FROM THE DESK OF ROMANCE WRITER: ROBERTA C.M. DECAPRIO

It is my pleasure to introduce my friend and author of The Vanity, Roberta DeCaprio. Please give her a warm welcome.

The Pros of Small Press Publication/The Five Year Business Plan:

With the numerous rejections I received throughout the twenty years I’ve been writing romance, I never thought my writing career would ever get off the ground. The big names, such as authors Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Nora Roberts, Diana Gabaldon and Suzanne Brockmann (to name a few) often monopolized the large publishing houses . . . making it nearly impossible for a new author, void of agent representation, to be considered. Many times I received a “form” letter, indicating to me the real possibility my manuscript might not have even been read.

Being a writer isn’t only about the characters, dialogue, plot, motivation and conflict . . . it’s also about marketing yourself. Looking at my writing as a business made me realize I needed to develop a five year plan.

In any corporation your first position wouldn’t be the CEO. You’d have to work your way up the ladder to achieve such a status. The business of writing wasn’t much different. Even though there are some authors who have made it quickly to the top, they’re not the norm.

So what’s the answer?

For me it was the small press publisher.

It’s true, the smaller press doesn’t offer advances, but they do offer comparable royalties. They also allow an author to write a story “out of the box,” give a new author a chance to get their foot in the door, their name “out there,” and the opportunity to build a writer’s resume.

Books are offered for sale on the press’s web site, fictionwise.com, amazon.com and with many small presses books can be ordered by bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders Books.
The experience of learning to negotiate a contract, edit galleys, and being involved with the book’s cover art is a wonderful education into the business side of writing.

October 1st, 2006 my first paranormal romantic suspense entitled, COMA COAST was released by Wings Press, and has received a “great” rating as “bestselling Ebook” on fictionwise.com. August 1st, 2007 the sequel, a paranormal romantic thriller entitled, THE VANITY will follow. My third book, a romantic fantasy entitled, A RIVER OF ORANGE, has been accepted by The Wild Rose Press and expected to be released by the end of 2007. I also secured a position as an Assistant Editor for Independence Today Newspaper, a national publication dedicated to the needs and rights of the disabled, and book one of a historical series I’ve created is currently being considered by an agent.

At my first book signing on June 2nd, 2007 I couldn’t help but smile. Within three years my five year plan was working.

My advice: Don’t think you’re a “sell-out” because you’ve decided to submit to a small press publisher, but do your homework before selecting a publisher. Find out which presses will publish books in both Ebook style and print on demand. Many debut the book first as an Ebook, then several months later in print. If you want your novel in print form for book signings, make sure the press you’ve chosen offers the print service. Decide on a press that distributes books to major bookstores and can be ordered by smaller book houses, as well as on their web site. More media distribution will add to more book sales. Talk with other “small press” authors and find out how they’ve been treated by their editor, if they’re pleased with the cover art of their book and if they receive royalties on time. Then begin your own five year plan.

To read an excerpt from Roberta’s books, visit her web site at:
www.robertadecaprio.com and sign her guest book.
To order books log on to: www.wings-press.com and www.thewildrosepress.com.