The Ultimate Supporter

I was thinking about Lynne Cantwell’s post on “Coping with Unsupportive Support” the other day and it made me think about this indie author/self publishing world we live in. We all need those words of encouragement every now and then. That is why sites like Indies Unlimited and other groups in our social media circles are so important.

It made me ask a question to myself. Do supportive groups or individuals help me reach my goal in writing? Maybe not. Before you all blast me with negative comments, hear me out for a second. As Lynne writes, “… a kind or encouraging word … is often enough to keep us plugging away.”

I agree that we all need positive feedback and support. But, that is not why you’re here. Every one of us is here because we’ve achieved some level of success in our writing venture.

“WHAT? Success?

The Card lands its 50th Review!

It may not seem like much to some, but for me, this was another achievement in the book that just keeps on giving. The Card  received its 50th review, a 5 star review by Helen Gentile. Thank you, Helen, whoever your are!

Not to be outdone, a day later, BAM, #51 hit. It has amazed me that The Card, hitting #1 in three different categories on Amazon, continues to provide enjoyment for years. You never know going into this the shelf life of your novel. It's now been three years and it's still going strong. 

The sequel, The Scorecard, is still in editing mode. While we had hoped to get it out by now, we realize now that it will be toward the middle to end of the summer. Hang tight. Life happens. However, we want to make sure its ready to go before we publish.

It's a Cinderella Story

It’s that time of the year again. Here in the United States, the annual NCAA basketball tournament known as March Madness, The Big Dance, The Final Four and a host of other names is in full swing. This three-week event kicks off with thirty-two games in two days. Televised, streamed and watched by millions, every second of each game is available for consumption. In fact, the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament were officially the least productive days in the US workforce for the entire year.


Why do millions waste countless hours watching? Two reasons—office pools and Cinderella. Betting on the “brackets” for the tournament is huge. So much so, Warren Buffett, the finance guru, offered one billion dollars for anyone who comes up with a perfect bracket. It’s only a 9.25 quintillion to one chance of winning (by Friday there were no perfect brackets left.)

As for Cinderella, well that’s a whole other story. Millions watch to see the no-name team knock off the perennial favorites—David versus Goliath stuff. University of Dayton and Mercer are shaping up as this year’s Cinderella. If you’re still reading this, you’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with writing and publishing?

The NCAA tournament is like a microcosm of the publishing industry. When fans fill out their brackets, they typically end up with a championship involving a couple of college basketball powerhouses. Meanwhile, as you watch, you find yourself cheering for the huge upsets. A school like Dayton is the self-published author of the group, going up against the machinery of traditional publishing.

We see the same thing in our indies world. We get excited when a Hugh Howey or Martin Crosbie break through, challenging the established publishing industry. We cheer for their success and the success of indie writers in general. Is it because they’re great writers? Maybe. Is it because we all believe in Cinderella? Definitely.

Does anyone remember Florida Gulf Coast University from last year? Just what I thought. That’s one problem with the Cinderella concept. The next year, they don’t make it back. But, not always. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) squeaked into the tourney as an unknown several years ago and made it to the final four. Since then, they’ve become a force each year in the tournament. Most people today don’t remember that they were the Cinderella—once upon a time.

That’s what we need to do as indie authors, not just make it to the big dance, but get back there each year. The more that happens, the less it becomes a Cinderella story. The more that happens, the more our reputations improve. The more that happens, the more the traditional publishing industry takes notice.

The more that happens, the more readers won’t remember that we were the Cinderella story. Eventually, there won’t be self-published and traditionally published authors … just like VCU isn’t considered a Cinderella anymore. We’ll all be authors, enjoying our time at the big dance.

Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling Young Adult novel, The Card and So This is Christmas. He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimited and occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo! 
A version of this post appeared on Indies Unlimited. 

5 Valuable Charts That Show How Publishing Is Changing

Check out Jane Friedman's post with some great graphics on the shift in buying behaviors of readers. 

Found on media.publishersmarketplace.com

5 Valuable Charts That Show How Publishing Is Changing

Where Did My Hour Go?

Ah, Daylight Savings Time (DST), further proof that society is a slave to the clock. It’s remarkable to think that nearly 100% of the nation moves their entire lives forward one hour. It’s quite an accomplishment considering that billions of dollars, countless person-hours and tons of research have only reduced the number of smokers in our country by 15%.

But, I digress. 

Review: Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Loved it. A great continuation from the original story. Stephen King was back in his wheelhouse.

The story is about as good as a sequel can get. Within the first few chapters, you felt as if you just put down The Shining and picked up this book. A re-introduction of a couple of your favorite characters followed by a couple of great scenes will put you right back into the world of Danny Torrance. We all remember Danny, riding his tricycle around the resort and of course his "red rum."

You won't be disappointed with his story, decades later. While bringing the past into the present, King introduces a fresh take with new characters you can root for and villains that will scare your socks off.

Not sure how he pulled off a sequel so long after the original, but he did. Without falling into the trap of a cookie-cutter horror novel, Doctor Sleep is more robust, with deeper meaning than the original. Awesome.




View all my reviews

Six Things to Avoid if You Want Success

Throughout my life, I’ve been lucky enough to hang around million-dollar athletes, history-making attorneys, world-famous musicians, and friends that you never heard of who change people’s lives for the better every day. The common bond between all of these people is the ability to live life to its fullest on their own terms.

While there is no secret to success, I’ve tried to learn from other successful people who have entered my life, even if only for a minute or two. Today, I’m sharing a few of those lessons. The universe offers boundless rewards and only your own thinking and behaviors can determine how much of it you reap. I’m not saying that I’ve perfected all of these, but I have witnessed the result of both positive and negative influences.


As individuals, each of us has a different definition of success. It isn’t necessarily monetary or fame—the process itself may define success. Whatever your goals, here are a few things to avoid that less-successful individuals typically let guide their life. Once we recognize them, we can make changes that will propel our lives to a different place.