Tara Grace Ericson to Add Tips and Tricks to our Indie Publishing Toolbox on March 2nd

by Rebecca Reed

 Do you publish your work independently? If so, you understand how many hats you must wear. As technology grows and changes, so do your responsibilities. Even if you're traditionally published or as yet unpublished, you're bound to be aware of the growing burden on the author when it comes to marketing our own work.

Maybe this burden has daunted you into waiting, holding back finished work from the public eye, because you're too fearful you won't be able to handle the load or the strain. What happens when you miss something, or make a wrong choice?

Fear is what keeps us from reaching our full potential as authors. Fear our words won't resonate with readers. Fear our work will be judged inferior. Fear those closest to us will see us as a failure, or worse, we'll see ourselves as less than.

Tara Grace Ericson left her corporate job to become a full-time writer, and she chose to independently publish her work. She's going to clue us in to her struggles and the tools she used to overcome them. Then share those tools with each member. Will the things she shares completely eliminate the daunting process? Likely not entirely. But when we all gain knowledge, it will make us better equipped to help each other when we have questions or have forgotten that one step we've forgotten.

That's what this chapter is all about. Helping one another. That's why we have Hoosier Hangout chats once a month. To give every member a forum to ask the questions and get answers that will move them forward in their particular writing journey.

Having contacts and connections who've been there and done that is a big part of moving forward with confidence. Each person we meet who's ahead of us on the path, is another source of wisdom for navigating our own route. We can call on the speakers as needed. The greatest thing about Christian publishing is the idea that there's enough room for everyone. We don't have the pyramid mentality where we feel the need to shove others off the mountain to make room for ourselves as is so often the case in the secular world. Rather, we let down a rope and offer to aid others in the climb.

Please make plans to be on Zoom from 9-11 am eastern time on Saturday, March 2nd to hear what Tara Grace Ericson has to share with us. I'm looking forward to seeing all your smiling faces and learning with you.

Here's Tara's bio:

A recovering engineer, Tara Grace Ericson publishes Christian romance and romantic suspense, with nearly twenty five titles published as of 2024. Her non-fiction titles and author resources are published under Tara G. Ericson. She was a Carol award finalist in 2022 and is Qualified Independently published according to ACFW.

About the author:

Rebecca Reed loves adventure. From riding race horses to sampling the world's ice cream flavors to writing tales of identity and purpose, she sees obstacles as challenges. A lover of Jesus, animals, and all things Scottish, you might find her coaching track, teaching languages, or listening to audiobooks on her rural Indiana farm. Her debut novel will be published as part of a two volume anthology in May 2024.

Connect with Rebecca on her website: rebeccareedwrites.com and sign up for her newsletter where she shares her worlds with readers and fellow writers. Follow her on social media via her linkre.ee/rebeccareedwrites and subscribe to the podcast and YouTube Channels she co-hosts with the amazing Rebecca Yauger at rebeccaandrebecca.com for a little R&R where we review books and chat with authors.

Indie Author Panel to Share Tips and Resources

If the thought of going "indie" causes you to break out in a cold sweat, leaves you quaking in your boots, and/or chewing your fingernails, you are not alone. Independently publishing a book (what about a series?!) without the backing of a traditional publisher can be a scary proposition. Just ask Valerie, Gretchen, and Beth, three Hoosier authors who faced their fears and became indie authors.

In fact, that's what you'll have the opportunity to do on March 11 at our next ACFW Indiana Chapter meeting. Via Zoom this author panel will share what led each of them to choose the indie route. Then, the discussion will transition to the nuts and bolts of indie publishing as they present:

• a look at the basic decisions 
• tips for keeping costs low
• marketing opportunities

They are excited about sharing what they've learned and encourage chapter members to submit questions before the panel's presentation on March 11. Please send questions to: bethsteury@gmail.com

We hope to see you on March 11! 

“Go Indie and Win: Indie Authors Share Tips and Resources”

 March 11 ~ Noon – 2 p.m. via Zoom

  

VALERIE BANFIELD is a talespinner to the lost, the loved, and the found. When she isn't making up stories, she might be found tangled in a basket weaving project, with a book in her hands, or maybe walking the dog.

She is the author of sixteen novels, co-author of three West Virginia-themed tales, and recipient of the Cascade Award for Historical Fiction.

 She counts her participation in international short-term missionary campaigns among her life’s most blessed and humbling journeys, and firmly believes that when we give our Father control, He rocks our world.

 This Midwest gal wandered to Florida, took a short jaunt to West Virginia, and then moved westward. These days, she’s counting the stars in Indiana and making new memories with her Hoosier kin. Connect with Valerie via her website or email and check out her Amazon author page.

  

GRETCHEN CARLSON’s background in journalism and education fed her heartbeat for writing and sharing stories of hope. Her debut novel, More Than Grit, won the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis award for the young adult category and the 2017 First Impression’s award.

 Growing up, she spent vacations on her grandparents’ farm in Kansas where she collected memories and heard stories of hard times and strong friendships. Her grandmother waited for decades to share the family secret of how they got electricity, and it was this story that inspired More Than Grit.

 She is a member of Front Range Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and The Storyteller Squad. She is available and loves interaction with public schools, book clubs, homeschool groups, and readers of all ages. Connect with Gretchen via her website or by email and check out her Amazon author page. 

BETH STEURY’s combined experiences teaching the high school Sunday School class, substitute teaching in the public school, and connecting with the teenage staff at the fast-food joint where she claimed a “back booth office” helped inspire her YA “Choices Matter” fiction series. She's a "cheerleader" for saving sex for marriage and for "renewed waiting" because it's never too late to make wiser choices. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage while her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life. 

As a genetic genealogy enthusiast and "search angel," she writes and speaks about her experiences as a "foundling" who located her birth parents via DNA. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in the blog series “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers.” She also serves on the executive board of the National Association of Adoptees and Parents. Connect with Beth via her website or by email and check out her Amazon author page.

 

We Asked and You Responded

We appreciate the responses received from many of you concerning resuming in-person gatherings for the ACFW Indiana Chapter. Based on your feedback, our July 17^th ACFW Indiana Chapter meeting will be in person. While it has been great to see your smiling faces via Zoom this past year, it will be even better to see you in person. We love that technology allowed us to stay connected and even grow our following this past year. Rest assured we will continue to utilize virtual technology, hosting some of our future meetings via Zoom while others will be held in person.

We are excited for the opportunity to be together at the MCL Cafeteria on the north side of Indianapolis for a 11:30 a.m. start time on Saturday, July 17. Plans are in the works to also offer the day’s presentation via Zoom OR to provide a recording of the presentation available for viewing after the 17th. More info will be shared in the coming weeks. 

We are in for a treat as author, speaker, and podcaster Michelle Weidenbenner will share with us on the topic of getting started with indie publishing. Michelle is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling and Award-Winning author and speaker. She’s spent years writing fiction, but when God called her to take guardianship of her grandkids due to addiction, she refocused her work to serving moms of addicted loved ones.

I know firsthand that Michelle is chock full of tips and advice on the ins-and-outs of indie publishing. So, mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details and the request for RSVPs.

 

 

 

Creating Covers that Sell Books

By Mary Allen

You can pour your heart into creating a story for months, even years. You send it through critique groups and when, at last, it is polished and ready to be launched into the world there is another hurdle to jump: creating a cover that sells.

If you are traditionally published, you may have little or no say in what the cover looks like because your publisher’s marketing and creative art staff handles this. However, if you are publishing as an independent author, creating the cover is your responsibility.

You can buy a ready-made cover that fits with your story line for about $30, but you may not be the only one to use that cover. For a greater outlay of cash, you can hire a cover artist to create an individualized book cover for you or using your basic ideas. This may seem a huge outlay, but it could save you time and money in the long run. Finally, you can create a cover of your own.

I created covers for my first three books of poetry, which I intended to sell locally, and was satisfied with the results. Now that I’m ready to launch my first fiction into the world, I have my sights set higher. Still, I had some definite ideas about the cover.

I hired Danielle, a virtual assistance, working as https://www.facebook.com/virtualfelicity to help set my cover ideas up in Create Space. She did everything I asked very quickly. The results were pretty close to what I’d envisioned. 

This first is a close-up shot of the stairs I wanted to use.The stairs (of my protagonist’s apartment) is a symbol of her steep climb to health, independence, and reestablishing a relationship with God. The scripted title seemed to speak of the gentleness of God. Finally, I accepted the idea of the road on the back cover as another symbol of her journey. I still like this general idea of stairs the best, but I’m not selling to myself. I’m selling to a public with varied interests and experiences, who are influenced by trends in our society. What we have in common is an interest in Women's Fiction. I have to speak to them in picture, then in words.

I re-shot a different stairs to include the baby carrier for added interest even though motherhood is merely a complication of the woman’s grief journey. Also, I used it because my human subject didn’t work out as I’d hoped. I liked the red in the following cover.

When I ran both covers by a diverse group of indie authors and cover artists at C.I.A, the approval wasn’t great, but the advice was invaluable and worth sharing here. I feel blessed and excited to have their help because I want to do this well. I want a cover that sells. Flattery would not have helped and would in fact have harmed me. Here’s what they suggested.

1. No blur -In the first it felt unfocused rather than creating the introspective mood I’d intended. In the second it made the baby carrier difficult to identify.
2. A person, or part of a person would serve as an anchor.
3. The sepia didn’t work for the time period of 1995. One person, from a missionary family felt the monochromatic look inferred missionary life was dull.
4. The title script could be difficult to read when selling on-line. A bolder, un-fussy title font would be better.
5. The title so far from the baby carrier made a single focal point difficult.
6. “a novel” isn’t necessary, but if used it shouldn’t be near the author’s name and should be small.
7. “by” in front of the author’s name is the mark of a newbie.
8.  The author name should be bigger.
9. The back cover background did not seem related to the stairs.
10. The Bio needs more delineation, perhaps an author photograph.

These helpful suggestions didn’t mean I was back to the drawing board starting from scratch. Someone once said about writing, “Sometimes you have to murder your darlings.” It’s the same way with cover art. Sometimes you have to leap to a new idea, or one you had and discarded. That’s what I’m doing.

The cover at the top of this blog is an idea I liked but discarded because I was tied to the stairway idea. It's the rough draft, still needing tweaking. The reworked copy didn't come in time to be included here. 

Click on the photos to read the back cover copy. Study the front. Feel free to comment. I value your opinions, Hoosier Ink authors.