A psychic doing readings at a small conference I’d attended with my husband in Las Vegas
As the years went by (twenty-six, to be precise), I turned my pen to murder and literary thrillers, completely forgetting that long-ago reading. My romances vanished from the shelves, and my mysteries took their place.
And then along came e-books. “A passing fancy,” I said. “A drop in the bucket.”
Before I could wrap my mind around this thing called e-publishing, the drop turned into a steady downpour and then a downright flood. Writers, agents, publishers and booksellers started scrambling to find a firm footing. Meanwhile, I had a backlist from Loveswept sitting on my bookshelves collecting dust.
Though I typically have to be drawn kicking and screaming into anything new, I am really thrilled at the chance to breathe new life into stories I loved writing. While I continue to write books that readers can pluck off the shelves in bricks-and-mortar bookstores as well as purchase online, I am also bringing back my romance classics as e-books.
It’s amazing to see Touched by Angels and the sequel, A Prince for Jenny, hit Amazon’s Top 100. It’s remarkable to get letters from long-time fans who are delighted to see these classics back with great new covers and in a jazzy new format. It’s astonishing to read email from fans who have just now discovered me – all because of this thing called e-publishing.
Though the challenges are great, the possibilities are endless. While I’m still learning to navigate the complicated e-publishing process, I’m delighted that I could write Christmas in Time, a time travel back to the Titanic, as a prequel for Only Yesterday, my classic time travel romance that weaves between the present and World War II.
I’d love to chat with you today about e-books. What is your reading experience with e-books? How do you like to shop for books, to read them? If you’re a writer, are you e-pubbing, either exclusively or additionally? Is it your bread and butter? Pour yourself a cup of coffee, pull up a rocking chair and let’s talk.
Best-selling author Peggy Webb has penned almost 70 novels in three genres – romance, mystery, and literary thrillers (written as Anna Michaels). She holds a Romantic Times Pioneer Award for her contribution to romance. Her classic, Birds of a Feather, is considered the first romantic comedy. Visit her at www.peggywebb.com and http://www.annamichaels.net/.
8 comments:
Wow! What awesome covers, Peggy! I have read Christmas in Time and loved it!!!! Ordering Only Yesterday now!
i love your new covers, too. Stunning.
I read everything I can read in ebook format. It's a lot easier on my eyes and doesn't require as much muscle movement. That's important to me.
I say that as one who loved the feel of a book in her hands, but now that I've transitioned, I Have to say I love the feel of my ereader, too. And I love the flexibility. Since I rarely read one book at a time, it's nice to have access to so many at once.
So I'm embracing the shift and loving ebooks.
Debra,I'm so glad you love those covers. The artist did a fantastic job in perfectly capturing the romantic/nostalgic feel of the stories.
The time travel romances were among my favorites, and it's such a pleasure to bring them back e-books.
Vicki, I have a ninty-nine year old aunt who also loves the e-readers. Her reasons? They are lightweight so she can hold them close to her eyes for a long time without getting fatigued, and she can adjust the font size so the text is magnified to accomodate her needs.
Thanks for your comments about the covers and for stopping by to chat.
Whoops! Clicked on published before I typed in my name. Anyhow, thanks again, Vicki.
I love ebooks. Over the past year it seems like bookstore are carrying less books and focusing on just the top sellers. I've never been one to follow the crowd. If you only buy the bestsellers, you're missing out on some great reads. Thanks to Kindle, Nook and the rest, I'm not faced with bookstore disappointment. One click and I've got the book I want without even leaving the house. Can't get better than that.
I'm also an author, and have been writing exclusively for epubs since 2006. I can't think of a better place to be. It's more like a family than a publisher when you find the right house.
J., thanks for stopping by. I've heard other readers talk about the pleasure of being able to download a book at midnight and start reading right away. No dressing to go into town, no fighting traffic, no money spent on gasoline, no hassle.
Your take on finding authors who are unsung by the New York Times is refreshing! I've discovered some jewels that way.
I'm also glad to hear your perspective as an e-pubbed author. The best of luck to you.
This is such a nice post.
the title "Romance Bread and Butter by Peggy Webb" sounds good.:)
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