Mystery writer Diane Rapp gave up on writing after a traditional publisher with which she had a deal went bankrupt.  But she found her way to self-publishing and explains why she’s happy she did.

1. Pretend for a moment I’m a reader looking for my next book.  Pitch me one of your books.

When Kayla Sanders accepts a free Caribbean cruise aboard the Aurora, she gets sucked into a modern-day mutiny culminating in the murder of her ex-lover, Patrick MacIntyre.  Plunging into a frenzied investigation to discover the killer before police arrest her friends, Kayla bumps into Steven Young every time she uncovers a clue and they soon join forces to unravel the mystery.  Can Kayla trust him enough to fall in love again?  Like a tightrope walker balancing between passion and peril, Kayla risks her life to unearth the truth behind Patrick’s death and free herself from the past.

2. What motivated you to become an indie writer?

I spent thirty years in business for myself, selling real estate, owning a retail store, and doing freelance advertising work.  When I finished my first novel, it drove me crazy to have “agents” take my work and never inform me about their progress.  As a real estate agent I knew that half the job was keeping your client informed.  Now as an indie writer I count on myself to work hard.  If I need better results I work harder.  If I go on vacation, my laptop travels.  It’s a wonderful age we live in.

3. Have you been traditionally published?  Why or why not?

I published a travel guide to the Caribbean (co-authored with my daughter) and we did three updated editions.  When I signed a contract with a publisher on my mystery novel Murder Caribbean-Style, I got so excited.  The publisher went bankrupt and returned the rights to me.  I gave up writing until my husband found an article about becoming an indie publisher.  It “kindled” my hope and I worked hard to launch four e-books on Amazon.  Sales are increasing every month and I get a higher percent of sales than with traditional publishing.

4. How have you liked self-publishing so far?

It’s difficult to push myself to do self-promotion but I’m learning.  At least I earn more for my efforts and don’t have to sit back and wait for a publisher to send me a royalty check twice a year.  If I want better sales I work hard to make more friends.

5. Tell me about the marketing techniques you’ve used to sell your books.  Which ones have been the most successful?

I’m still too new at this to know what works, so I’m open to trying everything: my own website, Twitter, Facebook, and this month I’m doing free book days through the KDP Select Program.

6. Are there any marketing techniques you intentionally avoided or discontinued, and if so, why?

Paid promotion.  I will do what I can on my own for now.

7. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about self-publishing that you didn’t know when you started out?

Patience and perseverance—when you are in charge of everything you can’t fire the marketing department for laziness.

8. If you could do one thing differently in publishing your books, what would it be?

Become an indie author sooner.

9. Independent authors face the obvious challenge of marketing their books without the resources of traditional publishers.  What advice do you have for an indie author just starting out?

Work hard to make your story the best it can be and then work even harder spreading the word.  Don’t take criticism personally, use it to make your work better.  It’s really easy to make corrections and replace the book content.

10. What projects are you currently working on?

I’m doing research and planning for a mystery cruise novel to Alaska.  It will include a wedding at Glacier Bay, dangerous animals, fun side trips, an art heist, and of course a murder to solve.

11. If you could market your brand – not just one particular book, but your overall brand of writing – in one sentence, what would it be?

QuickSilver Novels: A rare element thought to be magical in ancient times, quicksilver expands, melds, and becomes useful when mixed with other elements—just like a writer’s imagination.

12. How can readers learn more about your books?

Visit quicksilvernovels.com where I publish blogs about elements of my books, reviews I write about other authors’ books, and descriptions of my mystery and science fiction series.

Amy Peterson (writing plays under the pen name Ash Sanborn) aspires to be a playwright and has e-published her play, along with other writings.  She explains her varied and unique approach to networking and marketing.

1. Pretend for a moment I’m a director or producer looking for my next play.  Pitch me one of your plays in five to ten sentences.

The Feast of Jovi Bono (known to friends as TFOJB) is a new play, a challenge to actors to tell their stories in slam poetry/spoken word art.  It’s the story of forgiveness between mothers and daughters, exes, the life-beaten and the life that beat them.  What if a tent city moved next door to your house?  You’re just one person – what can one person do to help create life from destruction?

Most plays in this century do not have a narrator, but ours has a snarky chef to make us laugh and tie the feast together.  There’s a rugby game, cake getting all over, an expanding table that Malcolm (Jovi’s best friend) keeps tripping over, padparadsha oranges, and stories that light up the night.

2. What motivated you to become a playwright?

TJOJB has not had the usual development process mostly because of the slam poetry.  First I did send it to the developmental readers at my local theater (Spencer Community Theater in Iowa) and of the three readers, two of them had very helpful feedback.  I took many of their suggestions.  The next step would have been a staged reading in which I would have found a partner-director, assembled the cast (which usually consists of whoever shows up) and had one or at most two rehearsals.  The reading would be in front of an invited audience who would then provide further feedback.  This is where the process broke down: the slam poetry is actually quite a challenge to the actors and would require more than a rehearsal or two for any one to effectively perform it.  A cold reading would create the effect the early readers feared: that it would be a group of actors standing around reciting poetry.  If that’s the case, what on earth are we doing?

From there I sent the script to a few publishers, all of whom said it was not for them, but to please consider sending them any future plays.  They weren’t getting it.  The slam poetry cannot be confined to the page.  Then I received an email from Stageplays.com.  They were dipping their toes into e-publishing plays – a very new concept – and for a very reasonable price, I could partner with them to get the script out there, available to directors, along with my contact information so I could work with them on staging it.  TFOJB will have its premiere Labor Day weekend.  It is my hope that video and other promotional material uploaded on Stageplay’s website will help artistic directors and performance committees from theaters throughout the nation decide this is something they need to do for their theaters and for their communities.

3. Have you been traditionally published?  Why or why not?

I have always been an indie author, even with my memoir and novel, probably because I am a control freak.  I had an offer from a traditional publisher for each of those books, but in conversations with editors at those houses, I realized they didn’t get it.  They were taking extremely divergent directions from my vision on story lines and format, and I realized in the case of each book, it would become something it was not.  There are days I wonder, if I’d not been so committed to my artistic integrity, if I would be more as an author now. In the business of publishing, I’d undoubtedly of been a greater force by now.  However, as a writer and artist, I would have shrunk.

4. How have you liked self-publishing so far?

I don’t consider indie authorship self-publishing, maybe because that phrase has become a profanity in the industry.  I haven’t liked it in my other projects because I am simply not enough of a self-promoter to make it work well.  However, there are new ways of promotion and delivery to readers and others growing almost daily.  I am so excited about e-readers, new applications and other technology to delivery my words, that I am finishing my degree (finally) in a BFA Creative Writing program specializing in writing for visual media.

5. Tell me about the marketing techniques you’ve used to sell your writing.  Which ones have been the most successful?

With TFOJB, I have several efforts happening at once.  I have unabashedly added dozens of actors, directors and producers on LinkedIn and Facebook.  With that audience, I then post my video trailers for their perusal, and through social networking I also attempt to build relationships with those decision makers to give TFOJB a larger, hopefully national, stage.  I have had some amazing conversations with some fairly high level producers and other movers and shakers in New York, Chicago and Minneapolis theater worlds.  No one has signed a contract yet, but they are reading, thinking and considering.

I am also funding the world premiere on RocketHub through a crowdfunding effort.  I do not believe we have seen the potential of crowdfunding to bring independent literature and theater the attention it deserves.

6. Are there any marketing techniques you intentionally avoided or discontinued, and if so, why?

I have no intention of taking out ads because I have yet to think of an ad campaign that would target the right individuals and make them any more interested than developing personal relationships through social networking has done.

7. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about self-publishing that you didn’t know when you started out?

Promotion, promotion, promotion.  I am 40 years old and am only now figuring out that it isn’t that my writing talent isn’t enough to launch my projects to success; it’s that it is not enough on its own.

I have spent years developing myself as an artist and figuring the audience would find its own way.  There’s so many distractions for an audience today that they in fact will not find their own way but they need a beacon to light the way.  Promotion is not selling out as an artist or writer; it’s lighting the way for your readers and audience to find what they didn’t know they were looking for.  If it’s the right audience, they will realize when they see my work that it’s what they were seeking all along.

8. If you could do one thing differently in publishing your writing, what would it be?

I have tended to push my work out there when I was so tired of looking at it; when I felt that further changes were not improving it, really, but just changing it more.  However, in the clear vision of hindsight, I find that one more edit would have put it closer to where I would want it to be.

9. Independent writers face the obvious challenge of marketing their books and other writing without the resources of traditional publishers.  What advice do you have for an indie writer just starting out?

Believe in yourself.  You have a voice; make sure what you’re putting out there is authentic.  Keep talking until someone listens, then make sure your words, your baby, your creation, is all you believed it to be when the inspiration first hit you.  Don’t write to what you think the audience will pay to read, hear or see.  Write from your mind and soul.

Make your craft as good as it gets.  Then step out into the light and if you have the swift confidence of faith in yourself they will gather. They will listen.  They will hear.  They will know.  They will believe, too.

10. What projects are you currently working on?

At the moment all my energy is poured into TFOJB and Labor Day weekend.  I am recrafting the next play in this series: Brigid Kildare’s Steelworks.  Just briefly, that is a play about, among many other things, the legendary friendship between Brigid and Patrick of Ireland. I was first writing this play for National Playwriting Month in November 2009, and got through the first act.

I put it away to develop TFOJB.  In November 2010, I found out a high school classmate of mine was in prison and had been for years, and on Facebook his friend said he was depressed because his mother had passed away and it seemed no one was writing to him.  I thought surely I could send some light and cheer.  I wrote a letter.  My soul’s twin wrote back.  Now we are collaborating on a crazy number of projects, not the least of which is a story about his life.  We also have a legendary friendship so unlikely it’s as though I wrote it into life.

I’m truly not sure how to indie publish all of that, but one day sooner rather than later it will happen.  Brigid Kildare’s Steelworks is also undergoing a rework to incorporate restorative justice and the crushing sameness of a long prison term.

In my spare time (ha!) I’m developing a short story collection.  My short story, “Namesake”, was a finalist in the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition in 2010.  The second story for that collection, “The First Thing He Noticed Was Her Legs”, is a reader favorite but has not yet placed in a competition.  I plan to release this collection independently, making as much use of e-publishing and reader apps as possible and also exploring the addition of visual media to the stories.

11. If you could market your brand – not just one particular book or play, but your overall brand of writing – in one sentence, what would it be?

There’s sainthood in all of us – I don’t care who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done – you can change the world for the better.

12. How can readers learn more about your writing?

Facebook.com/ashsanborn, themoreyoushowme.com, and on rockethub.com.

I’ve personally known Lorraine Fico-White for a while now, and serve with her on the board of directors of the Charlotte Writers’ Club.  A professional editor, she discusses the role editors play in the writing process and how indies can make their books the best they can be.

1. Tell me about the editing services you provide.

I am a certified editor providing editing and proofreading services to authors.  Authors contact me before they self-publish or send out query letters.  I provide a free sample edit of the author’s work, evaluating the level of editing required and identifying ways to improve the manuscript’s marketability.  I also assist authors in developing personal bios and summaries for the book cover, creating discussion questions, and critiquing query letters and synopses.

2. What’s the difference between editing and proofreading?

Proofreading identifies grammar, punctuation, spelling, and typographical errors as well as formatting inconsistencies.  Basic copyediting includes proofreading in addition to ensuring content continuity, correct and effective word usage, and clarity of concepts.

Heavier editing includes basic copyediting tasks plus analyzing character and plot development, narrative flow, shifts in point of view, and organizational structure.

3. What role should the editor play in the writing process?

An editor assists the writer in making the book the best it can possibly be.  A great working relationship between an author and editor is critical to the success of a book.  A good editor will not change a writer’s voice, style or story.  Instead, the editor offers a fresh, experienced perspective and respects the author’s work.  All edits must be approved by the author.

4. For each editing project you take on, what is your overriding goal?  In other words, what do you have in mind each time you look at a new manuscript or other writing?

My goal is to help authors achieve their goals.  Whenever I review a manuscript, I am always looking for ways to improve its marketability.  Errors and inconsistencies distract a reader, and the book could lose credibility.  If a reader loses interest, he/she will not recommend the book to friends and will not purchase subsequent books by the same author.

5. What has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned about authors—independent or traditional—through your editing?

It is a tough sell to convince authors that their “baby” can be improved and that I’m not the enemy.  The money invested in creating a professionally edited book will reap returns for the life of the book.  My sample edits usually convince authors that I am working for them—the changes enhance the book and create a professionally-polished product that still reflects their voice and vision.

6. How much work do you do with indie authors?

The majority of my clients are indie authors.  I enjoy reading new books from a variety of authors.  Editing is my passion and comes naturally to me.  I have always been an avid reader and love books.  Belonging to two book clubs helps me in my work.  Whenever I read, I edit.  I also have a network of colleagues (graphic designers, e-book formatters, photo restorers, and indexers) for those indie authors requiring assistance after editing.

7. Focusing only on indie writers, what advice do you have for them to make their writing the best it can be?

Indie writers do not have the assistance and benefit of multiple editors employed in a traditional publishing house.  Do as much self-editing as possible.  Take an online course on writing and editing.  Join a critique group.  Always get your book professionally edited and shop around.  Editing fees vary.  Compare sample edits and choose the editor who understands your work and your goals.

8. What are some common mistakes that self-published authors can and should avoid in their efforts?

Most self-publishing authors do not realize that publishing a book is a business.  It requires time, money and effort to publish a book that is marketable.  It is not enough just to write a book.  A self-published author should assemble a team of professionals to assist in the publication process for those areas unfamiliar to the author.

9. Many writers get their friends or family to edit their work.  How are you different?

Having friends and family proofread a book is a great way to get a free review.  However, they often are not looking at the book objectively.  They get caught up in reading a book written by someone they know.  I attend editing classes yearly to stay current on the editing industry and to keep my skills sharp.  I am a perfectionist—detail-oriented and grammar-obsessed.  I attend webinars and seminars on the ever-changing publishing industry to help my clients develop a marketing platform that is effective for them.

10. How can writers get in touch with you?

My email address is lorraine@magnificomanuscripts.com.  My website, magnificomanuscripts.com, contains links to my LinkedIn profile as well as my business Facebook page.

Love Train is unlike any other book I have read. I found myself immediately smiling and enjoying the outrageous escapades, impossible situations, and the author’s sense of humor. Treat yourself to a light, easy read and be pleasantly entertained!

Thanks for reading!

Kris

Julie Hawkins has found creative freedom as an indie, and focuses her writing on Civil War fiction.  She talks about the techniques she used to tap into a specific market.

1. Pretend for a moment I’m a reader looking for my next book.  Pitch me your book in five to ten sentences.

In the spring of 1861, a country once united is fractured by war.  In north Alabama, Hiram Summers, a farmer and father of three, enlists to protect his inherited property.  His son, David, also desires to go, but is instead obligated to stay behind to care for the farm. Hiram travels to Virginia with the Fourth Alabama Infantry Regiment, where he is quickly and inevitably thrust into combat.  In the meantime, David searches for adventure at home by traipsing to Huntsville with his best friend, Jake Kimball, to investigate rumors of invading Yankees.  Their escapade turns into harsh reality when they discover the true meaning of war, and after two years of service, Hiram sees enough tragedy to last a lifetime.  A Beautiful Glittering Lie addresses the naivety of a young country torn by irreparable conflict, a father who feels he must defend his home, and a young man who longs for adventure, regardless of the perilous cost.

2. What motivated you to become an indie writer?

I am just starting out in the book publishing industry, but I would eventually like to be published by a traditional publisher.  Indie publishing is a good way to springboard my work into that industry.  Since I published my first book, A Beckoning Hellfire, independent publishing has changed dramatically, so that now authors can have bestsellers without being picked up by traditional publishers.

3. You have not been traditionally published.  Why?

Working independently gives me the freedom to express my views without conforming to the traditional market.  It has more flexibility and opportunity than ever before.  Traditional publishers are looking for bestselling authors with an accomplished track record.  What I have found by attending conventions is that there are a lot of independent writers who are equally talented.  Being published independently doesn’t reflect the quality of writers who are out there.

4. How have you liked self-publishing so far?

My experience with self-publishing so far has been very good.  It has given me a vehicle in which to publish a story that I feel passionately about.  It has also enabled me to establish a following of readers who have an ongoing interest and relationship in the Civil War market.

5. Tell me about the marketing techniques you’ve used to sell your books.  Which ones have been the most successful?

The most effective marketing techniques I have used were the ones where the reader was able to see the product, such as at book signings, reenactments, and speaking engagements.  Civil War enthusiasts are impressed by the battle scene quality on the front cover of my book, and by the intriguing copy on the back cover.  My book has also appeared in local media and in national publications.

6. Are there any marketing techniques you intentionally avoided or discontinued, and if so, why?

I intentionally avoided using expensive advertising in large newspapers and radio because I did not have the budget to afford those markets.  In my experience, the smaller, local markets were just as effective, since it was my first novel, and I had yet to establish myself.

7. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about self-publishing that you didn’t know when you started out?

Self-publishing is very powerful.  When I started out, I just wanted to get my book out there.  Now the market has grown so much that the possibility of becoming a bestselling author is a reality.

8. If you could do one thing differently in publishing your books, what would it be?

The one thing I would do differently would be to have a strong marketing plan and begin marketing before the book is even published.

9. Independent authors face the obvious challenge of marketing their books without the resources of traditional publishers.  What advice do you have for an indie author just starting out?

My advice for other indie authors is to keep writing.  Don’t get discouraged or burned out, because it is an ongoing process.  Eventually, you will be discovered.

10. What projects are you currently working on?

Currently, I am working on several books.  My new novel, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, is slated for publication this spring.  It is the prequel to A Beckoning Hellfire, and the two books are part of a four-book series.  I am also working on a nonfiction book about the Civil War, as well as two other novels, one of which is set in my hometown, Sioux City, Iowa.

11. If you could market your brand – not just one particular book, but your overall brand of writing – in one sentence, what would it be?

My personal brand of books thus far has been to tell the true story of the Confederate cause.  Growing up in Iowa, I never understood why so many Southern men would fight to preserve slavery.  Now I know that was not the case.

12. How can readers learn more about your books?

Readers can learn more about my books at my website: abeckoninghellfire.com.

Sherry Woodcock is a spiritual writer who turned her blog into a book and uses her personal experiences to shape her writings.  She talks about using a launch party as an element of her marketing campaign and why writers must “get out there” to create awareness of their books.

1. Tell me briefly about your books – what are they about and what motivated you to write them?

My books took life from a blog I started in January of 2010, called Daily Spiritual Tools.  The first one took the name of my blog as the title.  The second one is only available as an e-book and is called Daily Spiritual Tools, Learning How to Forgive and Let Go.

These books and my blog are focused on spiritual practices I call “tools.”  I’ve always been a voracious reader and spent hours reading spiritual and metaphysical books.  From these books, and clairvoyant training I pursued in the nineties, I gathered countless ways of connecting on a daily basis to that inner consciousness that many call God.  I began writing about them, in what my readers say is a clear and easy to read style.  The truth is I wrote for me, to find my voice.

2. How have your sales been?

Since October, when I released Daily Spiritual Tools, I’ve sold 75 paperback copies and six e-book versions.

3. You have not been published by a traditional publisher.  Why?

I went with non-traditional publishing because my topic is popular with a small group of readers.  Targeting spiritual but not religious
readers is not something that most traditional publishing houses would take a risk on.  I did send out query letters and letters to agents, but had little success.

4. You’re relatively new to self-publishing.  How have you liked it so far?

I like non-traditional publishing.  It keeps the author in the driver seat.  I went with Amazon’s CreateSpace and found it simple to use, cost effective (free if you are a do-it-yourselfer), and timely.  Traditional publishing takes a great deal more time from manuscript to proof copy.

5. What sort of marketing techniques have you used to sell your books, and which ones have been most successful?

I’ve spent a great deal of time reading about marketing your own book, and one of the most critical aspects is to develop a strong author platform.  This is your “brand.”

You have to have a “platform,” developed early on, from which to jump-start your marketing campaign.  I was fortunate to have a pretty strong web presence with my blog and website, but I needed to beef up my platform with social marketing like Facebook and Twitter.

So far the best marketing tool was my book launch party.  I waited until mid-December to have a formal book launch and signing party and that paid off in immediate sales (Christmas was right around the corner) and a group of prospective readers for future books.

6. Are there any marketing techniques you intentionally avoided or discontinued, and if so, why?

There are some I haven’t tried, like a virtual book tour, library book signing, and speaking engagements, but none I have intentionally avoided.

7. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about self-publishing that you didn’t know when you started out?

Writing the book was the easy part; marketing is the hard part.

8. If you could do one thing differently in publishing your books, what would it be?

I would publish several smaller ebooks and offer the first one for free.  I find that I look for free books myself and if I like them I buy other books from the same author.

9. Independent authors face the obvious challenge of marketing their books without the resources of traditional publishers. What advice do you have for an indie author just starting out?

As soon as you think you want to write a book get on the Internet and make yourself a fixture in that field.  Qualify yourself as an expert.  Whether it be a blog or a website, or guest blogging on the blogs of others, get out there and become active.

In addition, there is no better marketing than word of mouth.  Call in all the favors you have and get all your friends and family excited about your book.  If possible, offer to do speaking engagements for free and offer your books for sale at the end.  One strategy that worked for me was to speak at a church with the understanding that I would share the profit as a donation to the church (added benefit: tax deductible).

10. What projects are you currently working on?

I am working on the second volume of Daily Spiritual Tools.  It will be seven weeks of Daily Spiritual Tools, one for every day of the week.

11. If you could market your brand – not just one particular book, but your overall brand of writing – in one sentence, what would it be?

As humankind moves from a truth of spirituality “out there” to one of God expressing as each of us and in all things, these tools I write about help us accept that new truth and know it as our own.

12. How can readers learn more about your books?

Readers can visit my website, dailyspiritualtools.com; my blog, dailyspiritualtools.blogspot.com; or visit my author
page at Amazon.

Marcia Barhydt has had success as both an indie author and a traditionally published author.  She talks about working with a publisher and networking with small groups to sell her book.

1. Pretend for a moment I’m a reader looking for my next book.  Pitch me your book in five to ten sentences.

My first book, Celebrate Age, is a collection of articles that I wrote for Timeless Woman about a huge variety of topics of interest to women over 50.  The subtitle of my book is “Thoughts, Rants, Raves, and Wisdoms Learned after 50″.  I talk about a diverse selection of topics including how important our girlfriends are to us now, how it helps our lives to learn how to live in the moment, the pitfalls of online dating for older women, finding balance in our lives, jokes about older women and why they’re bad, and how to get out of the box we sometimes find ourselves in.

2. What motivated you to become an indie writer?

For 32 years I was a flight attendant.  When I retired at age 55, I decided to do what I knew best and became a self-employed customer service trainer.  After about five years of doing that, I started writing a customer service column for a local paper and that led to me writing for Timeless Woman.

Since I didn’t get paid by Timeless Woman, I thought I could make up a small income if I turned my articles into a book.  And I also thought I might be able to touch more women, to give them my thoughts on some of the issues that we face today.  I knew nothing about publishing, so I decided to do it myself.  Ergo, an indie writer!

3. Have you been traditionally published?  Why or why not?

My upcoming book, One Small Voice, will be published by a traditional publisher.  And I’m doing that because I have the money to afford that now and, don’t laugh, but my publisher can do the formatting of this next book for me.  I did the formatting for Celebrate Age and it made me nuts!  I hated doing it!  Self-publishing left me with a good looking book; a publisher will leave me with a great looking book that looks more professional.

4. How have you liked self-publishing so far?

I was fortunate with my first book to know a woman, my printer, who gave me lots of tips about making the cover, the index, and formatting the pages.  I’m glad that I’ve self-published, glad for the knowledge and experience it gave me, and especially glad to know that I could do it again any time I wanted to.

5. Tell me about the marketing techniques you’ve used to sell your books.  Which ones have been the most successful?

I already had a website, so I put a page up about my book, with a picture of the cover.  My website developer got PayPal for me so I could sell books directly from my website.

And I networked – a lot.  I always took some books with me and I spoke about the book only when I did my infomercial at networking events.  I gave a copy to people who wanted to interview me on the radio.  And I started speaking to local women’s groups and selling my book after my presentation.

6. Are there any marketing techniques you intentionally avoided or discontinued, and if so, why?

I avoided direct selling – cold calling – because personally I hate doing that.  So my marketing methods may not have been as fast as cold calling, but they were more to my way of doing business.

7. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about self-publishing that you didn’t know when you started out?

I learned to copy read the whole book more than once and I learned that it’d be a good idea to have someone else read it for me.  My book has a few spelling errors and it has one paragraph that’s not in the right place.  Blush.  Silly little things like that make your book appear unprofessional.

8. If you could do one thing differently in publishing your books, what would it be?

I’d use a publisher.  If I continued to self-publish, I’d probably buy some kind of formatting program.  I didn’t even know there were such things!

9. Independent authors face the obvious challenge of marketing their books without the resources of traditional publishers.  What advice do you have for an indie author just starting out?

Make sure your printer will print small quantities.  You don’t want to have 1000 copies of a book that won’t sell.  Make sure that you have an ISBN number and that you mark your whole book “copyright.”  If it’s a small book, as mine was, don’t spend time trying to get your book into Amazon or Chapters where it will disappear.  Think hard about putting your book in small gift stores where it may be placed in less than favorable locations.  Get active and involved on sites like LinkedIn and join discussion groups there so you become known as an author.  I did two radio shows because of doing that.  Do your own marketing and do lots of it.  And realize that your book
will have a long life; you don’t have to sell large quantities right away.

10. What projects are you currently working on?

One Small Voice is a collection of articles that I wrote for Kalon Magazine for Women and WE Magazine for Women.  I’ve put together a rough draft and I’ve designed my own cover, and then I sent it to my publisher.  After this one, I’m not sure, but I suspect there’ll be more books!

11. If you could market your brand – not just one particular book, but your overall brand of writing – in one sentence, what would it be?

I write about issues and happenings that affect older women and I promote the value of older women as well as trying to stop the bias of ageism.

12. How can readers learn more about your books?

At my website, willowtree.ca.

Thanks Kris for giving me this opportunity to talk about my book.  I appreciate your support.

Kathy Lynn Harris has had success as an indie author with her book, Blue Straggler.  She talks about why self-publishing was an attractive alternative to the traditional model and the role pricing has had in selling her books.

1. Pretend for a moment I’m a reader looking for my next book.  Pitch me your book in five to ten sentences.

Ah, the elevator pitch!  Here you go: being a 30-something, fairly directionless single female in South Texas is a world all its own.  Kathy Lynn Harris’s Blue Straggler is a laugh-out-loud, yet poignant, exploration of that experience — from the quirky, memorable characters who make up Bailey Miller’s circle of family and friends to that feeling of your makeup sliding right off in the humidity.  You will easily identify with Bailey’s sometimes humorous, often semi-tragic, choices that eventually lead her out of Texas, to a small mountain town in Colorado, and back.  Along the way, she searches for not only herself but also answers to long-held secrets from her “legitimately unbalanced” great-grandmother’s past.  Bonus: She may even find love with a moody mountain man along the way.

2. What motivated you to become an indie writer?

With the help of traditional literary agents, I shopped two of my novel manuscripts around.  All the big houses told me the stories were “too quiet.”

I travel for my day job and saw that more and more people were using e-readers.  I knew Amazon and Barnes & Noble had programs for publishing e-books.  I revisited my main goal for my writing: to simply have others read my work and enjoy it; not to have my name on a blockbuster published by Simon & Schuster.  So, I thought, why not just put the book out there?  It’s been such a great experience.

3. Have you been traditionally published?

I have had numerous works printed in traditionally published anthologies.  And now, thanks to the success of the e-book version of Blue Straggler, an independent publisher, 30 Day Books, has picked up the book.  The paperback version comes out March 1.

4. Tell me about the marketing techniques you’ve used to sell your books.  Which ones have been the most successful?

Keeping the price of my e-book at $2.99 on Amazon has been a definite key.  I’m an unknown author, so this gives people a chance to try my work without breaking the bank.  Also, I worked with a publicist, Laura Pepper Wu.  She’s been fantastic to work with and guide me.

5. Are there any marketing techniques you intentionally avoided or discontinued, and if so, why?

Well, I wouldn’t say that I have intentionally avoided any techniques, but there are some I just haven’t had time to figure out.  For instance, I use Goodreads, but I haven’t grasped how to benefit in a big way from it yet.  The Kindle boards, as well, are on my list to figure out.

6. Independent authors face the obvious challenge of marketing their books without the resources of traditional publishers.  What advice do you have for an indie author just starting out?

Make sure that your book is professionally edited and formatted if you are self-publishing.  It’s so important.

7. What projects are you currently working on?

My second novel, A Good Kind of Knowing, is in the final stages of being ready for release as an e-book.  It’s a bit different than Blue Straggler, so I’m interested to see and hear how readers will respond.

8. If you could market your brand – not just one particular book, but your overall brand of writing – in one sentence, what would it be?

Modern Texas fiction with a twist of pathos, ethos and humor thrown in.

9. How can readers learn more about your books?

Please visit my author website and blog at kathylynnharris.com.  You can see reviews, get more information and purchase the book via Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  And, of course, I’m on Twitter (@KathyLynnHarris) and Facebook.

Thank you for reading!

Fantasy writer A.L. Collins has turned an endless imagination into a cottage industry of writing.  His unique and creative approach to marketing – even involving scent candles to reference things created in his books – is presented here.

1. Pretend for a moment I’m a reader looking for my next book.  Pitch me your book in five to ten sentences.

People say to learn from the past, but that’s not always an easy thing to do.  Especially when your past has been literally erased from view.  Rigil thought he was normal.  He wanted to protect what little he had from the rest of the world.  But things did not go as planned when a shadow organization of immense power stormed his hometown, burning it to the ground.  Now he’s running for the capital city, praying he makes it in time to warn of the doom lurking overhead.  As he travels with a gypsy, a shapeshifter and a witch, Rigil combats enemies and black magic wherever they may arise.  However, the young man will soon learn that the road through the darkness is a harrowing experience when one tries to go it alone.

2. What motivated you to become an indie writer?

I’ve always loved storytelling.  I adore making people feel things they haven’t felt before.  I think that as I grew older I realized that my imagination was just overwhelming at times, so much so that I lay awake at night dreaming up wild adventures.  A lack of excitement in my younger life coupled with my fascination with people, personalities and characters is what really made me realize that writing is really what I wanted to do.

3. You have not been traditionally published.  Why?

For a few personal reasons I haven’t been traditionally published.  Not every publisher can discover every breakthrough book.  So many good ideas get lost in the shuffle.  And this is also a career just as it is a passion.  I had people to support, friends who counted on me.  I decided to take my future into my own hands.  I hoped that if I was any good at writing these stories, then the fact I didn’t get traditionally published wouldn’t matter.  Maybe the stories would shine through on their own.  I am still looking for options, but I’ll continue writing regardless of my publication status.

4. How have you liked self-publishing so far?

It’s a lot of work.  There aren’t people to help you market or tell you what you’ve done wrong.  Everything relies on you and it’s a lot to handle, a lot of pressure.  You learn that editing is important.  You learn these things on your own.  I think being independently published leaves a bad taste in some people’s mouths.  But in the end it’s the book that matters.  If it’s good, it shouldn’t matter how you made it.  Morally speaking, of course.

5. Tell me about the marketing techniques you’ve used to sell your books.  Which ones have been the most successful?

To market, I just act social.  I think I’m generally fun to be around.  I like people to meet friends when they come to my signings, I like to meet and talk to people.  I don’t want to do this alone; being surrounded by people who support you has saved me many a time.  I also use posters, stickers, anything that will make people remember my book.  The biggest thing I’ve done so far is try to bring the five senses to reading.  I made customized scents and created candles out of them.  They smell of things I created in my fantasy books, like elf trees or willow blossoms.  Being different and creative can make your book stand out in ways you never would have imagined.

6. Are there any marketing techniques you intentionally avoided or discontinued, and if so, why?

Nothing yet.  I haven’t really seen anything that I would want to avoid or would discourage people to use.  Then again I haven’t tried all types of marketing.  You really can only do things that go with what you feel will bring the crowds.  Try to leave your name in a positive light, you know?

7. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about self-publishing that you didn’t know when you started out?

The most important thing is editing.  When you’ve edited and you think you’re done, trust me, you’re not.  Edit, then edit, then edit again.  I didn’t edit my first book enough.  And if you’re independent, nobody is going to look your book over for you.  So I learned quickly that you need to keep editing over and over and over again.  The same with marketing.  Nobody is going to do it for you.  That leaves it up to you to get your name out and spread the word about your book as much as you can.

8. If you could do one thing differently in publishing your books, what would it be?

There are a couple things I would do differently like pricing, editing and whatnot.  I’m searching different avenues and finding new ways to make, market and sell my books.  So I’m learning a lot.  I’ve never done this before so the learning process is very fast.  I’m already a much better author and businessman than I was even an hour ago.

9. Independent authors face the obvious challenge of marketing their books without the resources of traditional publishers.  What advice do you have for an indie author just starting out?

The biggest really?  Be charming.  Be fun.  Have fun.  Make friends.  If you just flow with it, things will move at a more relaxed and natural pace.  Most people think they make a book and then the money starts coming in.  It’s only through hard work, a lot of it, and through the word of people that you’ll truly be recognized.  Cross marketing and giving feedback to others will help draw attention back to you.  Love what you do and the people who read your books, stay humble, market creatively and edit.  That’s what has done it for me.  You never know who you’re going to meet or what doors they can open for you.

10. What projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on my first triplet of releases.  Scarlett’s is a motivational book about a girl named Jaime Williams who is just trying to make a home where she feels like she belongs.  With help from her friend Ashton, her writing gets published, which sends her life on a crazy roller coaster ride with good times and heartwarming encounters.

The second in my triplet is Twined.  It’s about a young woman who has shielded herself from her feelings after her mother murdered a woman on her eleventh birthday.  When she meets Albert, a Twine who must blood bond with a human being in order to survive, everything changes and she’s thrown into a terrifying partnership with a stranger who knows more than he is letting on.

Finally there is Utopius.  A dark, grisly medieval fantasy about a templar named Desmonde.  Scouring the land of Theros with Tristian, a clever witch with incredible powers, he searches for the only thing that will save the world from the demonic beasts that are literally swallowing the world whole.  I’m also currently working on a comic book and video game adaptation of one of my stories.

11. If you could market your brand – not just one particular book, but your overall brand of writing – in one sentence, what would it be?

Real feeling, real characters, real connection, stories brought to life with the five senses of reading.

12. How can readers learn more about your books?

You can head over to my blog at themagicofbastion.blogspot.com to learn more.  You can order the book through my parent company at thebastionbook.com.  Also I’m on Facebook as AL Collins, Twitter as ALCollins2011, and you can find my books on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble in hardcover, softcover, Kindle, Nook and e-ook form.  Also I’m on LinkedIn, Goodreads, Figment.com, Wattpad, Authors Den, writerscafe.org and Tumblr.  Type in Bastion: Prequel to War and hopefully you can find me.  I’m also a featured author in the Kensington Book Festival website and will be participating there on April 22nd.

Ted Gross is a short story writer who’s busy with a variety of writing projects.  In this interview he offers a laundry lists of recommendations for indie writers to successfully get their books out there.

1. Pretend for a moment I’m a reader looking for my next book.  Pitch me your book in five to ten sentences.

Ancient Tales, Modern Legends, a short story collection by Ted William Gross, presents the reader with engaging and thought-provoking stories spanning the ages.  Covering subjects of love, loss, pain, desire, need, frustration and hope, these stories are meant to entertain as well leave an indelible impression upon the reader.

This is not a book to dismiss easily.  Enjoy it, grow with it.  You will, in turn, be haunted by it and the stories will remain with you long after you have closed the pages.

As almost all authors will tell you, their work in writing is a labor of love.  ”Ancient Tales, Modern Legends” is a collection of stories that were written over many years, sometimes in great pain, sometimes with great joy, and is certainly a labor of love for both the author and the reader.  As colleagues read them, and some were published, I was prodded to publish the rest.  It is my hope that they will make you, the reader, stop and think, perhaps just about the waywardness of life.  They all are short stories in the pure art form of this genre.

2. What motivated you to become an indie writer?

I followed the industry for many years.  I have watched the indie book explosion.  I have also closely watched the trends.  My feeling is that the days of traditional publishers where they were the “bully” on the block has come to an end.  It is an age of “let the reader choose”.  You can write just so many query letters, have just so many books accepted and then cancelled on you before you either give up or find another avenue.  Indie book publishing offers another avenue.  And it is becoming more and more legitimate in the eyes of readers.  And certainly easier to actually go through the “publishing routine”.

In the end, simply a matter of practical thought and decision.

3. Have you been traditionally published?  Why or why not?

The surprising answer here is “yes”.  I even have an agent (and my agent is not at all happy with this decision to publish “Ancient Tales, Modern Legends” as an indie book).  A few short stories and two children’s books were published the traditional route.  Most are still available.  A couple of non-fiction pieces as well.  The move to indie was simply a matter of expediency.  I have watched carefully the publishing market, and have blogged about it over the years (Cobwebs of The Mind at teddygross.blogspot.com).

The market is exploding in indie publishing and the term no longer carries negative connotations that it once did.  Thus, I decided that it would be better to try publishing my entire first collection of short stories as an indie book, rather than selling them one at a time.  It remains to be seen if this was an experiment which works or an exercise in futility.

4. How have you liked self-publishing so far?

I have had fun and it has been a great learning experience both from a marketing and technological point of view.  Will it pay off in the end?  The jury is out on that one.  Will I continue with my other works?  Yes, without hesitation.

5. Tell me about the marketing techniques you’ve used to sell your books.  Which ones have been the most successful?

1. Having reviews or interviews such as this put up on blogs and web sites.

2. Deciding on your “niche market” then going to the traditional papers and magazines that may be willing to write about your book.

(I am a short story writer among other things.  That does not mean I approach the New Yorker and the Paris Review first thing out. First build up your “name” then try that route if you can.)  Don’t overestimate your value.  On the other hand do not underestimate it.

3. Try to get people to leave reviews in Amazon and B&N (these are critical actually).

4. Tell your friends.  They wont buy the book, but you will be using a very traditional social network to spread the word.  One friend may say to another of his, “Hey you remember this guy, Ted Gross, who could not spell?  Well do you believe he has a book published!” and then on and on it goes.  People gossip and talk and you never know where it can lead.

6. Are there any marketing techniques you intentionally avoided or discontinued, and if so, why?

Difficult question to answer.  I have not avoided, but I have been very reticent at laying out money for a book publicist, though I think if you really want your book to sell and you want to brand your name as an author you will need one sooner or later.  It depends how serious you are about writing, or how lucky you get with your books.

I will say this: do not overdo or put too much emphasis on the social networking aspect.  It works, and it does not work.  Concentrating on that will lead to the “never-ending story”.

7. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about self-publishing that you didn’t know when you started out?

That book cover design and book design are critical and you must take time learning it if you are going to do it yourself.  You also must plan on spending a week or two dealing with all the formats out there.  This does not take into account your mastery of Word or InDesign or whatever you use to create your book which is also fairly important.  Read the docs on these subjects.  Even if you think you know it all…read the docs.  Plan on making mistakes your first time out.  You are human.  It is fine.

8. If you could do one thing differently in publishing your books, what would it be?

I have gained a great deal of respect for book designers and book cover creators.  That being said, you learn by trial and error.  I would and will change the interior design of one of my books (but those changes probably would not even be noticed by the reader).  I may, if it really works out, put the book cover design into the hands of a professional.  That being said, I have had an incredible amount of email praise for my book cover design as it is simple yet does catch the eye.  I go for the “less is better” here rather than the whole effort of putting too much into the cover where it becomes way too busy.

9. Independent authors face the obvious challenge of marketing their books without the resources of traditional publishers.  What advice do you have for an indie author just starting out?

I will offer some unsolicited advice here as I come from the world of technology, specifically virtual world technology which is an offshoot of social networking and viral marketing.

To all authors:

1. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and all the other social networking venues are great.  But too much time spent in it not only is worthless but can backfire.  Advertising your book too much gets you ignored and people fed up with your posting.  Go easy.  Be discriminating.

2. Do not obsess on numbers all day long.  Your book may not sell for a few weeks or months until, if and when you can get it mentioned in the traditional press, which I admit is an uphill battle.

3. Do not rely only on the Kindle format, or even the e-book format.  People still love reading from paper.  (I know, a unique concept there!)  You should never just rely on the e-book formats (Kindle, Nook, Pads etc.)  Get your book into print via CreateSpace or PubIt.

4. Get reviews wherever you can get them.  You never know when Google caches that review where it will show up.  That can lead to sales.

5. Do not be too swift to throw out money.  Research and research again until you are 1000% sure that the place you are paying money to for an interview is a place worth the money and will gain you sales or momentum in sales.

6. Avoid the charlatans like a plague.

7. Spend time in forums but do not overdo it.

8. Define your “niche” market, then go for the mags, blogs, web sites and reviewers in that market.  Do not spread yourself all over to just anyone.  You still need to do research.

9. Don’t overprice, and do not under price.  $0.99 may make sense for a bit in an e-book, but the actual perception of “you get what you pay for” is very real.  This is, I know, a heated debate in forums.  It is up to you to decide.

10. What projects are you currently working on?

Second short story collection: temporary title  is “Chimera of Existence”.

A third short story continuous collection which will contain 36 intertwined short stories (released probably in three or four volumes) – “The 36″.

The Chronicles of the Children of Heaven epic fantasy series of which the first book was released.  Obviously I need to get the other books out ASAP.

Children’s book series: Grandfather Owl series – illustrated by my daughter

Historical fiction novel

And some other works actually which are not yet quite ready to discuss in their nature.

11. If you could market your brand – not just one particular book, but your overall brand of writing – in one sentence, what would it be?

Literary and historical fiction and fantasy.

(This is for all except my children’s book series (Grandfather Owl series) which will start coming out in April, which I am writing and my daughter is illustrating.)

12. How can readers learn more about your books?

My blog, which is fairly well-known: Cobwebs of the Mind.

Amazon descriptions and author page.

Facebook page.

Twitter @tedwgross.

LinkedIn.

And email me @ tedwgross@gmail.com.