Guest blogger Denise K. Rago offers self-publishing advice (giveaway included!)

Guest blogging today is Denise K. Rago, author of Immortal Obsession (which has a gorgeous cover, shown to the right). Denise is here to chat about her novel and to offer inspiration and guidance to writers frustrated with the seemingly impossible task of breaking into print.  Be sure to check out her contest details for an autographed copy of Immortal Obsession at the end of her post.

Self-Publishing: Blood, Sweat, Tears and a Leap of Faith

by Denise K. Rago

Writers need time to write. No matter how many things we do well, if we want to be successful, we will have to trust a lot of the details to other folks.

As a self-published paranormal romance author trying to finish her second novel, I constantly struggle with finding the time to write and promote my work. True, writing is a very solitary process, but that’s where it ends. Collaboration is key if you want to reach readers. And the burden is bigger on self-published writers, who are navigating the writing world largely on their own.

If you’re thinking about self-publishing your first book, here’s a glimpse into my experience – and some advice from the trenches!

ASK MORE EXPERIENCED WRITERS AND EDITORS FOR HELP.

After completing my first draft, a dear friend suggested I contact a gentleman with decades of experience in the publishing business. Lou Aronica is a publisher, editor, and author who runs WWW.FICTIONSTUDIO.COM.

Hesitantly, I contacted Lou, who was kind enough to read the first several chapters and then ask for my entire manuscript! After receiving his eight-page letter, I took his suggestions to heart. Though I disagreed with some of them, I agreed with most of them, and I credit him with being the first person to help reshape my manuscript.

Thankfully, through writing workshops, I have come to depend on other writers for their honest opinions – because they understand me like no one else on this planet (not even my loving husband). We root for one another yet understand the painful process of personal expression. No one will feel the trials and tribulations, nor the magic gleaned from a sentence well-written, like another writer. It’s natural to fear showing one’s work to others, but it is essential to garner feedback in order to improve.

So after the first redraft, I turned to Lou again, who suggested I ask a copy editor to fine-tune Immortal Obsession. If I ever gave advice to a writer, it would be to find a professional, someone who does this for a living; not your best friend or your English Literature professor, but a professional copy editor. And pay them. Their fee is worth it, because their job is to read your manuscript with a critical eye and a fresh lens, not boost your ego. My copy editor advised me on which paragraphs to toss, those that needed to be moved around and at times helped me refine the point of view. I must admit, I took most of her advice too, and that’s another thing: I listened to the folks to whom I paid good money for their services. Why else would I hire them?

IF THE AGENTS DON’T BITE, GO YOUR OWN WAY.

Now all I needed was an agent (or so I thought). I spent the better part of 2008 querying dozens of agents, but only one asked for the first 50 pages of my novel. After too many rejections to count, I was beginning to rethink my position as an unknown author. How long would I have to wait to get my novel out into the world? How could I leave my fate in someone else’s hands, anyway?

I began to think the unthinkable: self-publishing. I turned to three people whose opinions I trust: one of my writing professors, a very famous author, and Linda Lauren, the fourth-generation psychic medium and owner of Linda Lauren’s Embracing The Universe, who has given my much guidance over many years and has been more than instrumental in this entire experience (www.lindalauren.com). Ironically, two of the three women mentioned the same publishing company in the same day, Amazon’s CreateSpace. I took that as a sign.

Portrait of Christian Du Maure. Artist: Pauli Verridicci.

Another fortuitous discovery pushed my novel along as well. Earlier in the writing process, I had discovered that a coworker was a professional artist. Over coffee one afternoon we began to collaborate on creating portraits of some of my characters. Beginning in 2007, over the period of two years, she created portraits based on my descriptions. Today, many of them are now on my website, which leads me to two other folks who have changed my life and the vision of my novel.

BUILD AN ONLINE PRESENCE TO REACH YOUR READERS.

All authors need websites, whether they have agents and publishers or not. But it’s especially important to market yourself online, where so many readers gather to find, discuss, and buy books. I knew I needed a website, and another coworker suggested a company based in San Diego called Well Versed Creative.

Founded by a young couple with experience not only in graphics, but also in editing, marketing, and copywriting, I hired Well Versed Creative to get my novel (and me) “out there” online. I gave them the first few chapters of Immortal Obsession, plus a few websites of other authors that I admired and a link to my old blog, and I turned them loose. Lindsey Donner, owner and wordsmith, is a writer, editor and marketing expert, while her husband, Luis Cortes, works behind the scenes on graphics and web development. He created beautiful images from my world of the written word on the screen.

Lindsey suggested a social media marketing plan that included revamping my presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Though I have been blogging for years, Twitter is something I was hesitant about, but Lindsey encouraged me to try. Twitter can be a crucial tool to an author’s online success. Honestly, I still feel tentative about it, but I take my career seriously enough to work at the hard stuff!

WRITING IS SOLITARY, BUT PUBLISHING IS NOT.

Since October of 2005 when I began writing Immortal Obsession, I have been faced with many decisions and challenges. I would be lying if I said it was easy; however, my confidence has doubled since last spring, when I decided to take my career in my own hands while collaborating with other professionals along the way. Now, my book can be found in local bookstores or ordered from any of the big booksellers, and my website provides a hub for all of my endeavors, from book launch parties to guest blog posts. Who would’ve thought?

Writing may be a solitary endeavor, but Immortal Obsession is a tapestry created from many influences and visions.

Denise K. Rago is a paranormal romance author whose first novel, Immortal Obsession, was published in September of this year. You can reach Denise on her website, http://denisekrago.com, where you can also read an excerpt of her book – part love story, thriller, vampire romance, and paranormal romp that takes place in Revolution-era Paris and modern-day New York.

CONTEST RULES
Denise is offering a free signed copy of Immortal Obsession. For the chance to win, head to the comments section and tell us which aspect of self-publishing sounds the hardest. If you speak from experience, feel free to share a challenge you've encountered.  I'll randomly draw a winner from the entries.
The contest is open to all countries.
Deadline: Thursday, December 9, 2010.

Denise K. Rago online:
http://www.denisekrago.com
http://www.facebook.com/dkrago
http://twitter.com/DeniseKRago
http://denisekrago/blog
Read an Immortal Obsession excerpt on Scribd.