Amanda Hocking signs $2 million+ deal with St. Martin's Press

Amanda Hocking has signed a four-book deal for her new series, currently called the Watersong series, for more than $2 million with St. Martin's Press, the New York Times reports.

As Hocking noted in her March 22, 2011 blog post:

I have a book that is almost ready to publish, but because of everything else going on, I have not had time to get it ready and publish. THIS is a problem. I am a writer, but that doesn't mean anything if I can't get a book to readers.

There's several factors that go into my decision making about any possible future endeavors. The biggest factors are my readers and the longevity of my career. My goal has always been to put the highest quality product I can out in a way that is the most accessible to readers. My goal has never been to be the "darling" or the "poster child" for any movement.

I currently have self-published 9 books, and I will continue to self-publish books in the future.

Congratulations to Hocking. With eBook sales only 8 to 9% of book sales, Hocking now has the chance to reach the other 91 to 92% of readers. Fans can check out her print books from libraries. The deal only affects the four books of her Watersong set, so as noted above, Hocking - known for her prolific writing pace, at times reaching 8,000 words in a single 4-hour stretch of writing - may simultaneously self-publish while publishing with St. Martin's.