Is There Really a Villain Here?

I don't know how many of you, dear readers, have read anything about the wild 'n' crazy self-publishing movement going on. Self publishing has been going on for years, but it hasn't been until a few authors earned fame and fortune (Amanda Hocking, anyone?) through self publishing that your neighbor and their cat and their goldfish decided to jump on this bandwagon and try their hand at writing a book. And it helps that there are so many easy ways to do it.

With the ease of self-publishing, people (too many people, in my opinion) are questioning the value of publishing houses. This coming from the perspective of a self-published author, and I can't bring myself to play the publishing-house-hating game. It's just not fair.

Here's a list of some gripes against publishing houses:

• They offer small royalties
• They pay itty-bitty advances
• They retain rights to your work for a long while (relatively) so you can't do anything with it
• It can take upward of a year and a half or more to see your book in print once it's been accepted
• The competition is brutal to get anything published

These are all true. But here's the part that most people don't talk about:

Publishing is a business.

To read the rest of my article about the publishing business, jump on over to What's Your Story (and you can also enter to win a signed paperback of The Burn!)

What It's All About

For those of you curious about Bound, here's the synopsis. Only a few more weeks!

After her mother dies, Elowyn Challis would do anything to bury the pain, but being shipped off to boarding school isn't what she had in mind. Things could be worse. Wyn finds a place for herself in the academy and living in the capital is just sparkling. But under it all, her mother's death still haunts her. Then Wyn discovers a secret that changes everything she believes: the bedtime stories her mother told her as a child are real, the faerie realm exists, and she is the Binder—the one mortal on earth with the power to seal the gate to Fae. It's a power Wyn's not sure she wants or can even wield. But she must confront her nightmares and her grief, or two worlds will be torn apart.

Are You Ready to Be Bound?

Why hello, gorgeous. So many thoughts come to mind. Just a few:

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."
"I'm just spellbound."

Ha ha. Okay, stupid joke, but seriously, thanks to Jen Foxley for an absolutely stunning cover. Every time I look at it, I just think how perfect it is. And once you read the book, you'll understand how perfect it is, too.

You Might Think I'm Weird, But I Love Copy Editing

I'm deep in the midst of copy editing Bound. I've done the drafting, the revising, the stewing, the plotting, the pondering, the rewriting, the pulling-my-hair-trying-to-figure-out-how-to-make-it-better stuff. Now I'm just editing. Can I say that I love it?

I got an BA in English, with an emphasis in writing and editing. I worked for five years as a writer and editor at an educational software company, and you know what? One of my favorite parts of each of those was the proofreading/copy editing/nitpicking aspect. Though when I was still in school, I admit I had no clue what I was doing when it came to actually editing. Sure I could spout rules, but I'm convinced editing isn't something you can be taught. It comes with lots and lots of practice.

I'm a little over halfway done copy editing Bound, and then I'll get to go back in and make all those changes to the soft copy. (I cannot proofread on the computer to save my life. I have to print it out and let my red pen bleed on the paper.) And I get an immense sense of satisfaction seeing all those little red marks dancing all over the pages.

This Is Indie YA

Coming in March I'll be participating in the awesome extravaganza "This Is Indie YA" event over at What's Your Story Book Reviews.

Every day in March, Ashley will feature a different Indie author. There will be giveaways, quizzes, author interviews, character interviews, guest posts, and more. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!

I'll be giving away a signed paperback and an ebook of The Burn. Don't miss out on the chance to find some great new authors and books and the chance to win some awesome prizes.

So, please mark your calenders and join the fun in March with us!