If you haven’t heard of Amanda Hocking, you must have been living under a rock. I’ll admit, I wouldn’t have heard of Hocking if it weren’t for the publishing newsletters I receive in my inbox. According to The New York Times, the self-published young adult writer who sold more than 1 million books, was offered a four-book deal with St. Martin’s Press. Hocking’s advance reached beyond $2 million! Can I say, damn that’s a lot of money! And do you know how she started her career? Selling her e-books on Amazon’s Kindle. When I read Hocking’s blog describing her “big break,” I couldn’t believe it. I had no idea that writers could make money utilizing Amazon’s e-publishing platform. After reading about Hocking, I read an interview where Barry Eisler stated that his electronic short story, The Lost Coast, has netted him $1000. I never thought about selling my short stories on Amazon. But after reading about the success of Hocking and Eisler, I can’t knock the new wave of e-publishing. And for those who aren’t aboard the e-publishing train, they need to jump on it.
Starting an Indie Press
Starting La Muse Press always has been a dream of mine. I have dreamt about being my own publisher and publishing new works from emerging writers for years, and here it is! I am looking to acquire fiction titles that are literary and experimental. By the end of May 2011, I will have published my short story collection, Street Magic: Stories and Tales (2011). The collection contains nine
