Confessions From A Coffee Shop Blog Tour - guest post from T.B. Markinson

 I'm excited to welcome here today the wonderfully talented T.B. Markinson to talk about her adventure when she first self-published. Enjoy!

Howdy Christine! It’s wonderful to be here today. You have some of the most supportive blogging buddies and I always enjoying visiting.

Thank goodness your visitors are kind since I have a confession to make. Many people assume since I’ve self-published three novels that I’m comfortable with technology. I wish that was the case, but I’m not. When I lived in the States, I was fortunate to have friends who were tech whizzes. In fact, I worked in an audio visual department. I wasn’t a tech, but I scheduled the appointments for the techs. At one point, our department hired a supervisor who knew less than me. One of the techs joked, “He probably doesn’t know what LCD stands for.” Everyone laughed while I sat at my computer and Googled what does LCD stand for. Just in case you want to know it stands for liquid crystal display.

When I decided to self-publish I had to take a crash course in publishing technology. In the very beginning, a reviewer asked me for a mobi file. What? How in the world was I going to find Moby Dick? Again, I Googled what the reviewer wanted and realized I did have a mobi file. That’s the type of file Amazon requires for uploading ebooks. Whew, one thing learned.

Time for another confession. When I published my first novel, I didn’t even own an ereader. I know, I know. I just published an ebook and I had to read it on my laptop. I felt like a hypocrite and a fool. My partner took pity on me and gave me one for my birthday. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would get used to it. Like many others who resisted the ebook craze for years, I wondered if it could replace the feel of a real book. I’m not sure it will ever do that, but I have to admit I love that I can carry an entire library with me at all times. And if I don’t want to carry my Kindle Fire, I now have a smaller Kindle. Sometimes though, even the small one doesn’t fit into my plans. Thank goodness for my cell phone, which I always carry. I am never without a book now. For someone who struggles with technology, I’ve managed to acquire some knowledge and a few devices. Right now I keep dropping hints that I want an iPad. Christmas is coming.

What does this mean for others who want to self-publish? At times it may feel like an uphill battle. You may have more technical knowledge (most people do), but there will still be things you’ll have to learn. But don’t let it discourage you. The best thing I’ve learned is to ask. Authors are the friendliest bunch. I have emailed many and asked them questions. No one has ever said, “Gosh you’re an idiot.” Instead they answer my question and usually give me more tips and advice. If you want to self-publish don’t let anything get in your way. And don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” None of us did in the early stages. Go ahead and ask for help. You can even email me. Chances are I won’t know the answer, but I probably know someone who does. Self-publishing doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.

Blurb: Cori Tisdale was on top of the world. A basketball star at Harvard and a promising author with a lucrative book deal.

A few years later, Cori’s life is falling apart. Her beautiful girlfriend, Kat Finn, has a shopping addiction. To make ends meet, Cori takes a part-time job at a coffee shop.

Just when Cori thinks her life can’t get any worse, an old crush appears out of the blue. Cori’s friendship with Samantha Clarke pushes Cori further into a dangerous abyss when Sam reveals two secrets to Cori and asks her not to tell a soul, including Kat.

Will this be the end of Cori’s and Kat’s relationship?

Buy the book here:

Amazon US / Amazon UK

About the Author: T. B. Markinson is a 40-year old American writer, living in England, who pledged she would publish before she was 35. Better late than never. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling around the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs in England, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order. T. B. has published A Woman Lost, Marionette, and Confessions From A Coffee Shop.

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