Guest Post and Giveaway with Indie Author Lori Pescatore

Indie Writers: The New Face of Publishing

Hello, my name is Lori Pescatore. I am the author of Human Blend. Thanks to Roxanne for letting me guest post today.

Being a self-published author has had its ups and downs and has been a wonderful journey, one I am glad I traveled. My topic today is just how the impact the self-publishing authors have had on the publishing community. Are the big six in trouble from the little guy?

Recent studies have shown a dramatic drop in printed book sales in favor of e-books. E-book sales are expected to triple after the holiday sales of readers for this holiday season. Big House publishers have still not embraced the e-book market. Is it they don’t quite understand it? Most Indie authors charge a reasonable amount from $2.99 to $6.99 for their e-books versions while the big house publishing companies charge anywhere from $15.00 to as high as $25.00 for their e-books. I’ve even seen some listed at an even higher price.

There are grumblings of legal battles in the works from previously published authors who contracts did not cover e-books, wanting to circumvent their publishing house to distribute their e-book versions themselves at a more reasonable cost to their fans. Look for lawsuits to get coverage soon. Most authors have blogs and/or websites in which they can reach a significant fan base on their own. These same options are easily accessible to self-published authors. Big names like Amazon, Barnes and Noble and websites like Smashwords, Lulu and Off the Bookshelf offer many packages for self-published works.

I recently contacted a small but busy publishing company and gave them my marketing strategy for my book Human Blend. I then asked them what they could do for me that I have not already achieved on my own. The lead agent got back to me and in plain English stated, not much. I am already available in most major bookstores online and in some other areas where fans have gone in and ordered my book from a big chain store. I’ve done countless interviews and I am being reviewed by some of the top book blog websites on the internet. I won a contest that will get my books highlighted on a national TV commercial to air in January. I also have my first book signing scheduled on December 14th. My point being is these are all things Indie publishers can do to get the word out on their book. There is so much opportunity out there and the Big Six are taking a hit because so many other companies now offer the same services they provide to authors at a much better commission rate.

There are many successful Indie writers out there today. Names you might have heard are: B.V. Larson, Zoe Winters and H. P. Mallory.

I will be watching the numbers posted for the publishing houses in 2011. Indie publishers are here to stay and more are on the way. They are the new face of publishing.

Book Blurb for Human Blend:

Escaping from them had been difficult enough, now Laney needs to keep hidden. All she wanted was to be on her own. Laney is not like other girls... she has very special abilities that set her apart from others. How or why she came about these abilities is a mystery she has yet to unfold. Haunted by memories and flashbacks of the suffering she endured at the hands of her captors, she changes her appearance and hides out in a small town. Ignoring her own warnings, she begins a relationship with a local boy. The relationship turns dangerous when the boy begins developing similar abilities. This development does not fall under the radar of the men who are trying to recapture her.

A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child's illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harboring secrets of his own. Laney's new life falls apart when she meets a young intern that seems to have all the answers to her questions. The information sends her into a tail spin. Thoughts of going on the run once again are thwarted as those whom she was running from find her.

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords

Would you like to win a copy of Human Blend?

Lori is offering to give away 2 copies (print or ebook, winner's choice)

This contest is open internationally

Just leave a comment to enter

A winner will be announced next Wednesday