Welcome back to member milestones. Today, the Alliance of Independent Authors is continuing the series of posts celebrating your success. As always, we're very proud of all of our members at every level. A huge congratulations to the members featured today.
Author Jane Holland
Author Member
Jane Holland is a hybrid author who self-publishes cozy crime, thrillers and historicals, mostly as Jane Holland, plus romance as Beth Good, Pippa Summers and more. Find out more about Jane on Twitter.
Milestone
Having recently self-published a new dual timeline historical suspense, The Silver Ring, I was approached by Isis Audio for the audio rights and have just signed with them.
Why are you proud?
Selling subsidiary rights like audio is always tricky for independent authors, as we often lack the industry contacts and know-how of publishers and agents. But this is the third time I've been approached to sell audio rights to a self-published book and the largest advance I've received so far.
What have you learned?
This time, I handled the contract myself rather than going through my agent, and feel more confident now in understanding audio rights and what is standard in such contracts.
Author Raphaël Mouterde
Author Member
Raphaël Mouterde is a first time author who just published his first ebook. Raphaël's print book will be published soon on Matador. Find out more about him on his website.
Milestone
I've published my first ebook called The Geometry of the Last Supper. What a journey!
Why are you proud?
After my discovery of the underlying geometry in the composition of the Last Supper, it took me 20 years to write the book and figure out how to publish it. It feels like a massive milestone!
What have you learned?
Persevere! I had to learn how to write. Then learn about the publishing world (helped by the great resources provided by ALLi). Now I'll have to learn about marketing and then letting go!
Author Fiona Stocker
Author Member
Fiona Stocker lives on five acres in Tasmania where she writes memoirs about leaving city life and moving to the country. Her first book Apple Island Wife was about making the move and her second, Saddleback Wife, is just published and features the reality behind the myth of ‘gourmet farming'. Find out more about Fiona on Instagram.
Milestone
I've just published the second in my Wife series of memoirs. Saddleback Wife is about the reality behind the myth of gourmet farming, about unexpectedly becoming a free-range pig farmer when you've only got an arts degree to fall back on. I had the manuscript professionally edited, and had a smashing cover produced by the same designer as my former publisher Unbound used for the first in this series, Apple Island Wife. He's top shelf, has done an incredible job, and I have a product that should stand out on the shelves, online, or bricks and mortar.
Why are you proud?
Saddleback Wife is the first book I have self-published and it was a huge learning curve, particularly formatting it myself on Reedsy and then uploading to Ingram and Amazon.
What have you learned?
I've kept a detailed ‘how-to checklist' so that I'll have this to rely on next time round, for working with my designer and for uploading. And I've learned to ask for help – from the ALLi Facebook forum, and from the group of local authors I belong to and network with here in Tasmania, also on Facebook. Indispensable!
