What's the difference between being traditionally published and being self-published?

There's a world of difference between being traditionally published and being self-published but it's not what you might think...

People often associate books which are self-published with something that is poorly written, badly thought-out and possibly lacking in merit. And it's not always an incorrect assumption. There are indeed books which are out there and available to buy, which quite frankly, would be better used as fire kindling than entertainment. These are the books which were possibly rejected by every literary agent and publisher alike. 

But - and it's a big but - there are a growing army of authors who have chosen to self publish. Not because their work has no merit, but because they want the control over their stories, characters and book covers that self-publishing can give them. I'm one of them. 

In fact, I have recently taken the rights for two of my traditionally published books back from the publishers concerned, and plan to self-publish them instead. This might sound like an insane idea, but having spent a long time having to live with a book cover I really hated and being told that the publisher had decided on the image and that was that, I'm very glad to be going it alone. 

That's not to say there haven't been obstacles along the way. For there have been many. 

Deciding on fonts, on letter sizes and paper thickness...cream or white paper, drop caps at the start of a chapter or not? The decisions I've had to make and the things I've had to learn in order to make those decisions, have been almost endless. 

But I've already republished two books...and there's a whole lot more to come.  Check here for my most recent books and look out for the others coming soon. 

Author interview.

Introducing author Rita Lee Chapman. 

Rita is the author of seven books. Here, I have the pleasure of interviewing her. 

How long have you been interviewing authors? 

I started running interviews on my website in 2013 and have featured a different author each week ever since.

Why do authors interest you so much? 

It’s interesting to learn how other authors plan their writing, what they do when they are not reading or writing and to read excerpts of their work. 

Have you ever written anything yourself, or do you have any ambitions to do so? 

I have self-published seven books since 2012.  I have written a four-part series, the Anna Davies Mystery Series, a book for horse lovers and two crime mysteries.

Do you have certain expectations of how an author will be, due to the type or genre of writing they do? 

To an extent.  For example, I think mystery writers are usually quite different from those who write, say, sci-fi.

 Have you ever been disappointed with an interview and why? 

A couple of interviews contained very short answers which tend to come across as a little stilted.

 Do you feel that most authors are honest about themselves? 

I like to think so!

Have you ever wished that an interview went differently to how it did? 

Unfortunately I don’t get to speak to these authors.  I send them a list of questions and they answer the ones that interest them, so unless they are extremely abrupt I’m usually pleased with the outcome.

Have you ever discovered someone you thought you could be friends with, or conversely who you instinctively didn't like, from their answers? 

Yes, quite often I come across an author I can relate to.  They often find me through Goodreads or Facebook so sometimes we catch up again.

Having interviewed so many, you must get a sense of which authors will do well and which won't. Have you been proved right? 

There are some authors whose path I cross quite regularly but I don’t make a point of following the careers of so many authors!  Some of course are notable for their beautiful writing style.

And finally, who would you have loved to interview but can't (Dickens etc)?

I would have to say Colleen McCullough.  One of my favourite books is The Thorn Birds, which had a lasting effect on me. 

Can you tell us where we can read your interviews? 

Guest Authors are posted on my website at http://www.ritaleechapman.com

And anything else you want to add.

If any authors are reading this and would like an interview, please contact me through the website.

The Anna Davies Mystery Series:  Missing in Egypt, Missing at Sea, Missing in London, Missing in France.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083RQ2QDG/

 

Winston – A Horse’s Tale, for horse lovers from teenagers upwards

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9QOZGE

 

The Poinciana Tree, a crime mystery

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XGGY2PZ

 

Dangerous Associations, a crime mystery

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1501062905

The Grand Plan

Today I'm editing yet another book before I publish it. It's called In The Darkness Between Worlds and I'm enjoying reading through it after having written it about two years ago and not touched it since, as I've been too busy. 

Deciding to take my books back from publishers and to republish them myself has been a real roller-coaster. I've learned a lot, mostly how NOT to try to manipulate certain websites and software. But that's a different story. 

You may know that I'm compelled to write by the stories that bubble out of me, and that I write books as well as for film and TV. But what you probably don't know is my Grand Plan. 

And I have capitalised Grand Plan for a very good reason. It is the thing which has driven me since I was a child - a burning desire to help animals in need. I want to use my sales to be able to fund charities and change the world for the better. It's my deepest desire. 

I'm not interested in material possessions. I never have been. And if you've ever seen me driving around in my old battered car, you'll know the truth of that. For me, riches come in the form of a satisfied soul. So I'm using my profits to fund rescues and to alleviate pain and suffering in animals. 

So why am I making a song and dance of this? Not for adulation or any reason other than to point something out. I'm not asking anything of you. I'm not asking you to send money or take action. 

BUT if you are a reader and you were intending to buy a new book, please consider one of  mine. 

You'll get a great book and I'll be another step closer to helping another animal in need. So we'll both benefit. 

Happy reading! x

Even better than before - Split Decision

Well get me - I've just managed to publish the second edition of Split Decision and I'm very proud. And not just of the book, but of the perseverance I've had to show to physically manipulate various websites to do so. 

Heartfelt thanks to the support teams of Amazon and Goodreads who have been magnificent in sorting out all my self-induced problems - from putting the books in the wrong place, to trying to figure out why the system wouldn't do what I needed it to. 

Now just another 23 books to go...

Amazon and Goodreads teams, I'd stock up on headache tablets if I were you - you're going to need them...

Happy reading folks!

  

Goodreads!

 Hello readers. 

Are you on Goodreads? Have you even heard of the site? That's the problem. Since the world wide web was created, we have been inundated with information from one place and another. And quite frankly, there are times when it's simply baffling. 

Back in 2012 I put my first book on Goodreads then promptly ignored the site, until I was launching another book. Now, I think that might have been an epic failure (to borrow my kids' terminology) on my part. Goodreads is HUGE. 

It's like a constant stream of Twitter thoughts and ratings on books. And once you get the hang of it, it can be of great help to find your next great read. 

So if you're already on it, or want to be, look me up and send me a friend request here. 

Happy reading! 

Yup, crying again...

 Within the last two weeks I have watched two immensely enjoyable films which although very different, both left me in tears at the end. 

The first was I Am Woman, the story of Helen Reddy's rise to fame as a singer in the 60s and 70s. A completely flawless portrayal by actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey of a woman who was both vulnerable and full of gritty determination, was of course only part of the appeal. 

Cobham-Hervey was supported by a plethora of fabulous actors who seemed to live and breathe and totally embody the very real-life people who had surrounded Reddy during her lifetime. 

And that song! Was there ever a song that could be a better anthem for 50% of the population? I'd heard I Am Woman, growing up in the 70s in Glasgow, but never had I attached so much significance to the song. Before, it had rolled off my tongue as I sang along, attaching my own petty (and sometimes not so petty) problems to the lyrics... but watching the film, seeing Reddy's very real struggles in a world that did not even give women command of their own bodies, let alone destinies, I finally got the real sentiment of the song. Not the easy - we are all equal - but the more complex idea, that women had been equal all along, it was just that men had failed to notice. 

And so crying my eyes out, I finished watching the film and gave thanks to all those women, who for centuries have fought oppression, so that I - a woman - can sit here today and push out script after script, novel after novel and not be dismissed as 'just a woman'. 

Sadly, Helen Reddy died last September. Not through Covid but through complications of her failing health and dementia. She'll never know the effect her story had upon me. But I know that she was aware of the effect it had already had on countless millions. 

So if you haven't watched the film, I urge you to do so. 

The second film which made me cry was Anna And The Apocalypse. Another musical, it has however a completely different feel and subject matter of I am Woman. 

Hats off to the writers and director of this film. It could have been a fly-away thing, something to watch on a wet Sunday afternoon in lockdown. But actually the film had soul (if you'll forgive the pun, being as the film was about zombies).  

This, as they made very clear during one of the many catchy songs, was to have no Hollywood ending. And the film (enjoyable throughout) was strengthened by its non-Hollywood ending. It was a brave move and one which in my opinion paid off, giving the whole film a depth and compassion that elevated it beyond what it would otherwise have been. 

Ella Hunt was stunning in the lead role and acted, sang and danced her way through it with aplomb. She's certainly going on my list of actresses I'd like to cast in one of my films. 

The only thing I didn't like in the whole of the film was the pram lying abandoned on the road and the zombie attacking it in one of  the opening scenes. That in my opinion was a step too far... but otherwise a great film.

Again, if you haven't seen it, make time to do so. 

And look out for my big news, coming soon. 

Happy viewing! x

A kind-of win...

 I'm very proud to say that as well as setting up my own company this year, Emmeline Productions, I'm also a founding member of the Birmingham-based writing collective, Script Sirens.  

Having only been established a little over a year ago, the Sirens have already been nominated for two awards - the Royal Television Society Award as well as the Pod Bible Awards.

As you can see, we didn't win but we came second, which for something in its infancy, is pretty damned good. 

So keep your eyes peeled and your ears pinned back, because I hope to be able to give you a little update on exactly what we've been up to at Emmeline, very soon. 

Until then, happy reading and stay safe. x

Free audio drama...

 Funded by Arts Council and written by me - here's a little late Halloween Treat for you... Just click on the link.

Scream To Go Faster...   

SALE ON NOW!

Owners books now £5 per book, or two for £9 - postage extra. Signed copies are available at no extra cost. 

I am bringing out new editions soon, so these books are the last of the first editions. Available as Christmas presents to yourself or loved ones. Contact carmencapuanoproductions@gmail.com

Sale price available whilst stocks last. 

A little snippet

 

 “We have lived in fear and sorrow for many, many years. And believe me when I say that I do not go lightly into war. But there is no bargain to be struck, no words of wisdom that will make everything okay, no way for reparations to be made. Evil is a mould that grows on the face of the discontented. We must eradicate it before it infects others. For once, and for all.”  

Brave words, but just who is speaking them, and why? 

Get ready because the end is near -  The Owners Volume IX.

A podcast interview

 The wonderful Lee Greenhough interviewed me about my hopes, beliefs and new pescatarianism. 

The short interview is here.

The whole interview in all its gory detail...  is here. 

Many, many thanks to Lee for inviting me to talk. Apologies if I made his ears bleed with all my chatter. 

Happy listening! xx

 

The Owners Series

If you're a fan of my sci-fi series The Owners, you'll be glad to hear that I'm currently working on the ninth volume in the series. 

It's been strange to come back to the characters after such a long break, and having left them where they were at in Volume I: Alone. But the character of Sophia drew me right back in, not to mention San and Loni, who I had been eager to write about again. 

I'm currently a third of the way through Volume 9 so I won't spoil how the plot is evolving - suffice it to say that you're going to have quite a few surprises in store...

And I'm still working on my many film and TV series too. Again, my lips are sealed right now but there will be some news coming up soon. 

Until then, if you haven't yet tried one of my books, take a look at my REVIEWS page to the right of this post. 

Happy reading!

An interview with the Script Sirens

As you might be aware, I'm one of the Script Sirens.

Click here to watch an interview with me and the rest of the Sirens. But be warned  - I gurn!

Full steam ahead!

With a bit of luck I will have lots of news soon. But for now, all I can tell you is that The Owners Volume VIII: Sophia, is coming along really well.

Because for the last few years I have been concentrating on writing scripts for film and TV, I'd forgotten how it felt to write a book. How much weight is carried by each and every single word you commit to paper.

I've also realised that the list of finished works I was compiling, ready to publish, is rather long... so do bear with me just a little while longer.



It's taken me about five years to get on with writing the next volume in the Owners series. During that time I wrote a book about a trans person trying to find their way in the world, a family trying to deal with autism, loss and grief and several sci-fi/dystopian novels, as well as the film and TV mentioned above. So I've been kind of busy...

Sophia's character is only touched upon in Volume I of The Owners. There she is an adult, a leader of her people. In Volume VIII we see how her strength of character came into being, what it was that moulded her into the adult she would become.

I can't help feeling sorry for her. Her life is filled with hardship and loss and yet she herself fills me with hope. Hope for the world, hope for humanity. Because regardless of what he goes through, it doesn't taint her soul. I wish we could all be like that.

And I guess it makes me wonder about how I would have turned out without all the things that served to define my life. If I had stayed in Glasgow... or London, even. This division of pathways, I have already looked at in my novel Spit Decision (Amazon, Waterstones, etc.,) and was looking at further in the screenplay I'm also currently working on. I'll let you know how that goes.

So if you find yourself at a loose end and are looking for something good to read, pick up one of my books and remember - there will be more on the way, very soon!

Happy reading! x

The Owners Volume VIII

I'm very excited to announce that I have today started to write the eighth volume of The Owners series. 

I actually intended to write this a few years ago, but I was so busy with films and TV, that I didn't get a moment to get started on it. But today I woke up and it was on my mind. 

I've always known what this volume would be about - it was merely finding the time to commit it to paper that was the issue. Somehow right now is the perfect time. 

If you've read The Owners books, you'll know that there are many core themes running through them - what it means to be human, how humanity can be so easily lost and what belonging really means, to highlight just a few. 

So because of what's going on around the world right now, it seems the perfect time to write this next volume. 

The Owners is all about misplaced intentions and about how sometimes there is no right answer. Sometimes what is wrong, has been wrong for so long, that even once rectified, hatred, anger and resentment still burn for past misdeeds. 

In this volume there is a return to some of the characters you met in Volume I: Alone, such as Sophia, who will one day be leader of her people. And of the tragic Louisa. 

I'll keep you posted with how the unfolding of the story goes. 

In the meantime, why not check out The Owners series. I'm hoping that Volumes IV - VII will soon be released. 

Happy reading! x

Videos of my books...

The Owners Volume I: Alone

The Owners Volume II: Storm Clouds

The Owners Volume III: Dark Side Of The Sun

Episode 3: Dinner at Ate...

Here is the episode I wrote with the lovely Louise Osbourne, as part three of the short series, #GoingViral. I hope you enjoy it!

Hopefully, as we come out of lockdown I will have more news. 

Until then, happy viewing! x

                                 

Script Sirens

Just a quick post to tell you about something I've got coming up, starting next Monday, 8th June 2020.

#GoingViral was created in response to the lockdown situation. You can read all about it here.

And don't worry if you're not free when we launch - as the videos are online, they will be accessible for some time to come.

If you watch and you like what you see, why not drop us a comment and share our content with your friends and family?


I will have more news for you shortly, I hope, when normal filming can resume around the world.

Until then - keep safe, and happy viewing! x

Fiction versus reality

What a strange situation we find ourselves in: spring is here, summer well on its way, and we are confined indoors for fear of dying.

Meanwhile the very people we are counting on to save us, are packed like sardines into public transport, expected to do their jobs, exhausted, and without the protective equipment that could ensure their safety - the world really has turned on its head.

There are a lot of phoney soothsayers around, telling all and sundry that they or someone else they know, prophesised this, that it is God's will, that it's all in the great plan. Believe that if helps you - I'd personally rather stick to the science.

But whatever your beliefs, there are some things that are undeniable. One is that all of us are going to suffer some loss - a family member, a friend, a colleague... The other is that our world will be forever changed.

There are some fears that don't just ever go away - the bogeyman under the bed, the mad axeman in the woods... Covid-19 will remain in our collective conscience long after it's claimed its last victim. Like the bogeyman, it will alter our perception of what's safe and what isn't. Probably forever.

When I wrote The Owners series and in particular Storm Clouds and the subsequent volumes, it was this sort of scenario I had in mind.

Set in the almost present, it depicted a world in panic over a series of devastating superstorms and the damage to the whole structure of civilisation which ensued. But more than that, it was a tale of humanity - of the people who were elevated by their situation and of those who used it for their own selfish needs. Isn't that exactly what we're seeing now?

Of course Storm Clouds is an apocalyptic tale and the volumes which follow it therefore, post-apocalyptic, and I hope with all my heart we don't follow that into reality but the motives of the people in my stories and in real life are the same...

Keep safe everyone and please be respectful and considerate. And hopefully we'll come through this together.

Happy reading. xx

Coronavirus

What a sad state of affairs - a pandemic is terrorising the world and all the sad little trolls have taken to Twitter, stating their hope that the 'Boomer' generation will be wiped out. 

Clearly we have raised many sociopaths alongside our otherwise well-adjusted population. Protected by the anonymity that  social media offers, they try to prey on our social weaknesses but in truth it only serves to highlight their own miserable existences. So for that reason, I'll have done with discussing them here - they're not worth a nano-second of our time. 

I think we are all shocked to be in this position... there cannot be one person who doesn't have family and freinds who are very vulnerable to this virus. 

And even if we self-isolate, I genuinelly can't see how we can do that for more than a month at a time. And what happens during that month? It's too scary to contemplate. 

Meanwhile the heros amongst us - the doctors, nurses, police and army, as well as the supermarket workers, the hospital cleaners, the fire and ambulance services, the lorry drivers who transport our foods, the electricity engineers, the sewage plant workers - they will continue to work, keeping the rest of us going. 

And I'm a little embarassed to be just a writer - a woman whose work is of no real value, serving only to entertain. But that's who I am. 

The world will keep turning whether I write another film or not. But if these heroes above stop doing what they do, the world will indeed grint to a halt. 

So from the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you to all of them!

Stay safe and well. xx