There are all sorts of reasons we love ebooks at The Editorial Department. We appreciate the fact that soaring ebook sales represent one real bright spot in an otherwise gloomy publishing economy. It's also very encouraging to see part of this remarkable upswing coming from publishers recognizing what ebooks can do for their authors whose books are no longer available in hardcopy.

It wasn't so long ago that once a book went out of print, a reader's only resource was a library or a used book store. All too often it seems that only the most famous authors--the Stephen Kings and JK Rowlings--have most of their catalog available and in print. The rest of us are at the mercy of sales numbers and limited print runs. But thanks to ebooks, that's all changing, and it's truly a win/win situation for writers and their publishers.

One of our favorite cases in point comes from a client of ours named Ann Brandt, whose original path to publication with HarperCollins in 1999 was harrowing as it was thrilling.

Her debut novel, Crowfoot Ridge, tells the story of a remarkable journey of courage and self discovery as a woman trapped in a loveless marriage and a life she can no longer stand confronts the darkest secrets of her past and reconnects with a life she never should have left behind. Crowfoot Ridge is a beautiful, moving novel that, sadly, has been out of print for quite some time. But now it's been given a well-deserved new life as a September, 2010 ebook release from HarperCollins.

To celebrate her return to print, we'd like to share Ann's story with you, in her own words. Like most published authors, her story is one of persistence, patience, and the unflagging dedication it takes to bring a book to fruition. We were delighted to be a part of Ann's creative journey and are thrilled her story is once again available to old and new fans.

Mexico was the place I chose to begin writing. I knew no one, had no phone, television, radio, and I worked alone. I had no clue as to what I was doing. When I returned to the States in the mid-90s, I began working with the editors at TED after hearing Renni speak at a book signing in Asheville. I was developing a book idea called Borders" about living in Mexico. Bored and waiting for a response, (often an agonizing time for the budding author) I began writing the first draft of what would become "Crowfoot Ridge". We continued to work on "Borders" but, kind soul that he was, my editor agreed to read the first draft of the new work. A long time passed before he called and said, "This is it. This can be developed. This is publishable."
We sent one draft after another back and forth from North Carolina to New York for several years. And then my TED editor suggested I take both books to the Maui Writer's Conference. Of the eight agent responses from my submissions, seven were encouraging, but rejections none-the-less. One was a request to send fifty pages of "Crowfoot Ridge" to Jillian Manus. Three months later her rejection arrived. I did a lot of rewriting after the conference, then proceeded with a small press in NC and self-published. The jacket photo they wanted to use belonged on a Mad Magazine cover. I contacted DeWitt Jones, a photographer/speaker at Maui and asked for a mountain scene. He provided one for four hundred dollars. When the book came out I sent a few copies to him as a thank you.

He sent one to his good friend, Jillian Manus, who read it and called to ask if she could represent me. She had no memory of our previous encounter. I signed her contract and she put the book out on auction giving the publishers eight hours to respond. HarperCollins won the auction. They put me through months of rewriting with editors from many disciplines: story, dialog, grammar, and legal. Jillian asked once how I'd gotten a DeWitt Jones photo and went on to tell me he can receive $10,000 for one. In fact HarperCollins said they could not afford one of his photos and provided an in-house painting for the jacket they published in 1999. "Crowfoot Ridge" was sold in several countries, translated into German and French, and we had a few nibbles from the film industry. The e-book debuts on Kindle this month.

My feelings about being a published author changed as the experience became part of my life. I had images of terrifying speaking events. Instead I was launched into the editorial process. Still home alone, working at the computer in my pajamas, remembering the many drafts I'd written already, I struggled through eighteen months working mostly with the story editor. Months passed before the pub-date arrived. When the reviews started coming in from all over the country, I digested every word written about it. I wept at reviews suggesting I hadn't fulfilled the demands of the story. I jumped for joy at good reviews and pasted them in a scrapbook. Yearlong touring was hard. I'd be gone four days and back home (trying to write something else) for five days and then gone again.

The first speech I made was back at the Maui Writers Conference in front of seventeen hundred people. I told the audience I'd attended the conference two years prior and I'd sat out there where they were. On my first visit to Maui, I had no money for food. The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel room-rate had been discounted from $369 a night to $250 for conference attendees. There were many fruit trees growing in the gardens. The second day, I dared to pick an orange and took it to my room. I tore into it like a savage and found it was bitter. The next day, I bought a muffin for $7.00 in a café at the hotel and cut it in half - one for one day - one for the next day. The audience related to my distress and howled with laughter. I forgot to talk about the book. Dave Berry, syndicated writer at the Miami Herald and author of many humorous books, told me my talk was one of the best he heard at the conference. He said I'd directed my attention to the audience. I never forgot his comment and used his advice at every speech I made during the book tour. After much work with my TED editors I sent a manuscript of "Borders" to my agent. She thought it would be better set in Italy because readers would rather read about Italy than Mexico. I can't write about Italy. I did a huge amount of research and wrote a book about the building of Fontana Dam in Western North Carolina. I wrote about the people who had been disenfranchised by TVA. My agent thought I didn't have the expertise to write about building a dam. I guess she was right about that, so I never finished "Fontana" either.

The experience gave me a profound pride in being accepted and in the accomplishment. Gratification came from a great many emails from readers. Many try a hand at writing, many submit, but of those numbers few are published. I became part of an exalted group.

Now retired, living again in Mexico, I write some, but not with the passion I had then. I return to the States once a year to visit my son in Atlanta, my friends in Asheville, and do a little shopping. But I don't want to promote another book even if I could produce something saleable. I guess I'm not that person any more. Not sure I ever was. If it weren't for the royalty checks I'd think the whole journey was just a dream.

I don't like to sit at the computer long enough to write a book anymore. I like to go to the mercado every day to buy fresh fruit and vegetables in the plaza of this little village I call home. I like to hear Spanish spoken. I like to go swimming every day and take my water aerobics class and swim laps afterward. I like walking Kahlua, Frida, and Solavina (my rescued dogs) around the neighborhood. And don't forget lazy afternoon siestas. I always say it takes all day to live in Mexico.

Several other TED authors, from New York Times bestsellers to DIY authors, have also taken the plunge into ebook sales. We've compiled a short but growing list here.

Laura Fitzgerald - One True Theory of Love
Tony Bertauski - The Discovery of Socket Greeny
Chevy Stevens - Still Missing
Neva Bryan - St. Peter's Monsters
Jacqueline Gum - Confessions of a Corporate Slut
Linda Drews - Run at Destruction: A True Fatal Love Triangle
Frank Fiore - Cyberkill
Steven Knope - Concierge Medicine: A New System To Get The Best Healthcare
Scott Pratt - An Innocent Client
Deborah Blumenthal - Fat Camp
Colleen Hitchcock - Rabbit Heart
Clint & Ursula Pearson - Falling