Happy anniversary, Genre-istas! How time flies. I will
always be grateful to Romancing the Genres and its blog queens for what they
taught me about myself as a writer and the fun and discipline involved in
blogging regularly. Thank you so much for inviting me back!
For those who don’t know me, I write Victorian-set
historical romance.I refer to 2015 as my whirlwind year. I signed my first traditional publishing contract with Avon/Harper Collins to release a three-book Victorian historical romance series for their digital-first Avon Impulse line. Now those books—One Scandalous Kiss, One Tempting Proposal, and One Dangerous Desire—are in the hands of readers. Between March of 2015 and 2016, I gained a publisher, developed a relationship with my fabulous editor, signed on with an agent, and even made the USA Today bestseller list due to a mix of crossed fingers, all the stars aligning, and a successful price reduction-paid promo combo. Currently I’m working on the first book, Rules for a Rogue, in a new three-book Avon Impulse Victorian historical romance series. Whew. Yep, definitely a whirlwind.
Looking ahead, I believe 2016 and beyond is about finding my
path in the larger hybrid world of publishing. If I consider this process as an
equation, I have to admit that I don’t yet have the answer, but I know it
involves finding balance between my goals, time, and commitments. Before I
signed with Avon, I’d published three stories independently as part of my
Whitechapel Wager series. I still plan to continue that series, as well as
begin new ones.
The most exciting aspect of being an authorpreneur—a term
coined, I believe, by Romancing the Genres’ own Kris Tualla—is the opportunity
to forge our own unique paths as authors. The current publishing landscape presents
us with lots of options and myriad challenges. To that end, I’ve learned to try
new things, like joining the February 2016 boxed set, Passionate Promises, with several authors from the Embracing
Romance group blog.
Learning how to be a better writer, marketer, and manager of
my own time and author platform is now my full-time occupation. As a former
teacher, the opportunity to continue learning thrills me, even if the
possibilities sometimes feel overwhelming. Whatever path I settle on has to
allow me to embrace challenges gracefully while never ever losing my love for
the writing itself. If my whirlwind year taught me anything, it is that writing
engaging and emotional stories trumps everything else.
What do you do to find a balanced path in your life? If
you’re writer, do have any tips on juggling the multiple demands of
authorpreneurship?
Christy Carlyle
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| Christy Carlyle |
Fueled by Pacific Northwest coffee and
inspired by multiple viewings of every British costume drama she can get her
hands on, USA Today bestselling author Christy Carlyle writes sensual
historical romance set in the Victorian era. She loves heroes who struggle
against all odds and heroines who are ahead of their time.
A former teacher
with a degree in history, she finds there's nothing better than being able to
combine her love of the past with a die-hard belief in happy endings.
