Those of you who are my regular readers are aware that I already have one published book "The Forsaken" under my belt. If you're new to this blog, this is news to you. But I have other news. My second book "The Offspring" is coming out in April 2014. Both books are part of a six part series called The Children of Cain. This is an epic Urban Fantasy series that rolls biblical and mythical tales together into a modern world with characters as realistic as you and me. It's dark, deep, and meaningful, set in real life situations with a dash of magic thrown in for good measure. If you'd like to learn more check out my website www.rjcraddock.com.
If you're an aspiring author or know one whose thinking of self-publishing here is a quick tale of my own self publishing journey for you to read or share with anyone who might benefit from it. I've written my whole life but only gained the confidence to pursue it as a career a couple years ago. I submitted my manuscript to publishers for a year and a half. I did receive an offer but the company didn't have a solid reputation so I declined. With the support of my husband I decided to self-publish my first book "The Forsaken". However, I was taking a blind leap of faith and really didn't grasp what I was getting into. I only started blogging and building my online presence a few months before the book was released. When it was launched there was very little hype so it didn't get the launch it deserved. I also hadn't taken enough time with the editing process and had rushed the book to print. When I received my first shipment of the book I could tell from page one that having just one editor had been a big mistake. We did, however, hire another editor (a more experienced one) and a few months later released a second--and much improved--edition of the book. One up side to self-publishing I found is that I got to design the whole book myself. For most people I wouldn't recommend doing this. However, I am an artist as well and studied animation, media arts, and graphic design in college. Actually, the idea of having no say in my own cover art drove me crazy so it was the best solution for me. It was a lot of work, but well worth it in the end. I probably won't do it for another series but for this one it made since to do it myself. Overall it's been a great experience. Like I said before my second book "The Offspring" comes out in April and the process is definitely smoother the second time around. I would advise anyone thinking of self-publishing to read blogs like this http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/five-mistakes-killing-self-published-authors and do a lot of research about the business before they make up their minds. It's not for everyone but self-publishing can be very fulfilling.
Anyway, that's all for now. Make sure to check out my new and improved website for details and updates about The Children of Cain series. Now go forth, read, write and share. Enjoy the video below of one of my favorite CAKE songs (The video is a little silly but the song is awesome) Come on back to visit the blog next weekend.
R.J. Craddock
