Michelle Houston ... UNLEASHED!

I started out my writing career with short erotic stories. Many of which were written for a specific calls for submissions, and fit into a word count of 2,500 to 4,000 words.

Most of the e-publishers prefer to publish works over 5,000, and I don't blame them. By the time everyone who works on the story, from the editor to the line editor, to the artist, there isn't much left for the author. Add in the cut taken by third party sellers, and it just isn't cost effective.

Yet these stories aren't any less sexy, and are still well worth reading.

So it brings about a question of what on earth to do with them. There is the big collection route, which I have been going with my releases from Renaissance, combining stories to reach a 30,000 word mark. Or the 2-4 in a collection option, to reach 12,000 words, which has worked well with Phaze. And where I have a "theme" to a set of stories, I will continue to go those routes.

However there are some stories that might do well as a part of a collection, but don't fit specific themes, and are hot enough that I really want people to have access to them. For stories like those, I am starting up a self-publishing imprint -
UNLEASHED INK.

I have no plans to get in to the publishing gig. Really, I am happy with my current publishers, and for longer works I will continue to submit them out. It is the shorter stories, those that fall between the 2,500 – 4,000 word line, and that are fairly unique, that I will be self-publishing. Some might be part of an existing collection, but they will have been expanded, tweaked, reworked, etc.

I really hope that you continue to be as supportive of my works that I self-publisher as those that I publish via an e-publisher. Certainly the quality will not diminish. I have worked things out with several writer friends, who will be editing my works for me.

As for long-term plans with Unleashed Ink, I do have plans to invite some of my friends who also have story stories that they can't do much with to join me. That said, again, I have no plans to become a publisher. It will be purely on an invitation only basis, and they will be making the profits from their stories just as I will with mine.

I am really excited to be able to do this. I have finally learned the necessary skills for cover art, thanks to the fabulous Alessia Brio. She also has a book out now for those that are looking to go the self-pub route, which I am working my way through. I know web design, thanks for my incredible husband. I purchased website space from the very easy to work with Candledark Internet Solutions. And I have some fantastic friends who are backing me up, offering up their services as editors, critiques, and promotions whizzes.

So stayed tuned for the website to go live, and for the stories to start coming out.