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Experimentation and a Ruby Release: “Swords and Scimitars” by Cate Rowan
 Posted by Cate Rowan Feb 17 2012, 1:01 am in fantasy, fantasy romance, indie, new release, publishing industry, self-publishing I have a new release to tell you about, but first, let me get this out of the way: I used to write to please others. It’s not that I don’t take other people into account anymore—not at all. I have a readership, and their opinions of my work matter to me. But I no longer write to please the traditional publishing industry. I’ve learned a fine lesson about that. A panel of editors and agents once shot down my query letter at the RWA conference. It was a query letter workshop for Golden Heart finalists, and the panelists were to say “stop” when they reached the point in a query where they wanted to quit reading. The entire panel yelled stop as soon as they learned that my book’s hero, a sultan, already had six wives. The industry consensus was that a book like that wouldn’t succeed. Under the paradigm of that time, they were likely right to shoot it down. I hired several agents over the years who did their best, but Kismet’s Kiss was a tough sell. Despite two Golden Heart finals, it clearly didn’t fit the New York marketing boxes, and editors were afraid it wouldn’t make the publishing house enough money. That’s understandable; it was a risk. I was pushing boundaries. But I knew romance, and understood my contract with the romance reader. I felt my book could flourish, and I was crazy (= stubborn) enough to try. After two small presses made offers, I decided to self-publish Kismet’s Kiss. Instead of selling it to a publisher, I sold it to readers—more than 2600 of them to date, at prices from $2.99-5.99. And another 3600+ readers have bought my second book, The Source of Magic. While the number of copies sold is lower than what many trad-pubbed authors can expect, I earn much more per copy. I’ve made nearly $13,000 already. This is far beyond the average advance for two books from a debut author, and Kiss and Source are still in the marketplace earning more each day. They’ll never go out of print. It’s funny to look back on my journey and realize what’s happened. It was not quite a year and a half ago that I published Kismet’s Kiss. I was the first Ruby Sister to self-pub, and alas, it wasn’t because I’m a visionary or a psychic. (I only wish.) I’d just realized going indie was my best chance to succeed and find readers for stories I loved. Ten Rubies have now tested the indie path, and there are more Rubies planning to try it. Some of our agent-approved, contest-winning, misfit books that would otherwise be lying abandoned in darkness have found life—and readers—and in many cases, have revived their authors’ enjoyment in writing. I LOVE THE NEW WORLD OF PUBLISHING. This world also lets authors experiment with prices, covers, descriptions, book length, and subject matter. That’s part of the fun for me with my latest release. It’s a short story of 7,000 words, a length that has very few traditional markets. I’m pricing it at a mere 99 cents to see if that will entice readers. And although it’s a prequel to Kismet’s Kiss, which is a fantasy romance, I consider “Swords and Scimitars” to be a historical fantasy. It brims with emotion and love, but it’s far more a hero’s journey through an exotic culture (think “Arabian Nights” or “The King and I”) than a traditional romance. A few months ago, Amazon offered indies another way to experiment: the Amazon Select program for Kindle books. Select allows the author/publisher to set the book’s price to free for up to five days out of every 90. Free books get lots of downloads and greater exposure, which helps generate paid sales afterward. The author/publisher has control over when the free days are scheduled, making it easier to arrange promotions. The downside is that the Select program requires Amazon exclusivity for the full 90 days. I’ve been reluctant to add Kismet’s Kiss or The Source of Magic to the Select program for that reason. I’ve made about a quarter of all my sales through Barnes and Noble. Still, now that I have a new release, I thought I’d try Select for “Swords and Scimitars” and see what happens. Hmm… have I mentioned my dislike for that exclusivity thing? Yeah. So before I sign up for Select, I’m making “Swords and Scimitars” available for the next five days at Barnes and Noble (nook) and Smashwords (all formats), as well as at Amazon, and all for just 99 cents. This way non-Kindle readers can get their hands on “Swords and Scimitars,” too.
Swords and Scimitars: A Fantasy Short Story Immortal twin brothers. One enchanted sword. A tragedy that propels them into legend. The lives of well-born twins Kismet and Taso are easy and carefree—endless days of bedding women and fighting battles among the gods—until sorcery drives a wedge between them that slices deeper than flesh. Kismet has striven to be the ultimate warrior, but a mistake costs him his brother, his family, and his homeland. He carves out a new life in the desert, rising to the command of a realm and an army, yet can’t escape his past. When two women beg for his aid against tyranny, he must sacrifice his freedom and his long-scarred heart to help them. “Swords and Scimitars” is a short story of the immortal founders of verdant Teganne and desert Kad, two rival realms divided by magic—yet bound by blood, mistrust, and love. The chronicle continues in the award-winning fantasy romance novels Kismet’s Kiss and The Source of Magic.
I used to write to please others… but I wrote “Swords and Scimitars” to please myself and my readership, and with luck, to attract new readers from a different genre. It’s an experiment for sure, and one of which I’m proud. As a writer, that’s the best feeling of all. Thank you for stopping by to celebrate the release of “Swords and Scimitars.” To add to the festive mood, I’m giving away three copies to non-Ruby visitors. Leave a comment to enter, and good luck! Share:
              
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69 Responses to “Experimentation and a Ruby Release: “Swords and Scimitars” by Cate Rowan”Leave a Reply |
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Hey, I didn’t know the backstory on Kismet’s Kiss. Good for you! It must feel so good to have control of as much of the publishing process as possible. I love sharing other writer’s journeys.
Do you know if there has been or maybe will be a conference/workshop on self-publishing? I don’t think I’m there yet, but I’d love to educate myself, and I think the subject is expansive enough for at least a day or two of workshops.
I think it would be neat if we had a self-pub track at the conference in 2013. We should lobby for one at RWA.
I know a bunch of people who proposed self-pub workshops this year, but I haven’t heard of any that were accepted. Of course, it’s not like I have an inside-track to ALL RWA members, so I’m sure someone got accepted and I just don’t know about it.
Last year there weren’t any self-pub workshops, but the deadline to submit proposals was a month before Amanda Hocking sold 100,000 e-books in one month, so it was before self-publishing was even a blip on most people’s radar screens. Courtney Milan and I organized an unofficial “breakfast meeting” to discuss self-pubbing and that was well-attended, but it was nothing official and we were all smooshed into a few tables in the bar one morning, so it was uncomfortable and difficult to hear anything.
Thank you, Gillian. I hope RWA does offer self-publishing info at National this year. I won’t be there to see it, but it’s about time. I’ll be very sad if nothing got through. The industry shift toward self-publishing is a crucial issue for writers.
Toward that end, one of the best resources around (if I may say so myself
) is Indie Romance Ink, a free Yahoo group I cofounded:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndieRomanceInk/
IRI is an informative and supportive place for indie and indie-curious romance authors, and we now have more than 700 members. There is a LOT of traffic–be prepared–but we have a no-self-promo policy (with very few exceptions) and there’s useful information there every day.
I agree Cate. IRInk is a fabulous resource for anyone even considering embarking on the self-pub journey.
Hey y’all!
My proposed Self-pub workshop was accepted for RWA this year–2012!
It’s titled: Self-publishing: The Down and Dirty Details.
It won’t be the typical “could you/should you/would you” type workshop. It is just what it says — insight into the actual technical workflow (download this, click that) for getting your book published.
I hope some of you will attend, because I’d hate to be lecturing to a room that’s empty except for the crickets chirping in the corner.
YAY, Vickie! I’m delighted to hear this on multiple levels. And I bet that your workshop audience will overflow the room. (g)
Awesome!!! Yes, I think you can expect an overflow crowd!!
Vickie, I’m betting it’s standing room only with calls for a second session!
Ok, this is awesome, I will dig through there this weekend, thank you! And yes, it’s more than time that the professionalism of the self-published author is recognized. I’m beyond impressed by the effort it takes.
Thanks, everyone, for sharing your information and good news!
Thank you, Cate–not just for sharing your journey today, but for inspiring me to put my Ruby shoes on your Yellow-brick road and follow it.
Self-pubbing is the most liberating thing I can think of for an author–although it is a lot of hard work. I told a friend the other day, if NY came knocking at this point, I’d have to think long and hard about accepting an offer.
I love the freedom to tell The Memory of You the way I think it should be told. I love not having any publishing house telling me when and how my books will be released and not giving me covers, titles, and back cover copy I hate. And I love not having an editor breathing down my neck waiting for me to meet HER deadline. I get to set my own. If I want to release 1 book or 10 in a year, it’s MY decision.
And for the first time since 2006, I’m loving my work again. I have you to thank for giving me the courage to follow in your footsteps.
My thoughts exactly, Laurie! Having just won first place in FAB, I am still thinking whether I want to send a requested partial to the agent or not…
Laurie, I’m delighted that you’ve chosen to grab the reins of your career! (And I’m so glad we have that option now.) Control is such a heady and delicious feeling after years of ceding it to others.
Wield the reins well, darlin’. I know you will!
And Di, isn’t it lovely to know you have options?
“I’m loving my work again”!
Those are amazing and wonderful words, Laurie!!!
Congrats on the new release, Cate. I love your stories and writing. I shake my head, wondering how NY let you get away.
I’m heading over to Amazon to download my copy of SWORDS AND SCIMITARS. Thank you for always being so open about your experience with the indie-publishing.
Thanks, Autumn. Right now I’m thrilled that NY and I never made a match. (g) I suppose never say never, but a prospective deal would need to have *much* better terms than I would have signed for two years ago. And it’s hard to see that happening.
As for being open about my indie experiences, I’m grateful to authors like Joe Konrath who led the way on that. Every author needs to decide what’s right for her and her work, and we can’t decide that without information. By talking about what’s happened for me, I figure I’m paying it forward.
And Joe is making noise again today. A great post and lots of comments to boot.
Yay, Cate, so happy to see you have a new story!!
A new Cate Rowan book! Yay!
Seriously, thank you for blazing the path that so many of us are following. Like Autumn, I have no idea how NY let you get away, but I for one am glad that they did, because you were very influential in my own decision to go rogue.
Yay, Cate!! Just wanted to say congratulations on the new release!!
Di, Amanda, and Anne Marie, thank you for the congrats!
And Amanda: you may have started out following me, but you’ve gone rogue brilliantly. I’m learning from you, too.
Big congrats, Ruby Sis!!!! So proud of you! ~D~
Thanks, Ms. D. Your successes are an inspiration to all of us. Here’s to you! *clink*
Just bought it, Cate! And, being a good IRInker, I liked and tagged it while I was there
Looking forward to it and Kismet’s Kiss!
Thank you, Bella! I’m glad you’re part of the IRI community.
Cate – thank you for sharing your self-pub journey with us. It was nice to see it from the perspective of someone from within RWA. Like you, I decided to take control of my writing career and go the indie route. It’s liberating to say the least
Congratulations on your new release!
Thanks, and yes, definitely liberating! I don’t think it’s a fluke that so many who go indie (/rogue) don’t feel a pull to return to the trad. fold.
Cate,
I’m so very happy your self-publishing journey is successful. I just bought the new book and can’t wait to read it cuz I’m a Cate Rowan fan from WAY back. Best of luck with great sales and happy readers!.
I too will beat the self-publishing drum. I’m SO very grateful my books didn’t sell to New York publishers. Last week I hit 50,000 on my 2 sweet historical Western romances in 9 and a half months. My fantasy romances (published in August) are slower at a little over 1000 to date, but selling a few steadily every day.
My self-publishing income is now exceeding my psychotherapy income, and I’ve cut back on my practice to have time to write more. (Now I just have to actually do it!)
Getting to lead the life you love: priceless!
Debra, I’m delighted by your sales–even a decade ago, I KNEW you’d be successful–and I’m certain there’s much more of that to come.
Congrats on those great numbers, Debra!!!
Thanks for sharing your story!
So great to hear those numbers, Cate. Those are serious, and, as you said, the tail is long and lasts forever. In fact, if you wanted to change your price, your cover, your content, you can do it in minutes and no one would ever know.
I love the Indie writers I’ve met. This doesn’t take anything away from all the hard work traditional print authors have done. But it’s nice to know that either path can work, and that we have a choice. For some of us, waiting for 10-15 years to “break in” isn’t an option! And, I can write a heck of a lot of books in 10-15 years!
Brava!
So very true about the wait.
Somehow over the years, I became a slow writer–I think it was the feeling that I had to craft things *just right* (pleasing those gatekeepers!) in order to break in. While I’m grateful for time I’ve had to learn my craft, this year I want to retrain myself to write faster. I want to write a heck of a lot of books in 10-15 years, too! Good luck to us both.
Cate, thanks for being a leader and an inspiration to so many, including ME! I can’t thank you enough.
Congratulations on your newest release. I’m off to buy! I loved reading your post. I can feel your passion and love of this new publishing world. Of course, I feel the same way. IMO, there never was and probably never will be enough traditionally published “spots” available for all of the great books being offered to them. Writers no longer need approval from a publisher to publish a story about a hero with a harem or anything else for that matter. How great is that?!
Congratulations on the 50K sold Debra. Every day I learn of another author who is earning a decent income from self-publishing. The mantra used to be, “Don’t quit your day job.” Times are changing!
Ms. T, you’re one of those people whose perseverance has always been an inspiration to me–and I’m thrilled to watch that perseverance PAYING OFF at long last. You deserve every moment of it, and I look forward to watching your sales numbers soar for years to come!
Thanks for joining us here, Theresa, and for being so generous in sharing YOUR story!!! You’re an inspiration!
Congratulations on the new release.Wishing you many many sales.
You have helped and encoouraged so many authors on the path to Indi publishing with posts like this. Thank you.
Thank you, Rita! It’s my pleasure. I feel like an evangelist for the indie path because I’ve seen how many authors are happy they tried it.
Thank you for the story of your road to success. It’s very inspiring.
I’m happy if it helps someone, Barbara. And thank YOU for sharing your experience with FB ads. I’m so glad you’re with us at IRI.
Congrats on the release, Cate. You’re an inspiration to so many writers, myself included, because you’ve made us see the possibilities beyond the boxes of the big 6 publishers and let us open up our stories in whole new ways.
You’re so welcome. I love knowing writers are expanding the boundaries of their stories. That benefits all of us who read ‘em!
Congratulations, Cate! And good luck with your new release!
Thanks, Vivi—and thank you also for all you do for this blog. VERY much appreciated.
What an amazing journey, Cate. Finding a home for an unconventional romance is so difficult. Since my historical skates a very fine edge between fantasy and reality, I may face that problem, but having so many intrepid, pioneering sisters, if I have to go indie (which, I admit, will require I invest time I don’t have in things about which I know nothing), then I’m happy to know I’ll be in wonderful company.
Everyone on the indie path knew pretty much nothing about it at some point, and I’d say half the fun for me has been in the learning. I can’t wait to celebrate your first fan letter with you!
Congrats on your successes Cate! When did you first self-publish? I’ve put a few out there myself as well. I love the flexibility of it too. I recently purchased yours, too, and can’t wait to read them.
Thanks, Cate!
KISMET’S KISS went up at the end of August, 2010. THE SOURCE OF MAGIC followed last April.
Yes, it’s a wonderful kind of flexibility that indies have…the opposite of the kind that makes you feel like you’re twisting into a pretzel. (g)
Cate, congratulations on your new release! I hope your sales are phenomenal. You’re an encouragement to all those who are sitting on the fence of indie publishing. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
Doesn’t that fence feel a little pointy? Come join the fun crowd on this side of it. (g)
Congrats, Cate, on the new release and on your amazing, inspiring trail-blazing!!!
I’m hoping to jump into the self-pub waters with some shorter pieces in the next couple months…and I agree with others that it’s wonderfully liberating to write without that constant “oh, what will an editor say about this?” censor howling in the background.
Can’t wait to read Swords and Scimitars!!
So true about gaining freedom with our writing! Of course, my censor is still there trying to be her sneaky and inhibiting self, but at least she no longer moans about editor opinions.
Cate, thank you for sharing your journey. Going indy has made a big difference for me too, although nothing as dramatic as your experience or Debra Holland’s, and many others. But your example gives me faith.I owe so much to IRI.
Hi Mona. It took me a long time to get to this point, and my sales have gone up and down along the way. My best time was last summer. Right now I’d kill to get those numbers back. (g)
But I figure the best way to get more sales is to keep writing, so that readers have more to buy once they like me. It’s the long-term game, instead of the short-term one.
I hope we celebrate big wins for you this year!
Congratulations, Cate, on the new book! But even bigger congrats on your indie voyage. The beauty of indie publishing is that you don’t need tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people to buy your book to make a sustainable living. We can occupy niches and still have plenty of readers to make it worthwhile. And speaking of readers, they suddenly have a lot more choice. It’s a brave new world of publishing, for sure!
It certainly is. We can choose our niches and play with their boundaries, and readers get more interesting stories and stuff that doesn’t fit a mold. Here’s to authors being able to earn a good living from writing!
Congratulations on the new release, Cate, and thanks again for the inspiration. Your generosity and willingness to share was and is a huge help. The Indie Network has brought so many authors together. Look forward to reading Swords and Scimitars.
Bev, it would have been a real shame if your books had stayed moldering under the bed, so I’m glad you went indie! And IRI is as wonderful as it is because of the members’ willingness to share information and support each other. Thanks for being part of it.
Thanks so much for sharing your indie journey with us all Cate. I’ve learned so much over the past few years from you: thinking about cover art, price points, editing, advertising, royalties. It is a brave new world and it’s been exciting to watch your success!
For me, the point you’ve made that resonates the most is that indie publishing allows non-traditional writing to flourish in a way that it really couldn’t before. I LOVED _Kismet’s Kiss_ and wasn’t at all turned off by the 6 wives. I had faith you would give it a satisfying ending and you did.
Congratulations on the new release! I look forward to hearing more of your journey as you continue to experiment.
Elise, *thank you*—especially for your words about Kismet’s Kiss. It’s the book of my heart, and might stay that way no matter what else I write.
I was intrigued by the premise of Kismet’s Kiss when I first saw it – on this blog, I think! What a wonderful, rule-breaking book – and it totally works!! This and SoM were the kind of books I sooo wanted to read 20+ years ago, but no one was publishing them. So glad you found an outlet – and I have a new auto-buy author. Thanks too, for all the work you’ve done with IndieRomanceInk – what a fantastic resource that’s been to me as I start my own journey that’s very slow – but at least I’m now going somewhere!
Awww, thank you! Somehow I keep breaking those darn rules…and it feels so good. (g) Freedom is a wonderful thing for authors AND readers. I look forward to all the rule-breaker books I’ll be reading in the future.
As for going indie, baby steps can still take you anywhere you want to go! I’m so very glad IRI is helping.
Gillian, Elise Hayes and Norah Wilson: Random.org chose you as the winners of a digital copy of “Swords and Scimitars.” I’ll be in touch.
Congratulations to the winners, and a big thanks to *everyone* who has stopped by to help me celebrate! I’ll keep an eye out for additional comments tomorrow.
How silly of me–Elise is a Ruby! (g) I’ll send it to her, but now I get to draw a fourth name, too. Random.org says: Jennette Marie Powell.
Thank you so much!
Congratulations on all your success! That’s fantastic
I’ll definitely pick up a copy of Swords and Scimitars!
Thank you, Ann!
Cate, I’m really, really late, but had to pop in and thank you for giving the rest of us such valuable information about indie publishing! It’s so good to know there are other options available to authors!
Congratulations on Swords and Scimitars. Love that title, by the way. Here’s hoping it sells like crazy!
I’m glad the info helps, Tina, and thank you for the congrats!