Hello, you are welcome.
You recognise this situation? WriteWords people know it only too well. You do one job and you´re good at it - but, deep inside, a need, a desire to write gnaws at you. A grub desperate to be the best butterfly it can be? That was me, too.
I´d been a successful picture journalist for many years but my secret passion since a toddler had always been to write books.
So I stopped working and took a chance, moving to Spain to write. I enjoyed action novels. Jack Higgins, John Sandford, Wilbur Smith, etc.
´Not the modern market´ said the rejections. I don´t care. I like them. After a lot of great help and advice, including from many members of WriteWords, I had one to publish.
I tried to find an agent. Gosh! I thought tabloid journalism was hard. A walk in the park. Rejections, scammers, ego maniacs, failed writers only wanting to sell me books about selling books.
I decided to be in charge of my own work. I never forgot Tom Clancy sold RED OCTOBER from the boot of his car until it was picked up by a publisher. I self published through Lulu.
Then I set up my own web site and showcased the book. A review on Grumpy Old Bookman followed then a request to read it by Clare Christian, CEO of The Friday Project. Within days I had a contract for TWO books!
THE DEADLINE MURDERS was to be released by TFP on April 4th 2008. KILL CHASE in May 2008. Both through Pan Macmillan as paperbacks. On 31st March, four days before launch, TFP went into liquidation! Both my book rights reverted to me unpublished.
Then I finished the third book of the series titled, THE EMERALD KILLERS.
Fed up with agents scribbling NO - and NEAR MISS - in ballpoint on my own query letter I have formed my own publishing company named RIVERHERON PUBLISHING. It is an authors co-operative. We do not pay advances. Instead the author sets the RRP and the discount. I produce the book and Riverheron charges £1 on each sale. That way the money side of it is transparent. (I have been ripped off myself, so I know it's important).
I contract through Lightning Source for printing and wholesale distribution in paperback. I also convert the files as e-books through MobiPocket and Ingrams for Kindles, Sony Readers, Palm Readers etc.
Please see the websites at:
http://www.ronmorgans.com
http://www.ronmorgans.blogspot.com
Press REVIEW for what they are saying about MURDER AT THE ROYAL WEDDING, THE DEADLINE MURDERS and THE EMERALD KILLERS.