ICLM - Guest Post- Kathy Gilmore

As we come to a close of International Chick Lit Month, I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU for all the guest posters who helped promote International Chick Lit Month on The Phantom Paragrapher and last but not least, I present to you the last Guest Poster for International Chick Lit Month 2012 - Kathy Gilmore

Women Literature Today 

I want to thank Paula for letting me guest host. The broad subject matter that she gave me kept me sleepless for a couple of nights. There are so many ways to take this wonderful subject that I had trouble eliminating all the paths but one. 

I am a woman author and continually write when I can snatch a moment here and there from our fast paced world. I, like many authors today, thought that the only way to publish my manuscripts was to get an agent who then would work tirelessly to get me a publishing deal with a major company. 

Many, many rejections later a good friend of mine, Victorine Lieske (New York Times best seller) convinced me to try independent publishing with eBooks. I was hesitant and more than a little leery about such a new endeavor. But I trusted her and have worked hard to put out my first eBook (launched on Cincho De Mayo). From what I have learned, this is the way to go if you actually want to make some money at this (since not all of us are Stephanie Meyers). 

Something else I have learned is that eBooks is a real boon for female writers. In the past there has been discrimination against women in the arts. Many women use their initials instead of their first names so it won’t be known they are women. The reason for this is because the ‘powers-that-be’ over selling art (books are included) don’t take women seriously. Oh sure a woman can crochet a doily, tole paint a chair, even write a short romance but they don’t think a woman can do anything serious. 

Now, in eBooks, there isn’t a ‘powers-that-be’ -as we’ve known traditionally- over the Indie Author. All Indie Authors are treated the same, male and female. Now authors are truly judged on their ability, not their gender. And, it is we, the reader, who are the new ‘powers-that-be’ over selling books.

A word to writers: As an avid reader I’m always on the outlook for an author I can trust. Trust, you ask? Yes, there are a lot of good writers out there. But there are a few that don’t know how to use spell check or publish their hard work without a good editor (more and more this is also true of traditionally published works). Which is a shame, because, most of the time the idea behind the story is very good. I love fiction of all kinds. Give me something that can really happen or at least induce me that it could happen. If an author can’t persuade me that it could be real then that author loses my trust. Without trust I stop reading and go on to something else. When I’ve lost my trust it is hard for me to buy anything else by that author. So don’t BS me, convince me. 

A word to readers: Take a few extra minutes to get a feel for a book before you click ‘Buy’. There are a lot of very good eBooks out there that are only .99. Take your time and find authors you really like. Then enjoy as many wonderful stories as you can. Remember to leave a review. You can leave a short and sweet or long and in-depth. Authors live and learn from reviews. And for those who think only traditionally published books are for you … enjoy as many wonderful stories as you can. For me, I don’t care who publishes the book as long as I enjoy it. 

Again, thank you Paula for letting me romp across your blog. It was fun.