Wednesday, May 9, 2012

A Fork in the Road


I'm headed in a new direction this month! I'm very excited about the future. Mainly Murder Press published my first mystery, and I'll always be grateful for that. They enabled me to get a book of my own into print, and also to receive an Agatha nomination for Best First Novel.

But I decided to part ways with that publisher and head out in a new direction this month, the one-year anniversary of my publication. The paperback will probably become unavailable from MMP around June 1st. I hope to be able to get it available through Createspace by then. I've had some success with publishing there, having done my short story collection and a children's book. So I hope it won't be too difficult to get CHOKE done in the next couple of weeks.

The publisher did only the paperback and I've been selling the ebook all along. That won't change, except that I've signed a distribution contract with Untreed Reads!

The people at Untreed Reads are marketing dervishes and are able to make ebooks available in places I never would think of. This can only be good for this author!

The other good thing about signing with Untreed Reads is that the second Imogene Duckworthy book, SMOKE, will be out very soon! There's a Fourth of July theme, so I want to get it out by then at the latest. Karen Phillips, who did the cover for CHOKE, is working on the cover of this book at this very moment.

Here's a bit about SMOKE: Imogene Duckworthy, who yearns to be a PI, has landed a job assisting a real PI in Wymee Falls, Texas. During a sidetrip while bringing home a pot-bellied pig as a birthday gift for her daughter, Nancy Drew Duckworthy, Immy discovers the owner of the local jerky shop dead, hanging from a meathook in his own smokehouse. The pig breeder, Amy JoBeth, is implicated, so Immy feels compelled to try to find the real killer. That gentle, somewhat depressed swineherd couldn't have killed Rusty Bucket. Could she?
 
I hope to follow up with BROKE in the fall. I'm almost finished with the first draft. Then it will need polishing, editing, and a cover. This one happens around Halloween time, so October is my goal for it.

Wish me luck as I forge a new path, turn a new page, boldly go where I haven't gone before.

30 comments:

  1. Sounds like the right decision, Kaye! I look forward to reading the next adventures of Immy.

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  2. Thanks, Edith. I'm still querying small presses with other material!

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  3. Best of luck, Kaye, you deserve it. And thanks for the interesting information on Untreed.
    Patg

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  4. Thanks, Fleur and Pat! BTW, Untreed does two things, publishes and distributes. I have some short story things (1 story and 1 antho) published there and another antho and this series distributed there. They are closed right now to publishing submissions, but open to distribution agreements.

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  5. Loved Choke and can't wait to read your next book.
    What a hard decision that must have been.

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  6. Thanks, KB! Yes, it was, but I feel very good about it at the moment.

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  7. Kaye, good for you! I know you struggled some with that decision but I think you are headed in the right direction!

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  8. Yes, the whole ordeal has been a struggle! Thanks, Mary Ann.

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  9. Thanks for the information. There are so many epublishers popping up, it's hard to know what to do or where to go. I feel incredibly confused when I start researching. :( And just a little bit hesitant too.

    Choke was a really good read so I know you have a lot of fans waiting for your next one. I wish you all the best on this new venture. Keep us posted!

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  10. Thanks so much, Jessie! If you want to sign up for my newsletter (from my homepage http://kayegeorge.com/)I'll let you know as soon as SMOKE is available.

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  11. Good luck, Kaye. I'm hoping your
    2nd book in the series, SMOKE, will be available in print, too. I loved CHOKE and don't want to miss the next in the series.

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  12. Yes, it will be, Gloria. Maybe not the same day as the ebook, but as soon after as I can. I'm hoping we'll have a good internet connection where we're moving!

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  13. Can't wait to read SMOKE and find out what Immy has been up to. CHOKE was a great start and I'm sure it will become a favorite series for many people.

    The indie path seems to have a lot going for it, and I wish you success on that path.

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  14. Thank you, Nancy! I might have a cover for SMOKE in a week or so.

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  15. Congratulations! And oh, how I love the name "Nancy Drew Duckworthy"!

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  16. Gook luck, Kaye, and congratulations for making the decision that was right for you!

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  17. Thank you, CK, I like it too. And thanks, Cindy--I hope it turns out well!

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  18. Congratulations! I'm so happy for your news and look forward to reading Smoke.

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  19. How wonderful to see you write this, Dru Ann! Thanks so much.

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  20. May your new road be a smooth one. Looking forward to reading SMOKE.

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  21. Good luck, Kaye! I know these decisions are tough, but the publishing world is changing so fast, we're lucky that we, as authors and publishers, have options.

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  22. Thanks, Kristi! Yeah, you have to run fast to keep up right now. I guess I AM a publisher. I didn't think of it that way.

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  23. Wow. Good luck with the ebook move. I love your character names. =)

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  24. Thanks, Mary! I'm glad you stopped by.

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  25. I'm way late commenting Kaye, but I wish you a LOT of luck-but I think you are making your own luck!

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  26. Thanks so much, Norma! I hope it turns out that way. Not too late--you made it!

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