Well...
This is anti-climactic.
Everything happened so fast that I barely had time for it to register in my mind before it was on the internet and then people were posting and sharing the news. That's right. Songs of Autumn is going to be published November 21st, 2020. In less than a year my debut novel will be on the shelves, kindles, and in the hands of readers all over the world.
There are so many things I feel need to be addressed about this news and as i'm more-than-slightly OCD I decided i'm going to do one of my favorite things...
make a list.
I'm publishing Songs of Autumn myself through a publishing company I am forming called Southern Grove Publishing. Basically, after the experience I had with nearly getting sucked into the vanity publishing scheme mixed with the confidence of my marketing acumen and the delight I got in discovering new techniques added with a dash of me being a total control freak... well, it's a recipe for becoming a small business owner and doing what I love. Writing, developing, and publishing books. My own and hopefully others too.
The Pre-Order for the e-book version is live on Amazon. None of the other versions are available yet as i'm waiting on getting jacket copies completed by the cover artist I use and have other things I needed to do to be ready for paperback and hardcover pre-orders to go live. They will become available for pre-order closer to April and if you sign up for my newsletter, follow me on my many links (goodreads, amazon, youtube, instagram, twitter, facebook, etc.) I'll make SURE you get notified when those go live for pre-order.
There will be opportunities to win ARC copies prior to release date! What is an ARC copy? Well, I'm glad you asked. An ARC (or, Advanced Reader Copy) is an advanced copy of a book given for free in exchange for an honest review. These will be given away periodically over the next year as many fun events take place as we ramp up to launch day. So, another good reason to keep me in your timeline... because FREE BOOKS ARE AWESOME!
People who take advantage of the Pre-Order will automatically get a discounted price. That's right folks, as if you needed any more of a reason to go ahead and get a copy. Pre-Orders are SO IMPORTANT to self and indie published authors. They can help get Amazon and other publishing platforms to notice smaller authors and as their algorithms pick up those launch day sales numbers they can actually start recommending my book to readers who like similar things if there are enough sales/pre-orders for launch day. So, of course, your excitement and support should be rewarded. :) You get a whole dollar off the e-book price up until the day of launch and the hardcover and paperback will be discounted EVEN FURTHER when they go live. How's that for generous??
Now, you might be wondering if i'm excited, nervous, or hiding in a hole somewhere now that it's official that I will be self-publishing, forming my own publishing company, and my debut is officially announced... D. All of the above. There is a ton of excitement and adrenaline and fear of failure, self-doubt, and crippling anxiety associated with everything having to do with this announcement and my book.
But, if i'm being honest, this is the kind of pressure that I thrive in. The crushing, debilitating kind... yeah, I know, I know, not the healthiest lifestyle. BUT, I digress, it's the times when the sky seems to be falling that my mind and productivity somehow go into superhuman mode. So, while I do feel intimidated, I also feel more alive than I have in a long time. There is an intrinsic heady validation that comes with realizing a dream that seemed out of your reach for your entire life.
There is a hunger that starts in the pit of your stomach when you realize that anything is possible, that you can achieve anything. That your mother was right when she said you could be anything you set your mind to as a child. Because once that goal is reached and those deadlines start looming, once the great yawning chasm of possibility opens up beneath you, you realize the world is full of opportunities. I realized that life is long, careers are not made in one day on one book, they are made by many... and I have multitudes hiding within me, waiting to be unleashed upon the world.
So, here it is, the announcement.
In less than a year I will be a published author. In less than a year I will have claimed a dream that felt too far and too impossible to reach. In less than a year, you will be able to read and devour and tear apart my debut novel, my baby, and I will let you consume it heartily. Because the only way to go from here, is up.
XOXO,
Lauren.