To ebook or not to ebook, that is the question

Oh the times they are changing. In 2006, I self-published my first mystery novel, Jackson Corners. It was a hasty move, a decision made too quickly based on my desire to have real proof that I was in fact a writer. I needed to hold a copy in my hot little hands. The cover sucked, the copy editing sucked and the story, while interesting was badly in need of pruning. 110 K words for a mystery novel. I don't even want to re-read it.

Plus it didn't sell. Probably because the price was beyond astronomical. Self publishing via Lulu, even with meager royalties, the book cost almost $20.00 on Amazon. And with the crappy cover, I'd set myself up for absolute failure, ensuring I didn't get the one thing I really wanted. For people to read my book.
And me being me, I swore off self publishing. The words NEVER AGAIN have been shouted from the rooftops, and made public online.

But now, here we are 5 years later. And my tune has changed from NEVER AGAIN into, well.... maybe. What's changed my mind? The only thing that ever changes my mind. Money.

Indie ebooks are succeeding for the same reason POD failed. They cost less than their mass produced counterparts. My backlist has taken off and while I like to think that's due to my expanded web presence and sparkling demeanor, the fact is that you can buy both Laundry Hag books and River Rats for about half what a mainstream ebook is going for on Amazon, B&N or any other ebook venue is probably the root cause.

Which got me thinking. Is it worth another go? Do I really want to undertake this? And in typical Laundry Hag fashion, I started to make an ebook pro-con list.

Pros:
I've learned from my mistakes and am less likely to repeat them. The books that I'm considering putting out right now have been through my fabulous crit partner and several beta readerIs. I know they're quality. I know an eye catching cover is important. For B Cubed, I plan to hire a pro and I actually like the look of the cover I did for Stellar Timing. I've learned a great deal in five years, about how to write and sell a compelling story. The cost, as I've already mentioned, is a huge bonus. I want to pass on savings to my readers. I'm not in this gig to make a ton of money, but to entertain as many people as I can. And yes, I want to get paid for it, so I can afford to keep writing.

These books will go out into the world my way. No one else's impression of what the story should or shouldn't be skewing what I originally envisioned. I'm willing to compromise up to a certain point but this pure, artistic freedom is a balm for my jaded soul.

Cons:
The notion that I have to do everything, especially the more technical work, is daunting. Conversion, proofing, cover design, is just the tip of the iceberg. I still have to network, market, promote and read, just like I'm doing now. All of this plus many many other little bits and pieces take away from time I set aside to write. Is that a compromise I can live with?

So,after much grumbling and muttering and exercising pretty much every technical muscle I have, I did it.

Stellar Timing is now on sale for Kindle and coming soon on Nook for the low low price of $2.99. From me to you. This was my On the Far Side Contest first place story as well as my first venture into real world building. I'm very happy with the result.

When a man wearing blood-soaked armor begs her for sanctuary, Ellie McIntyre is sure her mind has snapped like a dry twig. In the year 2059, poverty and stress have done much worse. What else could explain her ability to hear animals talk and the knack for communing with the wounded warrior inside her head? One thing’s for sure, she needs to eject this sexy figment from her life, stat.

Betrayed by those closest to him, Prince Brennigan was banished to the universal Hotel California, the penal colony called Earth. The only way to escape this fate worse than death is to befriend a portal-maker, a sorci who can open a gateway through time and space and return him to his home planet. Getting along with the magically inclined is not his forte—magic is the prevalent fungus at the root of his problems.

Now the hope for his people, and his heart, lies with Ellie. Can an ignorant witch best an evil sorceress before this medieval times space opera’s final curtain?

Stellar Timing on Kindle