E. Rachael Hardcastle's Blog, page 7

The Author Interviews: Tim Heath

(Image courtesy of Tim Heath - author Website)To give my readers and fellow writers an insight into the processes and successes of other like-minded creatives, I'll be featuring some hardworking authors in my journal each week.Today's author is Tim Heath, and he's independently published.***BIO (from author website):Tim has been married to his wife Rachel since 2001 and they have two daughters. He lives in Tallinn, Estonia, having moved there with his family in 2012 from St Petersburg, Russia, which they moved to in 2008. He is originally from Kent in England and lived for 8 years in Cheshire before moving abroad.Website: http://www.timheathbooks.com/Where do you get your ideas, Tim?Ideas aren’t the problem! In the early days––certainly the game changer for me that took me from someone who liked to write, to becoming an author––it was an idea dropping fully formed into my head that changed everything. That was for Cherry Picking, my debut entry into the writing life. I got the title, premise, characters, start and finish. All there, in one go. The next few novels all came the same way as well, actually. I have plenty of workable ideas stored away as well, should I need them.It was only with my upcoming novels where I’ve maybe developed this a little. My fourth novel––The Shadow Man––came about as I was finishing the second novel, The Last Prophet. In those closing sections this character appeared, namely The Shadow Man, and I knew as I was writing it that this needed to be the title of the sequel. I went into that ‘place’ I go as a creative, and dragged out the storyline kicking and screaming. It much prefer it when they just drop out of the sky.My fifth, six and seventh books––all written in first draft form––came about through one idea (as described above) dropping in, but as I’ve delved into this ‘mine’ I’ve found a whole world to write from. So these have become a series––there’ll be plenty more to come before it’s done.Why do you write?Why does an athlete run? Why does an artist paint? I guess for me it’s the realisation that this is who I am, this is what my ‘talent’ is, and therefore I should use everything I have to make that talent grow, to put it to best use.What do you find most appealing about your chosen genre?I write––naturally, though I know some choose depending on saleability––what I love to read and watch. I love a plot that’s complex, but well thought out, that has depth and makes you guess and wonder. I love clever films. I want to write books that I’d love to enjoy reading or watching––and I do. I often marvel that these words even flowed through my fingers.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?Oh, that first one! I remember it well. It’d been from a free download (it still bothers me that someone getting something for FREE feels they have a responsibility to the world to let them all know they’ve found the worst ever book written) so that sucked. The man’s two other reviews were for historical train non-fiction books––a genuine comment on one had been something like “I loved this but wish there was more on the 07:30 Orient Express routes”––I’m not kidding! And here he was, reviewing a sci-fi/ thriller that he’d picked up for free, and surprise-surprise had not enjoyed.Now––I can’t say it doesn’t still bother me a little, I’m only human––do you know what I realised after that first bad review? I’d made it. I remember searching out my favourite books from the best selling authors. For me, one was The Runaway Jury by John Grisham. I loved it––it’s a brilliant book. And it had loads of one star reviews. If people could review a book I knew to be great that badly, it showed me a few things, one being that you’ll never please everyone, and another maybe being other factors are involved when someone reviews. I’m not saying they are true with mine––who am I?––but maybe jealousy or something else came into play with those Grisham haters.So now, I celebrate the fact my books have a wide range of reviews––far more five and four star reviews than bad––but it adds credibility to not only having top reviews.Watch Tim's appearance (Oct 2016) on my podcast, The White Room!Like this content? Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up for more!What do you find difficult about writing?It certainly used to be editing, especially before I’d started planning things better in relation to my yearly schedule and was therefore spending too much time editing than was healthy for me. Now I know editing is a part of the process, and I’ve developed a lot as a writer, that there are less things to change. Plus I have a great team that do a lot of that side of things. Having said that, I do have four books waiting to be edited––so maybe I’ll grow a new level of dread heading into these? I hope not.Do you ever out source your work?In terms of writing, no, never. It’s what I do. Why would any author really outsource that? It wouldn’t be your work.But I have a team of pro’s I use for other aspects––including my covers, as well as the grammar edits and structural, plus BETA readers, of course.What is your opinion on indie vs traditional publishing?I’ll just say this. When someone starts their own business they are often praised, especially over someone that just takes a job in a big multinational. The entrepreneur (see, they even get a special title) often gets exulted over the small cog in the big process. For some reason, that’s not the case in the writing world. Why, I don’t know. I think there is a bit of snobbery before––I know I entered it all with a fear of ‘vanity’ publishing. I think that now with the middle ground most indies operate in, that culture will soon be changed forever.Please talk us through your creative process from start to finish.Wow––that’s some question, but a great one at that. My writing year starts in December, in that I plan every day of the following year, in relation to my writing times. I have already then an idea as to what ideas I’m going to bring to print.First up is planning––I give two weeks, or about 4 or 5 days to do this. This involves me going to a cafe, with a bunch of paper and pens and literally mapping out my idea into something more. I’ll do any research that needs doing, have all character names listed, and finish with the first 30 to 40 scenes (I use Scrivener to write, so these get put on little index cards in that app when I’m done).Then it’s writing. The worst thing for a writer to face is having the time and space to write, and not know what they are needing to do. That’s what my planning phase cuts out. Because it’s planned, I know the day I have to be ready to start writing. I write in solid chunks––up until my last novel, where I grabbed an hour or so in the morning of days I wasn’t writing––I aim to focus on a month or so to write. This last year––way ahead of my schedule I set myself last December––I’ve actually finished 4 novels.Once a draft is finished, I print it off and leave it on the shelf to mellow––anything up to six months. I then move onto what I have next. In March, because I managed to finish my fifth novel in that month (I’d given myself two months to do it) I went straight onto the sequel.Summers I tend to take off––by mid June this year, for example, I’d done the first read through of a previously mellowed text, making corrections as I went. My writing process tends to get loads on paper, but there are many errors in the first draft (I do sometimes over 10,000 words a day in writing mode, so that is inevitable). Once I’ve read through, I make the changes on the computer to produce the second draft. Next I (this was new to my last book, having updated my computer) get my iMac to then read me the complete story––from which is formed the third draft (or 2a, depending on how you view it). Then it goes to my team.I move on to something else––or enjoy the summer with my family.The team will look at various aspects. In the past I’ve included relative experts in that team that have a certain speciality that has come up in my books. This has included a Cambridge Graduate chemists looking at the nuclear element of The Last Prophet, a tech savvy reader for The Tablet as well as someone involved in the security service of another nation who reads all my texts, helping with the spy/ espionage angles. These people all help me sound more accurate. Their input is priceless.My grammar editor has worked with me from the beginning, and we have a great understanding. I implement almost all of her recommendations, as well as learning loads (and hopefully making less mistakes in the next text). Some of her comments are hysterical, and she doesn’t even mean them to be.Then it comes back to me––after the summer, I might start a new project. This year, during September, I did the first read through from my March text, then straight onto the April text. I’ve not made those corrections on the computer because I wanted to write the third book in that series, which I finished last week, in fact. Therefore in November I’ll be working through the feedback for novel 4 (the one the team had over the summer and are now reporting back to me). I’ll produce one or two further drafts based on their input, and hopefully have the next one ready before Christmas.In September I also met with my cover designer––basically, when I’m about the get the feedback back from my team, I know the book is moving into its final stages. Knowing the cover design process could take a couple of months, I always like to start that process going as soon as is relevant.I’m a little behind schedule in relation to this upcoming edit. I’m way ahead in relation to writing first drafts. As I was about to throw myself into my writing life after a busy summer of travelling, my wife was diagnosed with second stage cancer. Needless to say, that has thrown a whole lot of extra stuff into this autumn. That’s the main reason for the delay, though I think amazingly I’ll still be able to get this next one out before Christmas.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?There is so much I could say. I do like encouraging others, and this is something I’ve keenly pursued over the years.It’s hard not to take it all so personally when you are just starting out. Don’t rush publication (I made that mistake first time around with my debut, which needed a bit more work before I should have initially released it) but also don’t wait for perfection. Certainly write the thing before you start marketing it, or looking for agents. Make it as good as it can be. Get expert help with this, don’t assume you can self edit––you’ll never spot all of your own mistakes, believe me.Putting your first work out there is hard––there’s no getting away from that. It’s exhilaratingin that you’ve done it, scary in that it’s now ‘out there’. Though that in itself, sadly, usually isn’t enough any more, but that’s a topic for another conversation. Just focus on writing your novel and marketing can be tackled at a later point.Watch Tim's second appearance (May 2017) on my podcast, The White Room!Like this content? Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up for more!If you could go back in time 12 months, what advice would you give yourself?These last 12 months have been my most productive yet as a writer, in the mist of huge personal and family challenges. So I’m not sure what more I’d add––plus, if I had the ability to go back one year, I’d be a time traveller! That’d be awesome in itself!Many thanks to Tim for this in depth interview. There's more to come from this author, answering questions about his reading habits. Stick around! Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Yes, I think that’s certainly true. I even wrote my first novel with that in mind––maybe a bit ambitious, I know––but Cherry Picking is meant to be totally different second time through. Is that really the case, I guess only readers can say?What do you look for when shopping for a Kindle Book? Your options are cover, title, author, price, description, publisher, sample chapter and reviews.I’ve usually landed there from something else––mainly a recommendation. Then, reviews help, and cover as well as the description. I’d say these three over even the price (within reason) because if all the first things have happened, I’m already interested enough to buy.Who is your favourite author and why?Growing up it was Jack Higgins––he wrote either WWII material, or now mainly British Security Service stuff, either facing local threats (the IRA as was) or more modern terrorist threats. I think the writing was suitable for my young mind. As an adult, I do enjoy John Grisham––you’ve got to recognise quality.Do you have a favourite genre? Thriller, mystery––surprisingly (not really, actually) it’s what I also write! I love things with depth. What I call 3D writing, in that you know there is something deeper going on, more than you are being shown so far.Do you shop for indie books online? If not, why?I shop for books––on the same lines as mentioned above. How they are published doesn’t really come into it. I wouldn’t not buy a book because it was indie.What would it take for you to leave a review or recommend a book to a friend?I always review––that’s because as an author, I know how hard it is to get reviews. Sadly, such a small percentage of people ever do review, even when they liked it. Nearly all people that don’t like something let the world know, which is why positive reviews are so important. I think it’s only my duty as a reader to leave a review––it’s kind of like a tip at a restaurant. I think in the same way tips are automatic, reviews should be for readers––and they don’t even cost you anything!After downloading book one of a series for free or cheap, do you ever return to paymore for the other book/s?Yes.Do you ever visit an author's website, Tim?If I have a link, I might well do so. I usually find a way to encourage or comment, be it their Goodreads or Facebook pages, or some other way.What would it take for you to sign up to a mailing list?Some form of connection. I’m on a few mailing lists, actually.Do you enter giveaways or order signed copies?I haven’t ever done so, yet.***Thank you so much to author Tim Heath for sharing his insights on writing and publishing books. If you would like to support Tim and his work, please consider purchasing a copy of the book, Cherry Picking, available on Amazon now. Check out the handy link below:

The Author Interviews: Brian McKinley

(Image courtesy of Brian McKinley)To give my readers and fellow writers an insight into the processes and successes of other like-minded creatives, I'll be featuring some hardworking authors in my journal each week.Today's author is Brian McKinley and he's independently published.***BIO (snippet from author website):'Brian McKinley doesn’t really exist. He’s a constructed mortal identity used by a relatively young Vampyr in order to publish the truth about The Order. Due to the world-wide influence of The Order and its minions, these accounts must all be published as fiction. Sometimes the names and sequence of events have been changed to protect the innocent, the guilty, and to keep from getting sued.'Website: http://www.brianmckinleyauthor.com/You are living in the world from your latest novel. Where are you? What is it like?It’s our world, but vampyrs are everywhere! I try to become a vampire!You are your most recent protagonist. Who are you? What is the first thing you do?I am Faolan O’Connor, vampyr gangster. First thing I do is start enjoying my sweet residence and money in Manhattan!Who is your favourite author, Brian? I have a lot of authors that I like, but my favorite is probably Stephen King right now. His books are always entertaining, his style is engaging, and his characters all have the lived-in feel of real people that you recognize.Why do you write?I write because there’s really nothing else that I do very well. I have characters and stories inside me that are pressing to get out.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?I try to learn from bad reviews and criticism. If I think they make a good point, then I keep it in mind in my future writing. Rejection is just something you have to tolerate and move on from. It’s guaranteed to happen, so I try not to let it bother me for too long.What do you find difficult about writing?Putting the words on paper. It all seems so clear in my mind until I sit down to put it on the page, then I realize how much I haven’t thought of yet and start getting nervous.What do you love the most about writing, Brian?Finishing! I love the satisfied feeling of knowing I got something done today.Do you ever outsource your work?Absolutely. It’s difficult and near-impossible to be objective about your own work, so I think you have to get another set of eyes who know what they’re doing. Since I have no artistic ability, I always employ a cover artist to work with me.What is your opinion on the indie vs traditional publishing argument?I think that traditional publishing is going to start drawing more and more from the indie pool. They aren’t good at taking chances, so I think most new authors should go independent and learn as much as they can on their own.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Get out while you can!! Seriously, though, I always tell people not to expect success. There are so many people who think that writing a book is a gateway to money and fame. If you don’t have an urgent need to write a book, and lots of free time, you might want to consider doing something else. Writing for years and getting little to no return for it is very common.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?That’s interesting, but I’m not sure I agree. I almost never read a book more than once, but if I enjoyed it then it was good. I think there are three novels that I’ve ever read more than once, so I consider that the mark of an amazing book.What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book? Are any of them more important to you than others?Well, it’s hard nowadays because of the enormous competition. The cover is important, despite the popular saying about covers. If it looks like amateur crap, then I’m probably not going to look further. Next is the description. Does it sound interesting? Is the description well-written? If not, I move on. Having sample chapters is great, because I will often look there next, just to confirm that the writing style looks promising.Do you have a favourite genre, Brian?These days, urban fantasy and thriller are what I tend to read most.Watch Brian's appearance (Jan 2017) on my podcast, The White Room! Like this content? Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up for more!What would it take for you to leave a book review?I try to leave reviews when I can, but especially for new or less-known authors whose books don’t already have 200 reviews. I know how much it means for me to get a review, so I always try to pay it forward.After downloading book one of a series for free or discounted on Amazon, do you ever go back and pay more for book two? If not, why?If I liked it, sure. Ironically, there are so many authors out there giving away their books in return for reviews that I haven’t had to actually buy a book in a while.Do you ever visit an author's website? If so, what do you look at?It sounds terrible, but I rarely go to author websites unless I’m supporting a friend. I’m interested in the story, not really the person behind the story. That probably sounds terrible, but I don’t even visit Stephen King’s website or Jim Butcher’s (who I really like).If an author offered you a free book, would you sign up to their mailing list?Sure, that’s a good way to build a mailing list.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?Not really, but I never have money for that.Are you more likely to buy a book if there are various formats available?Not really.What are the biggest giveaways that a book is self-published?A home-made photoshop cover is the biggest. If a self-published author is going to spend their money anywhere, I suggest spending it on a good cover. Other than that, poor formatting and editing.***Thank you so much to author Brian McKinley for sharing his insights on writing and publishing books. If you would like to support Brian and his work, please consider purchasing a copy of the book, Drawing Dead, available on Amazon now. Check out the handy link below:

The Author Interviews: Katie Masters

(Image from Amazon.co.uk)To give my readers and fellow writers an insight into the processes and successes of other like-minded creatives, I'll be featuring some hardworking authors in my journal each week.Today's author is Katie Masters and she's with Fire and Ice, an imprint of Melange Books.***BIO (from Facebook profile):'Katie Masters is an author of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, YA, and children's books. She travels the world looking for inspiration and making the perfect cup of tea.'Website: https://writingonthedge.blogspot.co.uk/Where do you get your ideas from?An excellent question that has way too many answers! At least 30% of my book ideas come from my dreams. The other 80% percent happens when I'm doing or watching random things and then my little Writing Muse appears and says “here you go!” and throws an entire novel into my head. The other 10% is the few times I actually have to THINK and come up with an original idea on my own. I don't like that 10%.Why do you write?I write because I've never not written. Besides the fact that I've written since I knew the alphabet made words, I love writing because I love reading so much. But what made me want to become a writer was Tamora Pierce's Alanna Series. When I finished the last book I shut it, looked up at the ceiling full of emotions and said out loud, 'I want to make someone feel like this too.” Since that day I started writing story after story (when I wasn't reading) and never looked back!What do you find most appealing about your chosen genre?Ah, genres. Genres are a wonderful thing, and because I love reading pretty much every genre, I also write in a lot of genres, such as YA, sci-fi, fantasy, and yes, even romance! But the thing that I think binds them all together, the thing I find equally appealing for each one, is that I get to live in a different world and be a different person for a time. And I love that about ALL genres!How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?I'll say this about bad reviews and criticism right here: I grew up on the mean streets of FanFic alley where bad reviews and trolling is pretty much it's life's blood. From the ages of 12 to 16 I got ripped apart, chewed, and spat out. But I also received a lot of help and advice. I learned from them. I came to understand that you had to look for consistency. If I got 'bad reviews' that all pointed out the same mistake—I LEARNED FROM IT. If it was someone shouting “yer stori is crap!” I ignored it because it wasn't helpful. I spent those gruelling tear filled teenage years getting toughened up for rejection, which is literally half of writing.Rejection. Even the WORD kinda hurts, right? It practically tosses you aside with its tone! But if I gave up because of the number of rejection letters I've gotten, I never would have seen my book picked up and published! Rejection sucks. Always. But thanks to the beat downs I got as a teen, I learned to get back up and try again. I don't take rejection from publishers personally, because they're not rejecting you. Their assistant is. Their quota for the month is. And SOMETIMES if it's a small press, the agent does. And because of that I rarely let it get me down. Knowing SOME ONE will give me a chance keeps me going.Watch Katie's appearance (2016 - the very first episode!) on my podcast, The White Room!Like this content? Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up for more!What do you find difficult about writing, Katie?The most difficult thing about writing for me is learning to not use 30 words when 10 will do. It's a real problem if you haven't noticed by now! The writing proccess for me usually isn't too difficult. When I do have difficulties, its because the awesome writers on Twitter have distracted me. And I'm easily distracted! Oops!Do you ever outsource your work?I don't! I mean, unless you mean if I hire ad agents and publishing houses. Then yes, yes I do. But my actual writing? Yeah no. I'm too Virgo to let someone else try and write my ideas. My caveat to that (oh look, there's the too many words problem already!) is that I love writing comics but can't draw—so then I'd say I 'outsource' my work. But is a collab considered out sourcing? Let me know!What is your opinion on indie vs traditional publishing?Ah yes, the age old battle of old gods and new! Here's the thing (and if any one tells you different they're lying): Deep down every writer wants to be taken in by Trad Publishing. We want that recognition from our lofty peers and sharp-eyed agents that our book is BETTER. I thought that for a long time.....and I still do, I won't lie. But times they're a changing, and indie publishing (either with a small press, a digital press, or self publishing) is giving traditional a run for their money. Personally I think indie has A LONG WAY TO GO before it can be taken seriously—and that means that writers have to take themselves seriously (and the editors and book cover designers do too!). And I don't think a ton of them do. But the ability to have the freedom to make more money from your books as an indie author is really nice. (honestly, I wrote a huge post on this on my blog.)Can you talk us through your creative process from start to finish?Um. This is going to very quick. Probably. You know problem with word count now! Basically I have a dream or idea fully dropped into my brain. I then go and begin writing it. I get distracted by Twitter. I write some more. I complain to my friends that my short story is becoming much more than it was supposed to be. I keep writing. Twitter distracts me, then I have tea. More tea. MORE TEA. Finish a novel instead of a sort story and cry. Drink more tea and then wine. Then MORE wine. You know, to celebrate. …...This wasn't quick. I'm sorry.What advice would you give to aspiring writers, Katie?Write because you love it. Write because you love reading. Write because you've realized you've ALWAYS written or made up stories. Write because you love making worlds and living through your characters. Never, EVER give up. It's cliché, I know, but it's true. You don't want to be 80 rocking a Hawaiian shirt wondering what life would have been like if you'd just kept pushing. KEEP PUSHING and learn from those who are offering you SOLID ADVICE (aka, they're not telling you that everything you write is wrong or horrible. People ask you the hard questions? THOSE are keepers!). And just know that you get what you put in. Seriously. You want a good book? Get a good editor. Don't cut corners, your characters and world deserve better than that.If you could go back in time 12 months, what would you advise yourself?Oh god. Um. Firstly, 1 year ago me, YOU DID IT. You're getting published because you didn't listen to the 4th glass of wine and give up! So here's my advice to my 1 year ago self: Just when you think you've hit rock bottom—some one will throw you a rope. You're feeling hopeless and worthless right now because your book isn't getting noticed by agents. It's gonna be okay. It will. Make friends with not just writers (every one always says make friends with other writers!), but with other artists in different fields. They're going to teach you a LOT. A LOT that will relate to the writing world in ways that you didn't even KNOW. So go learn. And don't give up.….Also maybe don't drink 4 glasses of wine in 1 hour again. Okay?Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?YES. All of the books on my shelves have been read at LEAST 5 times and I keep going back to them because I want to relive them over and over! A good book is one you want to read and not give to your friends (you tell them to get their own!)Who is your favourite author?You know what, I'm gonna do you a favor! I'm splitting this into genres! YA: Tamora Pierce because she's a master story teller Literature: Jane Austen because she wrote Northanger Abby, which was a spoof book on all the gothic novels becoming popular and it's BRILLIANT. Fantasy: Terry Pratchett because he created Discworld. Romance: Julia Quinn (for historical) and Katie McAllister (for modern day paranormal). Both women are HILARIOUS and witty and excellent at ther fields! History: Lady Augusta Gregory (for her work on collecting and translating Gaelic to make sure the mythology and folklore of Ireland was preserved)Do you shop for indie books online? If not, why?I do! Well, I'll look up a genre and if a book cover/ title grabs my attention and the writing is good, I'll buy it! I don't care if you're from a publishing house—I care if you did a good job with all aspects of your book!What would it take for you to leave a review on Amazon/ Goodreads?Just be a good book. Which is subjective, I know. But if I enjoyed the book, I'll leave a review. Simple as that! (of note: I tend not to leave them on ones that already have like...60 reviews!)After downloading book one for free/ 99p or 99c on Amazon, do you ever return and pay more for book two? If not, why?Sure, if it's good!Do you ever visit an author's website and if so, why?I do! To see if they talk about their life, or write short stories I can view for free, or have fun spoilers for their book!What would it take for you to sign up to a mailing list?Really good writing content or useful info.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?I do! I would LOVE to own a signed copy of SO MANY writers...and don't have them! Boo! I entered to win a signed copy of Rebels of the Sands, but didn't win. It was a day that will be remembered as the day I shouldn't have had tequila to drown sadness....What would it take for you to recommend a book to a friend?For it to be good! If I close a book and go “OMG I NEED SOMEONE TO BE GEEKED OUT OVER THIS WITH ME!”, then I will scream it to all my reader friends so we can geek out together. I'm a bit picky, and so my friends trust my picks. Wow. That sounded suuuuper condescending. But I can't take back the truth! …...drink anyone?***Thank you so much to author Katie Masters for sharing her insights on writing and publishing books. If you would like to support Katie and her work, please consider purchasing a copy of the book, Brenna Morgan & the Iron Key, available on Amazon now. Check out the handy link below:

The Author Interviews: George Weinstein

(Image courtest of George Weinstein)To give my readers and fellow writers an insight into the processes and successes of other like-minded creatives, I'll be featuring some hardworking authors in my journal each week.Today's author is George Weinstein, and he's with Deeds Publishing.***BIO (snippet from author website):'George Weinstein is the author of the mystery Aftermath, the modern romance novel The Caretaker, the Southern historical novel Hardscrabble Road, and the multi-cultural historical novel The Five Destinies of Carlos Moreno.'Website: http://www.georgeweinstein.com/You can take only three items to your secret island. What would you take? Why?A notebook and pen for writing and a knife to whittle new writing instruments and scrape on cave walls when the paper runs out.You are living in the world from your latest novel. Where are you? What is it like?Graylee, Georgia is a company town of 3,000 that is located in Southwest Georgia (below the Gnat Line) and is surprisingly upscale due to the success of said company.You are your most recent protagonist. Who are you? What is the first thing you do?I’m Janet Wright, age 40, born in Graylee but taken north at age 5 by her mother, who was fleeing a destructive marriage. I’ve just inherited my estranged father’s entire estate, including ownership of the successful company, and decided to return to Graylee to reinvent myself after my fiancé jilted me. The first thing I do is check out the Main Street of the town I pretty much own; I’m procrastinating, because what I’m supposed to do is meet the estate executor (my father’s lawyer) at the house where my dad was murdered.Who is your favourite author, George? Craig Johnson, author of modern mysteries set in Wyoming, because his characters (even the minor ones) are memorable and compelling and his plots and subplots are well-crafted. Also, I’ve met him and he’s one of the good guys, an author you root for to succeed at the highest level.Watch George's appearance (Feb 2017) on my podcast, The White Room!Like this content? Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up for more!Where do you get your ideas?Sometimes inspired by real-life events, sometimes from “what if” exercises, sometimes from dreams.Why do you write, George?I have to—it’s how I’m wired. I’ve written since I was six years old, when I wrote plays for my stuffed animals to act out, to entertain my brother and sister. I wrote love letters to woo my wife-to-be (now my wife of 25 years). It’s my calling, along with helping other writers through the Atlanta Writers Conference that I direct twice yearly for the Atlanta Writers Club.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?I get angry and then I get over it. Sometimes I even see the wisdom in a harsh critique.What do you find difficult about writing?Not editing while I’m in my first draft.Do you ever outsource your work?My publisher handles cover design (though with my input and approval, thank goodness). I belong to a critique group that offers me helpful editing advice.What is your opinion on the indie vs traditional publishing argument?If you have a platform that enables you to make more money than you spend as an indie author—and you can turn out well-written, attractive books without the input of an agent and/or publisher—then go for it.Can you talk us through your creative process from start to finish?I start with a loose outline—just enough detail to allow me to keep my eye on the prize while creating characters and drafting scenes—and a summary of my protagonist and primary antagonist. Then I draft and edit chapters and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and edit until I can’t stand to go through the manuscript one more time. Then I share it with trusted readers and rewrite and edit all over again. At the end of that process, I give it to my publisher and plug in any input they have.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Decide what your goals are: if you’re writing for yourself and/ or family and friends, then you’re in safe territory. If you want to make a ton of money, stop and do some research about exactly how many writers are even making a passable living, let alone a fortune, on their writing alone (vs. how many teach, ghost write, edit, etc.)—and then decide if you’re ready for the long (and, for many, futile) slog and if you’ll be content with limited successes along the way.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Yes, much like a movie—where the nuances are noticed during a second reading/ viewing.What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book? Are any of them more important to you than others?In this order: Description / Reviews / PriceDo you have a favourite genre, George?Mysteries and thrillers followed by science fiction and fantasy.Do you shop for indie books online? If not, why?Yes, often when friends who are indie authors list their books for sale.What would it take for you to leave a review on Amazon/ Goodreads?I do this for author friends and always post a review on Audible after listening to a book (their app makes this easy).After downloading book one of a series for free or discounted on Amazon, do you ever go back and pay more for book two? If not, why?Yes, if I enjoyed book one, I’m quite willing to pay for sequels and recommend the series to friends to further support that author.Do you ever visit an author's website? If so, what do you look at?Yes, to read about a new release and any recent blog posts.If an author offered you a free book, would you sign up to their mailing list?Yes, I would.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?Yes, I do.***Thank you so much to author George Weinstein for sharing his insights on writing and publishing books. If you would like to support George and his work, please consider purchasing a copy of the book, Aftermath, available on Amazon now. Check out the handy link below:

Personal Journal: January Updates

Dear readers,Thank you so much for visiting my journal today. I have lots of exciting news and updates to share with you. Author InterviewsI'd like to thank you all for your patience over the past few weeks. As I'm sure you'll have noticed, I've made some significant updates to this blog to ensure every author interview and blog post published is packed with interesting, helpful content for aspiring writers and independent authors. I'm still sorting through 2016-2017's data, so if you were interviewed here during the last 18 months and would like access to the content, please feel welcome to get in touch. Unfortunately, I just can't re-publish everything (there were over 100 author interviews and guest blogs alone!), but I'm more than happy for you to make good use of it over on your own platform. January will hopefully see an insightful written interview each working day, and those in the spotlight will also be previous (and/or upcoming) guests on my Youtube podcast, The White Room. To provide you with as much information as possible, each written segment will then link to an episode/s, with the recording date and a link to that person's website and/or social media clearly visible. For reader convenience, I'm also hoping to update each one if an author returns to the show at a later date. That means if you'd like to be interviewed here, you'll need to book a corresponding podcast slot too.The White RoomSeason two of The White Room is already fully booked between January - March 2018, and this season's topic is 'What does success mean to you?'. Bookings are now closed (invite only), but they'll re-open again at the beginning of March. I'll be accepting all genres (except erotica); you don't have to be published to be considered. Interviews are live for 30 minutes, Thursdays at 6pm GMT. There are only two rules: no swearing and no slander of people or companies. You will also need a headset and webcam to participate. I'm excited to be welcoming (as seen on YouTube) the wonderful Kim Chance, Julie Broad, Kristen Martin and the very talented Garrett Robinson to the show, alongside tons of other hard-working independent authors and publishers with writing, marketing and productivity tips to share. If you'd like to keep track of these interviews, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up to support my guests. I try to respond to all comments within 48 hours. To fully benefit from their advice, I'm also encouraging my viewers to subscribe to my guests' channels and subscription lists.PO BoxYou may also have noticed that I'm now accepting snail mail via my brand new PO Box address! I love interacting with my readers, followers and other writers all over the world, so if you'd like to write to me, please feel welcome to do so using the contact below. Depending on the volume of mail I receive, I'm considering opening and/ or reading some of it live via either Facebook or YouTube, which is really exciting, and I'll write back to as many of you as time will allow. Please feel welcome to request a public opening/ reading when you get in touch - I'll do my very best!E. Rachael HardcastleCurious Cat BooksPO Box 348Shipley, UKBD18 9ERCurious Cat BooksThe introduction of my PO box, although exciting and seemingly sudden, is actually part of my brand new publishing imprint, Curious Cat Books! At the end of 2017, I decided that not only will I read one book per month (which is harder than it sounds when you're a busy bee!), but I'd really love to see my books on more physical shelves. 2017 saw my books in several UK independent bookstores, but as always I'm looking to grow and expand over the next 12 months. This being the case, I'll hopefully be building some new relationships with both independent and chain stores across the UK. Note that Curious Cat Books is accepting submissions via invite only, which means that for now the imprint can't accept any unsolicited manuscripts. Through this imprint, I've decided to re-publish my works using a different company. If you've followed me since 2010, you'll know I now have experience with both Createspace and Lulu (both of which are flexible, affordable and print top quality books). However, I'll now be using IngramSpark, exploring their platform and the opportunities they offer because I've heard tons of positive and super exciting things about their processes. I'm really looking forward to transferring Finding Pandora: The Complete Collection, Aeon Infinitum: Run For Your Life and, of course, Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide, to their platform in the coming weeks. This being the case, you may notice that ordering a paperback book will be difficult via the expected online retailers for a short while. To avoid disappointment, I'll still be supplying signed paperbacks (Finding Pandora and Noah Finn only at this time) through my website. Fingers crossed I can have everything up and running again in no time! Note that you will still be able to download the e-book versions of my books as normal.Each of my paperbacks will be assigned a new ISBN number (and perhaps a lovely new cover - watch this space) before being made available to the public again. I'm considering supplying hardbacks also, but will focus on the most popular formats first. If you're an independent store and have any questions about the stock you currently hold and/ or about the new editions, please do get in touch.Events & FAQI'm now booking my 2018 events (including school visits, book signings, appearances, readings, meet & greet days and more...) so if you're interested at all, please get in touch. I'm already discussing repeating some of last year's events too perhaps, so watch this space.There are lots of changes in the works, so I've added an FAQ page to the website which I'll update as and when new queries come in. Please check there before submitting a question via email to avoid having to wait for a reply (I aim to respond within 24 hours).Author ServicesI was excited to receive my certificate of completion at the start of January 2018 for the editing course I completed last year. The course covered copy-editing and proofreading when working with publishers, but I'll still be offering these services to authors. If you're looking for professional copy-editing, cover design or formatting services, please check out the Services page of my website for more information. I'd love to work with you this year!Fan Club MembersFinally, I'm pleased to be emailing free Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide quote desktop backgrounds (as above) to my new fan club/ email subscription members. In addition to the auto-email you'll receive containing a copy of my short story, Forgotten Faith, I'll personally email you the extra gift within a few days as a thank you for your support. You can find more information on the home page.That's all for today. I'd like to thank you for your time this evening; I appreciate all the support I've received from my friends, family, readers, businesses, bookstores and followers worldwide. Today's update was a long one, so as always, if you need help with or clarification on the content of this post, please feel welcome to contact me.Wishing you all a happy, productive week!Kind Regards,E. Rachael Hardcastle

The Author Interviews: R. A. Whitworth

(Image from Goodreads profile)To give my readers and fellow writers an insight into the processes and successes of other like-minded creatives, I'll be featuring some hardworking authors in my journal each week.Today's author is R. A. Whitworth and she's independently published.***BIO (from Goodreads):'R. A. Whitworth is an artist and writer from South West England. As an artist she paints coastal scenes and animal portraits, as a writer she lives within worlds like the Eárie, full of mystery and beauty devoting herself to explore its many secrets as well as the people who live there. Before becoming a writer she studied Animal Management at college with goals of going to university to study marine biology, wanting to make a difference in the world and help to protect wildlife.'Website: https://rawhitworth.wixsite.com/rawhitworthWhere do your ideas come from?From personal experience and how I feel about a place or subject. Sometimes going to a place and feeling its energy can be so inspirational. I love the arts, nature and history, it seeps into every crevice of my work, people living on the land, working together as a tribe, the colour and feel of fabric, the first brush of spring… (Here I go again!)Why do you write?To venture to places that can only be explored on the page. I’ve fallen in love with the Eárie and its characters, I feel the need to tell their story and to let my characters come to life and give them justice in telling the story of their journey. Writing to me is also an extension to my art and mostly they support each other. I can paint scenes which could later become the Eárie and write with a visual que and mostly the reverse.What do you find most appealing about your chosen genre, RA?The adventure and possibilities that fantasy offers! I can explore culture and creatures that other genres don’t generally allow, and integrate them into the world. It also presents different challenges, such as world building and the need to understand the character’s environment in more depth. It really is a more immersive genre.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?It’s hard, especially when you put your heart and soul into something you believe in to receive criticism and rejection. Criticism doesn’t always mean that what you’ve created is wrong or bad. I’ve found that it can mean you’ve created something great and getting criticism anyway puts you up there with other authors, everyone gets it! You write for yourself, if others love it as much as you do, that’s a bonus! I keep in mind that as long as you enjoy what you’re writing and believe in it enough then you’re already winning.What do you find difficult about writing?Day to day life! Fitting in the hours writing and carrying on with the everyday responsibilities of life whilst your characters still talk amongst themselves inside is difficult. I’ve had big book ideas whilst cleaning out a hippo pool (seriously!) Then there are times when they refuse to talk to you at all!Watch RA's appearance (Nov 2016) on my podcast, The White Room!Like this content? Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up for more!What is your opinion on indie vs traditional publishing?It’s a competitive industry either way! Indie publishing gives you more freedom with your work, you can truly write from the heart without pressure from an agent/publisher about what you should and shouldn’t write, but it can also be a costly business. Promotion is completely up to you and you have to organise it yourself, getting the book out there for readers to see is tough, especially as a debut author. But it is tough through traditional publishing as well; even though you have some support from those in the business but pressure as well it is also just as unpredictable.Talk us through the creative process from start to finish.It doesn’t always start with the idea, sometimes it can even start with an expression or feeling on something which matures when you bleed onto the page. After this, the idea starts to take form and you begin to discover more about what you’re writing about, either through your own research (which must be done thoroughly!) or through the depth in which you delve into the subject through your own philosophy. As you develop your ideas and sense of the writing topic drawings, notes and sometimes, (I’m guilty of this!) bits of twig, stone or shell which remind you of or hark back to the idea. You’ll become a hoarder of all things to do with your writing; it will spill out from your writing space and leak out onto the floor like water from the sink. It is then you truly begin to write.If you’re writing fiction, by the time you begin to write your novel, you will already feel immersed into its world and characters, and it/they should guide you as you are writing. Your notes will swell, old discarded drafts, throwaway doodles forgotten and seemingly meaningless stray jottings will appear. You may even find yourself beginning to live the story away from your writing. Then you begin to doubt, as it grows and develops you’ll read other’s work (which you should do anyway) and become critical of yourself. The trick here is not to learn to hate your work, you spend weeks, months, even years working on it, so it will, to you at least seem predictable, but you must remind yourself at this stage, that the reader will not see the book the same way, to them it will be fresh.After this stage, you will drive yourself to keep writing, and with the right belief in yourself and your work. You will enter the final stages and head to finish the writing. This can be the most eventful time of your writing, the pace speeds up as the novel heads towards its climax and close, and you yourself may develop the turmoil. You might want it to end, but yet fear it coming, but the need to keep writing, as strong as the need to breathe will drive you onwards. Then the homestretch comes, the climax is over and the end is nigh. As you write those final words the next stage looms. It is a happy time, and maybe the mood at the end will affect how you feel. But the satisfaction at completing it will be strong, then the hard part comes and you must then return to the beginning and read it as though with fresh eyes, pulling out mistakes and marking out plot holes, but it’ll be worth it as you see the novel together as one piece for the first time.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Read, live, write, learn and repeat. Before you sit to write, go for a walk, do something to get the blood pumping that’s always a great cure for writer’s block.Also never give up! Even in those darkest of times when all seems fruitless, keep going. You have the duty to yourself to finish what you’ve started. It’s all part of the adventure, your characters go through it hard in what you’ve written, that’s what makes it interesting and whatever you go through whilst writing and whilst getting it out there is all part of the big game of life. It’s all experience, and material for future writing. You have the story you want to tell and it’s up to you to make time to write it. Turn off the phone, lock yourself away if it helps or even go out and get into the environment of your writing and bleed away.If you could go back 12 months what advice would you give yourself?Don’t take negative feedback to heart. Use it as a positive and keep going. Keep believing in yourself, you never know what’s around the corner.***Thank you so much to author R. A. Whitworth for sharing her insights on writing and publishing books. If you would like to support RA and her work, please consider purchasing a copy of the book, A Retreating Tide, available on Amazon now. Check out the handy link below:

The Author Interviews: Joshua Harding

(Photo courtesy of Joshua Harding)To give my readers and fellow writers an insight into the processes and successes of other like-minded creatives, I'll be featuring some hardworking authors in my journal each week.Today's author is Joshua Harding, and he's independently published.***Where do you get your ideas from, Joshua?Usually while I'm on the toilet. No, seriously, I always get ideas in the most inconvenient places--and always when I don't have a pen. In the shower, after I've turned out the light and I'm trying to sleep, while I'm driving. My wife and I were moving our family from New Mexico to Texas and we'd stopped for the night at a hotel. At about 2:00 am I had to get up and sequester myself in the bathroom so I could write without waking my wife and kids. The muse just wouldn't be silent.Why do you write?Because if I didn't the voices in my head would never shut up - see above.What do you find most appealing about your chosen genre?Stories or films dealing with the interpersonal have never held my interest. I’ve got enough drama in my real life; I don’t need to get more of it in my art. I’d rather read or write a piece that makes me think and wonder and say, "I’ve never read anything like that before!” Throw some robots or zombies in there!How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?I relish it! No, really, used to keep all of my rejection letters from publishers (back when they still sent hardcopy letters) tacked to the wall above my desk as a sort of morbid inspiration--a challenge for myself. Recently, there was a person who commented online that an award-winning story of mine sucked. I went on Facebook and celebrated my first troll. It was like I was finally official. I also attend writers' workshops regularly. Criticism (when it's honest) is the best tool to becoming the best writer you can be.What do you find difficult about writing?Carving out a solid hour every day to get it done. I get the most done when I'm doing it every single day. If I get off schedule, I lose practice and the content starts to suffer.Do you ever outsource your work?I don't edit my own work. Investing in an editor is money well spent. And, as an indie author, you can shop around and build a great relationship with the person who will work with you to bring your 'babies' to life.What is your opinion on indie vs traditional publishing?I think signing the rights to your hard work over to someone else versus the freedom to take your vision in the direction you want it to go just don't compare. It's a fascinating time to be an author. I'll admit, I used to dream that I'd sign on with one of the big publishing houses and then roll naked in my money while I worked on my next book. But, that's not the case whether you're traditionally published or self-published. You've got to help market your book no matter what. Embrace the hustle as an indie author. When all is said and done, it's my novel and my marketing plan. If it works, I can pat myself on the back; If it doesn't, I have no one else to blame.Watch Joshua's appearance (Dec 2016) on my podcast, The White Room! Like this content? Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up for more!Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.(Inspiration. Elation. Frustration. Resignation.) *Kidding* I usually take my germinal idea (like an old folks' home for androids, or a guy who dated Mother Nature, or God's ex-wife) then start to populate that setting or premise with characters--often people I've met in real life (with different names). Then I try to apply a standard story arc structure to it to give it a viable plot, which also helps solidify my ending. When I'm done with the first draft, I revise and edit heavily before I take it to a writers' workshop to get feedback on it.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?I could be cliché and say that you should write every day (which you should). But I think what I've learned in recent years, especially in the social media environment is to seek out your fellow writers. We're in this together, not as competitors. Knowledge, inspiration, and exchange of ideas are why we do this. A victory for one author (indie, traditional, newbie, or established) is a victory for all of us. Connect and network with your peers. Fanboy (or girl) about the authors who influence you. Networking with other authors has introduced me to new books, built friendships, gotten exposure for my work, and helped me improve my craft.If you could go back in time 12 months, what advice would you give yourself?Ugh. I had a horror piece that had won an award and was featured on MrCreepyPasta's YouTube channel. It got thousands of views during the first week it was posted. At the same time, my novel wasn't finished yet and my author website was brand new. My site got tons of hits, but since there was no novel on there to sell, I missed a huge opportunity. I would advise myself to carefully time my releases so they have the greatest impact.***Thank you so much to author Joshua Harding for sharing his insights on writing and publishing books. If you would like to support Joshua and his work, please consider purchasing a copy of the book, Red Lakes, available on Amazon now. Check out the handy link below:

The Author Interviews: M. K. Williams

(Photo courtesy of M. K. Williams)To give my readers and fellow writers an insight into the processes and successes of other like-minded creatives, I'll be featuring some hardworking authors in my journal each week.Today's author is M. K. Williams, and she's independently published.***Why do you write, MK?I genuinely enjoy writing and creating scenarios and characters. I think that stems from growing up as an only child and having an overactive imagination. Even if I stop publishing novels and collections of short stories, I think I’ll always write because I enjoy the process.You are living in the world from your latest novel. Where are you? What is it like?You're living in one of your worlds. Where are you and what's it like there?I’ll answer based on my latest novel, not my latest release which was a collection of short stories. My latest novel, Nailbiters, is an apocalyptic thriller. If I were living in that world I would be in hiding and unwilling to disclose my location for fear of capture. It would be terribly lonely to be living on the run and unable to trust those around me for even the most basic interactions. You are your most recent protagonist. Who are you? What is the first thing you do?If I were Dora, the protagonist from Nailbiters, I would be living in seclusion and would spend my days checking the security measures in and around the shelter that I have found as well as doing daily calisthenics and training. (Note: for fans of Nailbiters who are eager to know more about what happens to Dora next, I am working on a sequel).Who is your favourite author? Why?At present my favorite author is Margaret Atwood. I really enjoy her dystopian literature and how she builds each story very carefully. I’ve been trying to work through her collection of novels and short stories of the past few years. Her writing is excellent and each story has a distinct message about our society, I find her ability to provide that nuanced social commentary very impressive.Where do you get your ideas?From some expected and unexpected places. The idea for Nailbiters came from two very different and very odd dreams.The idea for Escaping Avila Chase, a thriller short story at the end of The Games You Cannot Win, came from a thought experiment I did after Nailbiters was released. I started to think that people who read Nailbiters must think that my husband was married to a crazy women based on the content of the novel. I thought that dynamic would make for an interesting story. Then I thought: wait, what if a man had an ex-girlfriend who wrote thrillers and he was afraid that he would be killed off in her series of books? That spawned what later became the finished story: Escaping Avila Chase.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?I think I handle them as well as can be expected. At first I always feel a slight let down, “oh no, why didn’t they like that story?” But after a few moments my wounded ego heals and I realize that criticism helps me to grow and helps me to be a better writer.When I went the route of trying to have my original novels traditionally published I welcomed each rejection letter knowing that many great authors received dozens if not hundreds before their big break. Now that I am an indie author I find that the feedback that I do get is very genuine and it comes from a place of wanting to help. The worst reaction I could get to my work is silence; that means that person saw no value in trying to help me along. If someone has taken the time to read something I’ve written and has feedback, positive or negative, I think I owe it to them to listen to what they have to say.What do you find difficult about writing?Not having enough time to write everything down when I think of it. I go through periods where very little inspiration comes to me and then I’ll have periods where every few moments I want to jot an idea down or write out an entire chapter before I forget the details that are in my mind. I’m very fortunate to have a husband who supports my passion for writing, but I still have a day-job so my writing time will always have constraints.What do you love the most about writing?I love that I can create something that no one else has the power to manipulate. When I first write a story I can make it as far-fetched as I would like and because I write for my own enjoyment I can run with that idea until it is exhausted. I may decide it isn’t worthy of publishing so it can just sit in my cave of old stories for me to enjoy. I like having this world of characters that I have been able to meet and get to know over the years.Watch MK's first appearance (Mar 2017) on my podcast, The White Room!Like this content? Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up for more!Do you ever outsource (editing and cover design) your work?Yes and yes. I am fortunate enough to know multiple graphic designers in my personal life. The cover art for Nailbiters was done by my one of my friends from high school who is a very accomplished graphic designer and is also a big fan of books. It just felt right to have her work on the cover for my first published work.For editing I ask for the people closest to me and to the project to assist with the first revisions. I am very fortunate to have a mother-in-law who taught 2nd grade for 40 years. She has been able to help me identify grammatical errors with great precision because she used to spend most of her day teaching these rules to youngsters. It also helps that she loves to read so she can give me feedback on the plot as well as the structure of the work.What is your opinion on the indie vs traditional publishing argument?I don’t really take a hard line on the argument except with it comes to those who reflexively turn up their nose at indie books. I’ve read traditionally published books with weak plot lines and grammatical errors, just as I’ve read independent books that I simply couldn’t put down because I had to find out what happened next. I read a book if it catches my attention in the description. If someone really enjoys reading it shouldn’t matter what process the manuscript had to go through in order to get to the reader, it should just matter if it entertains them or makes them think. Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.I carry a notebook with me all the time to write down ideas. If an idea really catches and I can think of some characters and scenarios right away I’ll start a word document for it where I can keep all of the notes for that story. Once I have enough to determine what the plot would be or where the characters would end up I create a bulleted list of plot points. This helps me determine what needs to happen and the order in which those plot points will be revealed. From there I can build out the story and expand on each point as needed. I don’t always know if something will be a novel or a longer short story until I write out those plot points. At that point I can gauge the relative final length. After that it is a matter of time sitting in front of the computer and just writing it all down.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Keep trying and don’t give up. It sounds basic and cliche, but it is true and the more you hear it the better off you will be. Keep writing, don’t let others discourage you, and have fun with it!Give us your top three book marketing/ promotion tips.Be genuine - think about the voice you are using when you are writing your promos, does it sound like you? Does it sound like someone trying to be a big-time author? I think audiences can see through someone who is trying to sound like someone they aren’t, be genuine because it will come across that way and will resonate better with people.Be grateful - I often take the time to thank readers who have left comments and reviews for my work. Gratitude is something that everyone can appreciate, especially when it is genuine (see point 1). Even if only one person has taken the time to read your book, be grateful and say thank you.Think outside the box - I have been lucky enough to know a lot of enterprising people. I was able to connect with a college classmate who now does NailArt on Instagram. She has thousands of followers and her designs are amazing. I reached out to see if she would want to do a design based on Nailbiters. It turned out that she loved the book so much she did a whole series of designs on it that she posted on her account. This exposed my book to a whole new audience of people that I might not have reach through traditional methods.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Yes, I don’t tend to re-read books often if I just like them. But the books that I really enjoy I would be willing to read multiple times over.Watch MK's latest appearance (Jan 2018) on my podcast, The White Room!Like this content? Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and hitting that thumbs up for more!What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book? Are any of them more important to you than others? For example, Cover / Title / Author / Price / Description / Publisher / Sample Chapter / ReviewsI’m a little different than the average reader. I make a point to get all of my books from our local library. We’re lucky enough to have a large public library that has most any book in print and access to a large network of eBooks as well.For me, I select books based on the description, if someone has recommended it, and if it is available to check out of the library. If the cover art grabs my eye I will read the description, from there I decide if I want to read it. My decision isn’t based on the cover alone.Do you have a favourite genre?Hands down thrillers and mysteries are my favorite. I do enjoy books outside that genre from time to time, but I really like a book that will capture my attention away from the day-to-day stresses of my life, will make me think, and will actually surprise me.What would it take for you to leave a book review?If I know the person or if they have asked me to leave a review I will. I try to be supportive of other indie authors, just as I would hope that they would be supportive of me. My reviews are always honest and I try to give feedback that can help them grow as an author.Other than that I do a lot of my review as word-of-mouth recommendations. I can’t go an entire day without recommending a book to someone based on a conversation I am having with them about politics or nutrition or any other topic of the day.After downloading book one of a series for free or discounted on Amazon, do you ever go back and pay more for book two? If not, why?I’ve actually grown very cautious of the books that I start now because I don’t want to get hooked into a series right now. I love a good series, but I have so many books that I want to read I worry that a series will take my time and effort away from the larger list. I was recommended a book - Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - over a year ago. I loved it but the ending didn’t feel like there was a resolution. I found out that was because it was part of a three book series. I read all three and loved each one, but it wasn’t my intent to get drawn into a series. So, yes I will go back and read a sequel or more books in a series if I like the first one (again I go through the library), but I try to avoid series in general since I have a long list of them on my to-read list right now.Do you ever visit an author's website? If so, what do you look at?I do this more now than I ever did before I published. Before I didn’t really look unless I wanted to see if there was news on an upcoming release. Now I go with a different point of view, I try to see what the best authors are doing and how they are utilizing their websites to stay engaged with their readers. I try to see what they do and figure out if it is something that I can apply to my own site.If an author offered you a free book, would you sign up to their mailing list?Yes I would. If I loved the book I might stay on their mailing list, but if I only liked it or thought it was OK I would unsubscribe.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?Yes, I like to read a lot and my budget is tight. If I ever actually won I would be totally surprised!Are you more likely to buy a book if there are various formats available?Maybe, I do want to make sure that I am supporting other indie authors and more options are better. I try to keep my household tidy so offering digital formats is what I look for the most. I can access it anywhere and it won’t take up any space in my house, just on my phone.What are the biggest giveaways that a book is self-published?To me the biggest giveaway is the cover art. As I mentioned earlier there are books I’ve read that are traditionally published that have the occasional spelling or grammatical error. (I actually find it very entertaining and appreciate it as a ‘even big time authors make edits too’ moment). When I am scrolling through Goodreads or Amazon, the cover art for a book can usually indicate if the book is self-published.***Thank you so much to author M. K. Williams for sharing her insights on writing and publishing books. If you would like to support MK and her work, please consider purchasing a copy of the book, The Games You Cannot Win, available on Amazon now. Check out the sample below:

What Should Go On Your Copyright Page?

What is the copyright page?A copyright page is usually at the front of the book, behind the title page, and includes:Copyright noticePublisher's informationEdition numberISBNCataloging dateLegal noticesPrinting historyYear and number of printingCredits for photography, illustrations, edits, etcDo I need to include it all?You don't need to include all of this information, but you do have to use one of the following:The copyright symbol ©The word 'copyright'Abbreviation 'copr' You should not use (c). This should be followed by the year and the owner. For example:© 2017 E. Rachael Hardcastle. An ExampleI removed the publisher's address and some other sections that, because I'm independently published, didn't really apply to me. The following is an example taken from Finding Pandora, written using advice I found by searching 'copyright page content' online.Copyright © 2017 by E. Rachael HardcastleAll rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.Printed in the United States of AmericaFirst Printing, 2010ISBN: www.erachaelhardcastle.comStill struggling?If you'd like help writing your copyright page, please contact me to book your one hour coaching session today or click this link for more information. You can also find lots of free, helpful resources online.DisclaimerThe advice I give in this post is based purely on my own experiences and research. I recommend you do further research to decide on your copyright page's content prior to publishing.As always if you need advice or clarification in relation to this content, please feel welcome to get in touch with me. - Read my #1 Amazon US Bestseller FREE on your device today at www.books2read.com/findingpandora -

Why Authors Should Give Their Book Away For Free

As an author, you may think giving away your book for free is a crime. If you've slaved over the words for months, struggled with the editing process and have eventually managed to produce a professional, bookstore quality novel, you'll no doubt be hoping to earn some royalties as your reward. For a stand alone novel, this is fine, but for book one of a series, giving out some freebies is a brilliant marketing tool.Quick MethodsUse Draft 2 Digital, where setting your price at zero is acceptable and circulated across a wide variety of platforms.Send it to email subscribers as a gift.Make it easily available as a PDF on your website.Ask Amazon KDP to price match the zero cost everywhere else.Run a KDP promotion.If you have a paperback, set the Kindle Matchbook price as zero.Benefits New readers can try your work risk-free, which is ideal for anyone who usually reads traditionally published books only or have just purchased an e-reader.Great for people going on holiday. More people are likely to download the book if they don't have to pay for it, even if they don't read it straight away.Less of a piracy temptation.If they enjoyed the first one for free, readers may be more likely to pay for the full series, knowing the quality of work is high.You will be more likely to stay in the Amazon free bestsellers list for your genre.People may be more likely to leave a review if they paid nothing and loved it.LimitationsYou won't earn royalties for those downloads.Your book will be easily identified as independently published.People could download it but never read it.Watch the videoI discuss the benefits of giving your book away for free, and some of the easier methods, in my free 30 minute book marketing webinar at this link or available on my YouTube channel. If you like this content, please consider subscribing and hitting that thumbs up!Still Unsure?If you'd like to discuss the benefits of free/ low-cost books, please contact me to book your one hour coaching session today or click this link for more information. You can also find lots of free, helpful resources online.As always if you need advice or clarification in relation to this content, please feel welcome to get in touch with me. - Read my #1 Amazon US Bestseller FREE on your device today at www.books2read.com/findingpandora -