Indie Title, Non Friction, Voted Funniest, Sexiest Book of 2013

    SEATTLE, WA, April 02, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Romance novelist, Morgan Parker, has a lot to smile about. With two novels due for release between now and June 1, Mr. Parker has also seen his biggest release of 2013 voted to the top spot on the Funniest, Sexiest Books of 2013 list by readers and fans at goodreads.com, the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations.

Achieving the top spot ahead of USA Today best-selling author Alice Clayton, and New York Times best-selling author Emma Chase (both of which are sold by Simon & Schuster Digital Sales) has come as a surprise to Mr. Parker, who writes under a pen name.

"As an unknown, new author, this type of recognition speaks very clearly about the types of fans and readers my stories have appealed to," Mr. Parker says. "I'm very humbled by this honor, and extremely grateful for those who took the time to support and acknowledge my work."

The independent publishing arena has seen tremendous growth in recent years, according to data published by Bowker, the world's leading provider of bibliographic information. In a release dated in October 2013, Bowker points to a 422% increase from 2007 to 2012 in self-published works.

"My fans and readers prove that you don't have to spend a lot of money on traditionally published authors in order to enjoy a good story," Morgan Parker adds. "The indie world is an intimate one that allows us, as authors, to engage with our readers and determine where to focus our future efforts," he elaborated.

With just two novels published in 2013, Morgan Parker remains enthusiastic about the busy year ahead. "I followed up Non Friction with a short novella, Hope in February. It was originally a 'thank you' novella that I offered for free, but my readers and fans petitioned to bring it back, so I did."

Working closely with his readers is a benefit that Mr. Parker highlights as a main reason for his involvement in the indie space. "Price control is a big factor as well - like a lot of avid readers, I like the low costs of an indie novel."

Parker lists his novels between $0.99 and $3.99 on Amazon, but admits to "testing" price-points as a way to find the best balance so as to appeal to the widest range of readers without out-pricing demand, another benefit to self-publishing, he says.

About his future releases, Parker notes: "On April 24, 2014, I will self-publish Sick Day, a love story about a man who has one day - a sick day on the last Friday of the summer - to convince the love of his life that they belong together. And in May, I'm publishing an untitled piece about a love that doesn't exist."

To learn more about Morgan Parker and his novels, visit his website at http://www.textualencounters.com or visit him on Facebook.

Morgan Parker has written three novels, including Non Friction which is currently listed as the Funniest, Sexiest Book of 2013 at Goodreads.com. His upcoming novel, Sick Day, will be released on April 24, 2014. You can follow Morgan Parker on Facebook.

# # #