Angelica Markus

October 14, 2019 / Kris Wampler

Angelica Markus has crafted her own writing style from the stories she loves. Read about her marketing techniques and why she says you may need more than one editor.

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

My novel The Watcher is part of an urban fantasy series (the Fleur De Lis saga), and I am writing eight books in total. I have always enjoyed reading and watching movies about vampires and martial arts. My favorite stories have heroes and villains in them with a bit of historical fiction. Stories with siblings have always seemed to capture people’s attention differently than other stories. Also stories with main characters that lose their parents, like Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, etc. In other words, my main characters are siblings that lost their parents when they were young.

I studied history as my minor in college, and I added a secret vampire world that takes place in NYC. That’s where I lived most of my life. They say write what you know.

Here is my synopsis:

Skye Davenport is no ordinary thief. She has the ability to foresee danger, and she believes stealing from the wicked is justice served right. Her life takes a different turn when she brings her brother, Christian, on a dangerous mission that leads them to a supernatural world of the undead. A war has been going on for centuries, predators lurk within the shadows, hiding and waiting for the right time to attack. Skye knows that she and her brother are the only gifted humans that can stop this war, but there are more filthy beasts to catch, murders to uncover and secrets to be revealed. What happens when the hunters become the hunted?

2. How have your sales been?

The Watcher, is a long book, and I tend to sell more audio books in Audible the most.

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 still have to market myself just like with any publishing, but I don’t have to pay an agent and Amazon gives authors good royalty prices.

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Anurag Shourie

October 14, 2019 / Kris Wampler

Anurag Shourie is an Indian author who chose traditional publishing for his novel. Find out what led him down this path and his advice for selecting a good book reviewer.

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

Half A Shadow is my debut novel. It is said that the reign of the supernatural begins at the point where the jurisdiction of science ends. Never the twain shall meet. Here is a story that entwines the two domains together, a mytho-medical thriller.

A series of events that occurred on a stormy night while I was dispensing my duties in a cancer hospital led me to conceptualize the plot of Half A Shadow. It is the story of one man’s quest for redemption.

2. How have your sales been?

The sales of Half A Shadow have been encouraging. The readers have bestowed a lot of love on this book belonging to an uncommon genre. The reviews have been mostly positive with the critics giving it a “thumbs up.”

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

Self-publishing is a grey area as there is a very thin line of demarcation between self-publishing and vanity- publishing. I am of the firm belief that if my work is good enough it will find a decent publisher who is keen to share my vision.

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Coral McCallum

July 28, 2019July 28, 2019 / Kris Wampler / 1 Comment

Coral McCallum has used free giveaways to generate word-of-mouth interest in her books. Learn which marketing methods have, and have not, worked for her.

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

My current work in progress is the fourth book in the Silver Lake series – Shattered Hearts. The series is set in the small Delaware town of Rehoboth Beach and follows the story of Lori Hyde and aspiring rock star Jake Power and all things associated with the rock band Silver Lake. The series makes ideal summer vacation reading – goes great with a flight or a day by the pool and is perfect for a day at the beach. These books will make you laugh and they’ll make you cry and you might even fall in love just a little bit with Jake Power.

Stronger Within was my debut novel. After a period of self-reflection I took the plunge on May 8, 2013 and literally sat down in the early evening sun on my front doorstep with a notepad and pen and began to write. My old high school English teacher’s words rang in my ears: “Write about places you know and subjects you are passionate about.” Despite living in Scotland, Rehoboth Beach is a place very close to my heart.

2. How have your sales been?

Sales have been slow but steady. Since I published the first book in April 2015, I’ve received a royalty payment every month. Okay, most months it would barely cover the cost of a cup of coffee, but it’s something. What I take great pride in is the reviews the books have received. So far no one has told me that my “book babies” are ugly!

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’ve used KDP and previously CreateSpace for all four books. I’ve been really pleased with KDP. Initially I made a rookie formatting error and didn’t appreciate that the e-book platform was more forgiving than the CreateSpace one proved to be. Six days of re-formatting my manuscript later and I had Stronger Within in an acceptable CreateSpace format. With the other books I have formatted the initial manuscript using the CreateSpace paperback format template which is e-book compatible. Easy when you know how!

The only other negative I could mention here is the lack of guidance/support for authors when it comes to marketing. Some additional help pages within KDP would be useful.

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Cassondra Windwalker

March 3, 2019 / Kris Wampler / 1 Comment

Cassondra 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

February 12, 2019February 12, 2019 / Kris Wampler / 2 Comments

Adithya 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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L. Salt

January 22, 2019 / Kris Wampler / 1 Comment

L. 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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