We interrupt this month for a rant.

All right. You guys know me. At least, most of you have a pretty good idea of what kind of person I am. I'm an optimist, pure and simple. If there's a problem, I find the silver spot hiding somewhere, and go on. If I cry, bitch, or moan, it's done to a very few, and off I go with life.

I hear a lot from people about having to promote themselves, especially those with e-publishers. They don't think it's fair. They can't find the time. The list is pretty long, but in the long run promotion is necessary because people aren't going to be interested in buying your book if they don't know you exist. Or if they do see your book, you gotta grab their attention long enough with the cover or blurb or excerpt to entice them into buying it.

Then there are the reviewers. Sheesh, just thinking about the astronomically high pile of books they have to wade through every month just floors me. I feel lucky in the fact that I have "sort of" made a name for myself to where my next release might catch the eye of a reviewer already familiar with my work.

But this rant isn't about e-publishers. Or about reviewers. It's about getting a frigging CHANCE.

I have just gone to three review sites to read what's the latest. On a rough count, I would be safe in saying that 6 out of every 10 reviews is for a NYC release - Avon, Penguin, HQ, you get the idea. I also read through four of my favorite blog sites. Guess what? Same thing. Same books, too, pretty much.

And guess who's getting the majority of ad space? Not all, mind you, but most of it. Yup. That's right.

Okay. That's the Biz. But here's where I get to the point where I'm ready to cry. On two separate email loops I'm on (and I'm on plenty, geesh! LOL!), people - mostly other e-pubbed authors - are asking for suggestions as to other books they could read and enjoy. Guess what names and books are brought up?

Big NYC Names, and Their Big NYC Titles.

Mind you, I love my own NYC authors. But, geez Louise! Why not suggest ANOTHER E-PUBBED AUTHOR OR HER BOOKS? Are e-pubbed authors so inconsequential that we don't even rate a SUGGESTED READ?

And it's not just on e-mail loops where this happens. It's on blogs, too. And on bulletin boards.

Go on. I dare you. If you have a blog, or your own e-mail loop, ask "Can you suggest a good book to read?" Then see how the reponses lean heavily toward the NYC houses. Does this mean e-pubs don't put out anything of quality worth noting?

I think we do!