Congratulations- Sue Fortin!

Congratulations Sue! I hope your new publishing deal with Harper Collins is a wonderful and fruitful experience-

Thank you, it’s very exciting.

Since Harper Impulse is digital publishing, will you continue to have a print copy of your book available and, if so, how will that work?

Harper Impulse are working on a digital first basis, so although there are no guarantees every title will be published in paperback, there is the scope for it at some point.

Many self-published authors are seeking deals with traditional publishers while many are not. What is it that you find appealing about such a deal?

Oh gosh, that’s a loaded question  It really is a matter of personal choice and for me, there were several reasons. To self-publish proficiently and to a high standard can be quite expensive and I really wouldn’t like to add up how much I spent on having my book edited, edited and edited again, together with having the cover professional designed and then the costs of promotion. To do this again for a second novel, I wasn’t sure if I could invest so heavily. Another factor, was how wide reaching I could be as an indie author. At the time, I was fortunate enough to be part of Love A Happy Ending, who are a very supportive author group and now run their own on-line lifestyle magazine. However, I found time a major factor – I was running out of hours in the day to keep up with everything, let alone write another novel.

Having a big publisher behind me was a major attraction, I knew they would be able to reach further than I could on my own and that I would be able to focus my energies here and make full use of my limited time. Harper Collins launched Harper Impulse to solely publish romance based books, it doesn’t matter if they cross over into other genres or fall into sub-genres, just as long as the romance is there. This remit fits perfectly with my novel.

So, for me, signing with Harper Collins’ imprint Harper Impulse seemed the perfect partnership.

Can you share with us how you went about getting the attention of Harper Collins?

It was really quite simple actually. Harper Impulse were calling for submissions and were happy to consider self-published novels. So, encouraged by one of my friends, I submitted it electronically direct to the publishers. In my covering letter, I explained that it had been through the New Writers’ Scheme run by the Romantic Novelists’ Association, where it had received a second read, that it had been professionally edited and since self-publishing , it had received some great reviews, all 4 and 5 stars on Amazon and, of course, that it had received the IndieBRAG award.

It was a very straight forward, no fuss, process.

Do you think you would have been able to get a publishing deal if you hadn’t self-published first?

It’s hard to say as every book is judged on its own merits and, ultimately, publishers are looking for a great read. However, having credits, like those I mentioned above, really does strengthen and support a submission.

Your book deal is for three books. Are these books you have already self-published or will they be new books you have yet to write?

My book ‘United States of Love’ was my self-published one that Harper Impulse are leading with. The other two books haven’t been published in any form. Book 2 I have very nearly finished and book 3 has a rough plot outlined.

We are very proud to have had you as one of our B.R.A.G. Medallion authors and wish you the very best. It is always wonderful to see one of our authors find the success they are seeking – whether it is obtaining a traditional publishing deal, becoming a bestselling author, or just selling enough books to quit their day job!

IndieBRAG will continue to brag about United State of Love whenever and wherever we can!

Thanks so much Sue

Thank you. It was an honour receiving the IndieBRAG award – a real highlight of my self-publishing experience and although I now have the publishing deal I wanted, I am still very much a champion for the self-published author; there are some fantastic indie books out there.