Lisa Winkler is a journalist, educator, and of course indie author, having self-published her debut book, On the Trail of the Ancestors: A Black Cowboy’s Ride Across America.  She discusses her experiences with both the Kindle Select program and book promoters.

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

Growing up black in Brooklyn, Miles Dean wanted to be a cowboy.  He galloped through the streets on his bicycle, ambushing outlaws on street corners, imitating the heroes he watched on television westerns.  More than three decades later, Dean, a Newark, NJ schoolteacher, rode Sankofa, his 11-year-old Arabian stallion, from the African Burial Grounds in lower Manhattan to the California African American Museum in Los Angeles.  Dean used an unpaid leave of absence to follow his childhood dream: his 5,000 mile- journey through12 states took six months.

Conceived to celebrate the contributions of African Americans in US history, this inspirational story brings the reader into large cities and small towns, connecting with the horseback ride and the many people Dean met.  Through his daily regimen of riding his horse, the reader witnesses the physical and emotional discipline required to complete such a journey.  It’s a story about an ordinary man who accomplishes something extraordinary.

2. What motivated you to become an indie writer?

I had submitted my book proposal and sample chapters to over100 agents.  After researching self-publishing, I felt this was the way to go.

3. Have you been traditionally published?

I have had articles and essays published.

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

It’s been an enormous learning experience.  I am finding that the marketing can take control of your life—but traditionally published authors need to do their own marketing these days as well.

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