Of course this news is incredibly exciting. It could mean big things for authors, and I'm so happy to be part of that group. It's going to be interesting to see how it works out.
When I first thought about submitting to Booktrope, I was incredibly hesitant. I mean, I already had a couple indie publishers (who are absolutely amazing and fabulous), why would I want to add another one to my list? It seemed silly to me. Then, I met Wendy on Facebook, and she was so nice and so sweet and so proud of what she was doing with Booktrope, she convinced me to give them a try.
When the book was finally finished and I was ready to submit, Booktrope was closed to submissions. I figured that was probably a sign, but Wendy had read the manuscript and really liked it, so she talked to Katherine (one of the co-founders), who was willing to publish the book based on Wendy's recommendation. It was awesome.
You can really tell a lot about a publishing company by the way they talk to their authors. Both Wendy and Katherine conference called me to explain to me what Booktrope was all about and answer any questions I might have. I was still unsure at that point about publishing with them, but talking to them calmed my fears and hesitancy, and I couldn't wait to be part of the team.
Incidentally, the only other publishing company I spoke to was Scarecrow Press, who published Life Lessons from Slasher Films. At the time, another publisher was interested in the book, and the editor at Scarecrow really wanted it, so he went that extra mile to persuade me to publish with them.
And it worked. It's so nice to know that a publisher is invested in you and your work.
Recently, Wendy had to step down as my book manager, after doing an amazing job. Pam became my new book manager, and she is just amazing. Even though I've never met her in person, I feel like we're friends. The relationships that are formed between author and book manager are just amazing.
I don't regret submitting my manuscript to Booktrope, and I wouldn't hesitate submitting more. In fact, they are the ones who will be publishing Undead Obsessed and Dealing with Devils. I have more books brewing in my mind, including another zombie novel, and you better believe I'm going to let Booktrope publish them if they want to.
