Reena Jacobs's Blog, page 52

Jackpot!

So Thursday my husband walked in with a nice sized box. And being the dutiful wife that I am (yeah right), I graciously took it off his hands… AND TORE INTO IT! It was full of goodies from Vera at Luxury Reading. Lookie! Lookie!

Now I have to be honest here. I've not heard of any of these books, other than White Cat. And though I've heard of White Cat, I'm not all to sure what it's about. But I remember seeing it offered in a few other contests. So what do I think of my winnings?

The Summer I Turned Pretty appears to be a YA Romance. In all my years, I don't think I've read a YA romance. So this should be interesting.
Glimpse…now this is an odd one. It looks to be series of free-style poems written in the form of a story. I honestly don't know what to make of it, but it's got me intrigued.
As I mentioned, I've seen White Cat advertised in the past. It look Urban Fantasy (UF). I've only started reading UF this year. So, I'm quite curious about this one. I'm not quite sure if UF is for me yet, though I enjoyed Mind Games by Carolyn Crane greatly.
Last but not least, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. I'm not so sure about this one. Flipping through the pages reminds me of my adventures across country. Between the text, it includes scrapbook pages and receipts. I wonder what she learns on her trip.

Thanks a bundle, Vera. You made my day. This has got to be the most unique collection of books I've seen.

Novel Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I fell in love with Hunger Games (review here). It was one of the first YA novels I'd read as an adult. I followed Katniss through the first reaping and Hunger Games, then again through the Quarter Quell. I fell in love with her and the characters, as fleeting as some of their lives were. I did my best to avoid reviews of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Yes, I looked at folks' ratings. From what I saw, the rates were across the board. I didn't know what to expect. So before I begin, how about the blurb from Ms. Collins' Website:

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

Yeah…that's all I found, as far as a blurb. Okay. I'm going to do my best not to be snarky in this review, despite feel that way toward the book. I'll start by saying I disliked Mockingjay as much as I loved Hunger Game. The pacing was inconsistent with long (not passages) chapters of reflection and back story with little action. Every time I thought I'd hit the beginning of the book, I'd flip to the next page and find myself trapped in more drivel. Honestly, if I hadn't been so invested in the Hunger Games, this would have been a Did Not Finish (DNF). As it was, I just wanted to know what happened to all my favorite characters from the prior two books.

If someone were to ask me where the story began, I'd say about page 230. Then the story ended about page 350, except somehow another 40 pages got tacked to the back for some reason. Given that, I'm not really sure why Ms. Collins didn't just add an extra 100 pages or so to Catching Fire (review here) and be done with the series. This certainly didn't have to be a trilogy.

As far as the characters, Katniss was as drab as the storyline. She spent the entire book wallowing in self-pity as a pawn. She wasn't the subject of Mockingjay; she was the object and did nothing to propel the story forward. I know this is an odd thing to say, but I think Mockingjay would have been better without her. Maybe if the story was told from someone's perspective who had a little more spunk…like Buttercup, maybe.

Good thing there was a lot of hype before the release. Folks flocked to the bookstores and preordered without know any about the book other than that they liked The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. One thing for sure, I can see why the publishers didn't release any ARCs. If reviews had gotten out prior, a lot folks would  have passed on this one. I for one feel jilted. I can honestly say, customer loyalty has waned for me. Needless to say, I spent quite a bit of time yelling at my husband about this novel.

Big breath. Now for praise. One thing Ms. Collins has going for her is she's not afraid to kill of her characters. The good guys don't always win, so it's nice to see a bit of realism once in a while. On the other hand, EVERYONE important doesn't have to die. And I have to admit, I was a bit angry at one or two of her choices. And I might have been able to get over it if the ending wasn't so lame. Oops. I'm suppose to be in praise mode. Let's just skip to the favorite lines.

Gale had two sets of bows and arrows, one hunting knife, one fishing net, and over eight hundred terrified people to feed. *By the way, I did enjoy Gale. He was willing to make some of the tough choices. No apologies. A sad kind of strength.
"No, I want you to rethink it and come up with the right opinion." *Sometimes I feel like this when arguing with my husband. Why can't come up with the right opinions (my opinions)?
"This time Snow will be a player, too."

Mockingjay is available at the Book Depository!

NaNoWriMo: I'm Starting to Cave

I've been telling myself, I don't have time for NaNoWriMo. I've got to get the edits done on Shadow Cat.

Okay, I'm starting to falter in my resolve. I have three books planned for the Shadow Cat series. Obviously, Shadow Cat is complete but needs editing. I started the 2nd book, so it's really a no-go for NaNoWriMo. However, I have still have the last book. It's outlined, but I don't think I have a single word written of it. Oh how I'd love to have it finished and only have to worry about edits for it.

Here's the thing. Can I force myself to write without edits? The whole idea scares me. I hate failing. A little over a week left to decide. Holy Cow. Well, I put my name on the list ReenaJacobs. Big surprise there.

I'm thinking I should at least try. See if I can do the straight through without editing thing. I wrote Shadow Cat by the seat of my pants, and it took me 2 1/2 months to finish it (about 80k on the first draft). I didn't know enough about writing to worry about editing the hell out of it.

Maybe NaNoWriMo is what I need. A 50k goal, no editing, just producing. Screw quality, just get the story down. Maybe this is what will get me stoked about writing again. Cause I'm telling you, my drive has waned.

Well, if I'm going to do this, I need to work a bit more on my outline.

Good luck to all who are giving NaNoWriMo a try. Hopefully I'll see you there…once I gather my courage and motivation.

I'm Starting to Cave

I've been telling myself, I don't have time for NaNoWriMo. I've got to get the edits done on Shadow Cat.

Okay, I'm starting to falter in my resolve. I have three books planned for the Shadow Cat series. Obviously, Shadow Cat is complete but needs editing. I started the 2nd book, so it's really a no-go for NaNoWriMo. However, I have still have the last book. It's outlined, but I don't think I have a single word written of it. Oh how I'd love to have it finished and only have to worry about edits for it.

Here's the thing. Can I force myself to write without edits? The whole idea scares me. I hate failing. A little over a week left to decide. Holy Cow. Well, I put my name on the list ReenaJacobs. Big surprise there.

I'm thinking I should at least try. See if I can do the straight through without editing thing. I wrote Shadow Cat by the seat of my pants, and it took me 2 1/2 months to finish it (about 80k on the first draft). I didn't know enough about writing to worry about editing the hell out of it.

Maybe NaNoWriMo is what I need. A 50k goal, no editing, just producing. Screw quality, just get the story down. Maybe this is what will get me stoked about writing again. Cause I'm telling you, my drive has waned.

Well, if I'm going to do this, I need to work a bit more on my outline.

Good luck to all who are giving NaNoWriMo a try. Hopefully I'll see you there…once I gather my courage and motivation.

Interview: Robin K (Robin Ludwig Designs) on Cover Art

When I first started twittering, Robin's blog (Intense Whisper) was one of the first I encountered. It wasn't until many months later I realized she was also a designer. Today, we get the special benefit of tapping into some of her knowledge.

Introduction:

Thank you for the invitation for an interview Reena. As a reader I am always flattered when authors contact me. As an artist I am elated to share my marketing knowledge and design.

Tell us a little about Robin Ludwig Design (RLD).

We are a family owned design and printing service business. Everything we create is custom designed based on our clients design preferences and content. We offer many different printing services including: business cards, magnets, bookmarks, and postcards. We also create and manage websites and have recently began offering graphic and book cover design services.

How long have you been in the design business?

We have been in business since 2002. We started as a photo specialties business primarily doing photography retouching and restoration. Our business has since evolved to focus on advertising and promotional design services.

Indie authors are seeking RLD to design their cover art. Why do you think investing in attractive cover art is important for authors?

Perhaps the better question is, "Do readers buy books because of their covers?" Yes, they do. The professions of designer, marketer and advertiser exist for this reason. An appealing design will give the buyer more confidence in their purchase. An attractive cover is important because first impressions are important.

How might the cover art needs of debut authors differ from those of more established authors?

As many books are starting as ebooks, a new author may not need a print cover immediately. A new author may also be more flexible with their initial design as they do not have an established "look". The first design should be memorable as it will usually be carried over into all of the author's identity including the next book in many cases. Readers do notice when a look changes for better and for worse.

What other services do you offer writers?

We offer swag design and printing. We can also assist with website design including headers. We love to be a one-stop-shop for authors. Giving fast, reliable and hassle free service.

How might writers use those items in their marketing scheme?

Swag can be very beneficial to authors. At minimum, I think it is important for an author to have a professional online presence and business cards. Business cards should be distributed with books and to industry professionals. Bookmarks and magnets are often used because they will typically have better retention with readers. In all of these pieces a consistent design should be used for memorability.

Do you have any advice for authors in terms of searching for a designer?

• Make sure you understand the terms of the design you are purchasing.

• Ask if there is a time or impressions limit for use of the design. Most stock photography has impression limits and licensing restrictions; ask where the designer is obtaining the art.

• Ask when the first and follow up proofs will be sent as well as how long it will take to receive the finished design once approved. Some designers may need several weeks to produce a finished cover.

• View examples of other work the designer has done.

How can interested parties reach you?

Website: http://www.rldprint.com/

Blog: http://rldprint.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rldprint

Twitter: http://twitter.com/rldprint

Email: sales@rldprint.com

Special (Guest) Post: Susan Bischoff ~ Never Too Late To Change

Hello, readers of Reena's blog! If you don't know me, I'm Susan Bischoff, author of Hush Money, which is the first story in my Talent Chronicles series. Recently, I did a series on my blog that was all about things I did which I thought helped me move up the charts more quickly than I ever expected. I got some nice feedback on those posts. Many people seemed to enjoy them, feel like they got stuff out of them, and were good enough to take the time to tell me so. Which is nice, because that's what I'll have to keep me warm when I'm COMPETING with those people for Kindle rank going forward. But it's all good.

One of the things that struck me, though, were the messages I received in which people talked about getting very few sales. And I mean, very few sales. Now, I sort of think that life would be good if every indie with a decent command of their language could make at least 151 sales. This number is derived solely from a desire to stick it to Brad, by the way. These messages got me thinking about how part of what's cool about being an indie is how we can experiment and make changes. We have limited resources, and, some would say, limited credibility. But we also have a lot of freedom, and can give our own work the kind of personal attention that someone else might not.

So what are the first things people see when they look at your book on one of your buy sites? Well, first, is it there? I deleted a rather long paragraph about availability, which I'm now going to shorten by saying that I think you need to put yourself into as many places as you can to avoid alienating shoppers. And at the least you should be on:

Amazon Kindle, preferably without DRM so that non-Kindle owners can buy you
Smashwords Premium, so that you can get into stores that deal directly with device owners like Sony and iBookstore, among others
B&N PubIt!, so that you can enhance your listing there (over what you can do through Smashwords), as the Nook is rising in popularity. If you need help, try Kait Nolan's blog.

Ok, so availability issues aside, and focusing on Amazon, where the bulk of sales happen right now, what are customers seeing when they look at your listing?

Price
Cover art
Blurb
Sample

All of which you have control over, so yay! I've already talked about price and cover art, so I'm going to talk a little about the blurbs and the sample.

Smashwords allows you a 400 character blurb. Amazon allows, what, 2000? In some cases, it's not a great idea to say 5 times as much just because you can. But since it's so hard to craft that 400 character blurb and have it actually give the reader enough to go on, if you're using the same blurb in both places, think about enhancing your Amazon listing with more information.

For me, a blurb isn't a summary. It's an enticement. It's a commercial. You'll want to give the reader an idea who the story is about and the conflict that character will face. This is not telling the whole story in a few paragraphs. If you can't pull these bits out of the setup, or first 1/4 – 1/3 of the story, then maybe you need to think about how enticing your beginning actually is for the reader. And if you tell them too much about the story, why should they read the book?

In the blurb, you must put yourself in the position of someone who doesn't know the story. You can be intriguing, but you can't afford to be vague. For example, you have an exotic name for a tribe in your novel and you use the name in your blurb–because calling them by name decreases your character count. The readers is able to get from context that you're talking about a group of people, but has no idea what that really means. Had you said, "the Spaghetti, a rival tribe with whom the Fusilli compete for precious resources…" the reader might have been better set up to understand your conflict when you talk about it.

Part of the enjoyment of reading is about discovery. You've written something that's full of precious ideas that will delight the reader. They're all awesomesauce. The blurb is not necessarily the place to talk about all the things the reader will discover. Pick a few things that will make the reader feel this experience will be unique and exciting, but if you're having trouble writing a concise blurb, it may be because you're trying to pack in too much information. That's overselling.

I guess part of a successful blurb is a successful concept. What makes this book unique? That's something you thought about before spending all your time writing this book, right? If it's a vampire story, what makes it different from all the other vamp stories I've read and will stumble across this week? Why should I read this book? What will I get out of it? What is in here that will make this experience unique? The answers to those questions can provide you with an idea of how to craft an enticing blurb.

If you can't answer those, then that might be a big part of your marketing dilemma. In a lot of ways, indies need to approach writing the same way people on the trad path do, because we all have the same customers. So when working on the initial concept for your book, part of your thinking should be about what makes this book different and why should people want to buy it.

If you keep your Amazon blurb short, you'll have room for an excerpt of your writing. But this idea really works best if you can come up with something that works with your blurb to entice the reader. Something that really sparkles and shows off your talent (yeah, I just capitalized that and had to go back), without confusing the reader by dropping them into something they're not yet equipped to appreciate. Remember, this goes back to putting yourself in the position of someone who knows nothing about your story.

Ok, a bit about the sample. You know you need to grab the reader early on. You may think that readers are more forgiving than editors, and some are. Some probably aren't. At least editors get paid for reading what they choose. Readers pay for the privilege and then spend their precious free time on you. They expect a lot, and they should get a lot. You may think your story really gets going by page 10. Guess what? I've been watching my sampling habits lately. I tend to give you about three screens worth of text to hook me.

Here's what I'm looking for:

Basic command of language- are there a number of spelling/grammar errors in the first pages. Is the language itself easy to understand? Or am I going over this so much with the red pen in my head that I can't attend to your story?
Voice- is important to me and it's a matter of personal taste. I don't usually enjoy a more "literary" tone. If there's a lot of flowery language, if it feels overwritten to me, I'm probably not going to want to spend hours with that voice. Hyperbole is the kiss of death with me. And if there's nothing unique at all in the author's writing, then voice is a wash and they'll have to impress me some other way. Can't please everyone on voice, that's just how it is. I'm sure, like, plenty of people are totally put off my writing voice. You just have to find yours and then really embrace it.
Action- This doesn't have to be a shoot-out or bombing, but I prefer to start a story where something is happening. It's harder to get into a story that starts with a long description of character or setting, or even backstory. Girl's in a room. Don't describe the girl, don't describe the room, tell me what she's doing. People tend to confuse the definition of "action" here. You don't have to start in heavy drama or life-and-death crisis, but I often like to be dropped right into someone's life– not into their resume or scrapbook.
Questions– For me, a good opening means I've got some questions. Questions that I'm going to need to answer by continuing to read your story. But there's a fine line between a leaving a reader with questions and leaving them completely lost. It's your job to draw a character in, and sometimes, the scent of the prize isn't enough. Sometimes you need to leave a trail of breadcrumbs. In some stories I can see where an author is trying to hold back information in order to reveal it later on. And that's not a bad strategy in itself. The problem comes when I'm not getting enough information to satisfy me Right Now.
Information- There should be a small prize for me in every "set." Don't take me to the train station unless you're going to give me some bit of info that I could only get at the train station. And if the purpose of me going to the train station with your character now will be revealed to me later and make me so happy we went there, awesome! But Right Now, give me something for playing along. You're a writer, so come up with something! Because one of the questions I should NOT be asking is: what was the point of that?

Are your opening pages interesting enough to hook a busy reader with thousands of choices? You have to be objective. If you're a critique partner, one of the hardest things to tell someone is, "it's not enough." But it's your job, because not being tough and objective before publishing results in disappointments later.

But it's never too late to make changes.

Now if all this has made you so irritated with me that you just have to run out and read Hush Money to see how I did with today's lesson, well, I'm here to make that easy for you with all the links below. If you'd like to be social, you can find a bunch of social site links on the About Me page of my website.

Cover Art by Robin Ludwig

Be normal, invisible. Don't get close to anyone. Kids with psychic abilities tend to mysteriously disappear when they get noticed. Joss has spent years trying to hide. Now she has an unasked-for best friend, who is the victim of an extortion plot by the school bully, who used to like Joss, who is best friends with her long-time crush, who is actually talking to her. Life just got more complicated.

Amazon (DRM-free PRC)
Amazon UK (DRM-free PRC)
Smashwords (HTML, MOBI, EPUB, PDF, LRF, RTF, PDB, TXT)
Scribd (PDF)
Kobo (EPUB)
Sony (EPUB)
Barnes & Noble (for Nook)
Borders AU (EPUB)

Also available in Paperback:

Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
CreateSpace

Cover Art Dilemma

So I'm faced with this dilemma. To buy or not to buy cover art.

I know how important awesome cover art is to selling books. The thing is, I have this problem. It's called: Do It Yourself (DITY if you're in the military). Somewhere in my sick twisted little brain, I have this idea I can do everything. We all know this isn't true.

Sometimes I just need someone to tell me to get with the program. Let's take a trip down memory lane.

Okay. This wasn't my first attempt at cover art for Control Freak, but I'm a bit embarrassed by the what I put up before. So, you'll have to find an example of the earlier version yourself. After studying this, I realize there's a few issues with this piece. For one, I think the background could use a bit of texture. It's just a little too plain. And the expression on the woman's face is a wee bit off. As for the guy, I'm liking him (expression and all). It fits Brandon in the book. A little tender, a little needy. Of course, that doesn't mean the cover sales. Tee hee. I'm going to plug in some advertisement here. So if you don't want to see, skip down to the next picture. If you'd like to read Control Freak for free in exchange for a review, send me an email, and I'll send you a coupon for 100%.

Next up!!!

I'm working towards self-publishing Shadow Cat. I need cover art…GOOD cover art. I've already got someone in mind to help me with that, but then there's the TIDY. Let me show you what I've got so far.

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Let's call the first one Faded and the second Solid. Based on this simple poll, tell me what you think. If you want to add a few comments/suggestions, PLEASE DO!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Also! Robin from Ludwig Design will be here on Friday, talking more on the importance of Cover Art. Make sure you stop by to get the down low.

Novella Review: Mated (Blood Lust #3) by Zoe Winters

This is the final review of the Blood Lust series (review of Kept here and Claimed here). Why? Because Mated is the end of the trilogy! Of that doesn't mean it's the end of Zoe Winters' writing. And we're sure to see the characters again in her next book, Save My Soul. Before we get into the review, a quick teaser from Ms. Winters' website:

Because of the vampiric blood that has run through her veins since birth, Jane has been a target for vampires who resent a human being "kindred." She's forced to disguise herself as a vampire groupie to appease them and safeguard her life. When she's abruptly given to Cole, the leader of the werewolf pack, to satisfy a gambling debt, she discovers the blood running through her veins has a far greater impact on her destiny than she ever imagined.

I quickly learned Jane was not the same wild girl she was in Claimed. Yes, I knew Jane was disturbed in a broken kind of way. I expected the right incident to set her off, and she'd go out like a blazing flame taking everyone around her with her. I was wrong. So very wrong.

I'm not sure if the spark I thought I saw in Jane was more bravado or if Paul had beaten all sense of self-worth out of her by the time I got to Mated. Truly, it saddened me to see what became of Jane. But her story isn't unique. Men batter women all across the country. And for some reason or another the women feel as if they have no other choice but to accept it. That was Jane. Trapped in an abuse relationship with no place to turn. Her only way to fight back was to survive another day.

I found Cole to be very straightforward. I'm not sure if this was a werewolf trait with the species being forthcoming with their emotions and such or what. But it worked. I liked that there were no games in love. In many ways, it'd make life easier if people were so honest with their feelings.

Ms. Winters mentioned in the past her Blood Lust series were standalone. I'd say definitely yes with this book. The novella starts months? after Claimed and is so focused on Jane and Cole, there's no time for back story from the other novellas in the series. Of the three books, I'd have to say this was my favorite.

Speaking of favorites, a few lines which stood out:

She'd said no strings, and he hadn't realized that no strings really meant fuck me, then never let me go.
"I'm Cole, and I'll be your captor for the evening."
"You think just cause you're older and better looking than me that you can come in here and take my girl?"
"They are battle wounds. These are the marks that prove you're strong, that you're been through fire and walked out safe on the other side." Every time I think of his words, I feel a little pride. Nine months of pregnancy and pushing life into the world is no easy task.

Mated is available at Smashwords, and Amazon.com. If you're ready to jump in the entire package, Blood Lust is available at Amazon.com and includes all three novellas.

Interview: Zoe Winters on Publishing

If some of you haven't caught on by now, you should know I'm kind of a Zoe Winters stalker. Shh…don't tell her that. She might start avoiding me. The thing is, Ms. Winters created this character called Zoe Who? which put thoughts of self-publishing into my head. Now being the newbie and all, I wanted to know more. Today, Ms. Winters has offered to answer a few questions which have tugged on my mind.

Tell us a little bit about your books.

The Preternaturals series is set in a world in which humans for the most part don't yet know what goes bump in the night. There are several different species/groups I deal with: incubi and succubi, vampires, shapeshifters (called therians in my world), Guardians (a demon breed that works guarding mostly vampires during their daylight hours), magic users (wizards, sorcerers, witches), and I may introduce other demon breeds later. Each group has their own political structure and secrets.

Each book technically "stands alone" but some readers might not get all the subplots and back story if they don't read in order. Different books will focus on different species and different places.  Blood Lust, the first book, is a series of three novellas that happens in a place called Cary Town, where the therians live under a police state. The first novella involves a werecat and a sorcerer, the second involves a vampire and a human, the third involves a werewolf and a human, though that human isn't what she appears.

Who the heck is Zoe Who?

That is the $64,000 question, huh? Who is Zoe and why should I care?   Zoe Who? is a cartoon video series I started on Youtube. The episodes can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZoeWinters1 Basically the series makes fun of the publishing industry, my genre, me, etc. There is a lot of material there, LOL. It's a way to vent a lot of the frustrations in this business and dealing with people, in a snarky, funny way while also garnering a little bit of marketing exposure and sharing my self-publishing journey. Everything is funnier with robotic voices and cartoons.

What made you decide you wanted to get into the self-publishing industry?

I really don't like working for other people or other people telling me what to do. I've had 33 jobs (before I gave up entirely on the concept of working for others) and it just never worked out. I'm an entrepreneur. Someone else's cubicle is not my natural habitat, and it was becoming a pain in the butt trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. This feeling extended to creative pursuits. The whole idea of the traditional publishing process depressed me. As I got closer to the point where I felt something was ready to be submitted, the writing flow just shut down. Not to sound like a prima donna but I "couldn't work under those conditions". LOL. I wanted to succeed or fail on my own. The idea that I needed "permission" to even play the game when we aren't talking about brain surgery here… it's just not that serious. So I decided to start my own business and do my own thing.

What was your experience with the traditional route before self-publishing?

OMG. So limited. I'd done a lot of research and heard a lot of horror stories and that's about the extent of it. When I realized that most NY pubbed authors weren't making a living from their fiction and still had to have full-time jobs to make ends meet I was like "screw that." That was the only remaining motivator left to do it that way. I submitted one book to an agent (which wasn't ready. I'm in edits for that book right now. It's come a long way since then.) And when I wrote Kept I submitted it to one publisher. By the time I submitted Kept to the publisher, though, I was already really leaning toward self-publishing. I was in the bizarre position where I actually "wanted" them to reject me, so I didn't have to stand at a fork in the road and make a choice. I wanted to find out what I could do by myself. They did reject me, but it was a very nice rejection letter that offered several bits of advice (most of which I acted upon), to improve Kept. Then I self-pubbed it.

When did you know you'd learned enough and were ready for self-publishing?

I don't think you ever really learn enough. I think you have to build your wings on the way down. I do think you should find people who you consider to be much better writers than you to critique and beta your work. And find hard asses who won't let you get away with lazy writing. When you get to the point when it's time to publish, you'll know. Then get a good editor to make sure you put out something professional. There is a lot of information out there now on all aspects of self-publishing. You learn from doing. You learn from your peers. And you just keep growing and moving forward.

Editing and critiquing: What says you about them?

hehe. I think I answered that in the last question. Basically… editing and critiquing are absolutely necessary. I'm sure there are a very few people out there who can edit their own work because they have some amazing ability to step back from it and see the problems and fix them, etc. But… that's probably not me or you. Even if it is, it can't hurt to have other eyeballs on your work. Though one caveat is… you have to know when to listen to your gut. Some suggestions will kill your work. You need people you trust and more than one. If several people all see the same problem, then even if you don't like their suggestions for fixing it, you probably need to do "something" to it to get across what you'd intended.

Marketing for the indie industry relies a lot on word of mouth. How do you get your name out there?

Right now I just do Twitter, Facebook, My Blog, my Zoe Who? series, guest blogging, blogging at IndieReader.com. I recently did a Kindle giveaway and blog tour that got my name out a lot. I'll probably do a big promo with each book release like that. Not sure if the prize will be a Kindle or not… I feel like that's not specific enough to my demographic and throws off the Amazon recommendations a bit. I also have a little bit of paid advertising coming up with Kindle Nation.  I used to go to forums and comment on a lot of other people's blogs. But I'm downgrading from a lot of the drama. I don't have as much time for it now and my platform is starting to get to the point where I don't "have" to do all that extraneous stuff. But the other stuff, I still do, and will do for the foreseeable future.

The finished product: How do you know your beloved is ready for readers?

When I can look at the cover and know it stands up next to any other professionally produced book cover (helps that I have a pro cover artist). And when I can read it without cringing. You may have heard this from someone else before… but when you do a read-through and you keep switching back and forth on little things, like a word choice, or punctuation in one sentence, then you know you're pretty much done.

Any advice or words of encouragement for writers?

You aren't curing cancer or feeding Ethiopian children. You are just writing words, putting them together in an attractive package, and trying to find an audience. It should be something you love, not something that's stressing you out. Try not to compete with everybody, because there will always be someone who is a better or more successful writer than you, and someone who isn't as far along as you. Be as generous as you can, but don't let people take advantage of you. Have fun. Learn, grow. Pick yourself up and dust yourself off when you fall down. The only thing that matters is how you finish, not how you start. And with that last bit of warm fuzzy platitude, I'm out.  Thanks for having me!

Zoe Winters writes snarky paranormal romance and is a loud-mouthed advocate of the indie author movement. Her favorite colors are rainbow and clear. Her books are available at Amazon and Smashwords.com.  You can find her at the following places:

Website: http://www.zoewinters.org

Blog: http://zoewinters.wordpress.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zoewinters

I don't know about others, but Ms. Winters has been a world of inspiration for me as a wannabe published author. Thank you.

Interview: Zoe Winters

If some of you haven't caught on by now, you should know I'm kind of a Zoe Winters stalker. Shh…don't tell her that. She might start avoiding me. The thing is, Ms. Winters created this character called Zoe Who? which put thoughts of self-publishing into my head. Now being the newbie and all, I wanted to know more. Today, Ms. Winters has offered to answer a few questions which have tugged on my mind.

Tell us a little bit about your books.

The Preternaturals series is set in a world in which humans for the most part don't yet know what goes bump in the night. There are several different species/groups I deal with: incubi and succubi, vampires, shapeshifters (called therians in my world), Guardians (a demon breed that works guarding mostly vampires during their daylight hours), magic users (wizards, sorcerers, witches), and I may introduce other demon breeds later. Each group has their own political structure and secrets.

Each book technically "stands alone" but some readers might not get all the subplots and back story if they don't read in order. Different books will focus on different species and different places.  Blood Lust, the first book, is a series of three novellas that happens in a place called Cary Town, where the therians live under a police state. The first novella involves a werecat and a sorcerer, the second involves a vampire and a human, the third involves a werewolf and a human, though that human isn't what she appears.

Who the heck is Zoe Who?

That is the $64,000 question, huh? Who is Zoe and why should I care?   Zoe Who? is a cartoon video series I started on Youtube. The episodes can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZoeWinters1 Basically the series makes fun of the publishing industry, my genre, me, etc. There is a lot of material there, LOL. It's a way to vent a lot of the frustrations in this business and dealing with people, in a snarky, funny way while also garnering a little bit of marketing exposure and sharing my self-publishing journey. Everything is funnier with robotic voices and cartoons.

What made you decide you wanted to get into the self-publishing industry?

I really don't like working for other people or other people telling me what to do. I've had 33 jobs (before I gave up entirely on the concept of working for others) and it just never worked out. I'm an entrepreneur. Someone else's cubicle is not my natural habitat, and it was becoming a pain in the butt trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. This feeling extended to creative pursuits. The whole idea of the traditional publishing process depressed me. As I got closer to the point where I felt something was ready to be submitted, the writing flow just shut down. Not to sound like a prima donna but I "couldn't work under those conditions". LOL. I wanted to succeed or fail on my own. The idea that I needed "permission" to even play the game when we aren't talking about brain surgery here… it's just not that serious. So I decided to start my own business and do my own thing.

What was your experience with the traditional route before self-publishing?

OMG. So limited. I'd done a lot of research and heard a lot of horror stories and that's about the extent of it. When I realized that most NY pubbed authors weren't making a living from their fiction and still had to have full-time jobs to make ends meet I was like "screw that." That was the only remaining motivator left to do it that way. I submitted one book to an agent (which wasn't ready. I'm in edits for that book right now. It's come a long way since then.) And when I wrote Kept I submitted it to one publisher. By the time I submitted Kept to the publisher, though, I was already really leaning toward self-publishing. I was in the bizarre position where I actually "wanted" them to reject me, so I didn't have to stand at a fork in the road and make a choice. I wanted to find out what I could do by myself. They did reject me, but it was a very nice rejection letter that offered several bits of advice (most of which I acted upon), to improve Kept. Then I self-pubbed it.

When did you know you'd learned enough and were ready for self-publishing?

I don't think you ever really learn enough. I think you have to build your wings on the way down. I do think you should find people who you consider to be much better writers than you to critique and beta your work. And find hard asses who won't let you get away with lazy writing. When you get to the point when it's time to publish, you'll know. Then get a good editor to make sure you put out something professional. There is a lot of information out there now on all aspects of self-publishing. You learn from doing. You learn from your peers. And you just keep growing and moving forward.

Editing and critiquing: What says you about them?

hehe. I think I answered that in the last question. Basically… editing and critiquing are absolutely necessary. I'm sure there are a very few people out there who can edit their own work because they have some amazing ability to step back from it and see the problems and fix them, etc. But… that's probably not me or you. Even if it is, it can't hurt to have other eyeballs on your work. Though one caveat is… you have to know when to listen to your gut. Some suggestions will kill your work. You need people you trust and more than one. If several people all see the same problem, then even if you don't like their suggestions for fixing it, you probably need to do "something" to it to get across what you'd intended.

Marketing for the indie industry relies a lot on word of mouth. How do you get your name out there?

Right now I just do Twitter, Facebook, My Blog, my Zoe Who? series, guest blogging, blogging at IndieReader.com. I recently did a Kindle giveaway and blog tour that got my name out a lot. I'll probably do a big promo with each book release like that. Not sure if the prize will be a Kindle or not… I feel like that's not specific enough to my demographic and throws off the Amazon recommendations a bit. I also have a little bit of paid advertising coming up with Kindle Nation.  I used to go to forums and comment on a lot of other people's blogs. But I'm downgrading from a lot of the drama. I don't have as much time for it now and my platform is starting to get to the point where I don't "have" to do all that extraneous stuff. But the other stuff, I still do, and will do for the foreseeable future.

The finished product: How do you know your beloved is ready for readers?

When I can look at the cover and know it stands up next to any other professionally produced book cover (helps that I have a pro cover artist). And when I can read it without cringing. You may have heard this from someone else before… but when you do a read-through and you keep switching back and forth on little things, like a word choice, or punctuation in one sentence, then you know you're pretty much done.

Any advice or words of encouragement for writers?

You aren't curing cancer or feeding Ethiopian children. You are just writing words, putting them together in an attractive package, and trying to find an audience. It should be something you love, not something that's stressing you out. Try not to compete with everybody, because there will always be someone who is a better or more successful writer than you, and someone who isn't as far along as you. Be as generous as you can, but don't let people take advantage of you. Have fun. Learn, grow. Pick yourself up and dust yourself off when you fall down. The only thing that matters is how you finish, not how you start. And with that last bit of warm fuzzy platitude, I'm out.  Thanks for having me!

Zoe Winters writes snarky paranormal romance and is a loud-mouthed advocate of the indie author movement. Her favorite colors are rainbow and clear. Her books are available at Amazon and Smashwords.com.  You can find her at the following places:

Website: http://www.zoewinters.org

Blog: http://zoewinters.wordpress.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zoewinters

I don't know about others, but Ms. Winters has been a world of inspiration for me as a wannabe published author. Thank you.