Rock*It Reads has official launch today!

Here’s the big news I’ve been promising.

Today is the official launch of the Rock*It Reads brand, of which I am a part.

So what is Rock*It Reads?

It used to be that the “slush pile,” as it was called, sat on the desks of agents and editors. They would sift through it and decide what manuscripts they wanted to take on. This often excluded brilliantly written stories — but it also separated the chaff from the grain.

But with the advent of digital indie publishing, the slush pile has been placed in readers’ hands. The good thing about this is that there’s a lot more variety from which readers can choose, not just ideas and settings that New York publishing houses believe they can sell. Also, ebooks are often cheaper than printed books, making it easier for voracious readers to stay within a budget.

The downside is simply that there are so many books to choose from, and readers can’t be sure about the quality they’re getting.

Enter Rock*It Reads. Our slogan is, “Authors you love. Stories that rock.”

Rock*It Reads is a group of  New York published authors who are also self-publishing romances. We’ve each made a commitment to ourselves and to each other to put out only high-quality self-published works, and the logo is intended to communicate that.

When readers buy a story that bears the Rock*It Reads logo, they can know they’re getting a story that has been tended with the same level of attention and professionalism as we give our New York works. The logo is meant to be a sort-of “seal of quality,” because we care as much about writing great stories as you do about reading them!

Rock*It Reads is not a publisher or a publishing imprint. These are 100 percent self-published works, done by each author, on her own dime, on her own time.

We’ve simply banded together to form Rock*It Reads to help our readers find other high-quality self-published works.  We’re hoping that the logo will be a like a little beacon or guide though the world of self-published romances.

Rock*It Reads includes: Monica Burns, Lila DiPasqua, New York Times best-seller Cheryl Holt, Vanessa Kelly/VK Sykes, Kris Kennedy, Margo Maguire, Mia Marlowe, Elisabeth Naughton, Sharon Page, Joan Swan—and me.

Stop by our Facebook page today — April 11 — to join in the launch-day celebration, which includes hourly ebook giveaways from Rock*It Reads authors. And be sure to visit the Rock*It Reads website to learn more about the indie books by these authors.

Also, watch for our column, LOVE ROCKS, which will debut on April 23 on Barnes and Noble’s website. We’ll be reviewing the latest and greatest self-published books, helping to sift through the titles for those hidden gems. 

If you’ve been watching closely, you’ll have noticed the addition of the Rock*It Reads logo to my indie published books — Sweet Release and Carnal Gift — as well as to the cover of Skin Deep, which isn’t quite finished yet. (Ahem.) Also, I announced it in the News section of my official website, which was updated last week.

My first official Rock*It Reads release will be Skin Deep, which will be done and online by the end of April or early May. Sorry it’s late, but as you can see, I have been busy.

Watch for an article about Rock*It Reads coming soon to USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog, or read more in the May RT Book Reviews.

So there you have it — my big news. I’m very excited to be working with these 10 other authors and look forward to exploring the world of self-published books!