J.T. Joseph combines history with a touch of adventure. In this interview he discusses the pros and cons of using a hybrid publisher, plus the numerous social media platforms and websites he uses for marketing.
1. Tell me briefly about your book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?
My novel, The Adventures of Mary Nobleman, is about a girl who discovers she is a descendant of the legendary King Arthur. I was partly inspired by The Da Vinci Code.
2. How have your sales been?
I’m not exactly sure, because my publisher keeps track of the details.
3. You’ve described your publisher as a mix of both indie and traditional. Can you elaborate on this?
They consider themselves a hybrid publisher. It combines self-publishing and traditional methods, but I hope one day I’ll be with a traditional publisher.
4. What would you say are the pros and cons of using a hybrid indie and traditional publisher?
One pro is that my publisher allowed me to choose the book cover and I received a little advance. Some cons are that they outsourced their editors and they do little marketing. It seems like there is not much of a difference between a traditional publisher and an indie publisher, because some first-time authors do not receive an advance and the authors still do all the marketing by themselves (unless they are already famous). This is based on what I’ve read, but I do not know from personal experience.
5. Your ebooks are on several different platforms, including Kindle and Kobo. Which platforms have resulted in the most success, and why?
I think Kindle has been the most successful, based on Amazon’s bestselling list. I have not checked the other platforms.
6. What sort of networking have you done as an author, and what have been the results?
I sold a few books at a local fantasy/sci-fi convention, before the paperback was officially released.
7. Talk a little more about the sort of marketing techniques you’ve used to sell your books. Which ones have been most successful?
I’ve used social media including Facebook groups, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr. I have also done interviews for websites and blogs. And I’ve advertised my books on apps like Booksprout and websites like AllAuthor and Awesome Gang.
8. Are there any marketing or networking techniques you’ve intentionally avoided or discontinued, and if so, why?
I avoided any paid advertisements, because I do not have any money for them and sometimes they do not work.
9. What are the most important things you’ve learned about publishing that you didn’t know when you started out?
It’s a lot tougher than I imagined, but I still love writing as a career choice.
10. If you could do one thing differently in publishing your books, what would it be?
I would find a small publishing house which does not require a literary agent. I might do that for my next book, depending on my current publisher.
11. What other projects are you currently working on?
In my sequel, my main character discovers that King Tut was murdered by two of his servants.
12. 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 novels are about adventure and making history more interesting.
13. How can readers learn more about your books?
They can buy the e-book or the paperback at the bookstore or online. They can also follow my social media accounts to know about more future projects:
Kris Wampler 
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