Gregory G. Allen's Blog, page 42

Book Touring to Sirius Radio

Kitty Goes Everywhere:
Even the Sirius Radio StationIf you think that love isn't found on the radio...
What an amazing day I had. Even a rainy morning in New York couldn't get me down today. I had the honor of appearing on Out Q Sirius Radio with host Larry Flick to discuss my book on The Morning Jolt. People may find it bizarre that a man who has been an actor and a singer on stage (and toured the country in a ninja turtle suit) can get nervous, but I still do. As an author, I think one of the hardest parts is just being 'you' and discussing your book and yourself. There are times we think "why should people listen to what I have to say?" and then someone like Larry reads your book and asks you to come on to discuss it and there is a sense of amazing validation for your work.


I'm always one to live in reality (Lord knows I've watched enough reality TV) - by that I mean I don't have grand notions of my book hitting the NY Times Best Seller List or Hollywood knocking on my door. I stay grounded and simply want to write stories that people enjoy - that will hopefully touch, inspire, and cause people to ask questions. However, with each 'first' that happens on this book tour - I can't help but stop and breathe it in and enjoy the moment as it happens. There is something surreal that takes over as you float through it believing it's not really happening to you: people are not in a line to buy your book and have it signed at a local store; you are not talking to a well known DJ who read your book and is telling people on a national level about it on his show; you really didn't just notice your numbers climbing on the Amazon list indicating more sells have occurred. The thrill is very hard to describe, yet 'thrill' is the word to use.


Heading into this morning, a real sense of who I am took over as I analyzed the fear I was having. I am a huge planner (have you seen my blogs on my vacations?) and somewhat of a control freak. (Friends reading this are now saying 'somewhat'? Remove that word!) It hit me the fear of a live radio interview came out of the fact I had completely no control over anything. Nada. Not knowing the questions or where it would lead is hard on a type A personality...but it was great and I absolutely loved being there. Larry Flick has been doing this for years and he was so kind and warm towards me, he put me right at ease and I felt like I was talking to a group of old friends with both him and Keith Price (who does the show each morning with Larry). 


My dear friend (who also acts as my life coach) told me those things that seem like a coincidence should not easily be pushed aside. As I walked up to the building this morning, it struck me that I almost ended up working in that very McGraw-Hill Building. I had interviewed there with a prominent banking company and came close to taking the job (until my former job ponied up more money to keep me with them). And I stood staring across the street at Radio City Music Hall that also plays a major turning point in Well With My Soul and thought about how the book and reality were merging. Then once inside, I find out that Keith and I are both originally from Texas and swore we had met before. Coincidences be damned! 


I can't say thanks to Larry enough for today. It's one more moment I'll hang on to from this tour (that has included book signings, blog tours, radio spots) and hopefully - one more moment that will introduce his listeners to my book and I'll get an opportunity to reach someone else with my writing.


For me, that's what it's all about.


Be "well" all...and tune in to Larry's show each morning on channel 108 on Sirius! Great interviews, talks, and music!

Author Spotlight: Jesi Lea Ryan

I've been following Jesi Lea Ryan on twitter andasked if I could interview her for my blog. Happy she said "YES"! She was bornand raised in the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, Iowa. She graduated fromLoras College with degrees in Creative Writing and Literature, and is nowworking on her MBA. She currently lives with her husband in Madison, Wisconsin.When not reading or writing, she spends her time working for the Indie BookCollective and talking to random people on Twitter. In addition to herdebut novel, Four Thousand Miles, she has published several short stories andmaintains a book blog.
So I always startwith this question: When did writing become such a part of your life? Books have always been a majorpart of my life. I began reading at three, chapter books by six. Iwrote my first book when I was eight. My school librarian helped mepublish it locally and it ended up being placed in dentist offices andsuch. I don't even have a copy of it any more. J  Anyway, that experience sparked a love for writing in me,but I never believed I had the talent or connections to make a real career outof writing. I majored in Creative Writing and Literature in college, butonly because I was interested in the classes, not because I planned to work inthose areas. Instead, I set writing aside for the exciting world ofinsurance. In 2009, I and a few other million people in the U.S. were laidoff from our jobs during the recession. I decided then that I feltconfident enough to start writing seriously. I had never written novellength before, and I wasn't even sure I could do it. Four ThousandMiles was women's fiction / romance. I had a great time writingit. The reviews have all been very positive, so I'm thrilled withthat.  My current novel, which is in the revision stage, is a young adultparanormal—the first in a trilogy. I have also written a few short storieswhich fall into literary fiction.  I guess since my reading tastes are soeclectic, that shows in my writing. 
What differentroutes did you try as far as publishing (traditional/Indie/Self)?  My first attempts were to try to find an agentfor Four Thousand Miles. That was a colossal failure! Noone wanted to touch women's fiction.  In May of 2010, I attended theRomantic Times Book Lovers Convention, hoping to get some face-to-face timewith the agents, but when I got there, the agent appointments were all booked. So,I changed my strategy and scheduled appointments directly with the editors fromthe publishers. The response I received from them was very positive! Infact, the first editor I met with was from DCL Publications, and within twoweeks of receiving my sample chapters, she bought the book. While my novel waspublished by a small publisher, I published my short stories myself. Thisgives me experience on both sides of the industry. 
When/what/how? (Releasedates/what books/how can we read 'em?)   My novel was released in e-bookin October 2010, but due to distribution problems, it didn't make it ontoAmazon until May 2011 and STILL is not on Barns & Noble. (No, I am nothappy about that.) Also, my publisher holds the print rights, yet has nointention of releasing it in print. I asked for my print rights back so I couldself-publish the print version, but they refused.  I'm stuck until the endof my contract. I chalk that one up to learning experience. My shortstories are also only available in e-book. I suppose it I ever accumulatedenough of them I could put together an anthology, but honestly, I don't write alot of short fiction. 
I can see therehave been definite issues in your journey. Can you elaborate on the experience? Honestly, there are pro's andcon's whichever way to go, traditional or self-publishing. I like thecontrol I get from self-publishing. I didn't encounter distributionproblems because I handled it all myself. I also could set the pricing,give away as many free copies as I wanted. On the other hand, theediting services that a publisher offers are nice. Diane Davis White wasmy editor, and I can't say enough good things about working with her. Mysuggestion when signing with any publisher is to know exactly what they aregoing to do for you. Ask questions about distribution, promotion andmoney. If you don't have an agent, you should probably have a contractattorney familiar with publishing review your paperwork.  There can be aton of loopholes in these contracts that you need to be aware of. A greatresource on contracts is http://www.thepassivevoice.com.
Thanks for sharing that! Tellus a little about your marketing process and thoughts on social media. I don't think I could have doneany of this without Twitter. It is seriously the single most importanttool in my writing toolbox. I knew how to write a book. What I didn'tknow was what to do with it when I was done. Writers on Twitter are justwonderful about offering advice and support. As a natural extrovert,Twitter also adds a social component to writing that I desperately need. Marketingvia Twitter and other social media can be a bit tricky. On one hand, it isan affordable way to get the word out on your products. On the other hand,you have to be careful not to go over board and turn your Twitter stream intoone long commercial for your book. Don't spam people with links to yourbook or blog, just talk to them. People want to get to know you, and whenthey do, they are more likely to check out your stuff. I guess the bestthing I can say is to advertise on social media in moderation. The bestpromotion is word of mouth generated by someone other than you. Use yoursocial media contacts to talk about your work.  It's free and provideslots of benefit!
Really great advice as I knowwe authors get excited when it is 'book launch' time and it seems as if that'sall we discuss. Looking back, is there something you would have changed? I'm not sure. I mean Iguess it would have been cool to score a huge publisher with a hefty advance,but since I didn't want to wait for something that might not have everhappened, I signed with a small publisher. I'm happy with that decisionand have no regrets. I do wish I would have gotten a little more guidanceon my contract before I signed it. Not that I have found anythingparticularly wrong with mine or anything, I just think I should have been alittle more diligent before signing. 
Anything else you would like toshare before leaving us today? This is such a fun and excitingtime for publishing. The technology is moving so fast that it isrevolutionizing the whole industry. If you are a struggling author who ishaving trouble getting the attention of agents or publishers, considerself-publishing. 

Author Spotlight: Don Smith

I first came upon author Don Smith from reading about him in my town. Then when I was being interviewed for amagazine article the interviewer and I ended up discussing him and I knew Iwanted to interview him for my blog. Don is a freelance writer who has writtenfor many web sites, two different comic book companies, and author of twobooks, Hawthorne from ArcadiaPublishing and The Goffle Road Murders of Passaic Countyfrom History Press.
[image error] Thanks for joining me today, Don. You have quite a career in writing.Can you tell us when you started? When I was growing up in school, to me writing was synonymous withschool work and I hated it. But I realized as I continued on writing in schoolthat I enjoyed the "story telling" exercises. I remember writing myown science fiction stories in third grade - one was the discovery of lasersand the other was about a mutated mosquito. But by the time I was in sixthgrade, I was writing my own versions of "Encyclopedia Brown" and thatwas the first real time I remember writing a story. Ultimately, I realized thatwhat I wanted to do was to tell stories about super heroes and this led to megoing in the direction of writing. I wish I could say "On Jan. 15, 1984,the Almighty came as a fiery burning angel saying, 'Yea, verily! Don, thoushalt be a writer!'" But that did not happen. It was a gradualrealization.
I know you have been published with two different houses with yourbooks. Did you ever consider the 'do it yourself' route? To me publishing is a varied as the subject matter of the book;ultimately, the publishing route dictates the product you have to offer. Mybiggest problem was I did not have a book to offer. Every time I would try towrite a novel or work on a script, I would get bored with the novel writingroute. I could only make it like 20,000 words in and realize I was bored withthe story. However, writing Hawthorneand The Goffle Road Murders of PassaicCounty made sense because they were shorter "tomes" and I hadmore patience with them. And fortunately, the publishers were available. I willsay this; I have tried self-publishing with my newest venture "GhostAdventures" #1. It is a comic book based on a story that appeared in myfriends real life ghost hunting tales. I will let you know how it turnsout. 
How long have you had books out there for the public to read? My first book Hawthorne fromArcadia Publishing came out in 2006 and my second one, The Goffle Road Murders of Passaic County just came out in August. Ialso contributed to two different books GhostInvestigator Volume 4: Ghosts of New York and New Jersey (2004 SpiritedBooks) Werewolves: Myth, Mystery andMagick which came out from Schiffer Publishing this year.
What has your experience been like on the publishing side of things? For the most part, it has been interesting. I am simply amazed at howmuch I cannot make a living publishing. Honestly, unless you are the editors orthe marketers, the writers themselves are unable to make a living doing it.Simply, most writers have to get a part time job or make another living doingsomething else until their books take off. But here's the thing, it is doableand every writer can carve their own path. 
How important is social media to you as an author? I live on Facebook. I am constantly sending messages, voicing myopinions and creating a niche and an identity for myself. Some of my marketingfriends have a massive plan and move forward with certain efforts...to behonest, I am not that net savvy, but what I do is make the rounds on Blog TalkRadio and other podcasts. But again, it depends on the subject matter of thebook.
You've been at this a few years now. Is there anything you look back onand wish you would have done differently? At the risk of being evangelical...I would tell myself to remember twothings, "Has it ever occurred to you, nothing occurs to God?" and"The older you get the more useless ego is." I am sorry at the amount of times I wasted worrying and how it allworked out one way or the other. I have also learned the importance of having arelationship with a Higher Power or God. I prefer to come at it from aBorn-Again Christian point of view and being reminded that something bigger islooking out for you and has it under control.
No risk of sounding evangelical on my blog! (Southern Baptist guy hereliving in Jersey.) Anything else you would like to share about your adventuresof being a published author? Basically, you can carve your own path. While it will have similaritiesbetween your career and others, it is still a very individual path and it isokay to do what is practical and what works. What works for you will not workfor someone else and vice versa. Ultimately, the most important thing isacceptance of where your station is in life.
Don mentioned being on Facebook: look for him there. He'll also be doing a book signing at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, October 25th at Well Read Books in Hawthorne, NJ. 

Author Spotlight: Terri Giuliano Long

TerriGiuliano Long is the bestselling author of the award-winning novel In Leah'sWake which tells the tale of a contemporary American family caught in thethroes of adolescent rebellion - a heartbreaking, funny, ultimately redemptivequest for love, independence, connection and grace (which I personally wantedto shake this family while reading it)!  Books offer her a zest for life'shighs and comfort in its lows. She's all-too-happy to share this love withothers as a novelist and a writing teacher at Boston College. She was gratefuland thrilled beyond words when In Leah's Wake hit the Barnes & Noble and Amazon bestseller lists in August. Sheowes a lot of wonderful people – big time! – for any success she's enjoyed!

Terri, welcome to my blog! I'm so glad you couldjoin me. I read your book and I want to jump right into when you knew youwanted to be a writer. Untilhigh school, I planned to be visual artist - a graphic artist or painter. Atheart, though, I've always been a writer. As a child, I entertained myself bymaking up stories and acting in my own improvisational plays. In high school, Itook an advanced writing course; I loved the class and began writing for theschool paper. One day, brazenly, I walked into office at the town paper andasked the editor for a job. At first, I covered sports and other high schoolnews; soon, I was given my own column. I was sixteen. That column was my firstpaid writing job. I earned about a dollar a week – and I knew then that theonly job I'd ever want would be as a writer.
So once you knew you wanted to attemptpublishing, which route did you go? In 2006, the book was under contract with anindie publisher. Shortly before the release, problems emerged. Eventually(unrelated to me), the company folded. I sent the book to a handful of agents,received lovely, complimentary responses, but no offers. I really believed in thisbook. I'd received so much encouragement and positive feedback over the years,from agents, editors, readers, writer friends—I'm grateful, truly grateful toall of them—that I had a hard time letting go. For years, I tried to revise.Eventually, I realized I was writing in circles. The book had changed, but ithad gotten no better. Reluctantly, I put it away.
Last year, after several false starts, I finallygained traction on a new novel, my psychological thriller, Nowhereto Run. Like In Leah's Wake, Nowhere is a family story at heart. Ianticipate finishing the new novel this fall. I knew I'd need a platform forthis new book, and hoped that self-publishing In Leah's Wake would help me build one.
Alot of people self-publish today; for me, the indie route was a new, andscary, avenue. It's been bumpy ride – and the best thing I've ever done formyself.
When did In Leah's Wake come out? The book came out in both print and digitalformats in October 2010. Until I have Smashwords numbers for July and August, Iwon't have exact figures; my closest estimation is approximately 20,000 copies,16,000 since August.
I hope you realize how encouraging that is forother authors out there. Can you share some of your process behindmarketing/the business end of it all? WhenI published In Leah's Wake in October 2010, I had no idea what I wasdoing. I knew that the industry was changing and I'd need a platform if Ihoped to sell the new book. Stupidly, too embarrassed to self-promote, I putthe book on Amazon and left it at that. I mean really left it at that –not even my parents knew I had published the book!
I sold two books in October, four in November, and thirty-four in December. Fora few months, as people bought books for their new Kindles, I sold a few copiesa day. By March, with sales lagging, and I realized that, if I didn't do something,the book would die. In early March, I began blogging and activated my Twitteraccount. 
Unsureof what to do next, I scoured the Internet, looking for advice. After landingon the Novel Publicity site three or four times, I contacted Emlyn Chand, andsigned up for a few basic services. For the next three months, Emlyn and Iworked on building my social networking platform. She introduced me to Twitter,reorganized my blog, and created a media kit, book discussion guide, and videotrailer. In mid-May, I began my Novel Publicity blog tour. In May, I soldthirty-eight books. In June, sales increased to about 2 – 3 books a day. Now,six months later, we've sold nearly 20,000 copies of the novel, with 6000 salesbetween October 1 and October 9.
OnceI got used to the idea that marketing didn't have to mean unabashedself-promotion, I began to enjoy it. I've done two blog hops with the IBC, asecond tour - Social Media Whirlwind - with Novel Publicity, and the IBC'selite promotion, Bestseller For A Day. Emlyn and I also created an interactive InLeah's Wake quiz and crossroads stories for my blog. Because we've done alot of different things, often simultaneously, it's hard to attribute increasedsales to any specific marketing strategy. It's more likely a case of all thesethings contributing to name recognition.
Soobviously social media is a very important part of your process... Socialmedia is, in my estimation, our most important and effective avenue. If youconnect with people, on a human level, they remember you. They may not buy yourbook, but maybe they'll mention your name to somebody else. Marketing makes ahuge difference, but word-of-mouth - people talking, readers recommending yourbook to their friends - has always been the most powerful and effective way tosell books. The industry is changing, for sure, but some things will always bethe same.
Your book has been out a year. Anything you wouldhave done differently? I'd market aggressivelyfrom the start, before the book came out. In 2009, 288,355 books weretraditionally published, and 764,448 indie or self-published. This was beforethe e-book explosion, so I can only imagine the numbers today. For your book tostand out, you have to make noise. While the climate is changing, many criticswon't review indie-published books. My traditionally published friends wereinterviewed on radio and TV, and reviewed in large commercial publications likeUSA Today and People. A radio spot or review in a largecirculation paper or magazine generates interest and gets people talking.
Fewindie publishers land those major spots or reviews. The reality is, we canpromote our work or watch it languish. By the time I finally started to promotethe book, it had been out for close to six months. This gives the impressionthat the book is a loser. Shame on me - until recently, I never really gave ita shot.
Well obviously – what you have done the 2ndsix months has really paid off and more and more people are learning about yourbook. Any parting words you want to share before leaving us today? Market,market, market. Did I say market? Again, start before you publishthe book.
Developa strong social marketing platform. Writers must engage. Readers are on theInternet – on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and other networks – talkingabout books. If you're visible, if they've heard of you, maybe they'll talkabout your book. These networks are about community NOT self-promotion.Still, even if you can't link social networking directly to sales, you'llbenefit from the support.
Mobilizeyour personal networks. A few months prior to publication, spread the news tofamily and friends, send your book to anyone who might be interested inreading; ask them to spread the word. A week or so before your pub date, askfamily and friends to post reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads,etc.
If you can afford it, hire a publicist. She'llwork with you and support you, and you won't feel so alone. Work hard with yourpublicist to promote your book. Most books sell very few copies. If you're aname author or you received a hefty advance, your publisher will promote you.The rest of us, indie or traditionally published, receive little or no notice,so we must be proactive.
There are various types and levels of promotion,so you need not spend a fortune. If you can't afford or don't care to hire apublicist, do the work yourself. Create a website; build your social network,contact reviewers and bloggers; reach out to book clubs. Dollars & Sense: the definitive guideto self-publishing, released last week by the founders of the Indie BookCollective has already hit bestseller status! It's no wonder – it's an amazingbook with a wealth of actionable information.
Self-publishingwas a good choice for me. I don't regret it. This is an exciting time forpublishing – with tremendous opportunity for writers. Whatever choice you make,whether you decide to self-publish or hold out for a traditional publishingcontract, hold onto your dream. You can make it happen! Don't ever give up!
Whata great wealth of knowledge Terri shares. She is so good at 'paying it forward'with other authors. Get out there and follow her on the web. Terri can befound online at: website Blog Twitter Facebook 

The Start of the Ride

[image error] Well Read Book Store Hawthorne, NJMy journey has started down this road of publication and while I'll admit it is as much work as I was warned, I absolutely love what I'm doing. Actually writing the book is such a small fraction of the process. Getting people to read it, talk about it, and pass it on: that's the ride. I've started a blog tour which is a great way to get yourself out there to meet new people across the internet (and probably annoy my friends as well each time I post a new interview). As an author, you want people to get to know you - so I attempt to answer the questions in as best ways as I can (without repeating myself over and over). I am very lucky as an indie author to also be able to go into bookstores and do book signings. I don't take that lightly because I realize just how few authors actually get to experience it. I'm grateful to the stores that are hosting me and so appreciative of the people turning out. 
Saturday I'm attending an all day conference in NYC for small publishers/self publishers: seeing what more I can learn from the other side. I've always been the type to research and learn as much as possible about any project I jump in to and I hope to gain some knowledge from the day. I still have one more week left to run spotlights on my blog of other authors who have made this trip before I did. I've learned so much from interviewing them this month and really appreciate their candid responses. The next two months are pretty full with signings, some radio interviews, and blog tours and as a good friend advised, I need to be sure and enjoy each moment as it's happening. Not simply rush through it.
Thank you to those readers who are reaching out to me to discuss WELL WITH MY SOUL after reading. I'm so happy it is touching people in such a way that they feel the need to talk to me about it. (One particular friend has become obsessed since finishing it and I have loved our talks about it.) 
Please continue to share the word and I hope I don't annoy too much as I share my experience. It's very exciting for a debut novelist to get the opportunity to live this life. And thanks to social media: I can take others along on the ride with me.

Guest Blog: The Accidental Writer

Today I am happy to welcome author David G. Hallman as a guest blogger. I met David on twitter earlier this summer and read his moving memoir August Farewell. David's debut novel Searching for Gilead is now also available. Take it away, David.
  
My current writing career is totally unexpected.
During my professional working life, I wrote five books mostof which were academic in nature and focused on my subject area ofenvironmental ethics. The one exception theme-wise was a book on AIDS that grewout of a 1989 international conference that I coordinated.
I took early retirement and looked forward to a more relaxedlifestyle from the previous thirty years much of which I had spent travelingaround the world involved in UN negotiations on climate change. I had nointention of doing further writing.
Then life, rather dramatically, intervened in my plans.
Bill, my partner, was suddenly diagnosed with stage fourpancreatic cancer. He died sixteen days after we received the diagnosis. We hadbeen together as a gay couple for thirty-three years.
About six weeks after Bill's death, I found myself becomingexceeding anxious that I would forget the details of those excruciating twoweeks while he laying dying in our home. That journey was intense, profound,and spiritual. I became convinced that I needed to record it for myself so thatI could revisit it in years ahead – something like how we treasure photoalbums. If I forgot the details it felt to me like I would be losing Bill asecond time.
So I began writing a chronology of those sixteen days. As Idid, I kept being reminded of experiences that we had had together over ourthirty-three years together. I started integrating vignettes from our past intothe record of those August days. The memoir, August Farewell, was the result.
After completing it, I decided to share it with a few closefriends. They circulated it to others. I kept getting the same feedback fromeveryone who read it – I was told that our story could be a help to others whohave experienced the loss of a loved one as well as for people who would liketo learn more about a long-term gay relationship. My friends encouraged me topublish it.
I resisted the idea of publishing it. It felt too personal.Eventually, after a year of cajoling, my friends prevailed and I agreed.However, then I encountered a new dilemma. I could not imaging myself going tocommercial publishers trying to convince them that this was something that theyshould take on. That prospect felt disrespectful to Bill's memory.
So I decided to go the self-publishing route with iUniverse– a very satisfying experience.
Though I now had the historical record of our life togetherand of Bill's dying, my head and my heart were still roiling with unresolvedissues. In the three years prior to Bill's death, four other immediate familymembers had died. Plus, I was now retired and looking back on a career much ofit spent engaged in international issues about which I had many questions.
I decided to continue writing as a way to think through themultitude of issues, personal and professional, that were consuming my head andmy heart. I plunged into the waters of fiction to see if through my imaginationI could write a story that would speak to my own preoccupations and perhapshave interest to others.
My experience with iUniverse and self-publishing had been sopositive, I decided to continue in that stream. After all, the novel Searching for Gilead was my firstattempt at fiction writing and I doubted any commercial publisher would haveinterest.
So this second career as a writer is indeed an accidental,unplanned one. Who knows where it will go. I certainly don't.
For information onDavid's books, consult his website or find him on twitter. 

Author Spotlight: Tarek Refaat

Tarek Refaat was recommended by a mutual twitter author friend and so Ibegan to follow him. It goes to show the power of twitter that can unite people inthe US with those in Egypt.
I really appreciateyou joining me on my blog. Can you tell me when you started writing? I began to write at a very young age. I usedto like to have a pencil and a piece of paper with me to write what I'd see, butI began to realize I enjoy writing in my later teen years. I began to actuallythink of taking it seriously a bit after my mid-twenties. I've ventured intoseveral genres, especially that I write in Arabic & in English.
What genre do you write in? I've written Comedy, Romance, Articles,Action adventure, historical fiction.  
Did you go thetraditional route or indie? Well I published my first book"Ruptured" (available now) via a traditional Publisher here in Egypt;however I am now checking for a more indie publishing approach.


What is it about an indie approach from that of your current traditional publishing house that interests you?

Well an indie approach keeps you more in control, because you are involved in every detail of the book (however sometimes that does worry me a bit). I already am an IT professional with a full time job, a family man, and doing my masters; so trying to keep everything on track is quite a draining process. But am sure others manage the process. Also it enlightens you on the very different aspects such as the book paper quality, book sizes , covers , etc. For myself, the difference in going indie would be I am more likely to penetrate the English reader major markets which are outside of Egypt such as the US and the UK (while I am physically here in Egypt). That may create another obstacle, but I also believe that can be overcome. 
Are you a print oreBook kind of author? My book is available both printed and e-books.Here in Egypt there are approximately 1000 copies printed. 
How do you marketand promote your books? Well my marketing and promotion are mostlycurrently 'self made'. Since I am trying to give "Ruptured" moreexposure outside of Egypt via the e-books, I am mainly attempting to get toknow the writing communities, writers, readers and authors. Because of my firmbelief that reading is a matter of trust and this comes from good book reviewsand followers or word of mouth.
Is there somethingyou would have done differently or a 'mantra' you tell yourself? Nothing specific, but not to let yourself getdepressed easily; getting a book out is a hectic process and it takes time!
Anything else youwould like to share with us? I would just like to say that I have comeacross some great writers such as Evangelina Jo, Lorna Suzuki & PattiRoberts - they are very supportive writers and always try to help you out.People like that help you find your way! I'd like to take this opportunity tothank them for the support! 

Author Spotlight: Renee Pawlish

I first met Renee Pawlish when I came across herin an author forum on Facebook. She is the author of This Doesn't Happen In The Movies (Availableat Amazon and Smashwords) and NephilimGenesis of Evil (Now an ebook!)

Thankyou for coming over to my blog Renee! So when did you know you were a writer? [image error] I've wanted to write sincehigh school, but I didn't really work hard at it until after grad school. I write mysteries, but Nephilim Genesisof Evil is kind of a mix of mystery, thriller, paranormal, and horror(although no blood, just good suspense and fear).

How did you go about getting published? I've queried novels datingback to about 1995. I knew my writing was "good" when I startedto get rejection letters that said things like "this needs a bit of work,and if I had the time, I'd work with you", or for Nephilim "we likeit, we just can't see the market for it".  It was at that point(2006) that I decided to self-publish Nephilim because I figured I could dojust as well selling it on my own, and maybe that would get me an agent (thatdidn't happen but I'm happy with the end result - I got great reviews and Iknow there's a market for what I write). I hired an editor for content, anotherfor grammar and spelling, an artist for the cover, and used 48 Hour Books inOhio to print the books. I had two print runs for Nephilim and it soldquite well; I only have a few books left that I kept for myself. I then did thesame for a non-fiction book called TheSallie House: Exposing the Beast Within, about a haunted houseinvestigation in Kansas.  It's sold moderately well and I plan to releaseit in ebook form. Last year I started reading about Amanda Hocking and JAKonrath and I decided that I should jump on the ebook bandwagon. And hereI am, hocking (no pun intended lol) my books to the digital world. It'sbeen great because Nephilim is now getting a new lease on life, plus I'mreleasing my mysteries and some short stories.
Youmade really great points there about hiring 'a team' to work on your books. Speakingof – what do you have out or coming out?
 Nephilim came out as a trade paperback in2007.  It is now available as an ebook, and will soon be available againas a trade paperback through CreateSpace.  The Sallie House is a tradepaperback, available at Amazon and through my website. It will also be an ebooksoon. This Doesn't Happen In TheMovies is an ebook, but will soon be available as a trade paperback. Thesecond in the series, tentatively titled ReelEstate Rip-off, will be an ebook later this month, and a short storycollection called Take Five will beavailable as an ebook in a week or so.

Sounds like you are really getting thewhole 'ebook' thing! That's great. What's your overall experience withpublishing? The publishing side ofthings can be tedious, and at times frustrating, especially with formatting inMicrosoft Word. But I also get a kick out of seeing a book go from wordson the computer to an actual book that people can read and enjoy. It'salso been fun working on book covers and trying to make the essence of the bookappear in the cover.

Now the dreaded "M word." Tell us aboutmarketing. Marketing is hard, and Iharken to JA Konrath's advice. I may be misquoting a bit, but heessentially said when he started out that he wrote about 30% of the time andmarketed about 70% of the time. I would have to agree with him. It'stime-consuming to market, but as an author, you can't just expect the readersto come to you - you have to find them and build the word of mouth.
Doyou see a huge significance in social media?
Social media is crucialin this process. I primarily use Twitter, a Facebook fan page (I believeevery author should have one) and a blog, along with my website, topromote. I also look for interviews and guest-blogging opportunities toget my name out there. My books consistently get great reviews, but thatdoesn't mean the readers are going to flock to me. I have to tell themabout the books.

I see your name everywhere – so I thinkyou're doing a great job at it! Any advice for others? Keep at it. For manyyears, my writing would ebb and flow, and I wished I would've just kept writingno matter what. Also, I can't stress this enough, authors need to takecreative writing classes, or read books on writing, go to conferences and soon, to learn their craft. Don't assume that your work is automaticallygood just because your spouse, friend, mother, father, or whoever, said it was.
Doyou see any downfall to the rush of authors hitting the ebook market?
I just read reviewsabout an author who had comments for "a great concept" but all thereviews (all of them, I'm not exaggerating) said that the author needed to workon her writing. This to me is a perfect example of someone who is takingadvantage of the new ebook revolution and publishing too soon, before she honedher writing skills. This can hurt other indie authors as it continues thestigma that indie authors aren't good.

I'm really glad you joined me today. Anylast words? Be willing to spend alittle money on your writing career. Learn about marketing, get a greateditor, pay for great covers, and so on. If you want your books to sell,make sure you've put a quality product out there.

Check out more information on Renee at her website.

And the winner is...

[image error] One of the great things about the indie community of writers is meeting other authors through contests and forums. I recently participated in a cover design contest and UK author Daniel A. Kaine won for his great cover for Dawn of Darkness which is due out as an eBook on the 22nd of this month (and check out the giveaway going on over at goodreads.com). 


I agree that the cover is a really captivating and plays well into the blurb on the book: Unburdened by the pain of loss and heartbreak, Mikhail is content with his life of solitude. But everything began to change the day he realised he has a psychic ability -- the power to alter the emotions of those around him. 


In reading Daniel's bio on his website, I see him as an exciting group of young authors who will tackle many genres. While he says he currently writes books with homosexual themes, he wants to branch out beyond that. I completely understand that thinking, Daniel, as I too wish to be thought of as someone who simply writes: no matter what the subject matter may be about. Authors should be given the chance to branch out into all sorts of genres and no longer be pegged as one type of writer. I really hope that Mr. Kaine's generation of writers is able to break that mold that has been part of the writing world for so long. 


I personally wish Daniel all the best with his book release and hope that readers of this blog will give it a try. (Check out his trailer here.)

Author Spotlight: David Corbet

David Corbet(1972-present) was born in Idaho but raised in Northern California. Hegraduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with a B.A. in Philosophy andReligion in 1996 and from George Fox University in 2001 with a Master of Artsin Theological Studies. He returned to Idaho in 2004 when he began writing andpainting as modes to express his interior life. His first book of poems "AYear in the Mountains" reflects his emotional state as he transitions froma city life to a mountain life. His second book is an action novel titled"Memoirs of a Super Criminal." He currently resides in a mid-sized city inSoutheastern Idaho.  
David – welcome to my blog! Tell me when you started yourcareer as a writer? The first novel Ifinished was in 2002 or 2003. I had written a few short stories and non-fictionpieces but nothing published. I returned to writing as a serious pursuit in2010. I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy so I tend to place my storiesin that genre. I have been playing around with the idea of writing somethingoutside of my normal bounds but so far have not carried the idea very far.
What different routes did you try as far as publishing? I tried getting my firstnovel published. I did not work all that hard at it though. Life takes its owncourse and at that time I did not have a lot of emotional energy to invest in"putting myself out there." After a few rejection notices I just let it slideaway. Not that I gave up, just tabled it for a while until I could find theplace and time to return to it.
When did your first book come out? How many do you have outthere? Are your books in print, eBook or both? I have two books that Ihave self published through various e-book providers. My first book, One Year in the Mountains, came out inJuly 2011. It is a collection of poems that I had written and edited ready forpublication. It was just sitting on my hard drive doing nothing. When I decidedto self publish as an e-publisher/author I wanted to do a test run of thee-publishing systems, so I used my book of poems. Poems are not that hot of aseller so I did not have many expectations I just wanted to familiarize myselfwith the whole publishing and promotion aspects so when my novel was ready Icould be more efficient. To my surprise my book of poems has sold better thanmy novel.
Wow! That is really amazing to hear how well the poetry did!What about your second book? Memoirs of a Super Criminal came out in September2011. I learned a lot when I published my poems. The second time through wasmuch smoother. Each system has different formatting and stylistic requirements.That takes some practice perfecting. The learning curve on e-publishing is justas hard as anything else. It is not just a click of a button and you are done.
What has your experience been like on the publishing side ofthings? E-publishing is very differentfrom traditional publishing. Traditional publishing you send out manuscriptafter manuscript hoping it will get read and then liked and then responded tofavorably. With e-publishing it is just a grueling task of formatting andreformatting your book to be accepted by the e-book providers. There is a lotless anxiety but a lot more frustration with e-book publishing. Amazon, Barnesand Nobles, Smashwords all require different formatting (although Smashwords isthe worst and Amazon the easiest. If you have it Smashwords ready then you areready for anything). Of course publishing a book of poems that requires specialformatting because of the verses set up instead of prose did not help my firstventure. I learned a lot and that made the second time through all that mucheasier.
How important is social media to your marketing process? For me, social media hasbeen my only tool for promotion. That is probably not the best route to take,but it is the one I am on. When you self publish all promo and marketing is upto you. If I had hardcopies of my book I would be out pounding the pavementtrying to get book signing and bookstores to carry my title. But with e-booksit is very different. Word of mouth goes a lot further. And social media is allabout spreading the word of mouth. I twitter, facebook, Google +, run two blogsand do as much online networking as I can. But I also work a day job so I amlimited to how much I can do. And there is a fine line between spamming andself promotion. Certainly my facebook friends want to hear more about my lifethan where to buy my book. And there is somethingsafe about social media promotion and marketing. I happened into a bookstorelast month when an author was sitting at a table doing a book signing. No onewas there to buy her book or ask her questions. Those kinds of events can ruinyou (finally feeling bad for her I bought a book and asked some questions). Buton the computer you are protected, sheltered through the screen. You don't seeall the people trying hard to ignore you as they walk by the table.
That is a really interesting way to see it. (We've allnoticed those authors waiting at the table with pen in hand.) Having spent timeat it now, is there anything you would have done different? Something you wouldwarn someone starting out now to stay clear of? The only thing I wouldhave done different is to not have taken a seven-year hiatus from writing.Write because you love to write. Publish because you need to make money. If youare going the traditional route, edit and polish your book everyday. Read itout loud to yourself every week. And don't let rejection notices knock youdown. Don't even take them seriously until you have at least a hundred. If youare going to self publish in hardback or e-book get ready to self promote.Start now building your network, it takes time and there is much to learn aboutall the available social media sites. Get to know them and learn how to usethem. One warning: Don't pay anyone anything unless they are giving you validservice. Research the company or individual before giving them a dime. Desperateauthors make for easy targets.
Good advice! So many authors are so eager – money gets spentquickly. Anything else you would like to share? Have fun and don't thinkyou are going to get rich over night. Self promotion is not like signing with apublishing house with their sign on bonuses and royalty checks. Self promotionand e-publishing means selling a few books a week until you have a big enoughfollowing that others catch on, that can take years. Have thick skin,confidence in you ability and your book, and most of all have fun telling goodstories. 
More information about David can be found at: http://daav-aotm.blogspot.com/ or https://dlcorb.wordpress.com/