By Beth Revis

I never thought I’d self-publish…but I’ve never been happier with the idea of doing it now. And the biggest reason for that is because I have been able to turn my words into a full novel of thanks to my readers.

“Because I am in control of THE BODY ELECTRIC, I’m able to make sure the book is special for the people I most want to thank—the readers and the bookstores that got me where I am today.” -Beth Revis

After years of going the traditional route, I had my dream come true: A great agent that got me a great book deal that landed me on bookshelves, the NYT Bestseller List, and more than twenty foreign language translations. But the next book I wrote didn’t quite fit my publisher’s list, and it was something that I feel needs to be on the market sooner rather than later, so after some careful thought, I decided to go hybrid.

It was an easy decision, honestly, and in the end the only logical one for me. This new book, THE BODY ELECTRIC, is loosely linked to my original series, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, so time was a big factor in my decision. Also, curiosity—I’ve wanted to play in the indie waters for awhile now, and no time like the present to try. But my biggest motivating factor was a desire to show appreciation for my readers.

I decided to use THE BODY ELECTRIC in two specific ways to thank my biggest supporters. For my readers, I developed a special, limited edition of the book. For the local bookstore owners who championed my books, I made sure that the special features were easily available to readers through them—not the big box counterparts.

Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, NC.

I’m working closely with my local independent bookstore, Malaprop’s, to make a limited edition available. Each copy of the book will be signed and numbered in a limited print run and include special content inside and full-color art—and will only be available through Malaprop’s, which will be shipping the book internationally.

Of course, I wanted to make sure my eBook readers had access to the book, too, and not just through the elephant-in-the-room-online-bookseller. So in order to continue to help out local indie bookstores, who often use Kobo to sell eBooks directly, I’m selling the eBook version of the special edition of the book only through Kobo and iBooks. There are more than 30 pages of extra content, including a short story, a history of the world, an author interview, and more.

Because I am in control of THE BODY ELECTRIC, I’m able to make sure the book is special for the people I most want to thank—the readers and the bookstores that got me where I am today.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

• Beginning October 6, the print and eBook editions of THE BODY ELECTRIC will be available via Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe.
• You can pre-order the special edition of THE BODY ELECTRIC now!
• Buy ACROSS THE UNIVERSE on Kobo.

Beth Revis is the NYT bestselling author of the ACROSS THE UNIVERSE series. The complete trilogy is now available in more than 20 languages. A native of North Carolina, Beth is currently working on a new science fiction novel for teens, THE BODY ELECTRIC, which is coming out October 6. Connect with Beth on her Website, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.