networking

Sarah Archer

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Author photo_Sarah Archer (c) Steven Duarte-editedSarah Archer is a traditionally published author who is working to build her brand with a new book.  Learn more about her experiences and her advice for relying on fellow writers to shape your craft.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

My first novel, The Plus One, is a rom-com with a sci-fi twist.  It’s about a brilliant robotics engineer who, when pressured to find a wedding date, takes matters into her own hands and builds one.  Then she starts to fall for him.  This was an idea I had a few years ago and immediately knew would be fun to write.  It’s been a great way to explore how classic romantic tropes are transformed in our modern world.  And a solid excuse to spend way too much time Googling articles about AI and robotics.

2. How have your sales been?

The book just came out on July 2nd, and is currently available in stores and online.  It’s still early, but we’ll see how the sales go!

3. You’ve decided to use a traditional publisher for your book.  Why did you choose this versus self-publishing?

I’m extremely lucky to be publishing my first book with Putnam.  As a newcomer to this space, I’ve found their support and expertise invaluable.  However, if traditional publishing hadn’t worked out, I would happily have pursued self-publishing.  I come from a film and TV background, where it’s almost impossible to get something made without a team of people.  In publishing, you know that if you write a book, you have guaranteed ways to get it to an audience as long as you’re willing to do the work.  Having that light at the end of the tunnel is very motivating.

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Nancy George

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The Silent Scream Ebook 1.jpgNew Zealand author Nancy George’s latest work is an intensely personal account of her terminally ill husband’s battle with cancer.  Read about her book and the wealth of advice she has for new authors starting out.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

My latest book is non-fiction. I usually write fiction/romance.  My book is called The Silent Scream.  This is my journey with my terminally ill husband who had cancer.  I wrote The Silent Scream to help people who are about to take the same journey as me.  I wanted people to know they are not alone.

2. How have your sales been?

Sales for this book have been going well.

3. You’ve chosen self-publishing. How have you liked it so far? Talk about some of the positives and negatives you’ve encountered.

I am on Amazon and I self-publish.  With the help of my PA [publishing assistant] and my editor the process has been an easy one for me.  So far nothing has gone wrong.  Sometimes when you send your book to a traditional publisher it ends up in a pile and never gets read.  By self-publishing you get your book out their for people to see.  Plus you have control of the titles and the cover.

The major thing I learned about publishing was how big it is and how there are so many platforms.  I am still learning.  I will admit that without the help of my editor and PA I would never have known how large the publishing world is.

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Cassondra Windwalker

/ Kris Wampler / 1 Comment

IMG_0363Cassondra Windwalker is experienced with both traditional and self-publishing.  Find out which one she prefers and why you should be careful with book contests.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

Bury The Lead is a dark psychological thriller exploring the nature of truth and the power of love. It’s the story of a small-town newspaper editor who frames himself for the murder of his missing girlfriend. I was inspired to write it by the precarious position of the press in modern society.

2. How have your sales been?

The book just came out in September, so of course reporting isn’t back yet. But it’s been placed in local and national chains and is available in e-book and paperback across all online retailers.

3. You’ve had experience with both self-publishing and traditional publishing. Which one do you prefer, and why?

I prefer traditional because the amazing support of a strong publishing company allows me more time to focus on what I love – writing – rather than spending all my time editing and formatting and designing and marketing and promoting.

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Adithya Srivastava

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pic1.jpgAdithya Srivastava strongly believes in promoting your book well before launching it.  Read how he uses Instagram and Facebook to do so.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

My latest book, The Story of Your Life, is all about digging some dark and pleasurable memories of life through different narrations. If I talk about what motivated me in writing this book then I would say my solo trips. I am a hobby traveler, and also, being a public speaker, I have to visit many places and meet new people.

2. How have your sales been?

Sales for the first month were disastrous as I didn’t use any marketing or promotional activities. But then I joined Kindle Select and also started promoting my book through various paid and free channels which really boosted the outcome of sales. Right now, from Kindle and the paperback version I am almost earning 15-20% of my monthly salary, and that’s around $95-114 USD.

3. You’ve gone the self-publishing route. How have you liked it so far? Talk about some of the positives and negatives you’ve encountered.

My experience with self-publishing was filled with learning and enjoyment and some networking, and I liked it. Some positive aspects of self-publishing: it is easy and cheap and the best thing for new authors who really don’t want to spend a fortune on publishing. Also, with self-publishing you get to choose your terms, which is kind of great. And if I talk about negative aspects of self-publishing then the biggest is marketing and promotion. You have to do everything on your own or hire some marketing firm to do that for you.
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Janice Nye

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Janice Nye began in traditional publishing but moved to self-publishing.  Find out why she prefers the latter and how she uses social media to promote her work.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

User Hostile is the book nearest completion. It started as a short story about 30 years ago. There were a lot of things having to do with computers then which were described as “user friendly,” which were about as “user friendly” as a crocodile with a toothache. The story began with the main character arguing with a computer. It woke her up to a room that was cold and dark, when it should have been bright and warm. The story is what happened next.

Originally it was a short story, about 7,000 words, but I returned to it last year and thought I would post it on my blog in parts. While doing this, I edited the story and it grew. At the moment I am working on the cover.

2. How have your sales been?

I’ve had a few, but not enough to give up the day job.

3. You’ve gone the self-publishing route. How have you liked it so far? Talk about some of the positives and negatives you’ve encountered

I have gone down the route of self-publishing because I realized that I like to be in control of every aspect of the book. The thought that someone might go through my book and start telling me to change things isn’t one that I like. Self-publishing means that you make all the decisions. Of course it means that there isn’t anyone to tell you when you have made a stupid mistake.

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L. Salt

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48423891_2216658588547692_5358765205557870592_nL. Salt has used social media to build her audience.  Learn why she prefers a small traditional publisher over self-publishing.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

My latest book is Legacy of the Iron Eagle. It’s a thriller/mystery novella with some elements of history and suspense. The main character, Philip Rutkowski, son of a Polish immigrant, “enjoys” all the benefits of big city life: a boring, routine office job; the everyday long commute; a massive mortgage; and rare nights out with a few friends. Everything changes for Philip when his colleague and best friend, David Zilberschlag, gives him a vintage mirror to help decorate his new apartment. The mirror belonged to David’s deceased granddad, a Holocaust survivor, who believed that the mirror hides dark secrets from the past. When Philip continues to see visions of a German SS officer in the mirror who tries to talk to him, he decides to look for answers.

I love World War II history. This dramatic period still leaves more questions than answers for historians and researchers, and continues to tease the imaginations of authors and writers with its theories and conspiracies. This is my second novella dedicated to this subject.

2. How have your sales been?

I think it’s a bit too early to talk about great sales. Both of my solo works were published less than a year ago, so I believe I need more time to build an audience of loyal readers and followers.

3. You’ve gone with a small traditional publisher. What made you choose this over self-publishing?

For such an inexperienced author like me, it was a better option. My publishers do all the hard work such as editing, proofreading, formatting, promotion, graphics/trailers, etc. I feel more comfortable working with the professionals who are always ready to give advice, share experience, and provide guidance. That way I can focus on more creative things like writing itself.

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J.S. Frankel

/ Kris Wampler / 2 Comments

the auctioneer best pic!J.S. Frankel has enjoyed positive results with traditional publishing. He talks about that here and offers practical advice for using social media.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

My latest novel is a YA Fantasy, entitled The Auctioneer. Essentially, it’s a story about a young man, forced by circumstances, to work very far away – in another galaxy. At first, he does what he does for the money. But when he finds out people and planets are being sold, he changes his way of thinking. It’s also a bit of a smackdown to some people in the rich, “I’m entitled” generation.

2. How have your sales been?

Sales? Sales? What are those? Seriously, the marketing of my novels is probably the most challenging aspect of writing. I love writing, but getting the word out and getting people to take a chance on my work is hard.

3. You’ve gone the traditional publishing route. Why did you choose this, and what has been your experience?

I started writing seriously only about six years ago. At that time, I knew very little about self-publishing, and my sister suggested that I try e-book publishers to start with. My experiences, outside of sales, have been good. My covers are well done, my publishers do put the word out, and I have worked with some excellent editors who’ve willingly taught me what they know. All in all, it’s been positive.

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M.L. Ruscsak

/ Kris Wampler

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M.L. Ruscsak has had experience with self- and traditional publishing.  Find out how she found her fit with a small press publisher.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

Secrets, Lies and Betrayal is the third installment in the “Lite and Darke” Series. After writing the second book in the series it became obvious that there were things that needed to be explained further to tie both books together. So instead of doing a full-length book that might have been able to do so, I opted to write four short stories spanning over several years.

2. How have your sales been?

As the book just came out it’s doing about the same as the others did upon release.

3. You’ve had experience with both self-publishing and traditional publishing. Which do you prefer, and why?

I started as a self-published author and wanted the feeling of belonging to a community. So I began my journey to find the right publishing house for me. Now that I am with Wild Dreams Publishing I could not be happier. I have found that sense of “family” but still have the option of doing what I feel is right without the publisher telling me which direction to take.

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Susanne Matthews

/ Kris Wampler / 5 Comments

Murder&Mistletoe.jpg

Susanne Matthews has had negative experiences with traditional publishers, but has learned valuable lessons along the way. She shares them here in this detailed interview.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

My most recent release is Murder & Mistletoe. It’s a Christmas-themed romantic suspense set today, that deals with reuniting two branches of a family separated after the American Civil War—the rich Kaynes of Georgia and the middle-class Kaynes of Northern New York. Not everyone in the family is happy with the idea of sharing their current riches, as well as missing pirate treasure hidden somewhere in the house. One member of the family determines to get rid of the newest Kayne while another falls in love with her and vows to keep her safe despite the attempts on her life.

I decided to write the story after I got my DNA results back last summer. There were things I knew would be there since I had a fairly complete family tree, but there were also a few surprises. Among these were the fact that some members of my family, Acadians, were deported to Louisiana by the British in the mid-eighteenth century, meaning I may have some American family I don’t even know exists. How would they feel about having a French-Canadian cousin?

2. How have your sales been?

Disappointing is the best way to put it, but I have had a few thousand pages read through Kindle Unlimited, and the few reviews I have are positive.

3. You’ve used both self-publishing and traditional publishing.  What are some of the pros and cons of both?

This is a hard question to answer because I believe I got into the writing game at its most
unstable time in modern history. On the pro side: to this day, a traditional publisher, especially a well-known and well-respected one, brings a sense of legitimacy to your writing in the eyes of a large number of people. To many, even in this digital society, you aren’t a real writer unless you publish paperback or hardcover books, available in bookstores.

Traditional publishers take a lot of the grunt work out of publishing, but unless they are a big house, they don’t put your books in brick and mortar stores either. They do provide the editor, the cover artist, and look after the format for the cover release. They may send out copies to reviewers and look into some marketing for the book, but on the con side, they may not see the story the way you do, and they have the last word on edits and covers. A so-so cover can ruin a book’s chances at attracting readers, something a new writer has to do better than an old established one. Some publishers may provide you with paperback and ARC copies for promotion, but many don’t.

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J.A. Newman

/ Kris Wampler / 1 Comment

Me in London Sept 2016J.A. Newman began writing later in life and is cultivating her marketing strategy. She discusses how her former career influenced her first novel, which came out in September.

1. Tell me briefly about your latest book – what is it about and what motivated you to write it?

Where There’s A Will is my début novel. Jess wants to find her perfect partner. Struggling to pay the bills and unsure of her future, Jess thinks all her dreams have come true when wealthy lawyer Giles Morgan stumbles in front of her motionless car one Monday morning. Eddie, Jess’s former boyfriend, has never stopped loving her or given up hope of them getting back together but he can’t hope to give her the lifestyle she craves. Will Jess choose a life of luxury or listen to her heart?

When I joined a creative writing course in 2008 little did I know that one evening I would create the protagonist and write the first page of my first novel.

2. How have your sales been?

The sales of my first book, No One Comes Close, a memoir, have been better than those of the novel. I have some wonderful reviews on Amazon for No One Comes Close which tells the story of young love, lost, then found again twenty years later. I published it in September 2017. I published Where There’s A Will in September 2018

3. You’ve gone the self-publishing route. Have you sought an agent or any work with traditional publishers? If not, why not? If so, what has been your experience with traditional publishing?

I have tried approaching agents and publishers but they seem to take so long in getting back to you. I am nearly 70 and time is running out!

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