Self-Published Interview with Shirley Hailstock!

Tags

Self-Published interview series, Self-publishing, Shirley Hailstock

Welcome back to another week of the self-published interview series! This week is romance author, Shirley Hailstock. Enjoy!

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS…

• What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your book(s)? Did you decide on ebook or print only or both?

I’d thought about self-publishing but, but when I attended a conference in March 2012 where the subject was extensively discussed, that was the deciding factor.  I already had a couple of books available online that I had self-published, but that conference got me in gear to get more of them up.  I returned home energized and began working diligently on updating books that had been previously print published and were no longer available.  Now they are.

I decided on e-book only for the time being.  The learning curve on self-publishing was huge.  I felt as if I was trying to learn a foreign language in a week.  So I concentrated on the e-book.  Maybe later I will delve into print if my fans begin to ask for them.  So far they haven’t.

• What went into the process? Writing, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… Share your ups and downs and how you went about it. If you used a service from someone, could you share who?

I didn’t use any services.  I did the entire job.  First, I scanned the books into the computer and re-edited, updated them for current technology or current events, and removed the scanning errors.  Then I read the Smashwords Guide from beginning to end.  I’ve been using Photoshop for years and decided to do my own covers.  I studied covers, looking at hundreds of them in all areas of romance.  I wanted to develop a feel for what readers would expect by seeing the cover.  One thing that Jon Fine from Amazon.com said at that conference I attended was that cover was king.  So I designed a cover that I was happy with and thought looked professional.  Then I wrote the blurb, updated my bio and uploaded the book.

• What did you do to promote your work?

To promote the book, I went to all the normal places.  Normal being what other authors had told me they had done.  I sent out a message to my fan list.  I announced it on Facebook and joined several groups where I could promote.  I also sent notices to all my lists of friends & family.  A couple of very well-known authors agreed to promote it to their Facebook friends.

I also paid for an ad on EyeonRomance.com.  I’ve done guest-blogging on themes that the owner is doing if I have a book that corresponds with that theme.  As I discover other places to promote, I’ve added my books there.  I’m currently working on a couple of promotions now.

• What was the hardest thing you’ve found in the process of self-publishing? What was the easiest part of self-publishing?

The hardest thing is updating the books.  Going back to books that you wrote years ago are both a blessing and a curse.  You get to visit friends you haven’t talked to in a long time, but you also see all the flaws in the writing, story, word choices.  We’ve grown as writers and people since those books were written, so updating could be a difficult process.

The easiest part of self-publishing is the actual act of getting the books online.  Once you’ve gone through the upload process a couple of time, the learning curve is very short.  However, going back to earlier uploads and adding front or back matter (i.e. links to all the books currently available) is a chore.  However, I do it because it shows readers that there are other books available and one or more of them might be something they want to read.

• Can you list some Pros/Cons of self-publishing?

Pros – you have control over everything.  If something doesn’t work, you can change it.  If someone finds an error in the book, you can fix it.  You have approval over everything in the book.  You can decide when to publish, what the cover looks like, the back cover blurb can reflect the true contents of the book.

Cons – It’s all on you and the amount of work can be overwhelming.  The expense of everything is on your shoulders.  If you pay for services, you have to find them and you have to be comfortable with the results.  You want everything to work the first time and not have to pay for additional services to fix something that is not working.  There are also portions of being the publisher you’ve never had to deal with and that adds another learning curve to your place, i.e. possibly quarterly payments to the IRS, 1099’s to people you hire to work for you, purchasing ISBN’s, registering your copyright with the Library of Congress and year-end TAXES.

• How long have your book(s) been out? How long between books if you have multiple sales—and if you have multiples did you see a bump in sales with subsequent publication?

The first one went up in November 2011.  After that conference in March 2012 three went up within two months.  I have a total of eight up there now.  Sales were strong right out of the gate.  They leveled off and are steady now.  I do see a small bump when a new book goes up.  My goal is to try and keep putting books up so readers have something new to read each time they come.

• What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish?

The same advice I’d give to people who want to publish in the traditional way, sit down and write.  You have to have a product.  Once that is done, you can put it where you want.  But don’t skimp on services.  There are things that need to be paid for (i.e. editors, cover designers, formatter, etc.).  Put the very best forward.  You want to build a readership and providing an inferior product will work against you.

READER QUESTIONS…

• What genre(s) do you write in? How many books do you have out? Titles?

I write in several different areas, most of which are under the romance umbrella, but I also have a couple of fantasies, a historical novel and a women’s fiction novel.  The majority of books are contemporary romance or romantic suspense.

I have 29 books that are either in print or e-books.  The total number of e-books available is 8.

• What do you love about the genre(s)?

I love the freedom of being able to write a lot of different types of books, yet still have them be romances.

• Where can readers find you?

My website is – http://www.shirleyhailstock.net

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ShirleyHailstockfan (please go and Like my page)

Twitter: @shailstock (not very good at twitter, it’s another learning curve)

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest/shailstock

E-mail – shirley.hailstock@comcast.net

• Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

Reader can find my e-books at the following locations:

Amazon.com

BN.com

Smashwords.com

Kobowritinglife.com

• What works do you have coming out in the future?

I have two print books coming out 2013 and 2014.   As far as e-books are concerned, I hope to get three more of my backlist out within the next six to nine months.

• Are you participating in any reader contests?

I haven’t participated in any contests per se.  I’ve donated books to contests that are run by others.

• There is a rumor going around that all self-pubbed books are shoddily created. What do you say to that?

From what I learned in school about taking test is anything that uses a term that is all-inclusive is always false.  So no, I do not believe all self-pubbed books are shoddily created.  There are some very fine authors creating books for the Internet.  I believe they are following all the professional rules of publishing, like having an editor, a cover designer, proofreaders, etc.  They don’t just write a book and throw it up online.  Writers benefit from a good edit.  If authors are side-stepping the process in favor of getting something up and available, they may (may) be shooting themselves in the foot.  Readers are very savvy and they will determine who they buy and why.  They won’t read shoddy books and they won’t buy that author again.

• What advice can you offer readers of self-pubbed books in making a decision on what to read?

Read the cover blurb and see if it’s something you think might be interested in.  Even if the image isn’t that great, see what the book is about.  Usually the cover will give you a clue to the story content.  So if there is a naked guy on the cover, it might be an erotic book, but it could be about a guy in a nudist colony or someone who’s had his clothes stolen.  Read more.  And check out the “look inside” feature.

Self-Published Interview Series with Jennifer Bray-Weber

Tags

historical romance, Jennifer Bray-Weber, pirates, Self-Published interview series

Welcome back to another week of the self-published interview series! This week’s author is my good friend, Jennifer Bray-Weber! *Cheers and shouts*

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS…

• What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your book(s)? Did you decide on ebook or print only or both? 

I had an award-winning book that had made the rounds, getting oh-so-close, but the publishers were holding out. The industry is changing rapidly. My ear had been to the ground, listening, learning. It occurred to me I might be missing the train, and for what? One day, I simply decided I couldn’t wait for the publishers to catch up to me.

• What went into the process? Writing, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… Share your ups and downs and how you went about it. If you used a service from a someone, could you share who? 

My approach to writing has never changed. Write the best book I can. I edit as I go and reedit as needed. I have peeps that critique once I’m done spit-shining. Being a bit of a control freak, I have a very precise idea of how I want to package my product. This shows in my covers.  I had a talented young lady put my ideas to work on my first cover for my pirate romance Blood and Treasure, and I was very happy. But once I hired Hot Damn Designs (highly recommend!) to do the cover for my novella Beneath the Water’s Edge, I realized I needed to brand the books. Blood and Treasure’s cover was redesigned to match my dark, adventuresome, pirate romance series and Shazam! my sales improved with the new look.

• What did you do to promote your work?

Besides standing on the street corners wearing a sandwich board with a stack of books at my feet? I run ads on social media sites, hit a few blogs, run a sale, and do giveaways.

• What was the hardest thing you’ve found in the process of self-publishing? What was the easiest part of self-publishing?

Formatting is daunting. But I manage to muddle through eventually. However, I get bitch-slapped by marketing. There has been no one surefire method when promoting a book. What works today may not won’t work tomorrow. It’s all very hit and miss. Lots of time and money can be eaten up in marketing.

The easiest part of self-publishing? Cashing the check, of course.

• Can you list some Pros/Cons of self-publishing?

The Cons:

Self-promoting and time management when self-promoting

Trying to figure out the distributors different formatting guidelines and following through.

The Pros:

Complete control. (mwuahahaha) From cover art, to distribution, to sales prices, I own it.

Direct sales. Money magically showing up in my bank account is pretty awesome.

The ability to make any changes I deem necessary at any time.

Not having a shelf life.

Having the published book go ‘live’ within hours rather than months.

• How long have your book(s) been out? How long between books if you have multiple sales—and if you have multiples did you see a bump in sales with subsequent publication?

My first book came out in May 2011, followed 8 months later by my novella. I also had two books published through Carina Press on the heels of the novella. It is very difficult to gauge whether or not the new releases contributed to more sales. But a wise, bearded man, in a flowing black cloak, and feather quill in hand once said, the more books one has published, the more visibility and sales one will garner.  Or something like that.

• Can you give a rough breakdown of your sales numbers from your first month to the present?

I’m terrible with charts and reports, so I don’t have an accurate breakdown to share. Don’t get me wrong, I do track the numbers in a hodgepodge sort of way. I’m just not sure how correct they are. But I will say my sales have been steadily rising.  All my books have been consistently in the top 1-3% of Amazon’s Best Seller’s Paid Kindle rankings. I can’t complain.

• What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish?

Get support. Whether hooking up with someone who’s already been in the trenches, or joining a community dedicated to indie authors, there’s no need to go it alone. You’ll be amazed at how far you can go with a little help from friends.

READER QUESTIONS…

• What genre(s) do you write in? How many books do you have out? Titles?

I am the author of the dark, steamy, fun, historical Romancing the Pirate series. Currently, three novels and one novella from the series are available.

Blood And Treasure
A Kiss in the Wind
The Siren’s Song
Beneath The Water’s Edge

• What do you love about the genre(s)?

I am quite fascinated by history. People from long ago are much the same as people of today. Only the circumstance of time and technology are different. I love weaving the darker side of human nature with the spice of true romance. Historical flavor, events, and setting, enhance those adventures.

• Where can readers find you?

At the beach, mostly. Or doing laundry. Oh, you mean in the virtual world.

www.jbrayweber.com

MuseTracks blog – http://musetracks.wordpress.com/

Facebook – http://on.fb.me/zvXd0a

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/jbrayweber

Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/jbrayweber/

Twitter – http://musetracks.wordpress.com/

• Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

All my books are available digitally. A Kiss in the Wind and The Siren’s Song are available in audio books. And Blood and Treasure and Beneath the Water’s Edge are available in print.

Amazon – http://amzn.to/NaFUiD

Carina Press – http://bit.ly/GBTq67

Audible – http://bit.ly/PWMAkL

Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/jennifer-bray-weber

All Romance (ARe) – http://bit.ly/LSVIGV

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jbrayweber

• What works do you have coming out in the future?

I am working on the 4^th installment of The Romancing the Pirate series titled Clash of the Tides. I also hope to get started on a few new projects in the very near future, as well.

• There is a rumor going around that all self-pubbed books are shoddily created. What do you say to that?

There are traditionally published books that are shoddily created, too. We’ve all read one. Seriously, I’ve read books that had me scratching my head wondering how it ever got into print. It is my belief that some publishing companies get complacent and rely on their stars to drive sales and camouflage missteps. On the flip side, there are authors who publish books before they are ready. That hurts the author. Readers will not give an author a second chance if they appear not to put the effort in creating the best damn book they can.

• What advice can you offer readers of self-pubbed books in making a decision on what to read?

Most of us don’t buy clothes off the rack without trying it on first. The same principle applies here. If a book cover or title catches your eye, read the blurb, check out the reviews, read an excerpt. Still not sure? Go to the author’s website. Get a feel for how they present themselves professionally. Give these indie authors a chance. If you find one you like, be sure to tell your friends. Especially if that author is me. 😉

There are endless amounts of great stories waiting to be discovered by you!

Self-Published Interview Series with Merry Farmer

Tags

Merry Farmer, Self-Published interview series

Welcome to another week of the Self-Published Interview series.  This week we have author, Merry Farmer.

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS…

• What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your book(s)? Did you decide on ebook or print only or both?

For me, the advent of self-publishing was like someone throwing open the door to an amazing and exciting world that I had only dreamed existed.  I have been writing since I was 10 but was never really enamored with traditional publishing.  I’d been to writer’s conferences, pitched to agents, and attempted a very small handful of submissions, but the whole thing left me cold.  I never felt comfortable with the exclusivity of the traditional publishing world or the harshly subjective nature of the submission process.  I was told that my writing was very good but that no one was interested in publishing historical romance that wasn’t set in the Regency or Georgian eras.  And since I’ve never been one to blindly follow the rules I gave up on traditional publishing.

Then last year I attended the Philadelphia Writer’s Conference and was swept up in the buzz about self-publishing.  It was seen as an exciting new author-centric alternative to traditional publishing, which a lot of writers, new and established, were beginning to see as stubborn and behind the times.  The growing popularity of eReaders in particular had everyone talking.  So I figured, why not?  I had a book, The Loyal Heart, all but ready to publish (or so I thought) and I was eager to give it a try.  I decided to self-publish in eBook only format as an experiment and a challenge.

• What went into the process? Writing, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… Share your ups and downs and how you went about it. If you used a service from a someone, could you share who?

So yeah, like I just said, I thought I had The Loyal Heart all ready to publish.  And that’s where the learning process began.

First of all, I set up an online presence.  I already had a Twitter account and had blogged off and on for year, but I needed more.  I started following a lot of other writers, traditional and self-published, on Twitter and listened to what they were saying.  Many of them pointed me in the direction of a truly awesome book by Kristen Lamb, We Are Not Alone: A Writer’s Guide to Social Media.  I absorbed that and followed its advice.  I set up a blog on WordPress and started posting like mad.

It was through all this social media hoopla that I picked up a lot of advice about the process of self-publishing, especially the importance of hiring an editor and a cover designer.  I was really, really lucky on both accounts.  I have a friend who is a graphic designer, Jonathan Longstaff of Pehr Graphic Designs, who gave me a fantastic deal on some truly beautiful covers.  Perhaps more importantly, fate drew me to my editor, Alison Dasho.

Okay, let me take a moment to step back here and say that if you’re going to be serious about self-publishing works of genuine quality and substance you absolutely must hire a professional editor.  Yes, they can be expensive, but it is not only worth every penny, it’s essential.  I sent Alison my manuscript and a few weeks later got back a 12 page critique letter.  She told me everything that I had done wrong, everything I had done right, and made me super excited for all of the hard work I still had to do to make The Loyal Heart publication-worthy.  She did the same thing with an even longer letter for The Faithful Heart, and again with my longest letter yet for my next novel, Our Little Secrets.  Alison has made me a much better writer.  There is no substitute for professional editing.

Formatting was surprisingly easy, although it took about ten times longer than I thought it would.  I went to Smashwords.com and downloaded Smashwords Style Guide, which more or less walks you through everything you need to know to format a Word document in preparation for conversion to eBook formats.  Then I simply uploaded my formatted manuscript to Smashwords’ “meat grinder”, which automatically converts your book to all eReader formats.  I think I can count the number of books I’ve sold on Smashwords on one hand, but their “meat grinder” is the reason that’s the first place I go when my novels are ready to roll out.

• What did you do to promote your work?

Promoting is the hardest part of self-publishing.  I’m not a salesman or marketing expert, so I’ve been figuring things out as I go.  Being active on social media helps a lot.  I have a Twitter account, a Facebook page, and a blog.  I think the blog is the most important tool I have because it keeps people coming back for fresh content every day.  I’ve found that Facebook is the most useful tool for directing people to the blog, Twitter less so.

More importantly, I have joined several online writers groups.  Most important of those are the Novel Publicity Network, which is a tremendous support system on Facebook, and the Hearts Through History chapter of the RWA.  Belonging to groups like these is so important because they teach you a lot about the industry and the craft of writing, and members become friends and network with each other, which has led to some amazing opportunities for me.

I’ve also found that when I set up an active presence on Goodreads message boards and Kindle boards, when I participate in discussions as a reader without trying to push my books, my sales go up.  I just wish I had more time to join the discussion!

Another really useful tool I’ve discovered for promoting is giving away books for reviewers.  At first I was uncertain about whether giving books away would help me or mark me as an amateur.  It absolutely helps.  I’ve gotten some fantastic reviews from well-respected reviewers … who have gone on to buy more of my books.  But you have to be patient.  Just because you give someone a book one day does not mean they will have a review for you next week, or next month.  I just got a really wonderful review from a highly ranked reviewer to whom I had given my book six months ago.  It was worth the wait.

My other piece of promotional advice that might not sound like promotional advice is to be really, really nice and supportive of your fellow authors.  We’re all in the same boat.  We all need each other’s help.  Bending over backwards for your peers not only helps the whole self-publishing milieu to expand and succeed, it helps you to build good faith amongst some really wonderful people who will give you advice, help you grow, and help promote you.  Because writers are not just wonderful people, they’re readers too.

• What was the hardest thing you’ve found in the process of self-publishing? What was the easiest part of self-publishing?

I released The Loyal Heart at the very, very end of September 2011.  Its sequel, The Faithful Heart, was released on Christmas Eve.  I was able to release the two books that close together because I had both of them more or less written before I started publishing.  Although The Faithful Heart underwent massive revisions.  It was my intention to release the third book in the trilogy, The Courageous Heart, in May of 2012, but as I started writing it in January I realized that I just wasn’t ready to tell that story yet.  I am a firm believer in the fact that a story has to be ready to be told to be really good.  So I set it aside to work on revisions of Our Little Secrets, the first in a four book series set in Montana in 1895, that I had drafted last summer.  I intended to publish Our Little Secrets at the end of April, but then a family emergency yanked me away from writing altogether for way longer than I had anticipated.  I think I’m on track to get it out there in early June, and I plan to finish The Courageous Heart and have it available by the end of the year.  My hope is to have at least two books published every year.

I did see an increase in sales once The Faithful Heart was published, but it was a small one.  I expect more once the other two books are out there.  I’ve also heard that in general it takes four books before you start to see an exponential increase in sales.  I’d love to put that theory to the test.

• Can you list some Pros/Cons of self-publishing?

I started from scratch, without any former publishing credits or publicity behind me and with a platform that was under development, so I’ve started relatively small.  I sold about 35 copies of The Loyal Heart in the first month it was out.  Sales dropped in the month after that, but when I published The Faithful Heart in December they trended up again.  I’ve been averaging in the upper 20s each month with a few spikes higher.  From what I understand, that’s slightly better than average for a writer starting out where I did.  I have a joke with a fellow self-published author that as long as we have our 8 sales a month we’re happy.

But I also haven’t been super aggressive with my promotions.  I haven’t paid for advertising space or gone on any blog tours or the like.  I consider self-publishing a long game.  Since my books will be available indefinitely I’m waiting for the real push.  Once I finish my Medieval trilogy by publishing The Courageous Heart later this year I intend to promote the entire series heavily.  I don’t have a ton of money, so I would rather be patient and efficient about how I spend it on promotions than burn out too soon.  It’s all about strategy.

• How long have your book(s) been out? How long between books if you have multiple sales—and if you have multiples did you see a bump in sales with subsequent publication?

Make friends.  I can’t stress that enough.  Traditional publishers have a marketing machine at their disposal.  Self-publishers need to rely on grass-roots word of mouth.  You can’t do that alone.  Seek out online networking groups to learn from and to get the support you’re going to need.  And vary your approach while you’re at it.  One of my big faults is that I get comfortable with the work I’ve done and stop looking for new groups, new opportunities, and new forums for Indie books.  We self-published writers have to be like sharks: we can’t stop moving or we’ll die.

Oh, and keep writing!  That’s why we’re all doing this, after all, right?

READER QUESTIONS…

• What genre(s) do you write in? How many books do you have out? Titles?

I write Historical Romance.  Currently I have two books, The Loyal Heart and The Faithful Heart published.  They are the first two books of a Medieval trilogy set in Derbyshire in 1192, when King Richard was away fighting the Crusade.  They were inspired by the true history of the era of the Robin Hood legend.  And let me tell you, the actual history of the time is very different from the way the Robin Hood legend tells it!  The third book in the trilogy, The Courageous Heart, will be published sometime later this year.

I am also about to publish the first novel in a new series set in Montana in 1895, Our Little Secrets.  (In fact, it may be published by the time this interview is posted?)  I hesitate to call it a Western because the hero is not a buff cowboy, but rather a glasses-wearing shopkeeper with a dubious past and the heroine is a women’s rights advocate running away from a few secrets of her own.  They get married less than 24 hours after they meet.  You’ll have to read it to find out more.

I also have a sci-fi series that I might dust off and publish someday.

• What do you love about the genre?

I majored in History.  Twice actually.  One degree wasn’t enough for me.  I am very much in love with love and adore writing about it.  I also am a firm believer that History is far more interesting than the way most teachers present it.  People really lived those lives in times gone by.  I also happen to love writing sex scenes, so be ready for some steam if you pick up one of my books, especially Our Little Secrets.

•  Where can readers find you?

My website: http://merryfarmer.net

My Facebook page: www.facebook.com/merryfarmerauthor

My Twitter handle: @merryfarmer20

• Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

On Amazon:

The Loyal Heart

The Faithful Heart

On B&N:

The Loyal Heart

The Faithful Heart 

On Smashwords:

The Loyal Heart

The Faithful Heart

• There is a rumor going around that all self-pubbed books are shoddily created. What do you say to that?

To that I say pssht!  Yes, there are a lot of second-rate books being thrown out there in a rush by self-publishers.  Way too many, actually.  But I think it’s the result of this avenue of publishing opening up.  I think that for a while we’ll see a lot of crap on the market, but once the people who aren’t serious about it and who don’t put the appropriate amount of effort into their work get bored, and probably discouraged as their sales fall off to nothing, they’ll give up.  Then those of us who are dead serious, who hire editors and cover designers and really work to produce quality books that make the traditional publishing world salivate and seeks us out for the rights to publish, then things will even out.  We’re at the birth of a new subset of the publishing industry so there are bound to be a few sacrificial pancakes while everyone figures it out.

• What advice can you offer readers of self-pubbed books in making a decision on what to read?

Always read the free excerpt before buying a book.  You should be able to tell if what you’re reading is worth the price from that tiny bit.  If it’s not good, don’t buy it.  I really hate to throw my fellow self-published authors under the bus like that, but I believe it’s important for us to be realistic about what we’re creating and that it’s our obligation to you, the reader, not to cut corners, especially in editing, and to create the best books possible.

Self-Published Interview Series: Bella Andre!

Tags

Bella Andre, contemporary romance, Self-Published interview series

Welcome back to another exciting week! This week’s self-published author interview is with USA Today Best-selling author, Bella Andre! She is a true inspiration for many romance authors and self-published authors.

Welcome Bella!

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS…

• What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your book(s)? Did you decide on ebook or print only or both?

Requests from my readers! For five years, I received emails and facebook requests for the sequels to Take Me and my Bad Boys of Football books.  It was a huge thrill to finally write and publish LOVE ME and GAME FOR LOVE – and I was overwhelmed by the response from my readers. Initially I only released ebooks but you can now find my Sullivan contemporary romance series in print through Amazon.

• What went into the process? Writing, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… Share your ups and downs and how you went about it. If you used a service from a someone, could you share who?

I started by doing almost everything by myself and experienced a few tear-my-hair-out moments because I had to teach myself everything. I had to learn coding in order to make the ebooks (and must pause a moment to thank my husband for explaining a lot of it to me), and I had to learn how to use graphic design software to make the covers.  Also, every retailer had a different system for loading their books or metadata so I spent a lot of time reading through instruction manuals.

I have a group of amazing author friends who help me with beta reads but I hire many editors and proofreaders to make sure I’m publishing books of the highest possible quality. There are seven people on my production team at present.

• What did you do to promote your work?

I have a newsletter (subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/eXj22) I send out to fans with news on my latest releases, and I also use facebook (http://facebook.com/bellaandrefans) and twitter (http://twitter.com/bellaandre) to keep in touch with readers. I love hearing about how much they love the Sullivans!

• What was the hardest thing you’ve found in the process of self-publishing? What was the easiest part of self-publishing?

The hardest part can be keeping up with changes. Retailers are constantly upgrading their software or changing their systems so sometimes it feels like I’ll just master a process when it’ll be completely upended and I’ll have to start from scratch.

The easiest part, hands down, is writing the books. As much as I love self-publishing, I’m a writer because I love telling love stories!

• Can you list some Pros/Cons of self-publishing?

The pros are that you can deliver your fans books much faster than you could under traditional publishing – at least that’s been my favorite part!

The con is that some of the time you’d rather spend writing is spent on book production or cover design.

• How long have your book(s) been out? How long between books if you have multiple sales—and if you have multiples did you see a bump in sales with subsequent publication?

I have been self publishing since summer 2010 and have released seven original ebooks.

Yes, each new publication sees a bump in sales which I hope means new readers are finding and falling in love with The Sullivans!

• Can you give a rough breakdown of your sales numbers from your first month to the present?  

I have sold more than 800,000 self-published ebooks so far!

• What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish?

Just do it! There is a lot of information available on blogs and even digital books offering advice, but I didn’t have all the answers when I started. So much of this is learned through trial-and-error, that my best advice is just to dive on in!

READER QUESTIONS…

• What genre(s) do you write in? How many books do you have out? Titles?

I write sexy, contemporary romances. My latest release is IF YOU WERE MINE, the fifth book in the Sullivan Family series and I’m thrilled that it hit the USA Today bestseller list a few weeks ago!

• What do you love about the genre(s)?

There’s nothing I love more than a hero and heroine searching for their happily-ever-after. I always want it to be an emotional, sensual, joyous journey!

• Where can readers find you?

www.BellaAndre.com

• Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

Most of my books are available in ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Google, Kobo and libriaries through Overdrive. You can also order my Sullivan Family series print books through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

• What works do you have coming out in the future?

LET ME BE THE ONE, the sixth book in my Sullivan series, will be out this fall!

• There is a rumor going around that all self-pubbed books are shoddily created. What do you say to that?

The digital books by authors like Barbara Freethy, Tina Folsom, and Marie Force are all very well written, edited and created. I also invest an incredible amount of time, energy and money ensuring my books are well edited, copyedited and formatted.

• What advice can you offer readers of self-pubbed books in making a decision on what to read?

Make a decision the same way you would with a traditionally published book. Do you love the cover? Does the book description speak to you? If you sample the first chapter, are you drawn in?

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Eliza!

You are more than welcome! Thank you so much for graciously allowing me to interview you and sharing your thoughts and experiences with us all!

Self-Publishing Interview Series: Tess St. John

Tags

Self-Published interview series, Tess St. John

Welcome back to the next installment in the self-publishing author interview series. Today’s guest is Tess. St. John!

Don’t forget to join us next week for best-selling author Bella Andre’s interview!

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS…

• What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your book(s)? 

My road is a bit different than most. For years now, I’ve had a dizziness disorder. I even had to quit my accounting job because of it. From day to day, I never know how I’ll feel or if I’ll be able to read or write—some days I’m just too dizzy to do either. I have only sent requested manuscripts to five agents I’ve met in person and never mailed the first query letter. I knew if I got a contract from a publisher, I would always be worried I wouldn’t feel well enough to get rewrites and edits back on time. So traditional publishing never seemed like an option for me. I just worked on the craft for years. Indie publishing really caught on about the same time I got some really positive feedback from the few agents I submitted to, so it seemed the perfect choice for me. Something I could do at my own pace and on my own time, which honestly, for me, was, and is, peace of mind! Did you decide on ebook or print only or both? I only wanted to put out e-books, but hubby said my mom (who has been my biggest cheerleader) needed to have print books, so I have print books available too!

• What went into the process? 

Writing, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… Share your ups and downs and how you went about it. If you used a service from a someone, could you share who? I believe story is key, so I work on my stories first and foremost. I have super cps and editors who are fantastic. I’m anal about typos and read, read, and reread the manuscript before I release. I do the formatting myself, and I’ve done most of the covers (so far I’ve only bought one cover, but she no longer makes covers on demand) and another girl is currently working on my latest cover.

• What did you do to promote your work? 

I started a blog and other authors had me on their blogs. I joined kindleboards, nookboards, other boards like that. I bought different ads on blogs, FB, goodreads, which I think helped in the beginning, but I no longer have those.

• What was the hardest thing you’ve found in the process of self-publishing? 

My eyes are final!!! What was the easiest part of self-publishing? This goes back to being able to do things on my time…so the days I can’t do as much as I would like, I don’t feel like I’m letting anyone down. With my illness, I can’t dwell on those days…Concentrating on the good days is key!

• Can you list some Pros/Cons of self-publishing? 

Pros: 1. Everything is done in my own time. 2. The proceeds are mine alone and I can set prices for the books wherever I want. I am a control freak, so being in control is really good for me.

Cons: 1. I would love to have a final editor who checks everything before it goes to the public! 2. I would love someone else to do promotion.

• How long have your book(s) been out?

I released the first book (a historical romance) in April 2011. Since then, I’ve released three books in my contemporary romantic suspense/mystery series. So I have four full-length books out now.

• Can you give a rough breakdown of your sales numbers from your first month to the present?  

These are my ebook sales only. My books are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords (and all their distributors).

April 2011 ~ 92

May 2011 ~ 235

June 2011 ~ 380

July 2011 ~ 420

August 2011 ~ 410

September 2011 ~ 305

October 2011 ~ 500

November 2011 ~ 465

December 2011 ~ 435

January 2012 ~ 520

February 2012 ~ 850

March 2012 ~ 1,720

April 2012 ~ 3,070

• What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish? 

Learn your craft. Learn everything you can about it and study it! Then tell your story! Remember writing isn’t in the first draft, that’s the easy part. The real writing is in the rewriting until you get it as close to perfect as you can! Find a great support group of writers for critiquing and BETA readers!  Also, and not everyone wants to hear this, but not everyone is going to like your writing. It’s an impossibility. Know that and accept it. Concentrate on the readers who enjoy your work. And write, write, write!

READER QUESTIONS…

• What genre(s) do you write in? How many books do you have out? Titles? 

SECOND CHANCES (Book 1 ~ Chances Are series) is historical romance. I also have three books in my Undercover Intrigue Series out, which are contemporary romantic suspense/mystery. DON’T LET IT SHOW (Book 1), EYES OF JADE (Book 2), and ANGEL EYES (Book 3).

• What do you love about the genre(s)?

I love how historical romance brings you to another place and time—the sweeping narrative, the innocence, and the dashing men. Romantic suspense/mystery has always held a close place in my heart, because I used to read a lot of mysteries and thrillers. When I began writing I found I didn’t have that ragged edge for thrillers, but loved the tempering romance brought to the story. And romance is my genre of choice, because I want that HAPPILY EVER AFTER every time! Critics can say romance is predictable…I’m okay with that…I want that assurance of love in the end!

• Where can readers find you? 

http://www.tessstjohn.com

 

• What works do you have coming out in the future? 

I hope to have another historical romance (CHANCE FOR FREEDOM ~ Book 2 in the Chances Are series) out by the end of the year. The fourth and fifth books in the Undercover Intrigue series will hopefully be out shortly after that. I’m also planning other works…a non-fiction, a YA, and a series about reality shows. The ideas never stop, which is a wonderful thing. If only I didn’t need to sleep—maybe I could get them all down!

• There is a rumor going around that all self-pubbed books are shoddily created. What do you say to that? 

I agree that some are. But I’ve also read traditionally published and e-published books that were rather poorly done too! Especially the formatting and typos…or even the book content. So, as always, buyers beware and check out the excerpts for the books you plan to buy. I promise, I do take painstaking time to try to get my books in the best possible shape before I upload them!

 

Self-Published Interview Series: Courtney Milan

Tags

Courtney Milan, historical romance, Self-Published interview series

I am thrilled today to have pioneer for self-publishing in the romance world–Courtney Milan.

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS…

• What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your book(s)? Did you decide on ebook or print only or both?

The royalty rate. It’s hard to argue with 70%. My first self-published work was a novella, and so I only did an e-book, but I’ve started doing print for my full-length works, and I’m going back and doing the novellas  in print, too!

• What went into the process? Writing, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… Share your ups and downs and how you went about it. If you used a service from a someone, could you share who?

Writing is much the same as before. For editing, I need someone who will tell me what isn’t feeling “right” yet—once I know what’s wrong, I can fix it on my own. Believe it or not, it may be harder to find an editor for authors who need someone to push them to the next level than for someone who just wants an editor to improve basic craft. Most of my time is spent on writing and editing, with the second-most time spent on cover design.

I do my own covers mostly because I would drive anyone who did covers for me up the wall with repeated requests to change things and then change them back. I wouldn’t work with me as an author unless I paid myself several thousand dollars—I’m that much of a pain. 

Formatting is easy.

Ultimately, there really is no such thing as a down in self-publishing—if something doesn’t work, do it again.

• What did you do to promote your work?

Sent out a bunch of review copies and told people about it on Facebook, Twitter, and through my newsletter. I don’t spend as much time promoting as doing other things.

• What was the hardest thing you’ve found in the process of self-publishing? What was the easiest part of self-publishing?

Getting the book out of my hands. I have a really hard time letting go as it is. In traditional publishing, my editor would pretty much pry the book out of my hands and hit me over the head to make me let it go. (I’m kidding, somewhat.) Now nobody can do that to me, and so I fuss and fuss and fuss…

• Can you list some Pros/Cons of self-publishing?

Pros: I have more control, and so I get less stressed out. I make more money.

Cons: I have to do more work. Luckily, none of that work involves making phone calls, so it’s all good.

That pretty much covers it!

• How long have your book(s) been out? How long between books if you have multiple sales—and if you have multiples did you see a bump in sales with subsequent publication?

My first self-published work came out at the end of May of 2011, so I’m just breaking the one year mark. I had a traditionally published book come out in October, and then another full-length self-published title in December. I just put up a novella in April of 2012, and another short story in an anthology in May. I’ve definitely seen a bump in sales for the prior book with every publication!

 

Not really—not because I don’t want to, but because I don’t have that fine-grained a record at this point for all my titles. I could figure it out, but I’d have to open a bunch of files and add stuff, and that would take me forever. J

I’ve made about $47,000 on my first self-published novella, Unlocked; about $40,000 on my first full-length title, and about $10,000 on my second novella (which has been up for a little bit more than a month at this point).

• What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish?

Do it right. If you give your readers a high-quality book, they’ll repay you a thousand fold.

READER QUESTIONS…

• What genre(s) do you write in? How many books do you have out? Titles?

I write historical romance set in the Victorian era. I have five full-length titles out, and four novellas. They are:

The Brothers Sinister Series

The Governess Affair*

The Turner Series

 Unveiled

 Unlocked*

Unclaimed

Unraveled

The Carhart Series

This Wicked Gift*, in The Heart of Christmas

Proof by Seduction

Trial by Desire

Not in any series

The Lady Always Wins*, in Three Weddings and a Murder

* novella

• What do you love about the genre(s)?

I love being transported to another time, and yet finding familiar human emotions in that period.

• Where can readers find you?

I’m on twitter at @courtneymilan (and you’re most likely to find me active on Twitter!), on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/courtneymilanauthor, and on the web at http://www.courtneymilan.com

• Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

You can get my books everywhere, in print and in digital. Many of my print books were produced by my traditional publisher; the ones that weren’t, you can usually order through a bookstore or through Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com. My books are available in ebook almost everywhere that ebooks are sold: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, Sony, Diesel, Waterstones, Smashwords… Anywhere I can conceivably get my books, I will.

• What works do you have coming out in the future?

I’m working on a series called The Brothers Sinister, and so I have a handful of full-length titles coming out:

               The Duchess War (late summer 2012)

               The Heiress Effect (late 2012)

               The Countess Conspiracy (early 2013)

There are also a handful of other projects I have in the works, but it’s too early to say anything about them at the moment.

• Are you participating in any reader contests?

No, honestly. I end up forgetting about them, and I finally decided it was a better use of my time to write books then to hold contests.

• There is a rumor going around that all self-pubbed books are shoddily created.

What do you say to that?

Nobody has ever said that, sorry. Many self-published books are shoddily created. Many are not. I’ve never met anyone who has said they all are.

• What advice can you offer readers of self-pubbed books in making a decision on what to read?

Read mine. 😉 

Self-Published Interview Series: Nancy Lee Badger

Tags

Nancy Lee Badger, Self-Published interview series

Welcome back to another post in the Self-Published Author Interview series. Today we have romantic fantasy author, Nancy Lee Badger.

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS…

• What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your book(s)? Did you decide on ebook or print only or both?

I am already published with two small publishers. One does not offer a print option, and the other offers a POD via Amazon for a handful of their authors. I was still writing and submitting, but attended a workshop at my local chapter where someone I knew spoke about how to actually self-publish. I thought I would try it, so I wrote a 17,000 word short story and had it up on Amazon within 5 months.

• What went into the process? Writing, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… Share your ups and downs and how you went about it. If you used a service from a someone, could you share who?

Writing is the easy part! I luckily had a couple of ‘friends-who-are-editors’ who helped me polish my book. Though I have an Art degree, I had neither the time, software, or know-how to make a cover. I went back to the friend who created the art for my bookmarks, and we made the cover. Formatting can be difficult as Smashwords and Amazon have their differences. I did Smashwords first because I could read their Style Guide and get hints for formatting. It was trial and error, but the next two books were much easier! I might share my bookmark & cover artist friend. Contact me.

• Can you list some Pros/Cons of self-publishing?

Those that self-publish worry people will not consider them a ‘ real author’. It was easier to do this AFTER being published, because I obviously was good enough for a contract. Publishers have editors and cover artists on staff. I spent money for stock photos and my friend’s time to create fabulous covers. Any promotion is on my head, as I don’t have a publisher’s website, newletters, Twitter, Facebook, or Yahoo group presence. Want a review? Track down and submit your book yourself. Some friends call me the ‘Promo Queen’ because I write articles, set up interviews, Twitter, and post on my own blog and website. (Time I would rather spend writing). On royalties: one publisher sends a sales notice (and check) monthly. The other only pays every quarter. When you self-publish, you can check your sales daily. This can become addictive!

• How long have your book(s) been out? How long between books if you have multiple sales—and if you have multiples did you see a bump in sales with subsequent publication?

My short story, Dragon In The Mist, came out August 25, 2011 won a 2012 readers Choice award and 1^st Place in its category in the Silken Sands Self-Publishing STARS Contest in March 2012.  Southern Fried Dragon, a 30,000 word novella, was released February 2, 2012. My latest, My Honorable Highlander, is a 90,000 word full-length book that I plan to offer in print and was released May 17, 2012.  Yes, I noticed a bump in sales in my two earlier books. Of my five others with publishers, I have no idea until I get their sales notices (months from now)

• What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish?

Don’t try this alone. Many others have gone this route before you and many will gladly assist you, especially if you are a fellow member of a mutual organization. MAKE YOUR BOOK SHINE! I cannot stress enough that formatting and editing is important. Once you publish your book, download it like a reader would and READ IT. It is amazing how many errors you will find. Errors can be fixed after the fact, but it is so much easier to do it right the first time.

READER QUESTIONS…

• What genre(s) do you write in? How many books do you have out? Titles?

I have published contemporary, romantic suspense and military romance with two publishers as Nancy Lee Badger and Nancy Lennea. My self-pub books have a paranormal flavor as well as a Scottish angle. At Amazon, check out my Author Page as Nancy Lee Badger for all eight titles.

• Where can readers find you?

www.RescuingRomance.nancyleebadger.com and http://www.nancyleebadger.blogspot.com/ and www.nancyleebadger.com I am on Twitter @NLBadger.

• Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

All my books are on Amazon in ebook form. NOOK from Barnes & Noble carries several as does All Romance eBooks and Smashwords.

• What works do you have coming out in the future?

I am busy writing the sequel to MY HONORABLE HIGHLANDER which I titled MY BANISHED HIGHLANDER. As a volunteer at the New Hampshire Highland Games every fall, I have LOTS of ideas for continuing my ‘Highlands Through Time’ series.

• There is a rumor going around that all self-pubbed books are shoddily created. What do you say to that?

Sadly it CAN be true. I have read some horribly formatted books with no plot, abrupt endings, or containing many grammatical errors. The best advice? Buy books by an author who-like myself-has won a contest or has lovely reviews. Word of mouth works, too. If you love a book, write a short review. This helps the author and the next reader.

Self-Published Interview Series: Terry Spear

Tags

Self-Published interview series, Terry Spear

Welcome back to another rousing week in the self-publishing interview series! Today we have an author I’ve long admired: Terry Spear! She is so versatile in her writing, and truly a gem for readers!

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS…

• What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your book(s)?

1. To have more books available for already loyal fan readership.
2. To make available different genres that I’m not already branded in to find new readership.
3. To publish books already written that were either already published and the publishers no longer exist, or new works that had not been picked up by publishers.
4. To help promote traditional published works.

• Did you decide on ebook or print only or both?

I have two of my YA in print and will add more to the list once I have time.

• What went into the process? Writing, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… Share your ups and downs and how you went about it. If you used a service from a someone, could you share who?

The first time I uploaded a book, reading through all the technical stuff for both ebooks and print books was the hardest. But once I did one, it became really easy. I love designing covers, although some of my books have professional covers and I adore them also. The problem I had was that I didn’t buy the bigger pictures for the covers that I ended up using for the print versions of two of my YA, so I had to buy the bigger version after having purchased the medium size initially. That’s my only caution.

• What did you do to promote your work?

Twitter, Blogger, Facebook, newsletter with free weekly serialized story, teach online writing workshops, teach conference workshops, write for RWA chapter newsletters, do interviews, guest blogs, guest blog tours, just had my first TV interview, newspaper interviews, contacted the colleges where I earned degrees and was interviewed, chats.

• Can you list some Pros/Cons of self-publishing? 

Need to edit well, have a cover that is a real eye catcher and a blurb also that makes a potential reader want to see more. The great part is that you have so much control over content, title, cover, and pricing, not to mention you can set your own deadlines for publication.

• How long have your book(s) been out? How long between books if you have multiple sales—and if you have multiples did you see a bump in sales with subsequent publication?

My books have been out since March of last year. I continued to add to the releases every month or so because most of the books were already written for several months. Although The Dark Fae, YA took off so fast (14^th book that I had self-published), I ended up writing the next 3 books in the series. With another, the demon YA, I also was compelled to write the sequel. Sales definitely for the earlier books jump with new releases. Because I’ve had so many deadlines with the wolf and jaguar shifter series for Sourcebooks, I haven’t had time to write anything new, but once I’ve gotten finished the next 2 projects, I’ll be working another indie book.

• Can you give a rough breakdown of your sales numbers from your first month to the present?

 

Over 20,000 copies sold. What I find is so remarkable is that these are books I would never have sold, or found readership for, if it hadn’t been for self-publishing.

 

• What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish?

With any book, write from the heart. Edit well, have a unique premise, create a great cover, and write another and another. Sometimes a book can make an author an overnight success, but most oftentimes, it’s providing new releases that will help to build a reader base. I think of how I fall in love with an author’s work and I want to read everything she’s got out. What? She only has one book out? And no more scheduled for years? Also, try to stick to a genre for several books. I write in several, but I also have several written in each genre. Having one vampire book, one sci-fi book, one werewolf book (a YA author actually did this) will make it more difficult to garner a following.

READER QUESTIONS…

• What genre(s) do you write in? How many books do you have out? Titles?

I write medieval Highland romance, werewolf and jaguar shifter romance, vampire romance, YA vampire/fae series/demon series. I have 26 Indie books out. The Dark Fae, The Deadly Fae, The Winged Fae, The Assassin Fae, (Dragon Fae, coming next); Huntress for Hire, Forbidden Love, Siren’s Lure, Vampiric Calling, Killing the Bloodlust, Seducing the Huntress (all vampire romances); Goddess in Training, Tall Texas Order, Hearts Undercover, Genie’s Wish (novellas); Lady Caroline and the Egotistical Earl (Medieval romance); Exchanging Grooms, Marriage, Las Vegas Style (marriage humor); The Trouble with Demons, Demon Trouble Too (YA); The Beast Within (YA); Kiss of the Vampire (YA vampire); Scepter of Salvation, Mage of Monrovia (YA fantasy); Shadow Elf (YA Fantasy) Courtly Masquerade (YA Fantasy); Ghostly Liaisons (YA); In the Dead of Night (Romantic Suspense)

• What do you love about the genre(s)?

I love creating fantastical worlds both based on old world mythology and folktales and urban fantasy where the fantastical creatures inhabit our world that seems as real as can be. When I was a kid, I loved to read just about everything: Jack London’s tales that gave me a love for the world of wolves, East of the Moon, West of the Sun, which was my first shifter tale about a prince cursed as a polar bear by day, who found a woman to love, Dracula, in a community college play that forever made me love the toothy, sexy guy. But in all these tales, I wanted something different. I wanted to see the underdog get the girl. I wanted to show that those that are seen as different, unloved, were just as sexy or loveable as the next guy, and sometimes lots more so. I wanted to show that humans could be the monsters and not the wolves or vampires, or whatever creature that has been the bad example in literature for centuries. And I wanted a heroine who was spunky and could match wits with the hero, who would become the one for her. She’s not a damsel in distress, well, sometimes, but she does as much rescuing of the hero, as he does of her! My stories are romantic, sexy, have mystery, adventure, and humor (the kind as one English high school teacher described it—sneaks up on you when you’re least expecting it!)…

• Where can readers find you? 

www.facebook.com/terry.spear

www.terryspear.com

www.myspace.com/terryspear

http://terry-spear.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/TerrySpear

• Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Ebooks, Kobo, Smashwords, Sony, Apple.

• What works do you have coming out in the future?

I’m writing another medieval historical, and in fact have three others written that I’m revising, Dragon Fae, 5^th book in the fae teen series, another demon story for YA, The Vampire is Mine, another YA, Dangerous Liaisons, sequel to Deadly Liaisons (vampire romantic suspense), and The Isle of Mists, book 3 of the Magic Inherian series (YA). But I’m also contracted to finish edits on A Howl for the Highlander (book 11), finish writing A Highland Christmas Wedding (Book 12), and write two more for next year: Jaguar 2, and just contracted: A SEAL Wolf Christmas. So many more books on the horizon! J

Self-Published Interview Series: Anna Markland

Tags

Anna Markland, Self-Published interview series

Welcome back for another installment in the Self-Published Interview series! If you’ve missed the previous interviews, there are icons along the left-hand side you can click on to read. Today I’d like to introduce you to Anna Markland!

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS…

• What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your book(s)? Did you decide on ebook or print only or both?

I made the decision that I was too old to spend years writing query letters and when I saw the opportunities offered to indie authors to self publish for FREE, I jumped at it. I wanted to let readers decide if my books were enjoyable and saleable. I have four of my seven books in both digital and print. The last three are novellas and I plan to print an anthology of those. I use CreateSpace for print.

• What went into the process? Writing, editing, cover design, formatting, etc… Share your ups and downs and how you went about it. If you used a service from a someone, could you share who?

It was a learning curve at first. I did Smashwords initially because I found their instructions clear and consistent, whereas there seemed to be different versions and “rules” for Amazon. Now I can format a book for Kindle as I write and that saves me a lot of messing about at publishing time. I do all my own covers and I am improving at that. The biggest problem with covers is the time it takes to find a suitable picture. I took a number of on-line courses, including one on medieval research given by Eliza.

• What did you do to promote your work?

I have a website and blog, and I Tweet and post to Facebook. The best tool to help with the latter, I find, is Hootsuite. I have also participated in Free promotions with other authors through the Indie Book Collective. I collaborate on another blog with a dozen authors who write historical books, and I have blogged as a guest on other blogs. Belonging to the Yahoo groups for Indie authors has helped enormously, both in terms of advice and Amazon LIKES etc. I am a Goodreads author and have offered my books as prizes in their draws. I have had some success with Facebook ads. I’ve tried Goodreads ads, but nothing tangible there to report. I paid for an inexpensive ad on Night Owls Reviews and that led to a review from them. I have also belonged to several Linked-In discussion groups, but you cannot do everything and I have abandoned that in favour of Twitter and Facebook. I am also trying to fathom out Triberr.

• What was the hardest thing you’ve found in the process of self-publishing? What was the easiest part of self-publishing?

Getting reviews, especially from trade publications. The easiest part is the actual uploading once you’ve done it a few times.

• Can you list some Pros/Cons of self-publishing?

Pros: I can revise my cover, my manuscript, my front and back matter, my price as often as I wish. Amazon’s reporting system allows me to track sales on a daily basis if I wish and react accordingly. I have a great sense of achievement. My books sell and people enjoy them, and I did it all myself! I set deadlines for myself, but I don’t stress over them. I believe the quality of my work would suffer if I was writing to some external deadline written in stone.

Cons: readers have a hard time understanding why they can’t buy my print books in major retail stores. Not everyone wants to pay the freight to have a book shipped to them.

• How long have your book(s) been out? How long between books if you have multiple sales—and if you have multiples did you see a bump in sales with subsequent publication?

I published my first book in December 2010. I now have 7 available digitally, four of them in print. I write Family Sagas in series, so my books feed on each other.

• What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish?

Believe in yourself. Digital media is forgiving. If you discover a typo in your ms, correct it and upload it again! Join a supportive email loop. You’ll learn a lot. Create relationships with other authors. It is a very giving and sharing community. Make judicious use of Amazon’s FREE promotions if you’re on Select. Every author has ups and downs in sales. For goodness sake read your book on your own kindle before you upload it. It is completely different from editing a typed manuscript.

READER QUESTIONS…

• What genre(s) do you write in? How many books do you have out? Titles?

I write medieval romance. The Montbryce Legacy Series: Conquering Passion, A Man of Value, If Love Dares Enough, Passion in the Blood; Sons of Rhodri Series: Defiant Passion, Dark and Bright, The Winds of the Heavens

• What do you love about the genre(s)?

Learning and writing about the early Middle Ages is like visiting another planet! Also, there is so much rich history to base story lines on! Lots of interesting historical characters to round out your cast! Who, for example, could dream up someone like William the Conqueror?

• Where can readers find you?

Amazon mostly. I still have a couple of books on Smashwords and they distribute to B&N, Apple etc. However my sales there are not that high, so I have put my newer books into Kindle Select. (exclusive to Amazon) Because I am Canadian I cannot publish directly to B&N myself. Kindle version can in any case be changed to any other format with free software and read on any device.

• Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

Conquering Passion http://amzn.com/B006FA0R02

If Love Dares Enough http://amzn.com/B006QYG9FY

A Man of Value http://amzn.com/B006JEQLH2

Passion in the Blood http://amzn.com/B007E2WW6W

Defiant Passion http://amzn.com/B007Q4Z3AU

Dark and Bright http://amzn.com/B007RR0KQ8

The Winds of the Heavens http://amzn.com/B007Y70AKM

• What works do you have coming out in the future?

I have a new series in the works, another offshoot of my first series. Book I of The FitzRam Family Series, will be entitled Carried Away. Should be available by summer.

• Are you participating in any reader contests?

Only the Goodreads draws.

• There is a rumor going around that all self-pubbed books are shoddily created. What do you say to that? 

Rumors are often started by people who are jealous or who don’t know what they are talking about. I admit I have downloaded some pretty crappy ebooks, but not all of them have been indie.

• What advice can you offer readers of self-pubbed books in making a decision on what to read?

I am addicted to reading, especially now I have my kindle. I don’t pay much attention to reviews. If I enjoy the free trial download, I buy the book. Readers should be elated that the decisions about what’s available for them to read are no longer made solely by the big publishing houses. There is a wealth of excellent self-pubbed material out there and it will only improve as readers support the good ones. It takes a leap of faith to publish your own work, given the stigma attached to doing that (by the traditional publishers).