MY PUBLISHING JOURNEY: Author Holly Kammier

Have you ever wondered how authors get their start?
How do they get agents?
How do they get published?
Is it luck? Talent? Drive?

This segment is an attempt to satisfy my immense curiosity...to answer the one question I'm dying to ask every author out there: How did your book become a book?

Visit the full catalogue of "My Publishing Journey" interviews HERE.

Today's Featured Author

Holly Kammier

www.hkammier.com
Author of 

KINGSTON COURT & CHOOSING HOPE

AGENTS

Do you have an agent?

No.

How many queries did you send?

None.

If you don't have an agent, is it by choice?

I decided to go straight to hybrid publishing rather than shop around for an agent and then stand idle as my agent shopped my manuscript to traditional publishing houses.  

HYBRID PUBLISHING

Why did you choose hybrid publishing?

First and foremost, I didn’t want to wait the minimum of two years it would take to see my book brought to market through a traditional publishing house. From everything I have read, heard, and experienced, the chances of a non-traditionally published novelist getting her manuscript picked up by a big five publishing house and then having  that publishing house making her book one of their priorities for marketing and endorsements, was slim at best.

I wouldn’t accept a book deal from a smaller traditional publishing house because I don’t believe they could do a better job of editing and marketing my book than I can. I also didn’t want to waste months or possibly years waiting for a big deal that wasn’t even remotely a guarantee.

Besides that, even if I did get picked up by one of the big 5, my manuscript would have gone through changes at the hands of an agent and the publishing house. Choosing Hope would have been subject to modifications I may or may not have felt comfortable with, and I would have lost a large percentage of my work’s profits.

I just didn’t see enough value in waiting, making changes I may or may not feel comfortable with, and giving up the rights to my work. Choosing Hope is deeply personal to me. Three highly experienced, professional content editors, edited Choosing Hope, and I felt confident in the quality of my writing. I knew what I wanted for the cover design. Publishing my work on my terms was my best option.  

What do you like about your publisher?

I have all the control. I don't have to give a cut of my earnings to a publisher and/or agent. I still get the support and guidance from a team of professionals.

Did your publisher produce a hardcover of your book or just paperback?

I have the option to do both. I plan on doing a hardcover and paperback for Choosing Hope.

Did your publisher create an audiobook for you?

This is a also an available format, and yes, I plan on doing an audio book for Choosing Hope as well.

MARKETING

What marketing tactics worked for you?

With my first novel, Kingston Court, Bookbub, Facebook, and Book Festivals ended up selling the majority of my books. I plan to use all three marketing tools with Choosing Hope in addition to signing up with an experienced online book touring company several larger review services that offer readers the opportunity to read Choosing Hope for free in exchange for a book review.  

ADVICE

What lessons have you learned? Any advice for those about to go down your path?
I learned so many lessons along the way, that my writing bestie, Jessica Therrien, and I, formed a hybrid-publishing company last year to guide other writers along a successful publication journey, and offer their work alongside our award-winning, bestselling authors, through our imprint, Acorn Publishing. I’m so proud of our collective and the quality work we are putting out into the market. 

Any advice for those about to go down your path?
Three things: Edit, edit, and edit some more. A picture is worth a thousand words and in the case of book covers, a great picture is worth thousands of sales. Lastly, develop and implement a strong marketing campaign well in advance of your book release, and make sure you continue marketing your book long after its release.

Publisher Details:
Publisher Name: Acorn Publishing
Website: www.AcornPublishingLLC.com
Is an agent required to submit: No
Are they accepting all genres: Yes

AVAILABLE 10-31-17

A broken marriage.
A love affair.
A lie that changes it all…
Hope Sullivan has been with the same man since her freshman year of college. She knows her marriage has its cracks, but she doesn’t realize how much resentment she has buried, or chosen to blame on herself, that is until a family tragedy forces her to reevaluate her long held beliefs.

When her husband isn’t there for her, Hope’s first love steps in and offers her a way out. Adrian, appears to be everything her husband isn’t. 

He’s sexy, strong, and fit. He listens to her, sympathizes with her, and makes her feel valued. Best of all, Adrian lives for spending time with his kids. 

Hope’s affair is just the beginning. Her journey inward will require untangling her complicated past and surviving an astonishing revelation. 

Her lover is not who he pretends to be. 

She’s searching for her happily-ever-after, and no matter how painful the journey, she’ll find what she’s been looking for all along—the chance to choose Hope.

A spin-off from the best-selling novel, Kingston Court.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS