The Story of Becoming Sassy
Thirteen years ago today, my first book, A Sassy Little Guide to Getting Over Him, was published. It was more or less an accident. You see, a friend of mine got dumped and called me right after it happened. I was in the middle of writing my first novel, so I was a sure bet to be home. I dropped everything and went right over to console.
In the twenty minutes it took me to get there, on that late June afternoon, she must have called everyone in her contacts because, by the time I arrived, she was on the phone in the middle of her story. The same story she told me, sobbing as she had on our call. I listened to her tell it again and again and again, getting more upset with each recounting. Once she hung up the final call, red and raw and exhausted, she slumped on the sofa next to me and started asking the questions we all do when someone we loved let us go. The endless Why? and How? of it all.
It was then I realized a broken heart is similar to a bumped funny bone. While we want to believe it’s unique to us and our lost love, a broken heart really is a universal sensation. Our reactions are familiar, too. She was doing everything I had done, my friends had done, what characters in movies do, and none of it helps one flaming bit. The writer in me took note. There was something to this; a breakup was another version of loss and grief going through waves of emotions and steps out of it. But was it a blog post? A magazine article? A book?
After I helped her pack up his stuff and remove all evidence of his existence, I went home and started writing. It was going to be a book, I’d decided, and that book needed to be out by Valentine’s Day. Considering it was June 24th, that was going take some sort of publishing miracle. The reality was, even if I got a deal the next day, the book wouldn’t see the light of store shelves for at least a year. Traditional publishing moves slowly. As an impatient, type-A Aries, I don’t.
Because of that, I decided had to do it myself. Remember, this was 13 years ago — easier said than done. While CreateSpace was in existence, it was little known. For the most part, you were stuck with “vanity presses” like Lulu and iUniverse, whose reputations had much to be desired.
After a deep-dive on the internet, I found the company that did the POD for the majors and called them up (back then, they were LightningSource, which became Ingram who now has an indie pub division called IngramSpark). They were kind and patient with this new author/publisher and gave me a lot of guidance. I named my imprint (SAME ink), purchased my ISBN (Bowker; you only needed one then) and went about the infuriating process of formatting it in Word. A friend designed the cover. Another did the proofreading. More brought in their friends to provide some market research. It was all happening fast, and fairly easy.
The process was not cheap, though. The set-up cost was one thing; every time I made a change there was another charge. Rookie moves proved pricey. But, 16 weeks later, the book was available on Amazon. By Valentine’s Day it was on the shelves of Virgin Megastores (R.I.P.). Because of Virgin, I was able to cajole Barnes & Noble into carrying it, too. The world was smaller then, and a little pink book with a sassy title got noticed. Independent and college bookstores ordered it. I would get emails from bloggers and readers, and some even became friends. Cosmo even called for quotes. People found the book helpful and keep referring it to their brokenhearted friends. After hearing, “I wish I would have had something like this when I was younger,” enough times, I released the Young Adult Edition of it in 2017 (ebook only).
Last weekend, on Indie Author Day, I was asked why I chose to independently publish all of my books (there are two novels now as well). My answer was simple: Impatience and control.
When you’re a sassy little author like me, you know what you want and how to go about it. Please don’t mistake that for arrogance. It’s really practicality. In the case of Sassy, it was about a time frame. I wanted it on the shelves by a certain date. The only way to do that was to do it myself.
For my novels, it was about control. I didn’t want to have to argue with anyone about what my titles were or what the cover would be. I’m always surprised what my traditionally-published author friends have to contend with in that regard. When I start a book, I envision the whole thing. Cover design and title fonts are part of telling the story, not just a marketing ploy.
Last weekend, the panel I was sitting on was asked if we would consider going with a traditional publisher. One friend said a quick yes. The author sitting next to me and I shared a knowing look, then we both shook our heads and said no. Of course, if it were life-changing money or on terms where we would retain certain control, sure. Why not? But, at the end of the day, what a major publisher does for you, you can do yourself if you want to spend the money (and, the fact of the matter is, you are spending that money when you’re with a traditional publisher — it’s all charged back to your royalties).
As an independent author, you control your budget. If you’re smart, you’ll spend a little more with each book. Become better at the things you hate, like self-promotion and publicity. Build relationships with bookstores in your area and beyond. If you really want to go all out, you can pay for Kirkus reviews, hire a publicist and a book rep, fashion together a book tour — all the things a traditional publisher would do for you, but you would know the cost of in advance, see what was working and what was not, change tactics as needed. And you wouldn’t have to wait a year or more to see your royalties roll in.
There are reasons to do it yourself as an author, and it’s not simply because the traditionals turned you down. Sometimes, it’s just to get your book out as soon as possible to as many people as possible in the way you envisioned it. The fact that A Sassy Little Guide to Getting Over Him is 13 and still finding readers makes me smile each day. Thank you to those who have found her and keep passing her on.
Author’s Note: A Sassy Little Guide to Getting Over Him — 10 Steps to Heal Your Heart After an Unhappy Ending (SAME ink), is available wherever books are sold. Whenever possible, please purchase your books from independent booksellers. They are better than any algorithm, and provide ebooks and audio, too. When you buy independent, that money stays in your community, and community is important. Find your local independent at IndieBound.
