A Whitewashed Tomb
My debut novel, A Whitewashed Tomb, was a labor of love that challenged not only my writing, but also my graphic design and layout skills. Rather than publishing traditionally, I decided to do everything myself: from the cover design to the interior layout, Kindle formatting, and marketing materials. A Whitewashed Tomb is a moody dystopian novel that takes place in a sparkling white city nestled in a rusty desert landscape. The title is a biblical reference that implies that things are not always what they seem, and that what is beautiful on the outside may be evil on the inside. I branded the book with black and orange hues and canyon textures against the stark white silhouette of the novel’s villain to give potential readers a feel for what to expect from the book. These themes are repeated throughout the formatting of the interior pages as well, such as in the decorative elements surrounding each chapter title.
About the Book
Tabitha’s mother is dying, and her father was supposed to do something about it. Instead, he abandoned their family to fend for themselves as lower-class Privileged. When Tabitha discovers that her father is a fugitive from an elite institute for the upper Provision class, she makes it her mission to get there. Upon arrival, however, she’s recruited to assist in his capture. Unsure of his guilt, Tabitha is caught between revenge and rescue. As the dark truths of their picture-perfect institute come to light, Tabitha is faced with a choice: to cling to her three-year grudge, or to risk it all for those she vowed she would never love.
Print Marketing
Awards
A Whitewashed Tomb was named by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group as one of the best indie books of 2018.
Loomis's book is a dystopian fiction is about a young woman whose only chance at finding her estranged father is by hunting him down for the corrupt authorities. It was nominated a finalist of the Young Author category in the 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the world’s largest not-for-profit book awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors.
The awards are judged by leaders of the indie book publishing industry, including many with long careers at major publishing houses. Their love of a great read and experience in the publishing arena identify books deserving a wider audience.
2018 is the 11th year of the not-for-profit book awards program.
Catherine Goulet, Co-Chair of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, proudly said, "Our program has become known as the Sundance of the book publishing world."
In an article at CNN.com titled If it’s cool, creative, and different, it’s indie, journalist Catherine Andrews wrote: “The term ‘indie’ traditionally refers to independent art – music, film, literature or anything that fits under the broad banner of culture – created outside of the mainstream and without corporate financing.”
Independent book publishing companies are independent of the major conglomerates dominating the book publishing industry. Indies include small presses, larger independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.
According to Goulet, "The indies must work harder to get their best books into the hands of readers."
“Authors and publishers who compete in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards are serious about promoting their books,” added Goulet. “They aim to stand out from the crowd of millions of books in print.”
According to statistics from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), more than a million books are published worldwide each year.
To help Indie authors and publishers reach a wider audience, the top 70 books in the 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards will be reviewed by New York literary agent Marilyn Allen of Allen O’Shea Literary Agency or one of Ms. Allen’s co-agents for possible representation in areas such as distribution, foreign rights, film rights, and other rights.
The awards were presented on June 22 in a ceremony at Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, coinciding with the American Library Association Annual Conference. Hotel Monteleone is one of only three hotels in the United States that has been designated a literary landmark by the Friends of the Library Association.
A complete list of 2018 winners and finalists is available at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards website at www.indiebookawards.com.
