Debut Author Rebecca Knight Joins Indie Publishing Revolution, Launches Fantasy Novel

June 1, 2011 - PRLog -- Fantasy author, Rebecca Knight, released her debut novel, LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS this weekend, but she did it in a way that shocked her family and friends.   She decided to join the Indie Revolution and self publish it as an e-book instead of going the traditional route of finding a publisher.

After reading about Amanda Hocking’s recent success, Knight began researching the new world of independent publishing.  When she first started trying to sell her novel, “self publishing” was still a dirty phrase due to vanity presses that charged authors thousands of dollars for books that likely never see the shelves of a bookstore.  

When the recession hit in 2008, agents and publishing houses began pulling back on how many books they’d accept from unknown authors, especially in genres like epic fantasy which were no longer big sellers.  Knight knew her chances of landing a publisher were slim.

“I knew if I was going to make my debut as a fantasy author, I’d have to wait for the market to change, or look for an alternative,” Knight said.  “My father was a screenwriter who never made it before he passed away. Independent publishing has given me the chance to do what he couldn’t—make a living doing what I love.”

Authors are now finding success by doing the legwork themselves, such as J.A. Konrath, who has been very vocal about the rise of the e-book.   The information on his blog was one of the things that made Knight decide to take the plunge.  

She also blogs at http://rebeccaknightbooks.blogspot.com, and hopes her story can help inspire others to do the same thing.

LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS is available in the Kindle Store as well as Smashwords.com.

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Fantasy author of LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS as well as several short stories on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Knight/e/B004XK8NNE/ref=sr_...) and Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RebeccaKnight).

Author blog: http://rebeccaknightbooks.blogspot.com