The new joys of publishing options!

What a great time to be an author!

Last Friday I had the opportunity to attend the 15th annual Long Island Romance Writers' Agent/Editor Luncheon.

It was a gorgeous day and the Waterfall Room at the Fox Hollow Inn was stunning. From the food and champagne punch to the array of gift baskets raffled off - there wasn't a stone left uncovered, all the fine details were taken care of by the luncheon committee.

Guest speaker Angela James of Carina Press was inspiring and lived up to her reputation as "having her finger on the pulse of digital publishing."

One of the things I admired the most of about her talk was that she acknowledged the 800 lb gorilla in the room without blinking an eye.

Yes, she mentioned Amazon and self-publishing. *gasp*

The message I took home from her keynote address was one of being positive about the future of publishing, about the opportunities for authors, and how she's not afraid to move into the future and we shouldn't be either. Bravo!

I couldn't agree more.

This was not my first luncheon, not my first conference/pitching experience and it won't be my last - but I can say that this was the first time I have ever been so relaxed. Maybe even the first time I was even confident. Yes, I have a novel out with Lyrical Press and a novella out with Breathless Press, but I also have a self-published novella up for sale (and it's outselling my other two by leaps and bounds.) Opportunity - hell yes.

I write time travels. I don't write in one particular time period. I love the adventure of new places and times and I believe that readers do too. This is probably a big no-no for an agent to even talk to me... I'm not "specialized." But, I'm comfortable in my brand, "it's always the right time for a spicy romance."

As is the custom, the agents and editors all stood up before lunch and announced what's on their wish list. Only one editor mentioned she'd love to see something along the lines of The Time Traveler's Wife. When I mentioned I write time travel to the agent at my table, I was told "we don't take many time travels at all, so many rules of the genre, readers are very fussy."

Did I pitch to her? Um. No.

Did I care? Um. No.

This is why it's such a great time to be an author. I didn't have to slink home after that comment and spend the next few weeks with my writing stalled because I was in fear of not "following the rules of time travel!" (Since time travel is pretty much considered fantasy, I'm wondering what rules I'm missing here - last time I checked, time travel doesn't really exist...yet.)

Instead I came home and dove right back in to the story I'm currently writing. Yes, It's a time travel.

I'm not worried about what I'm going to do with it once it's done. Maybe it's because my little self-published time travel (you'll find it along the sidebar - A Knight in Her Arms) has sold over 5000 copies since August, has teetered on and off the top 100 time travel romances on the Kindle every month since September and is currently #33 on the bestselling time travel romance list on B&N.

I did get a request to submit it to an editor, and when it's done, I probably will send it to him. But will I bite my nails and hinge all my hopes and dreams on his response?

I think those days are long gone.

Angela James is right - this a great time to be in publishing and we should never be afraid!

I hope you're following your dream this week and NOT letting anyone stand in your way!