Elise's Frequently Asked Questions

This page includes answers to general questions as well as questions about specific series/books.

General Questions

In general, Amazon has the fastest turn-around time for the upload and publication of books, so readers will usually find my books there first. B&N and Kobo usually takes a few days after that, and Smashwords, iBooks, Sony, etc. may take even a few weeks more.

Amazon (includes some international sites)

Barnes & Noble

Sony

Apple

Kobo

Smashwords

If you would like to see my books available on another site that is not listed above, please email me here and let me know.

Yes. I value my digital readers and print readers equally (meaning I love them all!), and will make all of my full-length novels and novellas available in trade paperback to order online. Because trade is only available to me at this time, please note that the book size will be larger and may be more expensive as a result.

At this time you should be able to order my books from your local bookstore, but they probably won't have them on their bookshelves.

Libraries should be able to order my print books to carry on their shelves. If your library doesn't carry a book you're searching for, you might consider asking them if they can order it. I also send a limited number of print copies of my books to libraries each year upon request from the librarians.

There are many reasons why I felt that self-publishing would be the best option for me.

The most important reason is that I now have full control of my career. When an author signs a contract with a publisher, the publisher controls the publication schedule, the price point, the cover art, the title, as well as the stories the author is allowed to write in the future.

Although I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a traditional New York publisher, I realized that I was not able to fully control the type of stories I wanted to write and the quality of those stories. As a self-published author, I can write the books of my heart and also make sure that a book is not released for publication until it is 100% ready (which is not the case otherwise).

With a traditional publisher, books usually aren't published until 12-18 months after the final draft is turned in to the editor. As a self-published author, I can publish my work in e-book format almost immediately after it is edited, proofread, and formatted, with the books in print format made available soon after that.

At this time, many traditional publishers are keeping the price point of their e-books at the same rate as the price point of their print books. If they are lowering the e-books in comparison, the price is still set at a rate that most e-book readers aren't comfortable with. By self-publishing my books, I have control over the prices of my books; I can respond to consumer demand almost immediately and even put my books on sale for special holidays/events.

Many readers are frustrated when a book's cover and title do not seem to accurately reflect the story within. As a self-published author, I am able to control both the story and the packaging so that readers have a better experience with the entire product.

Once I decided to self-publish and leave the traditional publishing world, I also decided to mark this new course for my career by changing my name. I have not tried to hide the name change, although I know there will be some readers who have read my Ashley March books who unfortunately missed my announcements. I feel very blessed that so many readers who have read and enjoyed my past work are supporting me in my transition to self-publishing. I know many authors say this, but I really do believe I have the best readers in the world.

For 2013, I am focusing on the Victorian historical Unmasked series as well as the beginning of my Golden Twenties world. Unlike a normal series, the Golden Twenties (my spin of the Roaring Twenties) is a world of loosely related books which features characters in different locations during the 1920s. For example, I plan on beginning the Golden Twenties with a trilogy set in New York, then move to a trilogy set in London, then Paris, then Chicago. This 1920s world is called the Golden Twenties because it focuses on the wealthy and privileged of that time period.

Beyond 2013, I have many ideas--it's really a matter of choosing which ones to write first. Some I'm looking forward to: historical romances set in Elizabethan England, across the globe during World War II, a ballet series which spans several centuries, colonial America, the American Civil War, Vikings, Highlanders, medievals, ancient Rome...as you can see, I have ideas for many years to come. I also am looking forward to writing contemporary romances sometime in the future as well.

 

Specific Book/Series Questions

Coming soon...

 

Do you have any questions that weren't answered here? Email me!