Happy 2013, my fellow indie authors! As we jump into a new year in this new world of digital publishing, here’s a round-up of resolutions to help you make 2013 your most successful year yet.

1. I will make changes. Indie publishing involves lots of trial and error. If your sales are stale, it’s time to refresh something. Update your covers, modify your prices, revise your book descriptions. Don’t just grumble and complain to your indie friends. Try a creative new approach.

2. I will be brave about pricing. This isn’t 2009. The .99 – $2.99 price range isn’t the sweet spot that it used to be. It’s great for a limited-time sale to boost your visibility, but not for every day. Readers have gotten burned by bad books at cheap prices, and they’re willing to pay a little extra for higher quality. Nudge your list price into the $4 – $5 range and you might be pleasantly surprised by the results. My sales improved in 2012 when I made that jump.

3. I will send out a newsletter. Your e-mail newsletter is your most important promotional tool. It feels much more engaging and personal than any Facebook post or Tweet. This year, make it your goal to get the email address of every person who visits your website, blog or Facebook page. (You can subscribe to my newsletter by using the handy box at the top of this page.) Set a regular schedule and send out a newsletter at least once a month. Use a newsletter service (I love MadMimi) to make your mailings inexpensive and headache-free.

4. I will not be afraid of reviews. The number of reviews on your book is more important than the number of stars in each review–so even one-star reviews serve a purpose. Having lots of reviews improves your algorithms, increases your visibility, and encourages readers to sample your work. When it comes to reviews, more really is better. Every time you receive a fan email or see a book rave on your Facebook wall, ask that reader if she would be willing to go post a review.

5. I will spend less time on social media. I’m using my smartphone to tame my Twitter addiction this year: I set the Alarm/Timer app every morning and limit my total social-networking time (email, Facebook, Twitter, all of it) to 30 minutes. When the alarm goes off, I shut down my browser and spend the rest of my day writing. Facebook and Twitter are (gasp!) not essential to your success. Barbara Freethy says she only had about 2,500 Facebook followers when one of her indie titles made the New York Times bestseller list. Indie superstar Bella Andre admits that she’s not a social-networking queen. So how have these authors sold millions of ebooks? Keep reading.

6. I will write and publish more. Nothing sells a good book like another good book. The more titles you release, the more hooks you’re dangling in the water and the more readers you’ll catch. Make it your priority to write and publish more this year–more books, more novellas, more short stories. Release something new at least every six months. Spend less time online and get back to doing what you do best: creating memorable stories that readers will love.

Do you have any writing & publishing resolutions for 2013? What do you plan to do differently this year?

Sizzling paranormal romance from bestselling author Shelly Thacker that Publishers Weekly
hails as “exciting” and “innovative”

The wait is over: Timeless is on sale now at ebook stores everywhere. Get your copy today at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, or All Romance eBooks.

Timeless (Stolen Brides Series, Book 3) is a fantasy romance filled with adventure, poignant emotion, and characters to cherish. A mysterious warrior kidnaps Lady Avril de Varennes from a trade fair and sweeps her away to Asgard Island, an enchanted paradise where all is not what it seems… because the Asgard warriors are keeping a secret from their new brides.

When I reclaimed the publishing rights to this book in 2011, I literally got tears in my eyes. I had always wanted to make Timeless something special–but I never even had the chance to finish it the first time around. Dell “crash-published” the original paperback edition, cutting six weeks off my deadline and eliminating all my revision time. (Get the behind-the-scenes details in “The Making of Timeless: The Story Behind the Story,” one of the bonus features included in the ebook.)

The 1998 paperback edition arrived in bookstores with only two sketchy love scenes, a hero who came across as overbearing and manipulative, and closing chapters that felt rushed and unsatisfying. Getting the rights back meant that I would finally have the chance to fix all that.

For this new ebook edition, I deepened the hero’s emotional journey, added new love scenes (which might just burn the e-ink off your e-reader), and slowed down the hero and heroine’s “sharing our painful pasts” revelations. Originally crushed into just seven pages, those conversations now take place over two full chapters. I also added a glossary, which my Dell editor had refused to include because “it would make the book seem too much like a fantasy novel.” (Psst, it is a fantasy novel.) You’ll find the glossary in the bonus materials at the back of the ebook.

At long last, Timeless is the steamy, emotional fantasy romance I always wanted it to be. Have I mentioned lately how much I love being an indie author?

Special bonus for newsletter subscribers: To celebrate the publication of each new ebook, I send out an e-mail alert the minute it goes on sale, so my newsletter subscribers can snap it up for just 99 cents. This “Hot New Release Sale Price” is my way of thanking loyal readers for their support, and it only lasts a limited time. If you haven’t subscribed to my newsletter yet, sign up today so you won’t miss out! You’ll find a handy subscription box at the top of this page.

Turn down the lights and indulge in ten steamy scenes from 10 bestselling, award-winning authors!

I’m excited to present the first anthology from my Summit Avenue Books publishing imprint. I invited nine bestselling friends to join me for this special collection, and it’s now FREE at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, All Romance eBooks and Smashwords!

Readers love to bookmark “the good parts” of their favorite romance novels, the scenes they want to read again…and again. Ten Shades of Sexy is a FREE sampler collection that brings you nothing but the good parts! Enjoy ten complete love scenes selected from ten steamy novels written in ten different shades of sexy: from heartbreakingly tender to scorchingly erotic.

Whether you love contemporary, historical, or paranormal romance, you’ll find something to tempt and please you in this collection–and you might just discover some new favorite authors.

Ten Shades of Sexy. It has all the good parts!

Meet the authors

Shelly Thacker has earned a place on national bestseller lists and lavish praise from Publishers Weekly, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Oakland Press for her “innovative, addictive, erotic” historical and paranormal romances.

Kathryn Shay has more than 5 million copies in print of her 42 published novels. Her contemporary romances have been serialized in Cosmopolitan magazine and featured in The Wall Street Journal and People magazine.

Patricia Ryan is a RITA Award-winning author known for breaking boundaries with her “fresh, swift and sexy” page-turners that blend romance, history and suspense. Her 27 books have been published in more than 20 countries.

Julie Ortolon is a USA Today bestselling author who has earned raves from Publishers Weekly and Booklist for her sparkling romantic comedies filled with passion and heart. Her novels regularly appear at the top of the ebook bestseller lists.

Patricia McLinn is the author of 27 “powerful, compelling” contemporary romances cherished by readers worldwide for their memorable characters, sensuality and emotional intensity. There are more than 4 million copies of her books in print.

Julianne MacLean is a USA Today bestselling author praised by readers and reviewers alike for her “smart, thrilling, sizzling” writing. Her 15 historical romances have been published internationally by three major New York publishers.

Wendy Lindstrom is a RITA Award-winning author who has earned comparisons to LaVyrle Spencer for her “beautifully poignant, wonderfully emotional” historical romances.

Allyson James is a pseudonym for Jennifer Ashley, the New York Times bestselling author of more than 45 novels. As Allyson, she writes award-winning erotic romance and urban fantasy.

Emma Holly is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 “stunning, smoking hot” erotic romances featuring werewolves, faeries, and just plain extraordinary ordinary folks.

Lori Devoti is a bestselling author who writes “sexy, refreshing, unconventional” paranormal and contemporary romance and urban fantasy for three major New York publishers.

I think you’ll agree, that’s a pretty stellar line-up! When I pitched this idea in May, I was hoping to find at least four or five authors to join me–and I was amazed and pleased when every author I invited not only said yes, but said yes immediately. (You might say it was “Yes! Yes! YES!” ;)

We’ve been working on this collection for weeks, but nobody knew about it except the ten of us, our cover artist (the one-and-only Kim Killion) and our formatter (the talented Pam Headrick of A Thirsty Mind). I swore everyone to complete secrecy until Launch Day.

We writers tend to be a chatty bunch, but there were no Twitter leaks, no Facebook posts, no mentions of it on authors’ e-mail loops. None of us whispered a word until our Twitter and Facebook campaign began three days before TSOS went live.

We’ve already had more than 600 downloads, and I’m hopeful that that number will grow by several more digits in the weeks ahead. TEN SHADES was created to appeal to the millions of women who’ve recently discovered that they love reading sexy romance novels. They’ve read everything by the authors at the top of today’s bestseller list and they’re wondering, “What do I read next?” This collection will help point them in the direction of ten top-notch authors who write sexy, emotional novels they’ll love.

I have to say, managing a project of this scope–contributions from ten authors, formatting, proofreading, cover design, distribution, laydown, promotion–has given me Fifty Shades of Gray Hair … and an all-new respect for publishers. (Bet you never thought you’d hear me say that. ;)

From initial pitch to on-sale date was a mere eight weeks, a feat I may never match again. I’m so grateful for the support, creativity, and professionalism of my nine amazing co-authors during the past two months. TEN SHADES demonstrates what indie authors can accomplish when we work together.

I hope you’ll download your free copy today. And tell your friends. Enjoy!