Self-Publishing Allows Oklahoma Author to Write Her Heart

In the days when Oklahoma author, Norma Jean Lutz, wrote for traditional publishing houses, her goal, by necessity, was to please the publishers and their editors. That made it extremely difficult to write what was in her heart – which was good books for teens. That’s one of the reasons why this career author of over 50 published books, is now an indie author.

The migration of published authors over into the world of self-publishing is widespread in these days of digital publishing and digital readers. It’s been stated that indie-authored books are now estimated to compose up to 20% of the entire book market. That percentage grows each day.

Norma Jean’s personal decision to make this move did not come quickly or easily.  The tipping point for her came after spending two full years in an attempt to find a publisher for a teen novel she’d completed. “I didn’t even get a nibble – it was rejection after rejection. Such a discouraging experience.” The fact that Norma Jean was a veteran published author with a following didn’t made any difference in the big scheme of things.

It was during this discouraging downtime in her career that she learned of other published authors who were requesting their rights back on out-of-print books. “They were taking matters into their own hands,” Norma Jean points out. “I saw that many big-name authors were cutting ties with their so-called legitimate publishing houses and were going it alone.” That encouraged her to follow the same route.

Some might think authors are taking this leap mainly because of money – taking in 70% of the royalties rather than the 8% to 10% via the traditional publishing houses. But Norma Jean knows it’s more than that. “Authors are on a quest to take back control of their artistic endeavors, and they’re doing it by becoming indie authors.”

Even though she knew she would have to do all her own marketing by self-publishing her good books for teens, she wasn’t deterred. She’d seen other authors making it and she was confident she could do the same.

Norma Jean consulted a marketing expert who explained that a great marketing strategy was to give away her first title in the Norma Jean Lutz Classic Collection. (A collection of sweet teen romances authored in the 90s and now being re-released.) “After I started giving away ‘Flower in the Hills,’ things began to escalate,” she says.

This new role perfectly fits this author of good books for teens. As a career freelance writer and ghostwriter, she’d already learned the ins and outs of being an entrepreneur.  She now applies those skills to marketing her books. While it’s demanding, she’s not dissuaded. “I know what it’s like to send manuscripts out to publishing houses and for months see only rejection after rejection,” she says. “After suffering through all that grief, being an indie author and marketing my own books, is a piece of cake.”

Clean Teen Reads exists under the auspices of the parent company and publisher, NUWS Link, Inc. The publishing company offers choice books for teens authored by Norma Jean Lutz. Norma Jean’s career spans over 30 years of bringing out good books for teens and children. Her published titles number 50+. In addition to being a published author, Norma Jean is also a freelance writer, ghostwriter, editor, novel critique consultant, and writing instructor. Email Norma Jean: NormaJean@BeANovelist.com or visit her here: http://www.cleanteenreads.net/prfith/
 

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Norma Jean Lutz

President

NUWS Link, Inc.

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