It brings me great pleasure to be part of the 1-year celebration of “The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything” by Francine LaSala, which there has been a lot of praise for!
GUEST POST by Francine LaSala
Teamwork and the Indie Author
When I self-published my first novel, Rita Hayworth’s Shoes, I knew everything there was to know about publishing a book. Literally. I had had nearly 20 years of experience in book publishing, after all. I knew I had to launch it at just the right time, that the cover had to be fantastic. What I didn’t realize was that in order to successfully make a self-published effort sing, I needed to make friends–and lots of them.
By the time Diversion Books picked up Rita Hayworth’s Shoes, I still hadn’t learned this lesson. So while I had the support of a publisher now, and I was selling more than the three books per month I had previously sold, I still wasn’t reaching an audience.
Then the most remarkable thing happened. I discovered a world of writers’ groups on Facebook, and it made all the difference. Chicklit Goddesses, in fact, was my first-ever Facebook writing group to join. I noticed in my feed that Meredith Schorr, a fellow New Yorker with whom I’d had a passing non-Facebook association, had joined Chicklit Goddesses, and I checked it out. I asked to join, was graciously welcomed by Isabella and the rest of the ladies in the group, and what a difference that made!
I interacted with people. I asked and answered questions. I made jokes and I made friends. By the time I published The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything, I had made a group of writer friends to do fun holiday promotions with. I had a network of supporters who shared my statuses and tweets, and I theirs. I signed up for blog hops and other writer’s groups, where I could reach audiences outside of Chicklit, a category for which I don’t completely fit the mold, but have been lovingly embraced by authors and audiences of this genre anyway. And I have made friends, true and special friends whom I cherish.
None of this has existed in the world of traditional publishing. Though they are starting to catch on. 🙂
When you’re a writer, you’re very isolated. You work in isolation. Chances are, you feel isolated when you talk about what you do with your family and friends who want to support you, but really have no idea what you’re talking about half the time.
When you’re an indie writer, you also have that isolation of not having a publicity-marketing team behind you. As an indie writer, you have to make that team. The great thing about this? Instead of having one or two people backing you up, you have hundreds. It’s a wonderful feeling to support other writers and to be supported by them.
There is no “I” in teamwork, but there is a “we.” There’s also a “wok,” a “meat,” and a “mow.” That’s all nonsense, though. Because the most important thing in teamwork is the friendship, the camaraderie. The sense that we’re all in this together, and we work together to help each other succeed. Call me a Pollyanna, but if you’re an indie author, this is what makes all the difference!
**GIVEAWAY**
Be sure to enter the Goodreads giveaway to win a copy of “The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything”
**GET YOUR COPY TODAY**
**From today to November 8th, “The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything” is on sale for $0.99!**
Francine LaSala has written nonfiction on every topic imaginable, from circus freaks to sex, and edited bestselling authors of all genres. She is now actively taking on clients for manuscript evaluations, editing services, copywriting (covers, blurbs, taglines, queries, and more), website and blog creation, and developing kickass social media campaigns. The author of novels Rita Hayworth’s Shoes and The Girl, The Gold Tooth & Everything, and the creator of The “Joy Jar” Project, she lives with her husband and two daughters in New York.