Ask the Author: Kathryne Arnold
Answered Questions (8)
Kathryne Arnold
Thanks so much for asking, J.B. I am intermittently working on my third book in the Samantha Clark Mystery Series, but I have had a lot of personal challenges in my life over the past year, so it has been hard to get back to writing. I'm hoping it will be done in the next few months, way overdue!
Kathryne Arnold
I don't use it in my full-time practice even though I do love past life regressions. I do it more for fun with people I know well, and I don't charge for it. The clinic I work with doesn't support past life regression as a clinical tool, and I like to keep it separate from my professional life.
Kathryne Arnold
Hello Bill! Yeah, I love the Lancaster area for all the rich culture and history it has to offer. I think auto biographies can be hard to market unless you are a well known author, celebrity, etc. I would promote it as a suspenseful but humorous auto biography. Is it a memoir? I don't really know that genre well compared to the fiction genres. There are alot of sites and individuals who promote this type of book and can develop a platform for you that would really help in the long run. Is this a stand alone book, and are you planning on writing more? It depends what your goals are for writing/publishing. If you are a Goodreads author or published on Amazon using KDP Select, doing a giveaway or book event can go really far. I used Amazon and have done a few giveaways with great results. Also doing a book tour is wonderful for marketing and exposure. I've used Beck Valley Books through the UK who have done a wonderful job and are very supportive/professional. Good luck and don't ever give up!
Kathryne Arnold
Hi Paula! Thanks for asking. That's always a tricky question because it is different I believe for everyone. Having a good platform is crucial, and if your books are part of a series, making sure that is well known. Being on a number of social media sites is important, and also having a good fan page and website, and making sure all your sites are linked together. I tried having a publicist, but that turned out to be a negative experience for me. As soon as I started doing everything on my own, things started really opening up. Getting some local book signings is a good way to get more known in your community, doing book blog tours is fun and great exposure. Having a big presence on Twitter is invaluable, and engaging in giveaways really helps, esp on Amazon if you have KDP Select. Connecting with other like authors is beneficial too, and having support from others that get what you're going through is great. Hope this helps a little!
Kathryne Arnold
I am working on the third novel in the Samantha Clark Mystery Series, which I’m hoping to complete within the next several months. After that, I would like to depart (at least temporarily) from the series and write a type of a book more in the line of Eat, Pray, Love or If I Stay. Love those two books, and of course, both are highly successful but you’ve got to reach for the stars!
Kathryne Arnold
I’ve been very fortunate in that I never really experienced the dreaded “writers block”. I’ve been fleetingly stuck here and there, but mostly because something else was going on in my life that was taking precedence. But usually a good night’s sleep or some fun clears my fuzzy brain, and I can get right back into the work of writing. My biggest challenge is finding a block of uninterrupted “me time” to engage in writing when I’m not mentally drained, or too physically tired. I work at a demanding full-time job, and being single means I have to take care of every other aspect of my life, leaving little energy left over for creative undertakings.
Kathryne Arnold
That I can turn inward and get into a state often termed “the flow”- an emotional and creative space where time melts away. I become one with my writing space and the written word, hours fly by without a notice. I had a longing to shape tales based around individuals in my life that I believed would make engaging characters. I had a strong desire to experience a higher level of creativity, to literally produce something out of nothing – a fascinating and challenging endeavor I couldn’t ignore.
Kathryne Arnold
Follow your own voice, your own intuition and style. Develop your own method of putting words to paper, listen and pay attention to your inner callings. Don’t be swayed by others. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. This also holds true for editing, promotion, developing presentations, etc. Learn to really know yourself, and then to believe in yourself. It is obviously important to pay attention to experts in the field, and those that have you in their best interest. Be open, but cautious. Trust your instincts and follow what is important to you. Try not to be influenced too much by other writers that you admire, stay true to yourself. You will hear a hundred different ways you should do something. When overwhelmed or unsure of which road to take, and trust me, this will occur many times in your writing life, I suggest that you stand still, breathe, lighten up and guide yourself toward what feels genuine and honest to you.
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