AUTHOR INTERVIEWS FOR
INDIE AUTHOR DAY 2016
Tasha Dunagan
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Genre(s): children’s picture book
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase: “Copy Mocker’s Song,” https://www.amazon.com/Copy-Mockers-Song-Tasha-Dunagan/dp/0692232176/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472220608&sr=8-1&keywords=Copy+Mocker%27s+Song
How long you have been a published author: Since June 2014
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
I have always loved reading children’s books when I was a kid and to my two boys. I also loved creative writing class in high school, and I worked as a newspaper reporter for about 6 years. So, I took a correspondence course with the Institute of Children’s Literature. Then, when I was laid-off from a job at a printing business and couldn’t find work, I decided it was time to write the book I’d been dreaming of. I tried submitting my manuscript a few times, but I eventually found a local indie-assist publisher who accepted my project. My children’s book is about a mockingbird who learns new songs and musical styles from different types of birds along his path to find true love and his own style. I’ve also written a couple more books in Copy’s continuing story, but I’m waiting on illustrations for those. Plus, I write poetry and hope to publish that someday.
How did you publish your first book?
I published with Paperback Press Publishers, under their Kids Book Press imprint, in Springfield, MO. Their website ishttp://paperback-press.com. Co-owner Sharon Holmes provides cover and page design, ISBN number, and submission to Create Space, for a short-term contract fee. She was very helpful and supportive throughout the whole process.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
I submitted my manuscript to traditional publishers a few times. The first two were sent in the mail, and the third was through email, but each time, they took three or four months to send me a rejection. My book is different and doesn’t fit into any of their molds. Plus, I was tired of wasting all that time, only to be rejected. So, I was happy to run into a former teacher and fellow author who told me about her publisher. It only took a couple weeks for that publisher, Paperback Press, to get back to me.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I only have one book out, but I have marketed it through a Facebook author page, Goodreads author page and monthly blog, Amazon author page, Twitter, and Pinterest. I’ve done book launch promotions with a local party and Facebook event, and I’ve done a Goodreads giveaway. I have also read my book at a couple of local Girl Scout meetings, and I’ve had booths at the two annual festivals in my town and been part of two group book signings, with my publisher and with the Springfield Writers’ Guild. There, I gave away bookmarks, which feature my info and book cover, as well as coloring sheets with birds drawn by my illustrator, Charles Spillers. My bookmarks are available at the Webster County Library, too, where I donated one book. In addition, I have donated books to area school libraries. Plus, my book is available at Mikes Unique antique store (which has a book shelf to feature local authors) in Springfield, MO, and at The Arts at 317, in my hometown of Shawnee, OK. Whew, that seems like a lot, but I only sell a book on Amazon or Kindle every six months or so. Also, I've sold up to seven books at the festivals, but none at the signings, although I did trade with other authors. Sometimes, it's more about making connections.
How do you support other indie authors?
I share their Facebook posts on my author page, and I’ve been a member of the Indie Book Boosters group on Facebook. I also retweet and favorite their Tweets. Then, whenever I’m part of a book signing or festival, I take pictures of my fellow authors and post them on Facebook. There’s also the Goodreads Author Feedback Group, where we can share ideas and support each other.
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
Mostly, they’re interested and curious, and I usually have bookmarks ready to hand out. Some have wondered why I’m not promoting my book, even though I’ve done all I can. Word just hasn’t gotten to their ears. Some people who see my book at festivals have thought it was a songbook, which surprised me.
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
I could not have completed my book without the help of my family and friends. Of course, my husband and children have been somewhat supportive, as long as I stay local, but my mother and stepfather have gone above and beyond in teaming up with me on my book. My mother did research for the paintings, and my stepfather painted all of the illustrations in a matter of three months! Sharon Holmes, with Paperback Press Publishers, was very supportive and drove from Springfield a couple times to meet with me. She even helped to write a line or two of poetry on the workbook pages of my book and went out of her way to have the first painting scanned, since it was oversized. (We used pictures of the paintings and email after that.) Then, there was my author friend, Tierney James, who told me about her publisher, has given me all sorts of tips, and supported me at every step. Another author friend, Susan Keene, gave me advice, as well, and even drove me to another local author’s book launch party to see how it’s done. Many thanks to them all!
Quote from a positive review of your work.
Mik Hetu, Author on March 12, 2015:
“I like this little book! While reading it, I found myself imagining a mother with her child in her lap, reading it together, quietly singing the bird songs together, and talking about the differences and similarities of the birds in the illustrations. It is a sweet, gentle book great for encouraging children to learn from others, to imitate aspects of others, but to be themselves, to create their own special songs.”
Jan Notzon
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Genre(s): Literary Fiction
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
And Ye Shall Be As Gods
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
As an indie author, I have more control over the contents. I like to choose my beta readers as what I write I like to think is challenging. I hope to enlighten and provoke thought as well as entertain.
How did you publish your first book?
My first book, was self-published through Xlibris.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
I tried, through small publishing companies, but I found them to be as overrun with submissions as the big companies. I’d rather spend my precious little time writing.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
Well, I was (and am) a novice when it comes to marketing. I did giveaways on goodreads.com and got generally favorable reviews. I’m learning more about marketing through goodreads and Amazon Author Central. My computer skills are stone-age though and finding the time to write, read, work, research and market it a bear!
How do you support other indie authors?
I’m trying to learn how to support other authors. I contribute to author support on goodreads, try to encourage other writers and have joined two facebook groups. Again, trying to find time for all this is the problem.
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
People’s responses have generally been positive. I have friends that are my beta readers. They’re encouraging but do tell me when I miss the mark.
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What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
My support is from the mentioned friends, the goodreads author feedback group. I would love to say family, but there are characters based on them that they might not find completely flattering.
Quote from a positive review of your work.
“A haunting book with a story that makes the reader examine his or her own life as well as the life of the protagonist. The book is about a man, the trauma his sister is going through and his way of helping her. It is also about the man's love interest and her secret. All things are woven together in a delicious story.
I recommend this book highly.”
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Joanne Van Leerdam. I publish on a blog as WordyNerdBird.
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Genre(s): Poetry. The occasional short story. One play!
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
'Leaf'
Goodreads:
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/leaf/id1115537453?mt=11
kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/leaf-2
Direct from author:
The Shakespeare Omelette (play):
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31572776-the-shakespeare-omelette
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-shakespeare-omelette/id1115142239?mt=11
Author's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WordyNerdBird/
How long you have been a published author: Since June 2016.
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What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
I decided to become an indie author because I wanted to retain control over my work. There is more freedom to write honestly.
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I write about life experiences - not just mine - and about the things that move me. I love to use powerful imagery and rhythms together to draw the reader in.
How did you publish your first book?
I went with a co-publishing company the first time. They were good at guiding me through the process, and I learned a lot along the way. For my next book, I'll definitely do it on my own.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
I have submitted to traditional publishers, but they don't seem to have much appetite for poetry. I don't think that is reflective of the general population, who still seem very interested and appreciative of poetry.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I had a book launch at a local bookstore, and a number of book signing events in surrounding towns.
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I've worked hard to promote my book via social media and by personally visiting bookstores, leaving cards with people, and by word of mouth. The local newspaper published a story which was great advertising.
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I'll be appearing at my local spring festival fair in October, and at a couple of school fairs in November.
How do you support other indie authors?
I've started The Indie Writers' Cooperative on Facebook as a place where we can share our work, and share each other's work with our own networks. Most of us have Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter links as well as websites or blogs, so it's easy to share those things and get others interested.
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I try to support and encourage indie authors, as well as musicians, artists, and photographers, in my local area by visiting their events and buying their work when I can.
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What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
Most people think it's really great. I think that many people see "writers" as other people that they don't know - they don't really have a concept of a novelist or a poet as a regular person who still has to take the kids to school or buy groceries at the local supermarket.
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
I have a particular friend who has been a huge encouragement to me through the whole process. She's an indie musician, so she understands the challenges.
Friends on my social media have been wonderful in sharing my work and promoting my book for me.
Quote from a positive review of your work.
"I have just finished reading your book. It took me a while because I often read each poem up to seven or eight times to let it settle on my mind and heart. I LOVE it!"
That's dedication, eh?
Cindy Lynch
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Genre(s): Young Adult, Chick-lit, General Fiction
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
Bye For Now (book one in trilogy) http://cindylynch.net/books/bye-for-now/
Even Willows Weep (book two in trilogy) http://cindylynch.net/books/even-willows-weep/
How long you have been a published author: I became a published author in August 2015.
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
I decided to become an indie author when it seemed the task of finding a publishing house was to daunting.
How did you publish your first book?
I created my own publishing house called My Three Sons Publishing, LLC, and worked with createspace.com to create my books.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
I have not submitted to a traditional publisher yet. It seems very difficult and I just wanted to get my books out there. Doing it myself seemed so much faster.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
Marketing has been a challenge for me. Word of mouth, social media, book clubs, bloggers interviewing indie authors and independent bookstores seem to work best for me right now. I have used a PR company to write a flowery statement about my books, but I’m not sure that has really generated any interest in my writing as of yet. I’m continuing to use these strategies the second time around, as well.
How do you support other indie authors?
I support indie authors by buying their work, reviewing their books on social media and by being apart of discussions on Goodreads.com
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What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
The responses I get from people range from a look of surprise to “that’s cool” statements. A few times I’ve had people ask me how they can become a writer.
What or who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
My family and friends are my biggest supporters.
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Quote from a positive review of your work.
It’s funny, I just received this message from a friend that read the first two books in my trilogy. Here are her thoughts.
“Words cannot describe what these books have meant to me and how they have made me feel. Happy, excited, afraid and have brought me to tears. Your writing is impeccable. The way you bring these books to life…I cannot describe in words.”
Sarah Bates
Genre(s): Literary fiction; historical fiction; military fiction
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
Out of Our Minds, Wild Stories
Twenty-One Steps of Courage,
The Lost Diaries of Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
How long you have been a published author: Sixteen years
What made you decide to become an indie author?
I wanted to direct my own destiny.
What do you like to write about?
I write about people dealing with common themes.
How did you publish your first book?
The first book I published was a anthology of short fiction with another author.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers?
I did send queries for Twenty-One Steps of Courage and The Lost Diaries of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. If so, what was your experience like? For Twenty-One Steps, there was no interest because at the time no agents were submitting stories about current war themes, or so they said. For Elizabeth, I sent 75 queries, got two replies of interest. First agent declined after submitting 50 pages; second agent requested full manuscript then postponed her response two or three time. I gave up.
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How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
My background is marketing so I use tactics that I learned when representing client products and adapted them to books. The process has changed with the advent of social media marketing and its subsets such as blog tours.
How do you support other indie authors?
I share my marketing expertise.
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
People ask lots of questions, sometimes expecting me to know other authors personally, which I don’t. I am always surprised people think authors are a “big deal” when we are merely people who write and try to make a living doing it.
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
I publish through www.booklocker.com who offers their authors a comprehensive marketing plan. They not only support us through marketing but also by staying on top of orders from bookstores, often shipping well before the date needed.
Quote from a positive review of your work. Here is one I received today:
“Dear Sarah, I was at your book signing in Johnstown for your book The Lost Diaries of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying reading it. I have never read a book that I had to slow myself down reading as I don't want the book to end. So my thanks to you for the enjoyable read. My best, G.M.”
Real Name: Kathy Dunn
Pen: Alex Dunn
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Genre(s):
YA
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
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Demon Magician: https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Magician-Alex-Dunn-ebook/dp/B017DS4XSG/
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Crazy For Alice: https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Alice-Alex-Dunn-ebook/dp/B01HQHS7ZO/
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School Monitor: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/657002
How long you have been a published author:
Almost 1 year to the date. My first book launched 31st October 2015.
What made you decide to become an indie author?
My experience with a traditional publisher wasn’t quite how I imagined it to be. As a new author I was expecting a lot of help and rather naively assumed the publisher would invest time and money marketing both myself and novel. As this was not the case, I decided to go indie for my second book and keep all profits. I’ve enjoyed the challenge and the wonderful support from the wider online community so much, I’m going to launch my next two books as an indie author.
What do you like to write about?
I love fantasy and horror, although I’ve also written chic lit and a suspense novel. Whatever the setting, I always write for the young adult audience and my protagonist is always flawed with a great sense of humor. My favorite authors include Neil Gainam, Jonathan Stroud and Ursula Le Guin.
How did you publish your first book?
I entered my novel The Demon Magician into a competition, and although I did not win, the publisher offered me a contract.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
Yes, and rather naïvely I assumed they would do a lot more of the marketing and leave me free to write. When most of the work fell to me and the limitations in the contract prevented publishing outside the confines of Amazon Kindle, I made the decision to go indie. That said, without being offered that initial contract I doubt I would have found the confidence to publish my novels myself, and it was a learning experience that helped me ultimately learn the business.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I did most of the basic recommendations I’ve seen in numerous publications and forums: Twitter, FaceBook, reaching out to bloggers to post reviews, Goodreads adverts and doing timed purchases so my book appeared higher up the charts. This time, I’ve done giveaways, leveraged SMASHWORDS so I can reach a much wider audience, and spent more time on Goodreads and Wattpad that focus on readers.
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How do you support other indie authors?
I’m a member of a few Writing Circles, Goodreads and Facebook groups that support indie authors. My contributions (time permitting) is reviewing submissions, helping with technical matters (I’m an IT Manager by day) and of course buying books! Along the way I’ve met some great contacts, including an amazing designer in Wales who does all my book covers. I just look forward to the time my finances allow me to do this fulltime.
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What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
People seem genuinely impressed, and it always leads to them sharing information about their hobbies and aspirations.
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
My husband, who’s been incredibly supportive on this long journey of mine to becoming a published author; and all the wonderful people who contribute to the likes of Goodreads, NaNoWriMo, Hong Kong Women in Publishing and SCWBI: two amazing local writing groups I belong to.
Quote from a positive review of your work:
Dunn explores the dynamics between twins in this gripping thriller that has the classy feel and underlying tension of a Hitchcock film. Richard is probably one of the most unforgettable characters I've come across in some time. He stands larger than life in his role as an old-world-style hero who must somehow prove his innocence without betraying his ethics. School Monitor is a sheer delight to read, even if some of the bullying episodes are guaranteed to make anyone whose veins don’t run cold wince and cringe a bit. There’s the suspense and subtle horror of a Stephen King story and the marvelous cinematic touches of Hitchcock at play in this most unusually titled and highly original psychological thriller. While it was written for a young adult audience, it’s a grand read for adults as well. School Monitor is most highly recommended.
Angela D'Onofrio
Genre(s): Urban Fantasy / Thriller
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
From the Desk of Buster Heywood: http://www.angeladonofrio.com/from-the-desk-of-buster-heywood.html
In The Cards: http://www.angeladonofrio.com/in_the_cards.html
How long you have been a published author: 2 years
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
My series of novels is set in and around the fictional town of Aviario, Connecticut: a place where magic is very real, and a secret group enforces the fragile balance of its use. Some novels have no magic at all, others have it in spades. As such, the series cannot be pinned down to one genre, which makes it very difficult for traditional publishing houses to categorize. More than that, though, the telling of the stories is more important to me than the selling of the stories. As long as my work is finished and out there in the world in some manner, I'm happy.
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How did you publish your first book?
I used a combination I'm sticking with for the time being: Smashwords for e-book conversion, with cross-posting to Amazon, and Lulu.com for print-on-demand.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers?
If so, what was your experience like? I've done a couple of queries as part of Twitter pitch "games", just to see what it was like. They confirmed what I had already suspected about the varying genres of my novels.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I went into the first release knowing absolutely nothing at all about marketing, so it was all a bit slapdash. This year, I've had a little more experience, and some time to research. I feel like I'm gaining a little ground with every novel.
How do you support other indie authors?
I run a line-sharing hashtag on Twitter, #2bitTues. My blog, Between The Lines, has regular reviews of fellow indie authors' books, and I am a member of the Fiction Authors' Resource Group (#FARG) community on Facebook, as well. I believe that as indie authors, part of what we do must involve supporting one another, and that belief is serving me well: I've made an amazing amount of wonderful, talented friends.
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
Most are stunned that I actually managed to write that book that most people only say they want to get around to someday ... some are even curious about buying a copy! If only I could boost that ratio, eh?
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
My wife, Laurel, who encouraged me to not give up, and has been with me every step of this two-year journey so far.
Quote from a positive review of your work.
"The town of Aviario feels like it should be a real place. (D'Onofrio uses) just enough description to set the atmosphere of each new location, the town feels like a character in its own right."
Dawn Menge
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Genre: Children’s fiction
Names of Books and Links to Buy: Queen Vernita’s visitors; Queen Vernita visits the Blue Ice Mountains, Queen Vernita visits the Islands of enchantment; Queen Vernita Explores the Oceaneer’s Coastline; Queen Vernita Meets sir Heathybean the Astronomer; Queen Vernita visits Gator country and Queen Vernita visits Baja Quails.
https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Menge/e/B00IW0UC9Y
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Dawn+menge?_requestid=772311
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What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
I began publishing the Queen Vernita’s educational adventure series in 2008. I first began writing the series as an assignment in a math class while obtaining my special education teaching credential. I have been working with severely handicapped students for nineteen years. My series has a basic format of months of the year, days of the weeks, and seasons. Queen Vernita travels throughout her kingdom and spends the months of the year with twelve of her friends. During each month a new friend teaches her about the area she is visiting. I have written about Alaska, New Orleans, Hawaii, the California Coast and Astronomy. Queen Vernita’s newest adventure will be released soon. In this adventure Queen Vernita traveled up the Columbia River on an Old Fashioned Paddle Boat.
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How did you publish your first book?
I published my first book by searching for independent publishing options. My desire at that time was to only publish the first book. I soon started winning awards and being interviewed. I was always asked what my next book was going to be about. I began to then publish about my travels. Each book is based on my personal travels and activities I have explored while visiting each area. I have swam in a shark cage of the coast of Oahu, swam with sharks and Manta Rays in Tahiti, Kayaked and snorkeled in Alaska, and white water rafted in Acapulco. Queen Vernita Meets Sir Heathybean was co-authored with my brother who is an Astronomer for Jet Propulsion laboratory.
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Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
A few years ago, I joined the Society of Children’s book writers and Illustrators. I began attending their conferences and workshops. This has been an excellent experience and I have gotten a lot of valuable information during these events. I have attended several of the yearly conferences in Los Angeles and one in New York City. There we meet and learn valuable information concerning submitting our stories to Agents and Publishers. I have begun to submit to a few agents and major publishers. I had a pitch session with Simon and Schuster, he was very excited about my series and I will soon have a pitch session with an Agent from New York. I highly recommend that other Indie authors join this Society and attend their conferences and workshops. It has been one of the most valuable moves I have made during my children’s publishing journey.
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I am also the California Ambassador for the United States Board on Books for Young Children. This is an international group that focuses on stories from around the world. I attended their conference in New York City and meet many internationally awarded authors. My most memorable workshop during this conference was attending the Children of War workshop. These authors make an incredible impact on others and provide valuable information about what the impact of war is like for Children. Many of the books were heartbreaking.
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How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I market my books in several different ways. I have entered the series in several different literary contests. The Queen Vernita Series has won thirty-one literary awards to date. I also enjoy presenting my series during reading programs at all of the public libraries and I also present to schools. I attend a local school districts Young author’s conference and I am the visiting author. I have been doing this for five years and enjoy it very much. The students have us read their stories and they are so proud of themselves, as they should be. We sign their books and also have ours available for purchase. It is always such a pleasure to have students point to each book they have and then ask to purchase an additional one. It is an exhilarating as an author to be told that a child reads your story every night before going to bed.
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How do you support other indie authors?
I support other Indie authors by exchanging information on communities to join, activities to be involved in and always buying as many other Indie books as I can during an event. I also love getting signed copies for the authors that are there.
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What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
When I began publishing the first twelve friends I choose were the children in my family. I thought that they wouldn’t be able to complain too much. When my first book was published many adults expressed an interest in being one of Queen Vernita’s friends. That surprised me the most. This kind of support has enabled be to continue on with Queen Vernita’s adventures.
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What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
The biggest support I have for my books are my co-workers and my mother, who attends my conferences and travels with me to book festivals, to keep me company.
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Quote from a positive review of your work.
“The story's premise is charming in itself - Queen Vernita of the Oceaneers Kingdom invites 12 special friends to visit her during each month of the year. For each of those months, Queen Vernita and her visiting friend engage in fun activities every day of the week - the days of the week are listed together with the activities carried out and this repetition helps young children in remembering the days of the week. Not only that, one can also teaches concepts such as 'the day before', 'the day after' and so on using the story in this book.”
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“Author Dawn Menge draws upon her experience with special needs populations and interest in instructional techniques to form the basis for Queen Vernita's Visitors, a colourful, whimsical introduction into the yearly cycle we are most familiar with in calendar form. By presenting the flow of time in a repetitive, story format, abstract calendar-based concepts are more easily absorbed by young children.”
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“QUEEN VERNITA MEETS SIR HEATHYBEAN THE ASTRONOMER is the latest volume in one of the more entertaining AND educational books by Dawn Menge. Her books, beautifully illustrated by Bobbi Switzer with large format lushly colorful and designed images, aim to entertain youngsters with her wonderful main character Queen Vernita who lives in a castle in Oceaneer. This gracious elderly hostess invites a guest for each month of the year: in her last book the point was to define the months by name, number of days in each month, the names of the days of the week, and the seasonal changes that come with each month. In a solid but somewhat subtle way Dawn Menge, by repetition, drives her lessons home while creating fanciful ideas that children love to hear and to see.”
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“Just earlier today, I sat riveted to a documentary on The History Channel that charted the presumed future of the sun. I watched a demonstration of how the gases that comprise this large star will eventually expand, consuming the Earth and other planets along the way, and then how all of the matter of the universe will explode under the force of a "dark energy" that has yet to be fully understood. I was fascinated by every moment of the program, and found myself imagining a class of children learning this exact same information. Would they find these details as amazing as I do? How can we help to encourage a desire to learn more about the expanse that surrounds us, as there is still so much more to know? In her newest addition to the Queen Vernita series, Queen Vernita Meets Sir HeathyBean the Astronomer, author Dawn Menge offers us one great tool that I believe will get children excited about space and astronomy.”
R. V. Reyes
Genre(s): Mystery
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase: Jeweler's Mark - A Love & Diamonds Mystery http://amzn.to/2bWv827 if that link doesn't work use this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/1536939501
How long you have been a published author: Counting my poet years - 20 .
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
As a Latina writer writing Latina characters, I found a lot of lip service but little action to the call for more diversity in traditional publishing. So, I DYI-ed it!
How did you publish your first book?
I had it professionally edited and found a great cover designer. I, also, used my designer for formatting.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
Yes, I did the agent rounds. I got positive comments but no offers for representation.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I am still in the first months of marketing, Jeweler's Mark.
How do you support other indie authors?
I buy indie books especially when I've met the author. I retweet and share. I also do interviews on my blog if the author is a Florida resident. My interview series is called "To Live & Write in FLA."
http://rvreyes.com/blog/
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
I always get a positive response and sometimes even awe. Most people can't imagine coming up with a story to fill a full-length book.
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
The family of mystery writers I have from membership in writing groups and my friends, of course.
Quote from a positive review of your work.
"Strong characters, crime, jewels, and romance. This has all that and more. I cannot wait for more and can't wait to see where Gigi's romance goes from here. Hopefully she and Lou can stay out of trouble!"
Deborah Baldwin
Genre(s): young teen, children's chapter books
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
Bumbling Bea
How long you have been a published author:
I have been a published author since 2014.
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
I am a self starter. Indie publishing suits my personality.
I have taught drama to students of all ages for nearly thirty-nine years, primarily in the middle grades and up. In that time, I have also directed nearly 250 plays and musicals with adults and children. I enjoy middle students and their many challenges--social and intellectual. I think theatre arts are essential for one's personal growth whether as a child or an adult. I like to write about middle school students, present day issues using theatre as a spring board.
How did you publish your first book?
I researched various publishing companies and selected Createaspace. It was a good experience, especially for a newbie author.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
New authors are more than a dime a dozen or a needle in a haystack. Thousands of people desire to express themselves through the written word. Honestly, I don't know how an agent or publisher does their job. It must be constantly overwhelming. I attempted the traditional route and found it tedious, demoralizing and stale. Then I decided that I should approach writing as I do many other experiences in my life. If I want something to occur, I make it happen for myself. Enter indie publishing. I have never looked back or regretted the decision.
Frankly, I wish there was a big publisher who only published new authors. Now, that would be a refreshing perspective. Or agents who specialize in representing new authors. That would be interesting as well.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
In the beginning, I used various free sources to market my book. In addition, I knew many teachers and hundres of students who would endorse my book. Marketing is a learning curve for me. I have a lot of experience in marketing plays and musicals at the local level. Enticing someone to attend a production I have directed isn't all that different from piquing the curiosity of a potential reader. Generally, once I get an audience member in the door, they enjoy my productions. The same thing goes for a reader--once they read a snippet, they want to read more of it.
My goal is to learn something new about marketing every day. That sounds so pleasant, doesn't it? Oh gosh. I have Eureka! moments and others where I need to step away from my computer before I throw it through a window out of frustration. I am grateful that there are free resources from which to learn.
How do you support other indie authors?
I haven't fully supported other indie authors in the past. This was not out of interest, but a time issue. Until recently, I blogged and did marketing sporadically because I was a very busy drama teacher teaching and directing. In fact, in the span of eight years I directed 44 productions. (Okay, I'm a little bit of an over achiever...) Plus, we have moved twice in the last eight years from Missouri to Colorado to Kansas. Recently, my husband and I retired from our full time teaching positions to be near our family and first grandchild. I follow certain message boards, like the Goodreads one for indie authors.
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
My immediate family is thrilled that I am writing. You see, it took me twenty-six years to write Bumbling Bea and I bet they were real tired of hearing me lament that, "I am going to write this book about a Japanese girl and Kabuki theatre..." I have learned that some uninformed people expect me to be making millions of dollars as a writer. That's a nice thought and like most writers, I am sure that would be an amazing experience. I write for myself, kids who love theatre as much as I and those needing help with their theatrical endeavors or teaching. My brothers and sister have always been guarded about my decision to major in theatre when I attended college. I bet they were also quite impressed that I excelled at both teaching and directing and have won awards. I bet they think my interest in a writing career is much the same thing. Perhaps they are cautiously optimistic for me now.
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
My greatest support has come from my immediate family and my former school, Apex Home School Enrichment Program through St. Vrain Valley Schools. With no questioning from them, they all supported this writing thing and continue to support me. Apex was the first school to purchase a great amount of Bumbling Bea books and second to ask me to provide book talks to our students.
Quote from a positive review of your work.
"Bumbling Bea by Deborah Baldwin cannot fail to become a favorite with pre-teen readers, and very likely teenagers too, because the mixture of pathos and humor is so realistic."
Jennifer McKeithen
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Genre(s): Historical Fantasy, Romance--Fantasy
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
– Atlantis On the Shores of Forever (September 2015):
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/613306
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– Atlantis On the Tides of Destiny (August 2016):
How long you have been a published author: I've been a published author since September 2015.
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What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
This is probably the best time to be an author! I love the freedom and complete control over my stories the indie publishing route gives me. After learning that some of the best selling authors today were rejected many times because they didn't fit a certain mold, I decided it best to forge my own path starting out. That being said, I don't think traditional publishing is going anywhere. Someday, I intend to ink a deal myself. The indie path isn't necessarily the easier way, but I have no regrets.
I love fairy tale and myth re-tellings, and I love Classical and Medieval history. It's thrilling for me as a writer to discover “what if this happened?” As you can probably guess, the Atlantis myth is my current obsession. It's one of those universal stories—virtually every culture in the world has some version of it. I borrowed elements from several Atlantis legends for my novels.
Also, writing “clean” fiction is important to me, meaning I don't rely on the crutch of excessive sex, language, or violence to tell a good, engaging story. Not that those elements don't have a place in storytelling— the Bible is chalk full of them! It just seems to me that many people think those components are necessary for a story to be interesting. I was a teacher, and I could never write anything that might set a poor example for my former students. Which is why it's equally important to me to write men and women characters who are heroic, but who struggle with very human flaws like the rest of us.
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How did you publish your first book?
I used CreateSpace for the paperback format. For the eBook format, I used Kindle Select for the first 90 days, then added my book to Smashwords in order to expand my distribution options.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
I have not yet tried to submit to traditional publishers, but I plan to in the future. One of my goals is to get a Star Trek novel published.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I enrolled my eBook in Kindle Select for the first 90 days, in order to take advantage of Amazon's promotional opportunities. Then after those 90 days, I added my book to Smashwords because of their impressive distribution list: Kobo, iBooks, Over Drive, Nook, and lots more. Both Amazon and Smashwords offer giveaways and discounts, and I've used both.
For my second book, I plan to follow the same method, but I'm going to concentrate on finding more reviewers this time. Ultimately, the best way to promote your book is to write another book. Readers (including myself) love series. If they enjoy the first book, they want more and look forward to more like it. I've already seen this is true after publishing book two—more customers have bought the first one than the new sequel I just released!
As with my writing, I'm always learning how to improve my marketing skills.
How do you support other indie authors?
I'm looking for new ways to support other indie authors. Up to now, I've liked other authors' Facebook pages. Also, I'm an active National Novel Writing Month participant, which has an author forum. In the “real” world, I moderate a writers' group at my local library. The other indie authors in the group and I encourage newer writers and answer their questions about indie publishing. I'm proud to say our library is an official Come Write-In stop for NaNoWriMo 2016!
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
Pretty much the entire spectrum, from some people who've told me I'm wasting my time, or “Why would you want to do that?” to other people who think I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread (“Remember your friends when you become famous”). An important thing I've learned is that other people's opinions of me do not determine my reality. I know I'll do well because I'm committed to constantly working to improve both myself as a person, and my craft.
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What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
My husband, Japheth, has been my number one biggest supporter. I would never have attempted to do any of this, or stayed the course, if it hadn't been for his selfless love, encouragement, and wisdom. He is my knight in shining armor!
Quote from a positive review of your work.
“A great book for anyone going to a Renaissance Festival. An historical romance but with so much information about a period that isn't well taught. Thank you for taking the time to share your passion for this period. And am looking forward to the next in the series.”
Find Jennifer on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlantisontheshoresofforever/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JMcKeit
TL Clark
Genre(s): Romance (contemporary/suspense/self-help; depending which one you choose but all are romance novels)
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
Links to Goodreads pages so you can choose your buying platform:
ï‚§ï‚ ï‚ Young’s Love – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18502154-young-s-love
ï‚§ï‚ ï‚ True’s Love - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18709967-true-s-love
ï‚§ï‚ ï‚ Dark Love - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21322211-dark-love
ï‚§ï‚ ï‚ Rekindled Love - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22247023-rekindled-love
ï‚§ï‚ ï‚ Broken & Damaged Love - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26871162-broken-damaged-love
How long you have been a published author:
I pressed the publish button on my first book on 25th May 2013 (over 3 years ago)
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
Embarrassingly, it’s because of the book that sounds like a paint chart. You know the one.
You see, I read the whole trilogy (for some unknown reason) and thought it was dreadful.
“Even I can write better than this tripe,” I thought, somewhat arrogantly. So I tried.
How did you publish your first book?
I self-published straight away on Amazon KDP, and haven’t looked back since.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
I did once, after I’d built up a small following. I got accepted, but it felt like a vanity publisher so I declined.
Then it occurred to me, I’d already done the donkey work.
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To get access to the top publishers you need to try to get a publishing agent. And they only really like to see authors who have put their own name ‘out there’ and got a basic reader base. So, why would I want x2 lots of people taking large chunks of money out of my royalties after I’ve done most of the hard work? :-/
That’s just my opinion btw. Each to their own.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I’ve learned loads over the years. I’ve tried many things; paid ads on Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads, getting highlight spots on blogs, author interviews, blogging myself, posting in appropriate Goodreads groups, business cards…I’ve not found the magic formula yet.
But at one point I was promoting more than writing. I have a full time job, and my writing time is precious little as it is.
So now I don’t sweat the small stuff. I’ll have a big launch campaign, and then just let my books chunter away in the background.
How do you support other indie authors?
I’ve read over 100 indie author books, and I leave reviews for them (and contact them if they need a friendly hint).
And I’m just starting to post the reviews on my blog site too. http://tlclarkauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/more-support-required-heres-my-plan.html
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
My friends just sort of shrug their shoulders. And lots of people have told me, “I’ve often thought about writing a book.”
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Nobody’s gasped in amazement yet, but there’s still time! ;-p
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
Jacqueline Rhoades has been amazing. She’s a fellow indie (and now a successful one I’m happy to say).
I had read one of her books as I was just starting out (and have subsequently read all of them). I tentatively reached out to her to ask some advice.
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She’s read each one of my books now, I think. And she used to give me praise and gentle encouragement/pointers. She’s so busy now she just leaves a rating, but it still gives me thrills.
Oh, and my husband! He needs a mention; the poor long suffering man. He’s very patient and tries to give me space. And he also keeps my food and fluid levels up (I can forget to eat and drink mid writing frenzy).
Quote from a positive review of your work.
I wrote one book about a child abuse survivor who finds love on her path to recovery (Broken & Damaged Love).
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I agonised over that book for 18 months, trying to smash down the barriers to talking about the subject, being informative yet not sordid in my brutal honesty.
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So, this is one of my most treasured review quotes:
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“Firstly before I start off about this book can I just say well done to TL Clark. Who decided to write a novel about this type of abuse. She is very brave to write about this as it’s a very serious and sensitive subject.”
The reviewer had no idea how much I’d pooped my pants over whether it was OK to release this hard hitting book. I was over the moon to see that someone recognised the courage it took. I confess I got a little teary at that point.
btw – as it’s Indie Author Day I’m running x2 freebie promotions
1) True’s Love – as I’m just celebrating its release into paperback (it’s my 1st paperback after 3 years of ebooks) – free 07-11 Oct
2) Broken & Damaged Love – well, because I want to reach as many people as I can. Ordinarily it’s priced at 99c/99p and my royalties go to charity – sadly I can only offer this for free 07-08 Oct (bad KDP Select timing!), so grab it now quick!
R.M. GAUTHIER
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Genre: Suspense/Mystery
Novella: Longing - https://www.amazon.com/Longing-R-M-Gauthier-ebook/dp/B0180FSU1W
Debut novel: Control - Coming Soon!
I've been a published author for 1 year.
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What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
In 2009, I watched a movie, immediately when it finished I knew there was something missing, something I wanted to hear more about. At the time, I kept telling everyone I knew that the movie makers did it wrong. When I found out it was a novel, I got the novel and read it. Same thing happened. Something was wrong, the author missed something when writing the story. I began writing the story I the way I saw it, the way I thought it should be. Thus, began my quest to tell stories and have been writing ever since.
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How did you publish your first book?
My first publication was a short novella about a minor character in my novel. This was my experiment to see how to publish. I wanted to learn everything I could before I put my novel out there.
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Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
I submitted to novel to about 15-20 agents. My experience was promising, which was quite a surprise to me. I had read all the horror stories of people submitting to agents and was quite nervous to put my work out there, to be judged. I bite the bullet, sending my novel to several agents. I received emails back from more than 80% and even had two request the first three chapters. Nothing became of those requests, but I took those emails as a good sign that my writing was, at the very least, decent enough to attract attention.
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How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I experimented a little bit over the past year with marketing. I started out with my novella being wide and free. I've tried a few promotional sites without much success. I also decided to put the novella in Kindle Unlimited for three months, just to see how it works and get a better understanding of what to do when using Unlimited.
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I also entered my novel into the Kindle Scout program, which gave me a great deal of experience in target marketing. My entire Kindle Scout experience was great, and I will definitely enter another book in their program, even though, I was not selected this time.
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For now, I will release my first novel with a great deal of knowledge that I would not have had a year ago. So, I'm glad I write the novel and released it first, or I probably would have been terribly disappointed.
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How do you support other indie authors?
I tried to help other indie authors any way I can, which includes, Twitter posts, Facebook shares, Google + shares, anything that helps. I also have a review blog, which I read selected books and review them once finished. At the moment, I have 11 books that I received free from the Kindle Scout program and a ton of other novels that I have picked up along the way to read and review.
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What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
When I tell people I'm an author, most are surprised at first, but very supportive.
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What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
Other authors are very supportive. Being part of writing groups is extremely encouraging. My family, although they are not huge readers, always support what I'm doing. I just wish they read more. LOL
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8. Quote from a positive review of your work.
Whispering Stories - "She has tackled the difficult task of writing from the first person perspective; this device can be restrictive but I believe Gauthier handles it well. ‘Longing’ moves along at a fast pace with a good back-story which quickly draws the reader in." (This quote is from an Amazon review, but I have not asked them if it can be used. Would I have to ask their permission?)
Lizabeth Scott
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
You can find all my book on my website at www.lizabethscottbooks.com
You Promised Me Forever
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L4QF7T2
Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/you-promised-me-forever
B&N
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-promised-me-forever-lizabeth-scott/1124587577
Ibooks
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/you-promised-me-forever/id1150946944
How long you have been a published author: Since April 1, 2014.
"Liz Scott's stories are filled with gentle humor and an exquisite, endearing romance. It’s quite easy to get lost in You Promised Me Forever and forget to come up for air."—USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Lennox
Can broken promises ever be made whole again?
After her parents die in a car crash, four-year-old Nicole is raised by staunch grandparents, where toys are sparse and love even sparser. But when the boy next door sticks his head through the hedge to say hello, Nicole learns that life is more than just routine, and as the years go by, they form a bond of love that nothing can break.
Will wants nothing more than to be with Nicole forever. But when he finds himself faced with a difficult decision and sees no other option, he must break his promise of forever to the woman he loves in order to be the man he can forgive.
With time unable to heal unseen wounds, do Nicole and Will have a second chance to make good on their promise of forever?
1. What made you decide to become an indie author? All my life I’ve had an abnormal relationship with books. Writing of some fashion has been something I’ve done forever. Trying my hand at writing a book has always been a dream. A dream that I was afraid to try. At the prompting of a friend and author I eventually took the plunge, and wrote a paragraph that developed into my first book, Sweet Surrender.
What do you like to write about? I like to write about strong men and women that struggle to love them. I love meeting people in my head and finding out all their secrets among the pages of my stories.
2. How did you publish your first book? When I published my first book, that’s all I did. I loaded it on the major retailers after finding out how by watching YouTube videos. I clicked the publish button and sat back waiting for hundreds of thousands of readers to download my very first book! I’m still waiting…
3. Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? No. I’m a control freak. I’m not saying I never would entertain the idea, but currently I’m happy doing my own thing.
4. How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books? With my first book I knew nothing about marketing or promoting my book. After ten books I’m still struggling to learn and having successes and fails along the way. It’s all a learning process for me. I wish I could simply write and not worry about all the marketing side. But you can’t have one without the other. It seems like there are a million different ways to present your book to readers and entice them into a purchase. Many times I’ve felt like my head was spinning with all the tried and true methods I’ve discovered. And then I struggle with which approach I should take. I think it all depends on your book and researching where and how to place it in the public’s eye. I’m still working out all the kinks and finding my way.
5. How do you support other indie authors? I’ve had so many wonderful supporters! I try my best to support my other indie friends and authors by posting and tweeting as I can.
6. What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer? Shock. LOL. Yep, that’s about it. I write under a pen name and not many people know I write. So when I do tell someone they are stunned to say the least. Then they ask what, and I say romance, and once again they are speechless!
7. What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author? I have several that have been by my side the entire way, supporting and cheering me. My friend and author, who prompted me to write the first word, Elizabeth Lennox. And my two beta readers, Shannon and Jean. No matter what I ask them to do, no matter how strange, they have always been there for me. They’ve bought every book I’ve written, and read it! And they’ve written those so very important yet elusive reviews.
8. Quote from a positive review of your work.
This book was unlike any other romance I've ever read. Sweet and charming in the beginning, it took an unexpected twist that had my blood boiling. I wasn't sure if the relationship between the main characters was salvageable. I felt my own guts twisting as the protagonist worked through her feelings of loss and rejection. The story finally had a happy ending, but not without a few more heart-wrenching moments. Be prepared to cry a lot through this book! Very emotional and moving.
P.D. Workman
Genre(s): Young Adult and Suspense
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
Mystery/Suspense:
Looking Over Your Shoulder
Lion Within
Pursued by the Past
In the Tick of Time
Loose the Dogs
Young Adult Fiction:
Breaking the Pattern:
Deviation
Diversion
By-Pass
Between the Cracks:
Ruby
June and Justin
Michelle
Chloe (Coming in 2017)
Medical Kidnap Files
Mito (Just released!)
EDS (Coming Soon)
Proxy (Coming Soon)
Stand Alone
Tattooed Teardrops
Don’t Forget Steven
Those Who Believe
Cynthia has a Secret
Questing for a Dream
Once Brothers
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How long you have been a published author: Three years
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
I decided I was ready to start getting my creative work out into the world, and to see whether I could make a part- or full-time living out of writing in the future, so I decided to get started. Indie publishing allows me to publish on my own time schedule, to retain my rights, and to have control over my creative projects. I like to write about interesting characters getting into difficult and sometimes heart-wrenching situations. And then making things worse.
How did you publish your first book?
All of my books have been self-published. It has been a learning experience!
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
No. Several decades ago, I queried some trad publishers, but I didn’t enjoy it and it killed my creative spirit. I decided that wasn’t something I wanted to do.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
Marketing is a moving target. I am learning new things every day. I don’t have the money for a lot of advertising or paid promotion, so it has mostly been word of mouth, social networking, getting involved with other authors, and generally ‘putting myself out there.'
How do you support other indie authors?
I have a number of cross-promotional opportunities available right now. I participate on boards and in Facebook, Google, and Reddit groups. I have designed covers for others. I was recently a panelist at a writer’s conference. I share IngramSpark coupon codes. I am shepherding an unpublished author through the processes at Createspace and KDP right now.
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
Usually ‘What do you write?’ and ‘Have I ever read anything of yours?’ Sometimes ‘Where/how do you publish?’ or ‘How much do you make?'
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
Other authors in online support forums. My mom and my hubby. A few friends who introduce me as their author friend...
Quote from a positive review of your work.
These reviews are for Questing for a Dream:
"This is a very good book. I can honestly say that I enjoyed this from the bottom of my heart… P.D. Workman takes a set of very plain, very typical characters and gives them much depth and meaning within a very simple world."
"My hat goes off to P.D. Workman for bringing such an amazing story to the market with emotional detail and intriguing characters. I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone."
"This book was great. This book was sad but gripping. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. I fell I cried with these characters and smiled when they did. I think the author did a great job with this book."
"This excellent and realistically wrought story will bring you to tears… completely original in that it feels like a true story that needs to be told, written in a heart-felt and memorable style that readers of all ages can enjoy and truly take something from."
"It was a GREAT read! I could hardly put it down. Very insightful. Will definitely read more of PD Workman's books."
James Young
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Genre(s): I write alternate history (Usurper’s War series), space opera (Vergassy Universe series), post-apocalyptic (Scythefall series), and historical non-fiction (Barren SEAD) at the moment. I will likely branch into urban fantasy in Anita C. Young’s Architects of Lore series as well as my own urban fantasy series at some point in the next 3-4 years.
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
The best link to find all my books at once is my Amazon Author Page at https://www.amazon.com/James-Young/e/B00AVKCQZQ or on my blog at https://vergassy.com/welcome-to-the-colfax-den/merchandising-the-resurrection/ .
If you would like signed copies, I’m available at David Weber’s Universal Outfitters: http://www.weberuniversaloutfitters.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=11_78
Usurper’s War
Acts of War
Collisions of the Damned
Vergassy Universe
An Unproven Concept
“Ride of the Late Rain”
“A Midwinter’s Ski”
Scythefall Universe
“After the Scythe”
Non-fiction
Barren SEAD
How long you have been a published author:
I published “Ride of the Late Rain” in December 2012.
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
I’d placed in several fiction contests with honorable mention in others. Despite this, I regularly received standard rejection letters from agents and publishers. When I was told about Amazon, I figured I’d put “Ride of the Late Rain” up and see what happened back in December 2012. Sales on that were sufficient to make a full length novel worthwhile—so I proceeded to publish An Unproven Concept a year later.
I’m across several genres (this is the point where Anita C. Young rolls her eyes as she’s finished her series). I mostly like writing about history, specifically military history. A close second is military science fiction.
How did you publish your first book?
I published “Ride of the Late Rain” through Amazon, then Createspace.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
Yes. I was very disheartened at receiving form letter after form letter or being told I was this close.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
My first full length novel, I bought several blogads and used Google ads in conjunction with Amazon promotions. That was expensive, and what sales I made seemed to be consistently eaten by the ad costs. Now, I use a combination of book promotion services, in person sales at conventions, and social media interaction to market my books.
How do you support other indie authors?
I make it a point to try and remember what other authors write. When I’m selling in person at cons, if there’s something that neither my wife or I have I’ll say, “Well, you know, _______ writes fantasy.” In a few cases, I hand out people’s bookmarks or business cards.
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
Most often people want to know how it is going. I don’t sugarcoat it—this is difficult work. But overall the response has been positive from the majority of folks I’ve told.
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
First and foremost is the support of my spouse and fellow author, Anita C. Young (Architects of Lore). Everything from accepting long absences trapped in my lair to doing the con circuit on her weekends off, Anita’s been there through all the crazy.
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Next to that are the convention regulars, both fellow author vendors and customers. With the former there’s a lot of idea sharing / tips. The latter provide the motivation to keep at this.
Finally there’s my parents. While Dad’s no longer with us, he gave me my first love of sci-fi. Mom is always willing to help with everything from helping with a con booth to giving me ideas.
Quote from a positive review of your work.
“This book tells a story, and it tells it in a descriptive and entertaining manner. Young didn’t write a book to change society or rewrite physics, he wrote a military sci-fi thriller. Young’s ability to manage the chaos he created while still inserting those Easter eggs and the gallows humor that seems to be so prevalent amongst men and women of action is to be commended.”—From Pop Cults’ review of An Unproven Concept.
Lynn Sanders
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Genre(s): Children’s Non-Fiction
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase: Dancing With Tex: The
Remarkable Friendship To Save The Whooping Cranes. Link: bit.ly/DancingTex
How long you have been a published author: Since 2009.
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What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
After almost getting published by a traditional press, which ran out of money, I didn’t want to wait for
years to get my story eventually published by a traditional publishing company. I also wanted to be
able to donate a percentage of my profits towards nonprofit environmental groups. I like to write
about true inspirational stories, that can empower youth to follow their dreams.
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How did you publish your first book?
I did crowdfunding on Indiegogo to raise money for the illustrator and related publishing fees. A colleague did the graphic layout and uploaded the files into Ingram Spark and Create Space.
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Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers?
One of my books is published through a traditional company – Capstone Press. It was a work for hire so I don’t receive any royalties. My second self-published book was originally going to be published by The Benefactory, a traditional press which ran out of money.
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If so, what was your experience like?
My experience with traditional publishing companies is that it can be difficult to get a book published traditionally. Most publishing companies require an agent, and then it still takes time to get a book published. Traditional publishing typically provides no more than 5-10% of profits for the author.
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How did you market your first book?
Has your process changed with subsequent books? My first book was marketed through Capstone Press. I’m doing what I can with my self-published book to do marketing through environmental groups. I’ve also been informed of resources through IBPA – Independent Book Publishing Association and SCBWI – Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.
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How do you support other indie authors?
I’ve offered consultations about tips that I learned during the writing and publishing process.
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What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
Very positive.
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What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
Ann Knipp, who did the graphic layout and uploading of my book into Amazon and Ingram Spark has provided the greatest support as an indie author. Ann started the LinkedIn Group called, “Chicago Kids Media.”
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Quote from a positive review of your work.
“A beautiful and compelling, real-life story of love and
caring between a human and his endangered, feathered friend. Not only was it a joy to read, but the
author powerfully makes her point that it is up to all of us to make sure that earth’s creatures are
allowed to survive and to thrive. Thank you, Lynn Sanders for the heart-warming way you educated
us, and Sergio Drumond for your terrific illustrations.” Bob Burg, Internationally Best-Selling Author,
Co-Author of The Go-Giver.
HL Carpenter
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Genre(s): Middle grade, young adult
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
Jack and The Fountain of Youth -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EYR6M8Y/
Dream Stealer -- https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Stealer-HL-Carpenter-ebook/dp/B00J6HWZBK
The SkyHorse -- https://www.amazon.com/SkyHorse-HL-Carpenter-ebook/dp/B00YLODE9U/
Pirate Summer -- https://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Summer-HL-Carpenter-ebook/dp/B01GY7EKNA
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What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
We like being in control of every aspect of our work. We've been published traditionally, and we've butted heads with editors who have a different vision of our work than we do. We write clean, family-friendly books that are suitable for ten-year-olds and kidults of all ages.
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How did you publish your first book?
Our first middle grade/young adult novel, The SkyHorse, was published by Musa Publishing in 2012. Musa has since gone out of business, and they turned all rights back to us. We updated and republished under our own imprint.
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Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
We have, and we're not averse to submitting the traditional way again in the future. We just enjoy the entire process of going indie.
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How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
We participate in blog hops, share on social media, write guest blog posts, and maintain our own website. Early on we scored a free half hour with a publicist in a contest. We decided we were on the right track when her advice was essentially the same as what we'd figured out for ourselves.
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How do you support other indie authors?
We like and share and include other authors in our guest posts when appropriate. We also do a lot of support behind the scenes. Indie authors have dark days occasionally and are tempted to give up. That's our cue to step in and let them know the journey is as important as the destination.
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What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
"You'll never make any money." "That's interesting! A mother/daughter writing team?" "How do I get started selling books on Amazon?" "Do you make a living from your books?"
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What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
We are fortunate to be a writing team. We support each other.
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Quote from a positive review of your work.
From a review of The SkyHorse:
The story is a unique blend of real-life issues and mythology-don't let the cover lead you into thinking this is merely a story about a winged horse.
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Tovi is a newcomer to a small town and struggling to fit into high school and her peer group. When she finds an egg containing a winged horse, it complicates her life even more. This book does well at showing a character who struggles with doing the right thing, even if it means not fitting in with the "popular kids." And it does so without being preachy or cliche. The author is gifted at descriptive writing and the story will grab you from page one. I read it in one sitting! I don't know if the authors plan to write a book two, but it would be quite interesting if they did.
Laurel Heidtman and Lolli Powell
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Genre(s):
As Laurel Heidtman, I write mysteries and thrillers, and as Lolli Powell, I write romances (and soon cozy mysteries).
Name(s) of the book(s) you’ve published and link(s) to purchase:
Books I’ve written as Laurel Heidtman:
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The Eden Mystery series:
Catch A Falling Star (https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Falling-Star-Eden-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00KHY4ZKK)
Bad Girls (https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Eden-Mystery-Laurel-Heidtman-ebook/dp/B011WHH8F4)
Standalone thriller:
Whiteout (https://www.amazon.com/Whiteout-Laurel-Heidtman-ebook/dp/B01CMXT6UM)
Books I’ve written as Lolli Powell:
The Wrong Kind of Man (https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Kind-Man-Lolli-Powell-ebook/dp/B00SNP5R20)
The Boy Next Door (https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Next-Door-Lolli-Powell-ebook/dp/B00ODF2SBC)
How long you have been a published author: I published my first book in 2014.
What made you decide to become an indie author? What do you like to write about?
I didn’t start seriously pursuing fiction writing until I retired from outside work, and I decided to go the indie route primarily because of my age. At a writers’ conference I recently attended, an older indie writer on a panel said he chose that route because he was afraid he’d “fall off the perch” before he made it traditionally. I feel the same way.
How did you publish your first book?
I’ve published them all myself—the first two or three through KDP, CreateSpace, and Smashwords. Since then, I’ve made them all exclusive to Amazon and published only through KDP and CreateSpace.
Did you ever try to submit to traditional publishers? If so, what was your experience like?
Back in the mid-nineties, I submitted two romances to Silhouette (or Harlequin—hard to remember which now). I got rejection letters, but they were personalized ones—one over a page long—which the conventional wisdom said is a good sign you’re almost on the right track. I was a nurse then, but soon after took a technical writing job. Big mistake, since the last thing I wanted to do after writing computer documentation all day was sit back down at the computer and write fiction. I stopped trying.
At the writers conference I went to in August, I did a roundtable where you provide the first two pages of an unpublished manuscript, and two agents make comments. They fill out a sheet of paper on which they can tell you your work is not yet ready for submission, or it is and they can request more pages. Both requested more pages of mine, which was very encouraging. However, I’ve decided to stick with the indie route because even if everything went smoothly and one of the agents wanted to represent me, it could still be years (or never) before the book saw print. Plus, I’m a control freak when it comes to my own life. I don’t like the idea of giving up rights to my books for the rest of my life and probably beyond, especially considering the fact that most traditionally published authors do not make it big. As an indie, I probably won’t either, but at least any success—and any money—will be all mine.
How did you market your first book? Has your process changed with subsequent books?
I marketed the first the same way I’m still marketing—Kindle countdowns, paid ads in newsletters and social media. My husband helps out by telling anyone who will listen that I write books—and I didn’t even put him up to it! :-) I’m always looking for new ways to market and actually enjoy that aspect of being an indie writer.
How do you support other indie authors?
I do monthly interviews with other indie authors on my websites, although I’ve temporarily suspended that while I do a Meet the Author countdown leading up to Indie Author Day by posting a different indie author each day. I also do a monthly newsletter in which I advertise my books and books of other indie authors that are on sale, as well as any new releases by me and others.
What responses have you received from telling people that you are a writer?
I don’t tell them, but my husband usually manages to work it into the conversation. Some people just go, “Oh, really?” and change the subject, which doesn’t hurt my feelings a bit. I’d be the same way if they told me they were football players. :-) Most seem interested. Let’s face it—even people who don’t like to read (especially people who don’t like to read) are amazed that anyone can actually write hundreds of pages. Those are the people who hated writing papers in school and hated essay tests (my favorite!). Then there are the others who do love reading and want to know about my books, and the ones who are budding writers themselves who want to know how I went about the publishing process.
What/who has been your biggest support as an indie author?
My husband, although he is one of those oddballs who doesn’t like to read fiction. :-) But he is supportive and definitely a big promoter of my efforts. And of course, other indie writers—both ones I know personally and ones I’ve met online. The worldwide community of indie writers are a great bunch of people!
Quote from a positive review of your work.
One of my favorite reviews was for my thriller, Whiteout. It was an Amazon Verified Purchase review, and as far as I know, I don’t know the reviewer. It read:
“Enjoyable read. Interesting study in characters, each with their own unique quirk, and using the storm as a villain in its own right was brilliant. I totally didn't see the twist near the end coming, although, in retrospect, Ms. Heidtman left clues to lead you there if you were looking for them. I wasn't. Awesome. Just what I like in my suspense and mystery reading.”
All that he mentioned was just what I was trying to achieve. Love it when that happens! :-)