Festival of Romance countdown – Talli Roland on why she’s self-publishing her next novel

October 17, 2011

It may be a rather gloomy Monday but that means only four days to go to the Festival of Romance on Friday. I can’t wait to meet romance readers and authors, not to mention taking part in the workshops and the chocolate making….

One of the authors who’ll be at the Festival is Talli Roland. She’s a bundle of energy and radiates positive vibes. I think that’s just what you need to publish your own novel – and after building a platform of devoted readers from her first two traditionally published novels, Talli has decided to take control.

Taking Control

One of the hardest things about the publishing business is that so much is out of the author’s control – the editor you’re assigned, the cover design, the amount of sales and marketing your book receives. And that’s just if you’ve made it to the publishing stage! Let’s not forget the query-go-round, being on submission, the endless waiting… it’s all enough to drive a writer to drink (more).

So, when I decided to self-publish my next novel, Build a Man, I felt like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Now I had control of my novel’s destiny – well, as much control as one can have when it comes to selling to the public. I could hire an editor I respected, ensure it had the cover I wanted, and use my skills to promote the book to the best of my ability. Not only that, but if I self-publish in the future, I can control my timeline and output. If I want to release three novels a year, the only thing stopping me is me.

I don’t believe self-publishing is the only way forward, as many evangelists cry. Traditional publishing has been around for a very long time, and the industry’s skills and knowledge should be valued. If I hadn’t had my first two novels published traditionally – and learned an insane amount in the process – I may not have taken the step to strike out on my own. But now that I have, well, it’s very liberating. Is it a risk? Sure, but any new venture in business is risky.

I’m excited about holding my future in my hands. It’s a brave new world out there for authors, and I can’t wait to get started!

Talli Roland has three loves in her life: chick lit, coffee and wine. Born and raised in Canada, Talli now lives in London, where she savours the great cultural life (coffee and wine). Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories – complete with happy endings. Her first novel, The Hating Game, was an Amazon UK best-seller and was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read at the UK’s Festival of Romance awards. Talli has just released her second novel, Watching Willow Watts. Her next novel, Build a Man, will be out in December. Talli blogs here and can be found on Twitter here.

Comments

1. On October 17th, 2011 at 4:15 am
   Liz Fenwick Says:
   

   Wow, big decision but I can see why you are taking the step…you do have all the skills you need to make it work!
   lx

2. On October 17th, 2011 at 4:25 am
   Talli Roland Says:
   

   Thanks for hosting me, Phillipa!

   And Liz, thanks. It is a big step, but I’m excited about it!

3. On October 17th, 2011 at 4:28 am
   Nell Dixon Says:
   

   I’m so excited for you – I’m sure you’ll do brilliantly.

4. On October 17th, 2011 at 6:32 am
   Talli Roland Says:
   

   Thank you, Nell! 🙂 Fingers crossed.

5. On October 17th, 2011 at 7:36 am
   Tonya Kappes Says:
   

   That’s GREAT, Talli! I’m so excited for you and to see how much you are going to succeed on your own! With your career in your own hands, you will be able to control every aspect from covers to deadlines! And I’m super excited to share in this journey with you in our upcoming holiday release MADNESS UNDER THE MISTLETOE! SQUEEEE!!

6. On October 17th, 2011 at 7:40 am
   Clarissa Draper Says:
   

   What a delightful blog! Love the posts, Talli!

7. On October 17th, 2011 at 7:50 am
   Talli Roland Says:
   

   Thanks, Tonya! Giant squee. I can’t wait for our anthology!

   Thanks, Clarissa!

8. On October 17th, 2011 at 7:54 am
   Alex J. Cavanaugh Says:
   

   Considering your success with your other books Talli, I don’t doubt you’ll be successful with this one!

9. On October 17th, 2011 at 9:06 am
   Talli Roland Says:
   

   Thank you, Alex. I hope so!

10. On October 17th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
    Debs Carr Says:
    

    Good luck to you, I’m sure you’ll do very well.

    I can’t wait to read, Build A Man.

11. On October 17th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
    D. D. Scott Says:
    

    WooHoooo, Talli!

    Congrats on your Indie Epub Adventure! And what a thrill to be partnering with you for our Christmas Anthology MADNESS UNDER THE MISTLETOE!!!

    I’m over the moon to be sharing the superfab Indie Epub World with you!!!

    And thanks to for introducing me to Phillipa’s wonderful world and cyber home too!

    Wavin’ atchy’all and can’t wait to get to know all of u!

    And wow does this Romance Festival sound terrific!!!

12. On October 17th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
    The Golden Eagle Says:
    

    It sounds like it’s going to be awesome. 🙂

13. On October 17th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
    J.C. Martin Says:
    

    Best of luck! This must be an exciting time for you!

    J.C.

    Join me in the Trick or Treat Spooktacular! Could you help make the Grand Prize a brand new Kindle Touch?

14. On October 17th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
    J.L. Campbell Says:
    

    Hello, Phillipa! Good to be here.

    Well done, Talli. I can definitely relate to you making this move.

15. On October 18th, 2011 at 2:56 am
    WriterMarcie Says:
    

    As one who has just taken the plunge, eek, to self publish, I realise that must have been a huge decision to make. But you are lovely, you write exceedingly well (jealous!) so if anyone can do it, you can! You are an inspiration to me! Good luck.

16. On October 18th, 2011 at 5:09 am
    Talli Roland Says:
    

    Thank you so much for all the well-wishes! 🙂 Any many thanks to Phillipa for hosting me here.

17. On October 18th, 2011 at 8:34 am
    Susan Kaye Quinn Says:
    

    I was surprised by that same sense of liberation! (Not sure why – I should have known I was a control freak!) But it really is amazing the feeling you have knowing that you’re the person in charge of making the book the best it can be. In some ways, I think it really brings back to center the role of the author in the creation of the work.

    Best of luck to you!!

18. On October 18th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
    Karen Lange Says:
    

    Wishing Talli much success! Nice to meet you, Phillipa! 🙂