Dawn Halliday’s E-journey Into Publishing
Hi Vagabonds! I hope you’re all having a happy March so far! I’m Dawn Halliday, Samhain and Ellora’s Cave author, and I have two Scottish erotic historical romances contracted with Penguin/NAL. My alter ego has a Regency historical series coming from Grand Central Publishing. I am a very, very busy bee!
It all began in January, 2007. I’d written a short story called Honeymoon Castaways and submitted it to Samhain Publishing as a response to their call for stories for their “Midsummer Night’s Steam†anthology.
I was ecstatic to receive “the email.†I couldn’t believe it! A few days later, I received a second “email‖this one from Ellora’s Cave.
I kept learning, working…and writing. I kept querying. I sold a couple more e-books to my e-publishers. In July, I signed with agent Barbara Poelle at the Irene Goodman Agency. In December, my agent called me up and started grilling me on the specifics of my e-publishing contracts. I finally said, “Why are you asking me all this, Barbara?†She said, “I just wanted to make sure you’re free and clear contractually…because NAL just made an offer on your book!â€
So at the beginning of the year I got “the email,†and at the end of the year I got “the call.†All in all, 2007 was a good year! And now there’s lots of hard work ahead for 2008 and 2009, but I’m excited and thrilled about all the books on the agenda and I’ve taken a break from writing the ending to book #1 to be here with you all today.
One of the things people ask me, now that I have five books to write for New York, is what the transition is like from e-publishing to print publishing. The answer is–I don’t know. I’ve gone through the whole process with my e-published books, and I am only just in the very beginning stages with my NY books. I will say that talking on the phone to my editors vs. emailing them is a little strange!
But really, it’s not a transition. It’s an “additionâ€, because I find e-publishing has benefited me in countless ways as an author, and I have no intention to leave it–I’m just hoping for some time to squeeze in an e-book or two in the middle of all these deadlines!
I’ll be around on and off all day, so if anyone has any questions for me about my e-book experiences or my experiences with selling, feel free to ask. I love answering questions!
So here’s a question for everyone, in honor of Read an E-book Week:For e-book readers: What’s your favorite e-book of all time? (So we can all go run out and buy it!)
For non-e-book readers: What kind of book do you think would coax you into becoming an e-book reader? For example, is your dream book a jaguar shape-shifter super sensual love triangle that takes place on Mars? ‘Cause I’m sure it exists! (And we will all give you suggestions!)
At the end of the week, I’ll pick one random poster to send a copy of my most recent release, Sins of the Knight, in the format of your choice.
Thanks for having me, Vagabonds!
Hi Dawn, Congrats on your successful start….I can sense a few of the vagabonds turning green with envy!
For the writer who might not make it in the mainstream but still have interesting stuff for a niche market, self publishing looks an interesting option. The only problem is advertising to make people aware.
An obvious and attractive possibility is to piggy back on the shoulders of giants. For example, would you consider helping novice authors by allowing them to post on your website with short extracts of their work and give a link to their site for details? Not that I have anything much worth posting as yet!
Would welcome any thoughts on ‘how to get your work into the readers eye’
AND best wishes for your continuing success!
Hi Dawn! You know you’re my heroine – sheesh, four publishers!
I think it’s amazing how you’re transitioning from e-pub to NY and planning to keep juggling both. The books you published with EC and Samhain were all erotic romance, right? Do you see opportunities for romance authors in other subgenres to do the same, or do you think e-pub is a better stepping stone for erotic romance authors?
I’m hoping to do a short e-book release someday – either before or after my Ballantine trilogy, or both. You’re my inspiration!
Tessa
Hi, Dawn. Welcome to the caravan and thanks for sharing your story with us. What an intersting story it is! You really did have a fantastic 2007.
As for questions, I have two:
Do you think your ebooks were an asset in acquiring your agent?
I have heard a great deal of praise for ebook publishers who are willing to take a chance on stories that print publishers may be wary of. But what about writers who are interested in writing mainstream books, not “cutting edge” or erotica, just straightforward romance? Do you think ebook publishing has possibilities for such writers?
My word veri is “hot.” Is that anticipating your answer. LOL!
Welcome, Dawn! We’re so glad to have you here. You’re clearly a rising star in every area of publishing, so it’ll be great to say we knew you when. Sins of the Knight is fantastic – everyone who’s looking to try eBooks this week should rush right out and buy it. Or any of Dawn’s books.
Building off of Janga’s question, but did you approach the books you took to NY differently than those you write for EC & Samhain?
And were you already trying to get published when you sold your shorts to Samhain & EC, or did everything blossom from there?
I’m blown away by your productivity. Seeing all you & Tessa have accomplished in the last year, I’m suddenly tempted to move to SoCal!
This is a great story and 2007 was a banner year for you. Congrats on all the success. I’m awaiting the answers to all the above. These are great questions.
Congratulations with all your success, Dawn!
I, too, am awaiting the answers to all these great questions.
Do it, Lindsey! Move to SoCal!!!
Dawn, congrats on all your success. My question is how did you go about getting your agent? Did Barbara sign you based solely on your ebooks?
Good morning, everyone! I imagine it’s already afternoon for most of you, but I’m still getting started here in CA. The kids are off to school (Well, except for the sick one, who I’ve set up in front of the desktop & told since he’s home sick, TV and video games are off-limits and instead he needs to spend the day researching Scotland and England, since we’re going for Spring Break. Hehe–I’m a cruel mommy, aren’t I?), and I’m finally able to sit down and relax for a minute.
Quantum, I don’t have much knowledge about self publishing, but it does seem advertising would be the major challenge. E-book publishing, I imagine, is a little easier in this regard, because every company has its faithful readers, so when you sell an e-book, it comes with a (sometimes admittedly small) built-in readership. Plus you get the added perks of professionally done covers, formatting and presentation, as well as editing.
Piggybacking on the shoulder of giants is always a nice option! I’m definitely still a guppy in this ocean of writers, but I’d definitely consider posting extracts of newer authors’ works on my sites–if it’s work I truly admired and I believed the readers exploring my site would also fall in love with it.
And “how to get your work into the reader’s eye‖Hmmm…I think that’s a challenge for every writer, no matter where she is in her career. But I do think e-publishing can be a good vehicle for this for authors at any stage in their career.
Hi Tessa! Good to see you here, my California buddy! To answer your question, I think e-publishing is a great stepping stone for romance authors in any genre. It’s true that erotic romance might sell more in the realm of e-publishing, but the benefits of experience e-publishing has to offer are the same for all genres.
Hi Jenga, I do think the e-books might have been an asset in acquiring my agent. I did mention them in my query letter. But, even more interesting, I think they might have been an asset when it came to editors offering for my book. I had calls from two editors before the first offer was made. Frankly, I think they were calling to assess my professionalism and how easy I’d be to work with , but they did ask me for details about my e-books. That was surprising! Both editors ended up wanting to buy my books, so I figure telling them about my e-books didn’t hurt!
And, yes, I think that e-book publishing has possibilities for authors who write mainstream–it depends on the goals of the author. If she wants to make six figures on her book, e-publishing probably isn’t the way to go–it’s pretty well established that the books that financially do the best in e-publishing (generally speaking, that is) are the books on the hotter end of the spectrum. There are many authors of more mainstream books who have used e-publishing as a forum for expanding their readership (I’m thinking of Lucy Monroe and Shelley Bradley, who write more mainstream romance for both Samhain and NY) or who can find a readership in the genres NY just isn’t buying in right now (thinking of Cerridwen’s Regency line and authors like Beth Williamson, who writes Westerns).
Lindsey, aw, thanks (blushes). I’m glad you liked Sins of the Knight. It was a fun book to write. You asked: “Did you approach the books you took to NY differently than those you write for EC & Samhain?†The answer is, yes. Mostly it’s about length. My e-books are shorter than my NY books, and I knew going into them that they would be. Otherwise, as far as plot construction and approach to the characters, etc., no, not really. I’m a pantser and go where the characters take me, no matter who I’m writing for.
“Were you already trying to get published when you sold your shorts to Samhain & EC, or did everything blossom from there?†When I sold to Samhain and EC, I wasn’t feeling “NY Ready†yet, so I hadn’t started submitting to New York. But then I won an RWA contest and the manuscript was requested by a NY publisher. I thought, hmmm…maybe I should try for an agent. I mean, I knew all along that I eventually wanted an agent and to sell to NY, but I couldn’t have predicted the timeline!
Hi Kate! Good to see you here. How did I go about getting my agent? Well, I queried. Someone had suggested I query five agents at a time, so that was my approach. I queried five and waited…and waited. Got a rejection. Then a request and a rejection. Gave up waiting for the other three and submitted to the next five (these five were honestly higher on my “want†list–the first five were really experiments). Almost all of the agents in the second group bit and asked for fulls–it was like they knew they were my favorites! I chose Barbara because she seemed like a go-getter and really focused on my career as a whole rather than just this one manuscript I had submitted to her.
Hi Dawn! Huge Congratulations! I so look forward to reading your many books.
When do you find time to write while also juggling a family? Do you have a daily or weekly goal that you stick to?
Hi Dawn:
I’m in awe of your success. You certainly are juggling a lot in 2008 but yet are staying upbeat (I can hear it in your voice.) I don’t have any specific questions for you, just want to say a huge congratulations on your achievements so far and may they continue to multiply.
Hi Robin!
Ooh, the balancing of the family. I think it’ll kill me, if nothing else does. It’s been really really hard so far.
All in all, I try to work when the kids are in school and at night. But clearly I’m not doing the best job, because when we went to Disneyland in January, my three-year-old daughter asked me if I was bringing my computer. Sigh.
So it’s something I’m working on constantly. My family and my writing are the two most important things in my life, so I have to be able to give my all to each one without sacrificing the other. Somehow.
Everything is in flux, but for this book, my goal has been 2,000 words a day. I’m just about finished, and then I’ll be doing revisions before sending it to my editor, so I’ll probably have a chapter goal. The 2K a day was pretty tough, but I liked being able to buckle down and get it done. Definitely not a pace I can maintain for two years straight, though. I think I’ll take it a little easier during the revisions.
Dawn, congrats on your many projects.
Do you think you have a different voice for the different genres you write?
DID you bring your computer to Disneyland?
Hey Dawn! What an exciting journey so far and a very busy future too. Congratulations on all of your successes. Mia
Dawn, I am mainly a print reader at this point because I can’t figure which ebook reader I want to purchase.
Carol, Yes, I do think my contemporary and historical voices are a little different, by necessity. Readers have mentioned the difference in voice to me, but I can’t really pinpoint it! And no, I didn’t take the computer to Disneyland (but I won’t say it wasn’t tempting!).
Bonnie, I don’t have an ebook reader either–well, except for Microsoft Reader (free download from Microsoft–but you still have to view the book on your computer). I’m holding out for lower prices! I will admit I do a lot of printing out…there’s only so much computer one person can take!
Congrats on your sales! I got the call in 2007, too. It’s an amazing rush, isn’t it? Sooo surreal.
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer chick.
Dawn, just wanted to drop by and say hi
So thrilled for all your success.
Hi Dawn!! Mega congratulations on all your sales! You are a dynamo. I don’t know how you get it all done. Someone might have already asked this, but do you set specific targets and have a regular writing regime to accomplish so much in such a short time?
Btw, everyone go and buy Honeymoon Castaways–it’s sooo hot! I love Dawn’s writing and I can’t wait to read Sins of the Knight. Pick me!!!
Hey Crystal! Congrats again to you, and you’re right–it IS an incredible rush.
Hi Christine! I haven’t set specific goals before, but now that I suddenly have all these looming deadlines, I’m in a position where I have to. I think it’ll be a continuing process as I figure out how much I (and my family) can take.
What a fabulous year you’ve had!
I am fairly new to e-books but was so happy to see it’ s become a springboard for so many.
How far out do you plan your writing? Will you have two projects due at once? I am in awe of your ability to balance the work and family.
Hi Santa! Thanks for your post! Right now, I have a book due every 4.5 months until early 2010. The editors were kind enough to stagger the deadlines.
So I’m just taking it one book at a time. I’m about to finish book #1, and I’ll revise it and send it to my editor, then it’s straight into book #2. Etc. I’m hoping I can keep it up, but I’m pretty sure the editors will be open to a little tweaking of deadlines if I should fall behind. (I’m going to try my hardest not to, though!)
Hi Dawn!
I really need to get one of those ereader devices.
There are so many intriguing ebooks out now, yours included!
Wishing you all the best,
G.
Congrats on your success!
Hi Dawn,
Congrats on getting “the email.” I discovered ebooks about six months ago. I still prefer print, but ebooks are cheaper and some authors/books are only available on electronic format. Some of my favorite ebooks include Maya Banks “Undenied” and “Brazen,” Red Garnier’s “Divine Assistant” and Jan Springer’s “Sinderella.”
Hi Dawn,
Congrats on your success. I have not been reading ebooks for a long time. Just recently got a palm device which is making it easier for me. Prior to that I was reading them on the laptop which was a pain. Some of my favorite ebooks are Brazen by Maya Banks, Reading Between the Lines by Lauren Dane and Jeanne Barracks Hearthhome Series.
The random poster selected as the winner of a copy of Sins of the Knight is…Crystal Jordan! Congrats, Crystal! Thanks, everyone, for participating! I had great fun with the Vagabonds and hope to come back sometime.
Hi, Just found your blog surfing on the internet! I am too much interested in the information like you are providing. Why you do not write a new ebook and publish it by collecting more information on this topic. NO! Do not take me wrong! I am not a publisher. Ha! Ha! Ha! You have written in a detailed manner that’s why I am asking you about the ebooks. Have you ever thought of any type of ebook and in its business. It is a really hardwork to create a blog like yours and to maintain it. But you have done really a great job. Congrates! I have few questions. Do you think that blogs are better than ebooks for providing information and making money. I Just take the ebooks as products. I have never tried to write any ebook and to do any sort of business. If I say something about my website here, then you will consider this comment as a spam and NO One like that. But would like to say, that while selling FREE EBOOKS I have made such a huge amount, just in few days, that you will be amazed! If you visit my website (by clicking on my name in this comment) then you are bound to be surprised. I am sure this is a new technique of selling, I have found over the net. But lets talk about writing ebooks and providing unique information to the internet community, have you ever tried writing anything and publishing it? Do you also sell ebooks? What is your experience? I am interested in knowing about it or your experiments? Waiting for reply – Thanks, Regards