Local Author Has the 'Write' Stuff

Dyanne Davis’ success story is rare, if not unfounded.

Davis left a well-paying nursing position a decade ago to become a successful romance novelist.

That in and of itself is impressive. But Davis, whose husband says is a “woman with a mind of her own,” took it a step further and has done it without the help of a publisher—something nearly unheard of in the publishing world.

“I am taking my career into my own hands,” Davis said. “For years, I believed in doing business the traditional way … working with an agent and a publisher. Times have changed and that model isn’t working anymore, so I’ve had to adapt.”

Davis has penned 15 books thus far in her career—Romantic Times dubbed Davis’ book “The Critic” one of the best in 2008. She also hosts “The Art of Writing,” a television program on .

Davis is no stranger to changing with the times—and this year’s no different.

“The book ‘biz’ has changed in the last three or four years,” she said.  “The e-publishing arm has come on really strong. It is a complicated market, but for the writers who have found an audience, it can be sustaining.”

Davis has capitalized on networking with members of the Naperville-based Windy City Romance Writers of America (RWA), a group that meets every second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 7-9 p.m. in the Naperville Chamber of Commerce meeting room.

Davis said the group has provided her with information that she normally would not be able to find.

“Initially, none of us really paid attention to what our publishers paid as a standard, then one of our members met someone who educated us on the money that could be made POD (publishing on demand),” Davis said.

That standard required an upfront payment on the author’s part and giving up 4- to 6-percent of their royalties.

Now, as the publishing industry changes with entities such as Amazon.com, authors are able to snag lucrative back-end deals and can make 35- to 70-percent on every one of their books sold.

Davis recently gained publishing rights back for all her books, which has opened the door to a number of opportunities.

Davis’ goal now is to expand her audience—she is currently planning a marketing campaign to re-release all her titles online.

Davis’ books, although romance-based, run the gamut from interracial love to a vampire series.

Books that are currently in print (many through the ) include:

• "The Color of Trouble"
• "The Wedding Gown"
• "Let’s Get It On"
• "Forever and a Day"
• "Rebound Love"
• "Many Shades of Gray"
• "The Critic"
• "Misty Blue"
• "And Then The Levy Broke"
• "The Little Things"
• "In The Beginning"
• "In Blood We Trust"
• "Lest Ye Be Judged"
• "Lotus Blossom Chronicles"
• "Carnivale Diabolique"

For more information on Davis, visit www.dyannedavis.com or e-mail her at dyannedavis@aol.com