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Plot Twists, Challenges and Unexpected Journeys

Posted by D.A. Roberts - Author on December 2, 2018
Posted in: Horror, Publishing Tips, Ramblings, Writer's Ramblings. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

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Isn’t it strange how things can somehow take an unexpected turn? I mean, you plot and plan, then something happens and “BANG”, everything changes. I’ve found that this happens both in my writing and in life, as well. What’s the old saying? The best laid plains of mice and men. This was never more true than the recent plot twist that I encountered with my writing career.

As you all know, I’ve been working hard with J. Ellington Ashton Press to re-launch my Ragnarok Rising Saga as well as my Infinite Black Series of Sci-Fi books. This has been a monumental task, requiring a great deal of effort from quite a few people. Big thanks to the editing staff, artists and management with JEA.

On a positive note, that hard work has really paid off. The edits are complete, covers are nearly finished and the manuscripts are in layouts. Yeah, it’s been a lot of work getting here but I think you’ll all be pleased with the new look and feel of the series. Once the Ragnarok Rising Saga is back on the shelves, expect the Infinite Black Series to be right on its heels.

Insert plot twist.

While I was working on all of this, as well as planning my first anthology with the Hold the Line Imprint that JEA put me in charge of, there was a sudden change at JEA. The CEO, Scott Essel Pratt, unexpectedly stepped down. It was a shock to JEA and sent the entire staff scrambling to restructure and keep the ball rolling.

Catt Dahman, owner and author, worked night and day trying to find the right path for JEA to take. Restructuring and adaptation is never an easy thing to do, especially when it has to come from the top down. They were scrambling to recover while maintaining the continuity of work all through the process. More than thirty authors depended on it.

It was during this process that something happened that I never saw coming. Catt Dahman offered the CEO position to me. I was more than a little taken aback. I did run Dark Water Fiction for two years, but that was really just myself and two other people. JEA is a medium-sized publishing company with more than thirty authors in its stable. Honestly, I wasn’t certain that I was up to the task. Catt was confident that I was the person she wanted and I reluctantly agreed.

I hit the ground running and started organizing things so that we could keep the books flowing, my own included. So far, things have been moving along at a good pace. I am maintaining the momentum by staying task-oriented and ticking off items on the “to do” list as much as possible. It’s been interesting and the learning curve has, by necessity, been quite steep.

I’m learning as I go and taking on tasks as they arise. So far, so good. This has taken my writing career in a very unexpected direction. Although it does take some of my attention away from the writing, I feel that it has given me a laser focus. It’s been interesting, to say the least.

I am the first to admit that this wasn’t the direction that I expected my writing career to take. However, having said that, I am embracing this new challenge and am anxious to see where this takes me.

To my fans, I promise that there are many more books on the way. I will never stop writing, so long as I have the ability. My passion is my writing and I hope to be doing it for many years to come.

To the staff and crew at JEA, I hope to prove worthy of the faith you have shown in me. Catt Dahman is an amazing author, good friend and mentor for my career. She’s also completely crazy. I’m just a hillbilly from a farm in rural Missouri. I hope that I can live up to the faith that she has placed in me. I will do my best to exceed all expectations as CEO.

Taking this journey with me has proven to be interesting. It’s a dark and foggy path ahead, but I’m confident that we will find our way together. Time to forge ahead and find the path for us to take. Let’s take that path to destinations yet unseen.

The End is Only the Beginning.

DA

 

 

 

Inspiration versus Perspiration

Posted by D.A. Roberts - Author on January 3, 2017
Posted in: Publishing Tips, Ramblings, Uncategorized, Writer's Ramblings, Writing Hacks, Writing Tips. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

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Sometimes the writing comes easy. Other times, not so much. I’ve always read that you shouldn’t force it, but when you are trying to meet deadlines, what choice do you have. That’s when your writing becomes equal parts inspiration and perspiration. It’s just a fact of writing. The only other option is to just not write. I can’t accept that, although I’ve been guilty of doing just that. I’ve had to walk away for a bit and clear my head. Sometimes it was on purpose, other times I had no other choice. I’m sure you’ve been there, too. It’s the nature of the beast.

I’ve overcome writer’s block with music, with changing projects and even a few times with alcohol. Ernest Hemingway said it best in the following quote.

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

I never really understood that quote until I was writing my second novel. The first one, I was still fumbling through and didn’t really have my methodology down. By book two, I knew what I really wanted and how I wanted it to go. That’s when the real work began with the writing.

Editing has always been work. It’s the part I hate. I don’t mind rewrites. They only improve the story, but editing…. it’s like taking a hatchet to your own arm. Change this, fix that, delete this…editing is taking a machete to your work. I understand that its necessary and it makes the writing better, but I still don’t enjoy that part of the process. But this article isn’t supposed to be about editing, so I’ll get back on topic.

Inspiration versus perspiration. That’s the topic. Sometimes the writing comes easy. When that happens, the story flows, the keyboard clicks, the music plays and all is right in my writing world. Other times, it’s like mental roadblocks are in place. You second guess every sentence, can’t find the flow and struggle with the pacing. It’s a nightmare. You just must power through it. If you let it stop you, you’ll never finish your story.

Good music helps. So does reading. Both will distract you from the current project. It’s always a good idea to read something when you’re either done with or getting away from your writing for a while. It cleanses the pallet, so to speak. It’s also how we continue to grow as writers. The best writers are also readers. Re-reading your manuscript doesn’t count, either. Pick up a book. Something completely different than what you’re working on. You’ll quickly discover it’s like a cool breeze in your face on a hot summer’s day.

My musical tastes are eclectic, to say the least. Some days, I’ll listen to something heavy like Rammstein or Disturbed. Other days, Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphy’s. Throw some Johnny Cash or Marty Robbins into the mix occasionally, too. Still there are the times when it might be Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata in G Minor. You never know. Don’t limit your choices. The differences enhance different moods and set the tone for you.

Just remember that when the writing gets difficult, you’re not the only one to have gone through it. We all do, on occasion. There are ways to get through it without throwing your hands in the air and walking away. Don’t give up. Only you can tell your stories. There’s an entire world out there waiting to read new stories. Who knows, yours might be the next big thing. I wish you all the luck in the world. I keep hoping my writing will get me there, too. It’s a big bookshelf out there. There’s room for all our works on it.

 

DA

 

To Clear The Air

Posted by D.A. Roberts - Author on April 24, 2015
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

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Hi, folks. DA here again…and it looks like I’m about to climb the old soapbox, once again. I think I’m going to go on a bit of a rant, here. There are some things that need to be said…both about the writing industry and about my own personal career as a writer…and I plan to let it all out. Bear with me.

I’m going to go after a subject that might make me a little unpopular in some circles. I debated not even opening this can of worms, but I decided to not shy away from it. This is a problem that I’ve observed and experienced on a personal level. The sad thing is that there are other writers out there who seem to delight in tearing you down. They will go after you, your work and your reputation. Why? Well, that’s a tricky one. I’m not really sure why they would do it. To me, that’s beyond reprehensible. It’s just plain wrong.

For the most part, the writers and authors I’ve met have been amazing people who want nothing more than to share their work with the world. That’s awesome. That’s what we should want to do. For those of you, who have been so good to me and to each other, thank you. This isn’t intended to be about any of you. This is only a very small percentage of the community. I won’t bother pointing out who they are…we all know at least one. If this bothers you, maybe you should re-examine the way you treat other writers. If it doesn’t apply to you, then it’s not about you. I didn’t intend to single anyone out. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. The thing is, do we keep doing those things….or do we try to do better and be better than we ever thought we could be? I just hope that by bringing this up, we can call enough attention to this to make it stop. Authors have enough stress to handle without being bullied by other authors.

First, the personal stuff.

I have not, nor will I name names when it comes to who has done what and to whom. That’s not my style. The people who have done these things know who they are and we’ll leave it at that. Karma can handle it. Taking potshots at me in a public forum is their style…not mine. So, I won’t dignify their existence with a name. Suffice it to say that I once thought of them as a friend…not just someone I knew from Facebook. No, I knew this person for years.

Not only did they do the unthinkable as a writer…stole from me…then they had the audacity to go onto a forum where they knew I wouldn’t see it and bash me to their new circle of friends. To me, that shows the true character of a person. If I have a problem with you, you’ll know it. You won’t hear about it second hand. They acted dishonorably, despicably and cowardly; that’s the only way to describe what they did. I won’t say anything behind you that I won’t say to your face. I’ll either stand by my word…or fall by it. That’s just me.

If you know me, you know I will bend over backwards to help someone. I did for this person, too. I got them interviews on radio shows, tried to help them with marketing, even warned them about the bad experiences I had so that they wouldn’t have to go through them on their own. The reward I get is to be ran through the mud and slandered; all to “get ahead” of me in their writing career. Watch your back, people. If they stepped on me to get what they wanted, don’t think that they will hesitate to step on you. After all, that’s the kind of person they are.

Listen to my interviews on Blogtalk Radio or check out my pages. I constantly tell new writers that if they want to ask me anything, shoot me a message. I mean that. I firmly believe that by helping other writers to achieve their dreams that we help ourselves, too. I will gladly offer advice, tips or even share information with anyone who asks. Even if all I can serve as is a bad example, there’s a lesson to be learned. I know that I’ve gotten some amazing help and advice from some incredible authors along my journey. The least I can do is pay it forward.

There are far too many people out there who seem to think that they only become successful as a writer by stepping on the competition. They will steal, lie, post nasty comments on your book reviews, bash you in social media and anything else they can think of to make themselves look better by tearing you down. This is just insane. I can’t fathom why people do this, but they do. The truly horrifying part is that it is becoming more and more commonplace.

I saw just the other day on Facebook that an author was going to quit publishing his work and yank all of his current titles from print. All because someone has been bullying them, saying that their writing is derivative, they shouldn’t be allowed to publish, and worse. All I can say is, “Why?” Why do that to another writer. So, you don’t like their work. That’s fine. Don’t buy it. But it’s not up to you to decide who can and can’t publish. By bashing that person until they were ready to quit writing entirely, all you’ve done is shown the rest of us that you’re a thug.

The author who has been bullied won’t name the person who did it, but I wish he would. Frankly, I’d make damned certain that I never buy one of their books. That’s just being a jerk, for no reason. Sure, there are writers out there that I don’t like their work. You know what I do? I don’t read it. Period, end of story. I don’t go after them to make them quit writing.

Look people, writing is a journey. It’s just like life. We’re all on this journey together. My journey in no way means you don’t get to take one. The same goes for your journey. It in no way invalidates mine. When we apply that to our writing, it becomes a shared journey. When I write a book and you read it, we’re now taking that journey together. It goes both ways. I feel the same thing when I read a book. I get to share the vision that the writer wanted to show. The truly amazing part is that we can experience that journey again and again. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wondered the paths and pages of Middle Earth, finding new things each time I visit. Thank you, Professor Tolkien, for bringing us that world.

I have a bookshelf in my room. On that shelf are literally hundreds of books by dozens of different authors. I read books I enjoy. The point is that I don’t know anyone who only reads one author. So that means that we have room on our shelves for many different authors. Not just one. We have room on our shelves for many different books, not just a few. I don’t even know anyone who reads just one genre. Good stories show you to new worlds in your mind. Great writing makes you feel like you’re there.

Writing is not a competition. We don’t win or lose by “beating” the other writers. My success does not depend on someone else’s failure. Your success does not depend on my failure. The only person I am in competition with is myself. I strive to be a better writer today than I was yesterday. Nothing more, nothing less. I hope that you gain all the success you can achieve as a writer. I honestly mean that. I don’t feel like I can’t ever reach the New York Tmes Bestseller’s list because someone else already did. You shouldn’t either. Reach for that star.

Honestly, I don’t even wish bad things on the people who did these things to me. I still hope they succeed and do well with their work. I just wish they felt the same way about me. I won’t stoop to attacking other writer’s works, belittling them in public forums, or trying to turn other people against them. That’s not my way. That’s not the way that anyone should act.

Don’t forget that writing is a journey that we take together. Writer and reader, we experience the same story in different ways. I’m proud that I get to share it with you. I hope that I can continue to share it with you for many years to come.

I meant what I said before. If you have any questions for me or would like to know what things worked for me and what didn’t, feel free to contact me. I, by no means, am an expert or the authority on anything. I just know what did and didn’t work for me. That’s information that I would gladly share. After all, there’s room on the shelf for both of our books.

After all…there’s a reason I chose the tagline that I did for my work. I truly believe it.

The End is Only the Beginning.

DA

Writing, Faust and Bushmills Irish Whiskey

Posted by D.A. Roberts - Author on December 11, 2014
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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Where do I begin? I guess I’ll begin by climbing back on to that soapbox that I was on with the last post. DA’s a preachin’, now. Bear with me while I rant on and on for a few, but I’ll try to keep it on topic. Well, mostly on topic. I may ramble a bit. Here goes.

When I began this journey that has become my writing career, I never thought it would take me so far so quickly. I first published book one of my Ragnarok Rising Saga in July of 2012. That means, in almost two and a half years, I’ve published four full-length novels and am working on the fifth. To me, that’s quite an accomplishment, since I have been trying to become an author since I was a kid. It only took me four decades, but what the heck. Here I am, anyway. It might have taken a bit longer than I hoped, but it’s not the destination that makes the dream worthwhile. It’s the journey.

I didn’t have to pull a Faust and sell my soul to the devil to do it, either. It just took a tremendous amount of work…not all of it my own. There have been some amazing people that have joined me on this journey, as well. My family, of course, came along for the ride. There are quite a few others, too. Matt Roper, my friend and confidant, has been both inspirational as well as helpful. He’s been a sounding board for a lot of ideas. Phil Morrissey, my best friend and cover artist, was instrumental in this transition from traditional publisher to independent author. Without him, I’d still be mired in the miasma that I thought was an insurmountable challenge…..Self-publishing. Phil made all the difference in the world.

There are many others, as well. People who gave of their time and energy…both emotional and real…to make these books come to life. Josh Jones, Katie Hughes, Brian Forrester, Johnathon Drake, Mike Mello, Chris Sowards….you all helped to turn this into the work that it is. Thank you all.

Now…it wasn’t my intention to turn this into an impromptu dedication page for the series. Far from it. What I really planned to do was to tell you all that if I can do this, then so can you. I made no strange contracts with shadowy underworld figures, either. It just took a lot of hard work. We’re all capable of that, right? Dig in, dig deep and write that story that is inside you, waiting to be set free and shared with the world. You can do it.

It hasn’t been an easy journey, either. Writing is work. Don’t let anyone tell you that it isn’t. I’ve spent countless hours at the keyboard turning ideas into words and eventually into books. If it was easy, everyone would publish. You can’t just set down and knock out the next Harry Potter series in an afternoon, then have an early dinner. It’s just not that easy. There is a lot of work to it, but it is more than worth it. Holding that finished manuscript in your hands for the first time is one Hell of a feeling (pun intended…see I know what Faust is about).

Chase your dreams. That’s why we have them in the first place. Dream those dreams and reach for the stars. Always remember that Rough drafts don’t have to be perfect. They just have to be written. You can fix the rough spots in the editing phase. That’s what it’s for. Write your tales. Only you can write it.

I know that it always bugs authors when they here someone diminish what they’ve accomplished when someone says, “Hey, you wrote a book? I was going to write a book, but I never found the time.” Yeah, that bugs me, too. If it was easy, then everyone would do it. But the thing is, it’s not easy. Hemingway said it best when he said, “To write a novel all you have to do is sit down at the typewriter and bleed.”

You pour yourself into your work, whether you believe it or not. Your ideas, your work, your very essence flows into every word. The finished manuscript is as much a part of you as your own children. It’s the child of your mind. It will take on a life of it’s own,too. When I hear people discuss my writing, it always makes me smile. I want them to remember the writing. That is why I write. To me, it’s all about the stories.

I’m not overly concerned with any kind of celebrity status or fame. I want the writing to say it all. To me, the writing is my legacy to my children. It will (hopefully) live on, long after I’m gone. Fame is fleeting. The stories we write could live on for generations, if we tell them well. I hope my grandchildren are fans of Tolkien and some of the other great writers that have been a big part of my life over the years. I could drop a lot of impressive names here, but I won’t. We all love good books and I’m sure you’d see a lot of the same names on my list as you would find on yours.

So, to finish up here and climb back down off of my soapbox….write your stories. Share them with the world. Finish that book and then start another one. I did and look where it’s taken me. I’m writing my fifth novel, now. Ten years ago, I never would have thought I would ever publish. Hell, five years ago. It happened for me, it can happen for you. Believe and achieve.

When you finish, celebrate. You’re in an exclusive club. Not many people write a novel. Even fewer publish one. So, write that book…don’t be like Faust…and celebrate your victory. I like to celebrate mine with a small glass of the finest beverage ever created by man. Bushmills Irish Whiskey. It really is the water of life.

Believe in yourself. Chase your dream and don’t ever give it up.

Sláinte

DA

Character Names

Posted by D.A. Roberts - Author on November 18, 2014
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Just a bit of warning…I’m probably going to go on a bit of a rant here. So, FYI. My thoughts here are just that…my thoughts. Take them with a grain of salt. This is just how I feel about the subject and nothing more. I have the distinct feeling that some people may not like what I have to say, and if not…I’m sorry. I’m certainly no expert on anything, but it’s my blog so I figured “what the heck.” Here goes.

First off, character names are a VERY important part of your character. Unless you want people to not take your character seriously, you have to have a name that doesn’t sound stupid. Now I know a lot of you out there are fans of the Hunger Games books/movies, but I wanted to cite that series as a prime example. The name Katniss Everdeen has always bugged the crap out of me. I hate that name and most of the characters in that series have equally stupid names. I mean, come on…there’s a guy named Peeta for crying out loud. I know they wanted to be original, but I think they went the wrong direction. Seriously, would you have taken Captain James T. Kirk even remotely seriously if his name had been something like Captain Marvin P. Snorkel.

So be careful when you name your characters. Say the name out loud a few times…see how it rolls off the tongue. After all, a memorable name is important, but you want it to be memorable for the right reasons. A strong sounding name will make your hero/heroine character sound believable. A goofy name will give the wrong impression…unless a humorous twist is what you were going for. I can see a use for a good ironic twist, if done right. It might make an interesting character bit.

Next, decide what your character’s background is when you name them. For example, if your main character is of Italian ancestry, you might not want to name him something Polish or Russian. Do your background work on it. Google will find you a wealth of information on regional names. Find the right one for your character. Don’t fall into the trap of just tossing in a name as filler, and then forgetting to fix it later. Microsoft Word’s Find and Replace feature is a good tool to use for that.

Finally, there is the method of finding a good name then building a character around it. I’ve done that, myself. Thinking of a badass name is great, but make sure the backstory for the character fits the name. Again, do your research before you commit. It will save you a lot of headache in the future.

So, if you plan to create your awesome character for you writing…put as much effort into the name as you did in creating the character’s personality. It will pay off, big time. Don’t make your readers wonder what the heck were you thinking when you created a cool character and gave them a stupid name.

Again, a bit of a rant…but I hope there was something in it that you find useful. No offense to the fans of the Hunger Games or anything…that’s just one series that the names really bugged the crap out of me and really detracted from me liking the books To me, it’s the little details that make the story really come to life. Without the little things being right, the big things have no foundation to stand on. All the pieces of the puzzle must fit together if you want to see the entire picture.

End of Rant

DA

Why I am now Self-Published

Posted by D.A. Roberts - Author on December 29, 2013
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

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                For those of you who were already familiar with my work, I thought I would take a moment and explain the decision that took me from traditional publishing to my current re-launch as a self-published author. If you are unfamiliar with my work, there might still be a lesson to learn from my experiences. I’ll gladly share them with you. Hopefully, it will help you to make the right decisions for your own work.

                Initially, I published the first two novels in my series with a small publishing house. I won’t name the publisher, but if you are already familiar with my work you probably know. In the beginning, everything was fine. Our working relationship was good and things were progressing well. I won’t go into the problems that led us to going our separate ways. Suffice it to say that we had a difference in opinion and leave it at that.

                I’m very grateful to my former publisher. They introduced me to the literary world and I learned a great deal. I wish them nothing but good fortune. Having said that, we parted on equitable terms and severed our ties. With my rights returned to me, I thought about it a great deal before I made the decision to become a self-published author. It turns out that it was the best possible solution for my situation.

                Now, I have never had anything against self-publishing or self-published authors. Actually, it’s quite the contrary. I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone who is willing to put forth that kind of effort to get their work out there. The metamorphosis from traditional to self-publishing was a difficult task. Anyone who goes through that process has really gone through the fire. It’s not easy.

                For me, it was difficult to get everything done. I had two previously published novels to re-issue and a completed third novel to edit and release. I wouldn’t have able to do it if it hadn’t been for the above and beyond efforts of my new artist, Phil Morrissey. He really came through for me when the chips were down. Not only did I have to create new covers for all three books, there was formatting, layout, typesetting, interior art and promotional material to make. Basically, I had to start from scratch.

                I lost all of the momentum that I had generated while with my old publisher Because of that, I had to start fresh. That would mean more work than I had expected. The re-launch would task my will, my patience and my nerves. I was having to do everything over. I’m still in the process, but every day, I get closer to my goal. One day, I hope to be in the position to be an author exclusively. For now though, I have to keep my job as a Corrections Officer. Oh well, one day.

                The formatting for both print and electronic editions of the book seemed to be a nigh impossible task. I thought that I would surely have to pay someone to do it for me. Turns out, it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought. The first one was tough. The second book was cake. I expect it to keep getting easier, as I go. Typesetting, formatting and layout turned out to be a task that I could accomplish without contracting out to a service. So, you know what that means, right? It means that if I can do it, then so can you. I’d be glad to offer advice, if you need it. Just shoot me an e-mail or a message on facebook. Who knows, I might even do a few now and then as a side venture. Who knows, right?

                Editing was once again the bane of my existence. I have said it before and I will say it again. I hate editing. Editing takes all the fun out of the process. It turns something I love into work. Not to mention that cutting sections of text out or changing entire chapters really sucks. I mean, as an author, I put part of myself into my work. Cutting out pieces of it hurts. Am I the only one who feels that way? I don’t know…maybe I’m crazy. Hmm…maybe.

                The digital age has made it easier than ever before for an author to create and publish their work on their own. If you have the dedication to write a novel, then publishing it is no longer a matter of rejection letter after rejection letter. You can avoid all of that and just publish it. Then you get to learn how to market it. That sucks almost as bas as the editing. I mean, I wanted to be a writer not a salesman. Unfortunately, the reality of the modern age is that in order to become a successful writer, you have to market not only the books…you have to market yourself, as well.

                All I can say is, do your research. Look at what has worked for other authors and read books on marketing, publishing and promotion. Talk to people in the industry. Hell, find writer groups of facebook and other sites and ask questions. You might be surprised who will answer you. I know I will always take the time to help out where I can. There are a lot of authors out there who will, too. Just ask them.

                One of the main reasons I didn’t self-publish from the very beginning was vanity. Yes, I will admit it. It was sheer vanity. I knew I could self-publish at any time. What I needed to know was that my work was good enough to be published by a traditional publisher. I had to know if my work was good enough to stand on its own merit. I guess you could say that I craved validation. Just because I could self-publish my work didn’t automatically make it good. I had to know.

                Now, not everyone will need this sort of validation. If you’re ready to self-publish, then go for it. You have the tools to do so, right at your fingertips. If you choose to go the traditional route, then go for it. I wish you the best of luck. No matter what route you take, you will have a lot of work to do. From contract to release to sales, your going to have plenty to do. Remember to enjoy yourself, along the way. This is what we all dreamed of, right? To publish our work and change our title from writer to author! It will all be worth it, in the end.

                So, go for it. Write that book and take the next step. Whether you choose to self-publish or go a more traditional path, you are already on your way. Each step of the process will present its own challenges and its own rewards. The ultimate goal is to see your work in print and for people to enjoy it. I hope to see your name on the best-seller list. I hope to see mine there, as well. There’s room for us both. After all, writing is not a competition. It’s a journey. Let’s take it, together.

 

DA Roberts

The End is only the Beginning.