Things I've Learned During Self-publishing (so far!)

1. First of all, the cool kids call it "indie" publishing and as we all know, when you stick the word "indie" in front of anything, its cachet is magnified a thousandfold.

2. Apparently, there was no Chapter 13 in my published novel, ALL ABOUT VEE.  Yes, it's true!  There's a Chapter 12 and a Chapter 14 but no 13.  This was due solely to human error (many humans' errors), not a superstition, although if it had been a superstition, that would have been pretty neat.

As we reformat the book to publish it as FAT GIRLS IN LA, I'm making changes, adding a little material here and there that I always wanted kept in.  So there will be a Chapter 13 in the new edition.

3. I only used one ellipsis in the entire novel of ALL ABOUT VEE.  Weird, huh?  An ellipsis is "..." Which I use all the time in my normal daily writing so it's truly bizarre there's only one in nearly 300 pages of text.

4. LOVE, MEG in Hungarian? Maybe!  When you're getting ready to re-launch, you need to regain control over all the material you own that's out there. Ninja Webmaster and I are always on the lookout for websites that have my ebooks listed so we can get them removed so we are constantly Googling, etc. But according to Goodreads, there was (or might have been) a Hungarian language version of MEG as an ebook and as a paperback.  They have ISBN numbers and everything!

Upcoming books?

10, 9, 8, 7...

We're getting ready to launch.  Re-launch, that is.  My intrepid Ninja Webmaster is designing a brand new website and new book covers for the re-launch of 2 of my books plus several absolutely, never-seen-before new ones, including two sequels in my Fat Girls trilogy. Currently we are tweaking images and such - plus lots of technical stuff I don't know anything about.  We'll go to Amazon and other e-tailers online first but will hopefully have the books available for print as well. 

6, 5, 4...

And why am I doing this?  Well, first of all, I always felt like my novels, LOVE, MEG and ALL ABOUT VEE weren't given the opportunity to reach a wide audience.  Part of that was due to the very small marketing budget those books had- not my fault, not the books' faults, not the editor's or agent's fault. It's just the way traditional publishing works: only a select few books get the money spent on them. They are usually the ones whose authors received large advances so the publishers need to spend even more money on them to recoup that original outlay.  Those books are the ones which are expected to rake in the big bucks. 

Then there are "small" books like mine - "quiet" books that don't have big high-concept hooks - that don't receive big advances, big marketing budgets and are expected to do nothing.  Publishers throw these books into the mix and let them flounder on their own. If they make any money, hurrah!  If not, they go out-of-print.  Well, how many do you think fall into the former category?  Not many is right.  Mine fell into the latter and they went OOP and now, I have the rights back.

Another reason why I'm putting my e-books out online is that the market has changed an awful lot since I first got published.  The books I wrote after MEG and VEE were also "quiet" without high concept hooks and since MEG and VEE did not flourish, no one wanted these.  I disagree - I think readers want them.  I think people are hungry for good stories, regardless of whether they have a hook or not.  As a reader myself, I enjoy good characters and solid stories that entertain me. I have a Kindle and I want to load it up with books.  I think there are a lot of people out there like me.  And my books are for them.

Sure, I'm also writing books that do have "concepts" that I hope traditional publishing will want to put out but if not, I am creating an avenue directly to readers and I'll get them out there one way or another.

3, 2, 1...

Big bargains on all things LEIGH-related at Amazon!

Another big sale at Amazon: LOVE, MEG hardcover for less than 5 bucks! Wowsa!

Check it out here.

And ALL ABOUT VEE still has a separate bargain price: less than 4 dollaroonies, yo.

Here's the VEE link.

I wonder if I should take these markdowns personally. Don't you like my books, Amazon gods?

So get a jump start on your holiday shopping. Tell your friends. Buy a copy for your school or library. Add it to your Amazon cart and be sure to get the free shipping!

Contest and Guest blog...

...at In Bed With Books!

Check it out.

Read. The blog.

Comment. As directed.

Win. A signed hardcover of LOVE, MEG.

Easy-peasy.

The Great Scavenger Hunt!

Kay Cassidy, the author of the upcoming THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY, is hosting Scavenger Hunts in connection with libraries all across America! She asked over 120 YA authors (including yours truly!) to come up with a list of 10 questions for their books, the answers to which readers could only discover by reading the books themselves. Hunters then enter contests at their participating libraries with the answers to win prizes.

This was SUCH a cool idea! I had a blast picking the questions for my books; in fact, it was so much fun, I didn't want to stop. I could have come up with 20 or more questions for ALL ABOUT VEE and LOVE, MEG.

Here's more about the Scavenger Hunt.

When Kay and I met online, we found out we have a lot in common, including the fact that we were both cheerleaders in high school! Check out her website for great fun stuff and to learn all about her debut novel, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY.

Happy Hunting!

Judging a Book by Its Cover

C'mon, we all do it. We see a book or a DVD on the shelf and we read the jacket flap or the summary on the back of the case and we think, "Been there, done that." Or worse, "Been there, done that, hated it."

You don't think you do? All right, I'll go first:

A few months ago, I received a galley copy of a novel called "The Book of Unholy Mischief" by Elle Newmark. The jacket copy made the story about a chef's apprentice in Renaissance Venice who gets caught up in a murder mystery sound, in a word, lame. I was convinced the story would be overwritten, the dialogue stilted, the plot contrived and so it sat on my TBR pile for weeks without me even taking a peek at it. When I finally did - by accident, I think - I was intrigued from the very first chapter. It's a fantastic novel and I have since loaned my copy out twice and recommended it to others.

The same is very true of DVDs: we use Netflix a lot and often, the service will try to recommend movies for us based on which movies we have previously rated highly. Using a complex formula involving lots of numbers and some pixie dust, Netflix will tell us what film we should see next and how much it thinks we will like it.

Example: "Tropic Thunder," the comedy starring Robert Downey Jr. , Jack Black and Ben Stiller. We like all of these actors and Netflix told us we would love their new movie. We were skeptical and thought we would hate it; after all, lots of groups had protested it for many reasons and it seemed sort of weird: Robert Downey Jr. in blackface? How can that not be racist?

And we loved it. Unlike many comedies, it had no lapses in the joke department, no sudden sweetness producers throw in to make the movie perfect for a couple on a date. This was just a very funny parody on all things Hollywood.

I mention these examples because recently, the book blogger Thao Tran reviewed my book, LOVE, MEG on her blog, Serene Hours right here. She very honestly says she didn't think she'd like it - and in an email to me, she told me she had won the book in a contest but had, in fact, been hoping to win my other book, ALL ABOUT VEE. But a free book is a free book, right? (LOL - my words not hers...)

Thao thought the story would be cliche, the characters uninteresting- she believed she had seen this before in other books so she really wasn't expecting to like it. She also wasn't crazy about the cover - it gave her an impression of the story being something she probably wouldn't like. Now, with all of that going against it, how can my little book possibly succeed?

But it did! When Thao read it, she began to enjoy it and you can read for yourself her review and how the book changed her mind. I love hearing this! It suddenly makes a 3 or 4 star review feel like 5 stars! While I would love to hear from a reader that she thought she'd like my book and then loved it instead, I will take the surprised reader too. I would so much rather surprise someone than disappoint them.

And this is not the first time this has happened in a review. Many, many times I read in reviews of my books, particularly ALL ABOUT VEE, that the reader thought she would be bored and was instead shocked at how much she liked the book. In these instances, I definitely want reviewers to say that: tell me, tell potential readers your honest opinion, let us know you thought you'd hate something but instead loved it. That will give other readers an incentive to give my books - and other books they thought they wouldn't like - a shot.

Thanks, Thao, for encouraging others to give MEG a chance.

Special Weekend Celebrity Sighting

Saturday afternoon. West Hollywood. Right around the corner from Quixote Studios.

It's a biggie...hold onto your gold motorcycle helmet...

Brad Pitt!

Aahhhh!!!

Yes, I'm totally serious. HH and I had a Brad Pitt sighting of our very own. We were walking back from TJ's when we saw a swarm of paparazzi around the fences of Quixote Studios where they do a lot of photo shoots and hold parties. The super-jaded photogs wouldn't answer when we asked who they were waiting for; one responded with a terse, "A lot of people." But then we know they're tired and chasing after celebs is not necessarily easy or rewarding work.

A couple of blocks away, as HH and I were talking about a book I recently finished writing (coincidentally about paparazzi!), my words were drowned out by a loud motorcycle engine. We turned to see who was polluting the environment with such noise when HH said, "That's Brad Pitt."

Gold motorcycle helmet, gold trim on the chopper, black pants (which he adjusted AS WE WATCHED) and not a soul around him. No bodyguards in SUV's following him, no cameramen chasing him. No Angelina or any of his six kids. Just Brad. On his bike. Roaring away.

Wow. Very cool. A young kid on his bike pedaled past and we all three smiled and HH asked the kid, "That was Brad Pitt, wasn't it?" And the kid grinned big and wide and nodded. Then he tore off after him.

Brad is probably in town for the Golden Globes tomorrow night where he will likely win for "Benjamin Button." What he was doing at QS, we have no idea. The paps got shots; we didn't. But here's a pic of him with his golden helmet.

Photo courtesy Ted Casablanca at E! online.

Now, as mentioned in the article and others, his bike broke down recently so the bike we saw him on was a new one.

In my book, LOVE, MEG, my main character has a pen pal relationship with Jennifer Aniston; an early draft was written just before she and Brad Pitt broke up so I had to make some changes to the story when it was bought. Even though I don't know Jennifer Aniston personally, I felt like I had to be loyal to her because of my character's friendship with her - so I couldn't let myself enjoy Brad's movies! (As if my liking him or not makes any sort of difference to the universe!) But recently, he spoke up about his relationship with her and with Angelina and I respect that. So now I can like his movies again...and go ga-ga when I see him in person.

For more of my celebrity sightings, check out this page on my website.

Mother Daughter Book Club likes MEG!

I adore the idea of a mother-daughter book club and I wish my mom and I lived close enough to each other that we could attend one together - we both love to read and compare books - so I am super thrilled to read this very nice review and recommendation of LOVE, MEG to mother-daughter book clubs by none other than MotherDaughterBookClub!

Thank you so much!

And if any clubs are considering selecting my book, I'd be happy to talk to your group either over the phone or in person if I'm nearby. How fun would that be?

New (Zoo) Reviews

I'm sure no one in the blogosphere is old enough to remember the New Zoo Review, are they?

A show of hands? No? Okay, moving on then...

I'd like to take a brief respite from blogging about all the things I like and all the things I eat and all the things I do to mention some very cool reviews about, ahem, my books.

Seriously, I so love hearing from readers and it's just amazing the kind of feedback you get on the web. Where it used to be - before the Age of the Internet - you had to post a letter to an author you liked and send it to her publishing house in New York and then someone there would hold onto it for a year and finally forward it to the author herself, now it's just a click of a button and you can share your opinions with the world - or whoever happens to read your blog.

Good, bad, an author has no control over what people think or interpret or ultimately write about her books. And in the anonymous webspace, anyone can pretty much say anything with very few repercussions. So that's why it's especially satisfying to read positive reviews, like these:

Here is Chelsea the Page Flipper's review of ALL ABOUT VEE. She uses the word "surprising" which I have to say - and told her - many, many people say about my books. I would love to know why! Is it that they are expecting something completely different based on the title or the cover or what they've heard? And if so, what were they expecting?

Is that a question for the ages? I hope one of you amazing reviewers out there will enlighten me if you can.

Here is Frenetic Reader/Khyrinthia's review of LOVE, MEG. Again, she is also surprised at what she got. I'm so happy she thought the characters were realistic and I do love that she appreciated the ending - while most people love that it had a not-happily-ever-after ending, I've heard from a very few who didn't. And that surprises me. Thank you, K, for putting the book in the Realm of the Very Good.

And for just one more, here is The Book Muncher's review of LOVE, MEG on her site. Another insightful analysis of the book that thrilled me to pieces. I love that she said she could connect with Meg, and really, that's the character I put my heart and soul into.

While I can't speak for other authors, I know I appreciate thoughtful reviews that give context for what and why a reader did or did not like about my books. It's nice to hear someone loved a book I wrote, but when they can tell me why (or why they didn't), I both appreciate and respect their opinions and the fact that they took the time to give them.

Thanks to all of you.

The winners are...

Eileen Micale - ALL ABOUT VEE
Thao Tran - LOVE, MEG

Congratulations, Eileen and Thao!

I hope you both enjoy the books and that you'll let me know what you think when you've read them. I love getting feedback from my readers! And no, I don't think free books make people like the book better. Heck, I would give them all away if that were true!

Jessica at Teen Free Book Fridays told me over 300 people entered her contest which was just so shocking and thrilling. I love that so many people wanted to win one of my books!

Yay!

A new MEG review!

Holly at Woman Tribune has given LOVE, MEG an amazing review! 4 stars! She calls it "a fast, exciting and exceptional read" which makes me go, whoo-hoo!

Seriously, though, please take a look when you can and while you're there, check out her other fantastic articles. I happen to love Holly's site and I think she offers women a lot of tremendous advice about business and life, as well as her own reviews about books and movies.

Thanks, Holly!!

Random Thoughts on a Friday

1. Podcast followup:

What a blast I had doing the recording for the Cheshire Public Library's teen book board's podcast! Here is a photo of me with Loan Lee, my fantastic interviewer who had so many amazing questions. I won't spoil it for you by telling you what they were but I will tell you when it's available on their website. Thanks, Loan, and extra special thanks to Sarah Kline Morgan, the teen librarian at CPL!

2. Television followup:

Today I will head to the Time Warner studio in Topanga Canyon to record an interview with Connie Martinson for her show, Connie Martinson Talks Books. I can't express to you my full excitement about this! I will be in amazing company! She has interviewed, among many others, Barack Obama, Gigi Grazer, Al Gore, Gloria Steinem, Thomas Kenneally, Ray Bradbury, Lisa See and TC Boyle. Here's her site...

3. New book followup:

I have already started my brand new story which I wasn't sure I was ready for. I am so unbelievably thrilled about this one. I can't wait to immerse myself in this new world.

4. Happy belated birthday to LOVE, MEG!

You'd think I'd have remembered this one but it came out on 7/5/07, just 1 year and 6 days ago. Even after a year, she still looks great! She doesn't show her age at all...in fact, she's at college now! Here she is at the University of Connecticut Co-op in Storrs:

Sold out!

Am I a sell-out? Well, not if you're talking about getting big money for the commercialization of my work. Then, um, no, darn it, I'm not a sell-out.

Although for the right dollar figure...let's talk.

I mean, I sold out at my Borders event last week! How awesome is that? We had a great crowd (see pics above and below) who were polite and asked some terrific questions and then they bought all of the store's copies of ALL ABOUT VEE! A few even looked under the desk where I was signing and asked with sad faces, "No more?"

The store manager, David Battaglino, was super happy and said he would order some more copies so I could come back and sign them before I leave (which I very happily did!). Then he put the paperbacks of LOVE, MEG which I also signed, in the "summer reading" section in the center of the store (I'm right next to Jerry Spinelli's LOVE, STARGIRL and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA!). And how thrilled was I about that?

Borders treated me amazingly well while I was there. David was so kind and generous, offering me coffee and taking care of me and HH and our guests. They served samples of a new frosty drink from Seattle's Best to all of the guests, who loved that on a very hot day! I can't say enough good things about them. So if anyone is in the Farmington/Hartford area and is looking for my books in paperback - signed copies with the little stickers on them! - please go to Borders down the street from West Farms mall and buy them there.

Thank you, everyone, and thank you, David!

All in all, this was a great trip to the east coast for me. We had a wonderful turnout at the Wallingford public library, great press in the Meriden, Hartford and Waterbury papers, and sold lots of books at the Borders in Farmington. How much better could it get?

Photos galore!

Here are some pics from the fantastic event we had on Thursday June 26th at the Wallingford Public Library. My Ninja Webmaster neglected to snap some photos of the French toast sticks (yummy!) and pink lemonade the amazing Jennifer Nash made for everyone but you can just imagine them as you're listening to the Friends theme song:

And here I am with the amazing YA librarian herself, Ms. Jennifer "Rock n Roll Summer" Nash!

Thanks to everyone who came and to Jennifer and her husband Jerry who did a terrific job putting everything together! Can't wait to come back and visit again!

And for the teens in Wallingford, be sure to get yourself involved with the summer reading program Jennifer is having and you can win a signed copy of ALL ABOUT VEE or LOVE, MEG!

Random Thanks on a Friday

1. Thanks to all who read my guest blog at Teen Book Review last week and who entered to win the signed copy of LOVE, MEG. And the winner is: girlJordyn! Yay!! As soon as Jocelyn gets me your address, I will ship it out asap so you can enjoy it this summer! I hope you'll let me know what you think when you've finished. (btw, love your wordpress blog, ms. girljordyn!)

2. Thanks to all who attended the event at the Wallingford Public Library last night. What a fantastic time we had - me most of all! Great questions, great energy. I hope everyone who read or will read MEG will email me or post about the book. I love to get feedback from readers!

3. Extra special thanks to Jennifer Nash, the YA librarian at WPL who did an amazing job getting everything together and encouraging people to read my books. She made French toast sticks - and for everyone who read MEG, you know what French toast is all about - and played the Rembrandts and served pink lemonade! :) Ninja's Pics will go up on the website very soon!

3A. More thanks to Jerry Nash, Jennifer's husband, fellow Gemini and science teacher, who had great questions and owns the Friends soundtrack (yes!!) and who gave me a copy of the Friends theme song on CD for my very own!

4. Thanks to reporters Carrie MacMillan at the Waterbury Republican-American and Carole Goldberg at the Hartford Courant for helping me publicize my events and books. With their attention, the word is getting out that MEG and VEE are pretty cool books to read.

4a. Lots of thanks to my new special reporter friend, Stacey Graham Hunt, at the Meriden Record-Journal, who interviewed me over the phone and then came to my reading last night and who I'm so excited to be seeing when she comes out to LA this summer AND takes ballet class with me...yay!!

5. Thanks in advance to everyone who comes to Borders on Sunday at 2PM! I can see into the future and see that we're enjoying Seattle's Best Coffee and some sweet treats as we're talking about VEE. Yum!

Shameless self-promotion

Because if I don't do it, who will?

Are you in the Connecticut area? Do you need a reason to be?

Then come on down to the Wallingford Public Library on Thursday, June 26 at 7PM (that's tomorrow night!) where I'll be reading from and talking about LOVE, MEG!

Not near there? Not free that night? Well, then come to the Borders in Farmington on Sunday, June 29 at 2PM. Coffee, desserts, and ALL ABOUT VEE!

And I hope you all got your copy of the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper on Tuesday! Did you check out the Lifestyle section and see the fabulous article by feature writer Carrie MacMillan about yours truly? No? Well, take a look here on-line and I'll scan it when I get home so you can see me in all my full-color glory. Yay, technology!

Never too late to win free stuff!

If you're bored on a Sunday or you're too hot to move anything larger than your mouse, click on over to Teen Book Review and read my guest blog about, I don't know, whatever nonsense I'm talking about. Then post, I don't know, your name or something and you'll be entered to win a signed copy of the LOVE, MEG hardcover. Even if you already have one (cuz I'm sure you do - many, many copies, right?), maybe you want to give one as a gift!

Contest/Blog Reminder

One more thing for today...

You can still enter to win a signed hardcover of LOVE, MEG over at Teen Book Review! Just post a comment! It really couldn't be easier to get something for free!

Cheers!

Guest Blogging and a Free Book!

Free has to be the best word in the English language! Who doesn't like something that's free?

Free money.
Free food.
Free gas.
Free love...

We'll stop right there. Oh wait, one more: free book!

Today I am Jocelyn's guest blogger at Teen Book Review and I'll be giving away a signed copy of the LOVE, MEG hardcover to a random commenter. Honestly, I don't know how that happens but Jocelyn says she will take care of it. I think all you have to do is post at the blog.

I mean, it would be nice if you had something to say to me or about me or my books but I think just posting your name and saying, "Gimme a free book" will work.

So cheers and come on over for a visit! And check out Jocelyn's archives for some awesome book reviews as well as other author guest blogs.

From Around the Web...

One of the things about being a "new writer" is that every little thing seems so cool. Like every time I'm mentioned on the web, I get wicked excited.

I love to read posts about my books or to see where I'm reviewed.

I love getting MySpace and Facebook friend requests.

I love visiting my stats and seeing where people come from who view my blog and website.

I love seeing new things happening!

On Amazon, for instance, you can now view inside my books. You know that "Search Inside" feature? Well, my books have that now. Check it out here with Vee and here with Meg.

I'm also listed on the Borders website for an event I'm doing at the end of June in Farmington, Connecticut. See it here...there I am right at the bottom of the page. And when you click on my name, it'll tell you more about my book. I was so psyched to see that! It makes it, like, real!

Then there are blog mentions. Like here at Christina's blog, and here at Rachel's blog, and here at the Breaking News blog. Who wouldn't get excited about that? Maybe jaded writers, those who've been around a lot longer than me and have been through it all. But until I get there, I'll simply enjoy getting my tiny thrills.