This post is for the writers out there…

Some of my writer friends have asked why I decided to sell my work to start-up e-publisher, Ravenous Romance. My answer: it’s all about risk vs. reward.

When I first heard of Ravenous Romance, I will admit to being skeptical. I had many of the same questions that have surfaced on other blogs in the last few months. But instead of speculating, I simply asked those questions to the folks at Ravenous and then did as much independent research as I could to verify their responses. The Ravenous staff has been very forthright with me about what their intentions are, reasons behind decisions, etc. There are certain things that we have discussed that they asked me to keep confidential pre-launch (mostly having to do with product pricing.) I have always been treated professionally by Lori Perkins, Holly Schmidt and the rest of the Ravenous staff.

Had these initial conversations gone in another direction, I would’ve said “Thanks, but no thanks.” But the fact that they did treat me well and answer my questions made me feel comfortable enough to decide to submit my work to them.

Why Ravenous vs. a traditional print deal?

I have submitted stories to other “traditional” markets. I currently have a story that was accepted over a year ago that is still awaiting publication. I have other stories that were accepted only to have the publisher(s) fold. I applied for a non-traditional writing gig (to write for a website that sells personalized erotica) only to be spammed by the person running the site to do an unrelated job. (The call for writers seemed to be nothing more than a way to collect data for a mailing list.)

In any event, giving Ravenous a try, didn’t seem very risky. I’ve sold them a few short stories and regardless of how the financial aspect works out, it will be worth it. At a minimum, I will have gotten some exposure, maybe gained a few fans along the way. But if it works out the way I think I might, I could end up being very happy with the result.

So I guess the lesson is sometimes you have to take a chance and venture into the unknown. I’m not saying jump in blind. Do your research. Decide what level of risk you’re comfortable taking. And most of all, stay positive. The road to success is built on failure. Take what you can from the experience and use those lessons to your advantage as you make your way down that road.