Hi everyone

I have news. Last week I made a life changing decision and now I am a different person!

No, I haven’t decided to have gender realignment or to run away to the other side of the world! But after writing novels for seven years and not really being brave enough to do anything with them, I have FINALLY decided which direction to head in next.

You’d think it would be easy, wouldn’t you? Write a book. Send it to agents. Get squillions of rejections. Find someone who wants to take you on. Get a book deal and publish. Simples. ( Well, not that simple  but the way it’s always been done.)

But there’s a new kid on the block – the Indie Author. This exciting Maverick does not want to be shackled by an ancient industry, wants to control their own destiny and not be at the beck and call of a publishing house. Last week,  the Indie Authors Earnings Report was published. It shows that in the UK, 24% of the book sales in the UK were written by Indie authors. That rises to 34% in America. That’s a quarter of all books sold have been written by people shunning the traditional publishing industry and ploughing their own furrow.

In addition to this, last year more books were sold online than in books shops. Indie authors have always found it hard to get into book stores but on the world wide web everyone gets an equal chance to catch a reader’s eye.

So the only thing that appeared to be holding me back (and has been holding me back for seven years) is the need for validation. If you publish yourself aren’t you just saying that you think your book is good enough without the say so from a publishing house? Well, yes you are but what is wrong with that? My books are edited by the same people that edit in the traditional world, my covers are ( or will be) designed by the same professionals that design the covers you see on the shelves. All that is different is that I am making it happen for myself.

Of course, I have peeped my head round the door of the indie publishing party already. Lucinda Fox, my alter ego is in there already ( although she’s had a paper bag on her head and barely moved away from the door.)

I have decided that I am no longer going to skulk around the edges in the dark. I am going to this party in my best dress wearing my killer heels and with an attitude to match.

I’m still a bit nervous and I have a terrifying long list of things to learn and do but I have a clear focus, a diamond-hard determination and lots of great friends and readers who want to help me make it work. Watch this space!

In other news, there’s a new REVIEW for you over on the review page and don’t forget that if you want to read along with this month’s BOOK GROUP READ then it’s Behind her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I do hope you join in as I can’t wait to talk about it with someone!

Imogen x