It’s Monday again, and we welcome Linda Barton, author of  Saying Goodbye: The Christmas Gift – A Christmas Novella. So let’s hear what Linda has to way about her life as an Indie author.

THE WORLD OF INDIE PUBLISHING by Linda Barton

The day in 2011, when I decided to dive into the world of Indie Publishing, I must admit that I had no idea what I was doing. I spent hours doing my research online and started asking questions. I was surprised at all the so-called Professionals who promised the world for a fee. They said they would get your masterpiece ready and out there for the readers to enjoy. However, I have never trusted someone selling a product or service that sounds too good to be true.

When you spend, endless hours writing your book, the last thing you need is to hand it over to someone who doesn’t have your best interests at heart. Over the years, I have heard so many horror stories of first-time authors paying thousands of dollars on the promise their book will be the next bestseller. Then only to learn it was all a lie. So often, I’ve heard of long fights to get the rights to their book back, only to have to hire someone to edit and reformat the book before they can publish it on their own.

Now, I’m not saying that being an Indie Author is a cakewalk. No, it’s hard work because everything falls on your shoulders. It’s your responsibility to see the book is properly edited, formatted, and you need to have a killer cover. However, having been in the beginner shoes myself, I know it’s something worth doing. Nowadays, there is so much help available for the first-time author. There are groups all over Facebook for Authors. Some are helpful more than others, but I know you’ll find one that suits your needs.

Another bit of advice to save yourself some money is to learn how to do as much of those things needed to publish your book as possible. To save myself some money, I have learned how to format and create my own covers. However, if you’re not so inclined, there are people such as myself who will perform those duties for a reasonable price.

So, there are some pearls of wisdom for the person wanting to take the path so many others have today. Don’t let anyone tell you cannot be an Author. With platforms, such as Amazon, B&N, and iTunes, the literary world has opened for those who have dreamed of sharing the stories swimming around in their minds. So, sit at your computer and just start writing.

WHO IS LINDA BARTON?

Linda L Barton is a Multi-Genre Author. Publishing her first book in 2011, Linda started out by writing Dark Thrillers. Since then she has branched out by writing YA Fantasy, Women’s Romantic Fiction, and even Children’s Books.

One of the high points of Linda’s writing career was when Next Move, You’re Dead: The Trilogy Bundle was chosen as 1 of 100 pre-loaded Kindle Fire ebooks given away in the 2013 Emmy Awards VIP Swag Bags to over 600 of those in attendance at the awards that evening.

Linda is also the Founder of Deadly Reads, Deadly Reads Author Services, and the Host of the Deadly Reads Radio Show – Journey into the Night, which airs live Thursday evenings on Blog Talk Radio.

Linda is also blessed to be married to a wonderful man, Bob for more than 30 years. Bob is her writing muse and has created several of the plots for her books. Together they have a daughter and son, as well as 5 beautiful grandchildren; all of whom are the joy of their lives.

Linda never thought she would become a published author, but now she cannot imagine doing anything else.

Saying Goodbye: The Christmas Gift – A Christmas Novella

Sometimes life doesn’t go in the direction we’ve planned for ourselves. We believe we have everything all figured out then something happens to flip our world upside down. Molly had always believed her life was on track. She figured she would graduate from Medical School and then go on to have a fulfilling career. However, life sometimes has other plans for us. Saying Goodbye takes you on a journey of discovery as Molly learns a powerful lesson we all try to avoid. As Molly comes to terms with her painful past, she finds the joy of learning how to say goodbye.

Where you can find Linda:

Facebook
Link to blog http://lindalbarton.blogspot.com/