snowy woods, and epic quests, then you might just like ELIXIR SAVED. My goal is to get it up for pre-order in the next month or so…stay tuned for all that!

Finally, I’ve been working on planning some events. In addition to going to the PLA Conference, I’m scheduling local library events, I’ll probably be going to the New England SCBWI conference, and I’ve already booked a group Unworkshop retreat to the Highlights Foundation in the fall with my writing bestie Katlyn Duncan and a few other writers.

And of course, all the usual parenting stuff with the kiddos! I’m a room parent for both my kindergartner’s and 3rd-grader’s classrooms, so I get to help organize the parties. I’m coaching my 3rd-grader’s basketball team. And the usual story time at the library and such with my two-year-old. Busy times!

What have you all been up to lately?