Tim Flanagan's Blog, page 20

Author Interview – Debbie Alferio

Within the Indie Author Hub, you can learn about other authors, their thoughts and opinions, what makes them tick and how their writing process works for them.

This week I interviewed Debbie Alferio. Have a look at her profile and books here.

What inspired you to become an author? I actually had a dream in which I was talking to a young man I didn’t know, and when I woke up, a story began to form in my head.  I went to my computer and the words flowed from me as if they had always been there!  I chalk it all up to divine intervention!  For me, there’s no other way to describe it!

If you couldn’t be an author what would you like to be?  I’m a pretty simple person, and as boring as it may sound to some, I would be perfectly content just being a wife and mother.  Or, the drummer for a rock band.  It’s a secret fantasy of mine—well, okay, maybe not anymore!  Ha ha

 

Do you write full time? Yes, I’m happy to say I’m now writing full time. (when I’m not taking care of my family, pets, household chores, etc.)  LOL

How do you fit writing into your routine? I find that my muse is usually at its best in the evening, so I try to do the bulk of my writing after dinner, between 7-11 pm.  However, if the muse strikes at other times, and I have the ability to do so, I’m at my keyboard tapping away!

Where do you write? We have a sunroom on the back of our house that my husband converted into an office for me.  My desk faces the window overlooking my backyard, and it creates the perfect atmosphere for me to write.

Do you have daily word targets? Not really.  Sometimes the muse just won’t cooperate, and I’d rather write one or two great paragraphs than push myself to a word count and write things I’d end up deleting later.

Before writing, do you plan your books to the last detail? I really don’t.  It goes back to that “pantser” thing.  I find it much more satisfying to have some ideas and then let the muse take over once I sit down to write.

How do you decide on your characters and what they will be like? My characters usually just come to me, and kind of write themselves, if that makes sense.  My only steadfast rule here is that they have to be down-to-earth and realistic.  I believe the readers relate better if a character is similar to someone they know, or even themselves.

How do you get over the fear of a blank page? Oh, yes, writer’s block.  We have become quite familiar with each other over the years.  I tend not to try to force the creativity.  If it’s there, it’s there.  If not, I leave the project for a short time and let my mind rest.  Works well for me most of the time.

How do you target your audience effectively? The key is in knowing your niche market, and for me, that’s primarily any woman from age 14-up.  Since my books are inspirational romance, I’ve also found a strong market within church groups.

What ways do you promote yourself online? I send out periodic emails to my readers and others on my contact list as well as keeping a presence on Facebook and LinkedIn.  I also have a blog and do several online interviews a year like this one.

How much time do you spend promoting yourself in social media? I generally spend about 2 hours a day, sometimes more depending on whether I’m working on an interview or a guest appearance on a blog, podcast, etc.

 

What’s been your most effective way of promoting yourself? I find personal appearances to be the best way for me to promote myself and my work.  I love speaking in front of people, whether it’s for a private group or at a writer’s conference.  So much fun!

What offline promotion do you take part in? I do a lot of personal appearances which include book signings, craft shows, multi-author book fairs, and speaking for writer’s groups, women’s groups, and at writer’s conferences.

What made you decide to publish independently? For me, the reasons are many.  I was eager to get my work in front of an audience, and the idea of waiting for months—or possibly even years—to be published didn’t sit well with me.  I also love the creative freedom independent publishing gives me as well as the opportunity to promote my work in the manner of my choosing, and that I don’t have to worry about deadlines.  I don’t work well under pressure, so being able to take my time and “get it right” means a lot.

What do you think the future of traditional publishing will be? I see a lot more authors publishing independently and the stigma against them being drastically reduced or even eliminated.

Is it necessary for authors to have agents these days? I don’t think it’s as much of a necessity as it is a choice for the indie author; however, for those choosing traditional publishing, an agent is almost a must.

How do you deal with rejection or a less favourable review? I haven’t had to face this yet, fortunately, but I try to keep in mind that a review is really nothing more than one person’s opinion of my work.  Not everyone is going to like what I do, and to believe they will is unrealistic.  I stay focused on those who have reacted favorably to what I do, and if I there is some tidbit of advice I can take from the negativity to better my work, I try to do it.

How do you keep yourself motivated? I’ll admit it isn’t easy sometimes, but I personally keep in mind that I’m writing for my readers and not necessarily for myself.  I owe it to them to keep writing, and try to remember that they are looking forward to reading new material.

What’s your top tip for aspiring authors? Don’t let anything discourage you from writing.

Thank you for being part of this interview.

Film Friday – The Hobbit. The Desolation of Smaug – New trailer

The new trailer for the second part of The Hobbit, released earlier this week by Warner. Film’s out 13 December. Looking forward to it!

Merchandise and Branding

As an author, why would you use merchandise or swag?

Merchandise are incentives that can serve to put your book or name in front of potential readers as well as keeping it in the mind of existing readers. But there are many other functions merchandise can have, including:

Incentives at a launch party

Added bonus for pre-orders

As incentives / gifts for your supporters to spread the word

As reminders

Prizes for competitions

When looking for a quote for your merchandise, remember that some businesses will charge for different segments separately, including the cost of printing/production, set up or design costs, cost for uploading your own images, cost for delivery and local tax charges.

Here are some places you may want to start with:

gotprint,

vistaprint,

youprint,

24hourprint,

overnightprints,

moo,

fabbookaccessories

But you can do better than that!

Think outside the box and develop your brand.

If you want to be successful marketing yourselves and your books, you need to think about branding. The brand is a subtle reminder of your product, ie book, that we want readers to remember, and isn’t a hard direct sell to wary readers.

Hugh Howey’s brand symbol is the radiation warning symbol that he even now includes in his autograph. He makes sure that it is on every piece of merchandising. In fact, Hugh Howey recently gave away a clever piece of merchandising to go with the launch of the final book in the Wool trilogy. He created USB thumb-drives in the form of a Radioactive Fallout Shelter Sign to give away to his supporters. In doing so he created word of mouth advertising for the book, a desirable object linked to the series and a permanent reminder of his books. The USB stick came loaded with all three books in ebook format as well as a ‘secret file.’ Howey could have given away a bookmark, but would it have had the same impact? No. Admittedly the USB drives would have cost more to produce, but the excitement it created around his brand, and consequently his new book, is worth so much more. 24,000 people entered a competition to win one of ten USB drives! They are now for sale on his website for $18.97, which, when you consider that it contains the three books, is a pretty good price. But, is that the reason to buy one? No. It’s because it’s cool. Now admit it, you actually fancy one, don’t you? (Go to his website if you must!)

How can you do something similar?

If you want to think of something that can be easily produced, is easy to replicate, is desirable, has value and is unique to you, you need to ask yourself some questions.

What’s unique about you, your books or your characters? There must be something different about one of those things that you could exploit in the form of marketing. How could you weave that into some sort of promotional gift? You need to think about your theme and brand. You need an image or idea that encapsulates you or your books. Then you need to make sure it stimulates conversation.

What have you used to help with your marketing? If you have any suggestions for other authors, please share it.

Author Interview – Peggy Kopman-Owens

Within the Indie Author Hub, you can learn about other authors, their thoughts and opinions, what makes them tick and how their writing process works for them.

This week I interviewed Peggy Kopman-Owens. Have a look at her profile and books here.

What inspired you to become an author? My mother wrote music and lyrics, but also, short stories.  She revealed, when we were old enough to understand, what had seemed “magical” to the ears and eyes of her children was actually the marriage of passion and patience, something which all musicians, artists, actors and writers understand.  In addition to being musicians, my parents were both avid readers, consuming two or three books a week.  There have been musicians in our family for five generations, writers for three, book lovers… well, forever.   

 

Do you write full time? Capturing an idea when it is still “fresh” is crucial. Finding a secluded or quiet spot to write is not.  In fact, some of my best writing has occurred in what you might call “heavy-traffic zones” such as airports, buses… while sitting on the Métro.  Notes on café serviettes, matchbook covers, railroad schedules, often suffice until ideas find their way out of my pockets and onto a page.  When I do reach a computer, I can write 30-35 new pages a day, edit another 30.  So, you see.  I do not make this passion a “labor” of love, and this seems to be the key.  Instead, I have learned to love the process, embracing every chance to discover something new on a blank page.       

How do you target your audience effectively? My books are promoted as “Paris-based” mysteries, primarily, because anyone who loves Paris will know that Paris is a myriad of authentic mysteries.  Every street inspires intrigue; and every café, a romance.  Throw in a spy or two (especially, one who likes to read) and well, could a writer find a better venue for a story? Action/Adventure buyers have produced my best sales figures to date, which comes as a bit of a surprise.  Psychological Thriller might be a more appropriate moniker, although I prefer Mystery because my stories intentionally lack the gratuitous violence one might associate with other genres.  But, however my readers choose to describe my books, the good news is that they have solved the mystery of where to buy them! 

What ways do you promote yourself online? As you know, most authors are quite shy, so therefore, self-promotion is difficult.  I am, by nature, a private person.  However, having said that, an offer to discuss the creative process with someone engaged in similar pursuits can be intellectually irresistible. On those occasions, I can become quite social. One of the most comfortable ways for an author to promote his/her work is to accept generous offers to interview with another author.  This dresses the task of self-promotion in far more acceptable fashion, disguising it as simple conversation between friends.  Thank you for this invitation to participate, in what one might call an online masquerade party, and for allowing this guest to remain, comfortably, behind her mask. Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing and BookRabbit offer wonderful places for readers and authors to meet online.  Readers work tirelessly to promote authors they like on these websites, making recommendations and posting reviews.  Authors can interact with their readers, post comments, enter discussions with other authors, and learn first-hand how their work is being interpreted by the public. My publisher releases information via Twitter and in addition, there is a fan page on Facebook for my readers to visit for updates on new releases. 

How much time do you spend promoting yourself in social media? Social media is not a priority because at this stage of my life, I am keenly focused on writing, and travel.  My personal story is punctuated with a great deal of packing and unpacking because travel will always be a passion.  Fortunately, I can write anywhere (with or without the internet).  Notebooks and pencils may be embarrassingly low-tech, but they take up very little space in a suitcase.  They also do not beep, buzz, vibrate, or alert one to anything, which might distract from finishing a good storyline.   

 

What’s been your most effective way of promoting yourself? The most effective promotion has been simply word of mouth. There is no marketing tool, which can replace the authenticity of, or out-perform the enthusiasm of an avid reader.  When the first people to take an interest in a new author’s work are family and close friends, it is especially gratifying.  When I learned that my books had became the topic of morning coffee among strangers, it proved to be – not only the most effective form of marketing – but also, the most genuine form of flattery.   

What offline promotion do you take part in? Very little, but I do answer letters from book club members, who want further clarification about a character or a particular storyline.  If several readers write to pose the same question, I post an answer on my blog. Criticism, good or bad, if you consider it objectively, is quite a generous gift; one for which readers seldom receive a proper “Thank you.”  Readers, courageous enough to offer honest opinions, can only improve an author’s work.  I set aside time every week to answer mail in what I hope is an equally thoughtful manner. It takes time out of a reader’s busy life to send a thoughtful commentary.  Writers, artists, musicians, actors, all have a responsibility to acknowledge fans.  Our work is nothing without an audience.  For those of you kind enough to read this, “Thank you.”  

What do you think the future of traditional publishing will be? Traditional print publishers, as well as traditional literary agencies, appear to be scrambling to retool their companies and re-educate their principals on the benefits of digital publishing.  Ebooks are the future, whether or not the publishing industry chooses to accept the truth or to resist it.  Resistance seems futile because electronic devices are not going away.  If anything, they are only becoming better.  On airplanes, eReading devices are now as commonplace as paperbacks once were. Bound copies of books will always hold a place in our hearts and on our coffee tables.  They will hold artistic value long after they lose their commercial value.  Libraries, universities, and private collectors will continue to hoard them.  So, I don’t expect digital publications to replace print entirely. It will be up to the next generation to decide which is more important, a device or a paperback on their nightstands.  Personally, I still enjoy the feel of a print book in my hands.  I stuff at least two in my luggage when I travel, and always leave one behind, next to my bed. One interesting clue about the future did surface recently.  One of my readers wrote to say he reads my books on his smart phone on his lunch breaks, saying that it fits much easier than a paperback into his shirt pocket.  So, there you have it.  Avid readers will always find a way to satisfy their curiosity, and in a user-friendly way.  That’s good news for authors everywhere, regardless of how we choose to publish our words.  

Is it necessary for authors to have agents these days? This is a personal decision.  However, for me, it was crucial.  The variation in format submissions and the technological challenges of self-publishing were daunting; the royalty agreements for self-publishing – confusing; efforts to connect with traditional print publishers and literary agents – utterly exhausting.  All of this took time away from what I wanted to do, which was to complete seven books in two years. Fortunately, through a British guild, I found Sandy Fisher, a London-based literary agent, who was willing to take that leap of faith, which all new authors need.  She must be the best negotiator in the business because she secured a contract with a British publisher, who agreed to produce and release all seven books from my first mystery series within the first twelve months of the contract. To make good fortune even better – Aventura eBooks believes in paying their authors, not the other way around.  Pardon the pun, but what a positively novel idea! Sandy Fisher continues to be nothing less than stellar in her advice, her commitment to helping new authors, and her follow-through.  Her word is as good as gold.  She has demonstrated incredible energy every step of the way.  The fact, that my first mystery series is now available to the public, is a testament to her hard work, as well as her keen insight into the 21st Century world of digital publishing. Sandy Fisher understood my goals and knew how to accomplish them.  I believe that these past three years (spent putting pen to paper and watching manuscripts become ebooks) were not wasted because I had an agent, who always represented my best interests.  Sandy championed my cause in all battles, shielding me from inevitable pitfalls.  Her talent and my confidence in her ability were both crucial to the success that, together, we have enjoyed this past year. 

So, the short answer?  Yes.  If a writer can secure a good literary agent – Do it!   If you can get Sandy Fisher to represent you, even better!  

How do you deal with rejection or a less favourable review? After a few years of rejection, I finally learned to separate myself from my work.  First, intellectually, and then, emotionally, I learned that a critic can detest a creation without ever passing judgment on its creator.   Also – no one’s work is perfect.  Everything humans create is subject to human errors – my work, especially, included.  So, there will always be criticism.  Like a storm cloud, it will go away. Among my friends are actors, who find rejection most difficult.  They consider themselves – in essence – to be their own creation, or perhaps, re-creation.  When an audience boos, they are wounded deeply.  They are denied the luxury of editing or revising, in that exceptional manner that a writer with an eraser, or an artist with a brush, can quickly amend his performance. There is intrinsic value in every artistic expression, and I have great faith that artists, who stay true to their vision will eventually find an accepting and forgiving audience.   As my mother would say, all it takes is “passion and patience.”  Certainly, her words have guided my journey.  But, then, I count myself among the luckiest people on the face of the Earth.  Even on a cloudy day, I can still see my reflection in the eyes of people who love me.  

What’s your top tip for aspiring authors? Fear and courage cannot coexist.  Embrace one

Thank you for being part of this interview.

Friday Film – 2 more Star Wars Angry Birds II Trailers

These are great spoof trailers for the Star Wars Angry Birds II game. Here two more – one featuring Boba Fett and the other Darth Maul. Enjoy!

 

Angry Birds Star Wars Emperor Trailer    Jedi Kittens

Author Interview – Bianca Sloane

Within the Indie Author Hub, you can learn about other authors, their thoughts and opinions, what makes them tick and how their writing process works for them.

This week I interviewed Bianca Sloane. Have a look at her profile and books here.

What inspired you to become an author? I’ve always been a writer; as I kid, I loved creating stories and was forever pecking out ideas on my ancient little typewriter.  As I got older, I veered more into journalism, then PR.  However, fiction always pulled at me, so the decision to become an author was an organic one.  I love the freedom writing a novel gives you.

 

Do you write full time? Yes and no.  My day job is a freelance copywriter, so I write press releases, speeches, articles, etc. for my clients, while work on my novels usually takes place at night and on the weekends.

How do you fit writing into your routine? Because I work for myself, my schedule is flexible, so there might be days where things are slow with clients, and I can devote a random Wednesday to my WIP.  Other times, it may not be until after hours.  I always carve out time on the weekends as well.

Where do you write? I write at my desk, which faces a corner in my living room.  Real inspirational, I know.

Do you have daily word targets? I usually shoot for 2,000 words a day.  Sometimes, I only get a 1,000, other days it might be 3,000-4,000.  But I do write every day.

Before writing, do you plan your books to the last detail? Yes and no.  I am starting to get more into outlining, but for the most part, until I get it on the page in manuscript form, I don’t always know what’s going to happen.  For me, it’s like a puzzle.  Once I take all the pieces out of the box and lay them on the table, I can step back and figure out what I need to do to make everything fit together.

How do you decide on your characters and what they will be like? It’s usually very organic.  I might have a vague idea of who they are and what motivates them before I start, but more often than not, their characteristics reveal themselves as I write.

How do you get over the fear of a blank page? I don’t really have that problem.  I usually just sit down and start writing and the rest takes care of itself.

How do you target your audience effectively? One strategy that has been extremely effective has been to reach out to book bloggers who review in my genre to ask for a review on Amazon, Goodreads, et al.  In addition to posting on those sites, many will also post their review on their blog, which has given me added exposure to suspense readers.

What ways do you promote yourself online? I’m very active on Twitter and Pinterest.  I also blog regularly, am on Google+ and I actively seek out opportunities for guest blogs and interviews.  I also list my book on such book-centric sites as www.bookmatchers.com, www.bookgoodies.com, http://www.blackcaviar-bookclub.com/, among others.

How much time do you spend promoting yourself in social media? I don’t do a lot of blatant self-promotion on social media; if a blog reviews my book, or I have a KDP Select Day, I’ll tweet about it. I don’t believe in screaming “buy my book” on social media. It’s not all that effective, not to mention, not all that interesting. The “self-promotion” I do on social media is more passive; I tweet articles or quotes I find interesting or add to my Pinterest boards, which range from my favorite movies to my obsession with shoes.  I blog once a week.  My philosophy is to do a little bit every day. 

 

What’s been your most effective way of promoting yourself? Honestly, it has been a combination of all of the above; social media, guest blogs, KDP Select, etc.  However, reaching out to book bloggers has probably given me the biggest ROI.  I’ve made a huge push to get my work into the hands of book bloggers for book reviews.  Doing this has resulted in increased visibility and sales as a bonus, I’ve started to forge some great relationships with them, which has been awesome.

What offline promotion do you take part in? Because my work is currently available in eBook form, all my promotional efforts have been online.  I’m in the process of producing print versions of my work and I hope one day soon to participate in conferences and book signings/readings, but for now, it’s all online.

What made you decide to publish independently? At the end of 2012, I uploaded “Live and Let Die” on Amazon and enrolled in the KDP Select program.  After the exclusivity period with Amazon was over, I made “Live and Let Die” available on Barnes and Noble and Smashwords. Like so many, I did the “Query-Go-Round”; I would either receive the polite but impersonal rejection or requests for the first 50 pages, which were followed by the polite but impersonal rejection.  I put my writing on hold for seven years, a combination of frustration and a series of major life changes. In 2012, I stumbled upon a tweet from Roger Ebert, who’d linked to an article about Amanda Hocking in the “The Guardian,” and how she decided to use Amazon as a publishing platform.  The lightbulb in my head not only went off, it exploded.  I read up on what she did and modeled my efforts on hers.  However, it was only after a lot of research and arming myself with as much knowledge as I could about the industry, did I take the plunge into self-publishing.  You can’t decide on Monday that you want to publish on Tuesday.  You’ve got to do your homework.

What do you think the future of traditional publishing will be? I think the future of publishing isn’t all that different from the old studio system in Hollywood, in that, a lot of actors and directors wanted greater say over the types of movies they did and began to break away and become free agents.  I think we’ll see a lot of traditionally published authors take creative control of their books and publishing houses will become more like distributors.  I don’t think print books will ever go away and I think book bloggers will become the new gatekeepers.

Is it necessary for authors to have agents these days? I think it depends upon the trajectory of your career.  If you need to negotiate foreign rights, film and TV rights, even your digital rights should you decide to sign with a traditional publisher, an agent is a powerful member of your team.  However, do I think these days you need an agent to be published?  Not really.  Indie authors are proving it can be done without one.

How do you deal with rejection or a less favourable review? Aside from a one-star review on Goodreads, where the reviewer didn’t say why they were giving me 1-star, my reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, which I am extremely humbled by.  However, that can change in a heartbeat and I brace myself for it every day.  I try to take a fairly philosophical view; for one, not everyone will like my work, and that’s okay.  Second, when that day does come, I would just try and take it in stride.  If it’s constructive criticism, I’ll listen. If it’s mean-spirited, I may be bummed for a day, then I’ll just have to brush it off and move on.  Life’s too short to obsess about those kinds of things.

How do you keep yourself motivated? I’m motivated to get these stories out of my head and onto paper.  I love knowing that something about my work strikes a chord in people and I welcome the challenge of continuing to strike those chords.

What’s your top tip for aspiring authors? Do your homework.  And keep writing.

Thank you for being part of this interview.

The Pendle Hill Witches

Sometimes when you write a book, you don’t always know where, or what, it will lead to. Whilst researching for the fourth and final book in the Moon Stealer series (due out at the end of the year!), I was recommended by Audrey Carden, a Facebook friend, to look into the Pendle Hill Witches. I found myself being pulled into a fascinating period of English history.

Pendle Hill is a small area in Lancashire, in the north of England. In the 1600′s two rival witch families called the Demdike’s and the Chattox’s lived around the hill. On the whole, both families used their powers to earn a living by healing and creating L’Elisir d’amore, or magical love potions!

When King James I of England and Scotland took the throne, he made witchcraft punishable by death following the curse from a Scottish witch who had been successfully convicted of using witchcraft, to send a storm against a ship that carried him and his wife Ann from Denmark to Scotland.

The 1600′s were tough times. Lancashire was known as a wild and lawless region. Earning an honest living had become harder than ever, resulting in the competing Demdike and Chattox families turning on each other. Each family made wilder and wilder claims of their powers, trying to out-do each other. Accusations of bewitching local children, murdering and making lame by witchcraft were thrown between the families. They were summoned before Roger Nowell, the Justice of the Peace for Pendle and were later tried and hanged for witchcraft.

Looking back to those times, it’s incredible to think that witchcraft was taken so seriously. But it was! King James even wrote a book on the subject called Daemonologie. Up until the year 1750 when witchcraft ceased to be punishable by death, an estimated 35,000 – 50,000 people had been executed after being successfully tried for witchcraft. 75-80% of them were women. Some scholars estimate the number of deaths to be much higher.

Author Interview – Erik Morland

Within the Indie Author Hub, you can learn about other authors, their thoughts and opinions, what makes them tick and how their writing process works for them.

This week I interviewed Erik Morland. Have a look at his profile and books here.

What inspired you to become an author? When I was sixteen I was thinking about what I should do with my life. I thought I should set my goals very high and decided then to become a famous writer. At the time I didn’t realize that how higher the goals are, the more difficult it is to reach these goals, but I have absolutely no regrets about this, my writing has given me a huge amount of enjoyment. I am now Twenty years further down the line and I have reached only one of these two goals. I am a writer, I feel that my knowledge about writing and my writing skills have reached a level in which I can compete with anybody, what I am actually doing because my first novel is now out on the market.

If you couldn’t be an author then what would you like to be? I have a very powerful imagination, but I cannot imagine a life without writing. If I wouldn’t be writing then maybe I would be making paintings or cartoons, I don’t know.

Do you write full time? Luckily not, I think that sitting inside a house all day, with nothing else to do then to sit behind a computer, is not my idea of a healthy lifestyle. Besides writing I make a living as a postman. I think it’s a great job especially when the sun is shining. It’s not so nice when it’s raining or snowing, but everything has its advantages and disadvantages, and in this day and age it’s good to have a job at all.

How do you fit writing into your routine? I have agreed with my spouse that I can sit behind the computer every evening for two hours between eight and ten, plus a few hours on Monday morning and a few hours on Friday afternoon. It’s good that my time behind the computer is limited otherwise I might forget that I also have a real life.

Where do you write? I have created a small office in the attic of my house.

Before writing, do you plan your books to the last detail? I think that planning ahead is extremely important, when I have an idea for a story I will write a synopsis of about two pages with a lot of emphasis and detail on the beginning and the end. I find those two parts the most important parts of a story everything else is there to connect the beginning with the end. I will then try to use the three act story structure or elements of the three act story structure to further develop the story. The three act story structure is an instrument which is used to give screenplays for movies structure. I find this also a useful tool for books. However I do think that the three act story structure is flawed because it doesn’t give enough emphasis to the beginning and the ending of a story.

How do you decide on your characters and what they will be like? This comes natural to me, the characters simply appear in my imagination and develop as the story develops. I take the description of the characters very serious, for instance, if I want to write about a bar, it’s okay to describe what the bar looks like, but at the end of the day nobody really cares that the barstools are worn out and smelly, but if I would write that the barmaid has a black eye and her hands are shaking a bit, this will immediately trigger somebody else’s imagination. People identify with other people even if they are fictional characters. When a reader feels concern for one or more characters that’s when I know that this person has been captured inside my imaginary world. I sometimes like to tease my readers a little with a few lose ends about some characters, it gives the story something mysterious, I don’t feel that as a writer I have to explain everything, and when people are left wandering about what happened to this or that character, then hopefully the story will stick to their memory.

How do you get over the fear of a blank page? I assume that you mean writers block. It should never happen if you properly plan a story then you always know exactly where you are at, and where you want to go next. I think that a writer who has writer’s block should take a step back and review everything that he has done so far, maybe the work needs to be restructured. When a writer writes half a book and then thinks to himself; “Now how am I going to give this story an ending?” he or she will not only have writers block several times but will probably end up with a silly story.

How do you target your audience effectively? There are women who enjoy science fiction but there is also a large group of women who don’t like science fiction at all. Nevertheless, I did try to make my story more appealing to women by adding female heroes and themes that are interesting to women, like marriage, babies, love, etcetera. I definitely wrote a story that will appeal to most men because there is a lot of action and drama in the story. I think that variation is key, if there is too much action it becomes too much of the same, an action writer can add quit some blood and violence to a story before it becomes too much, but the goal is to entertain people not to terrify or sicken them, so this should remain in healthy doses. Tempo and rhythm is very important to a novel, its okay to slow things down sometimes, only to once again pick up the pace. In other words: the best way to target an audience is by writing a very good story.

What ways do you promote yourself online? I have a website and am constantly working hard, to improve this site and to make it more  visible on the web. I am sure that when you post this interview and place a link to my website, that this will be a big help.

How much time do you spend promoting yourself in social media? I was extremely happy and proud when I managed to get my story out on the market, but soon after that happened I was confronted with two huge problems, one: How do I get my book noticed? For instance, when my e-book came out on amazon.com it was released that month together with thirty thousand other e-books that were also science fiction novels. And two: How can I convince anyone that my book is worth buying? I know I wrote a great book, but is that enough to be successful? Maybe not, so in my free time, I am completely focused on promoting my first novel.

What’s been your most effective way of promoting yourself? I used to have a small business and based upon my own personal experience in marketing I believe that all forms of marketing might help a little but won’t help a lot. So it is my strategy to try everything but to keep it low budget. I don’t know why some books go viral, but I honestly believe that my book has a chance of going viral because it is a once in a lifetime reading experience, it’s nothing like anybody has ever read before or ever will read again.

What offline promotion do you take part in? I wrote a flyer and am planning on bringing it house to house, however I don’t live in an English speaking country, and my novel is in English as is the flyer. It speaks for itself that this kind of advertisement would have been a lot more effective if I had been living in an English speaking country, nevertheless I will disperse this flyer hoping that it will help.

How did you publish yourself? I submitted my novel ‘To the Edge of the Universe’ to Aventuraebooks.

What do you think the future of traditional publishing will be? I think it will be great. It’s a good idea to first publish a book as an e-book it gives the writer an opportunity to make a name for themselves, when the book is then published physically it has a better chance of being successful.

Is there a place for the traditional publishers anymore? Things have changed, to publish a physical book is a financial risk, imagine a publisher printing eighty thousand books and only selling five hundred, the publishing company is then stuck with seventy nine thousand five hundred books and a lot of expenses. This risk is less great with an e-book, although my publisher did have to invest some money, they had to hire somebody to read my book, then to edit it, and then they hired a professional illustrator to make a front cover which looks amazing, however, this cannot be compared with the financial investment necessary for a physical publication. Because of this it has become a lot easier for a writer to get published, consequently there is a vast amount of e-books out there, the quantity increased but not necessarily the quality. I have spotted an e-book on Amazon that wasn’t even finished yet. They said: ‘buy this book and read it as it is still being written’. That is absurd, a novel should be written, re-written, near perfect, and then edited before it is published. And because of this huge quantity of e-books on offer, it has become more difficult to get noticed.

Is it necessary for authors to have agents these days? If you are an extremely famous writer whose name is known by everybody then it is not necessary, but for people like me, is a good agent a blessing.

How do you deal with rejection or a less favourable review? The original story of To the Edge of the Universe was first written in Dutch. The book was as thick as a phone book, between seven and eight hundred pages, and had taken many years to write. It was turned down by all the Dutch publishing companies. Science fiction is not published in the Netherlands at all, if I want to read science fiction I have to go to an English book store and read an English book, or e-book. The book then lay on the shelf for a couple of years, until I realized that I had always seen the story in my imagination as a movie, so I set out to transform the story into a screenplay. I wrote the screenplays in English and ended up with enough material for four movies. I then made a vast amount of query letters and send them to Hollywood agencies. I would also call them up by phone, and on one occasion I actually convinced a Hollywood agent to take a look at the screenplays, and guess what happened?… she took a quick look at them and turned them down. I was then approached by a screenplay consultant. I paid him some money and he reviewed the first two episodes and sent me six pages of feedback. This prompted me to completely rewrite, reconstruct and downsize the screenplays into a trilogy. When this was done I couldn’t find anybody to take a look at these new screenplays. Then I thought: This is a great basis for a new and improved novel. So I wrote a new and much shorter version of the story and this time I wrote it in English. I then found Aventuraebooks and they published it. I think it is very healthy to have ambitions, and writing has given me a lot of excitement, but rejection is part of this lifestyle. Whenever you are rejected you should try to figure out the reason for this rejection and then bounce back to another place.

How do you keep yourself motivated? This is not a problem at all, I love to write, to build my own imaginary world, and to go on an adventure in that imaginary world is exhilarating to me. The fun and exciting becomes greater as my writing improves.

What’s your top tip for science fiction authors? The mistake that I spot the most when I am reading science fiction from other authors; is that they will invent many new words without properly explaining the meaning of those words, and then use those words to create complicated and confusing sentences. Sometimes in science fiction it’s necessary to invent a new word, for instance when the writer wants to introduce an alien specie or an invention, but the writer should then immediately explain in detail what that new word means. A reader wants to constantly understand every sentence, otherwise he or she might disregard the whole book as confusing

Thank you for being part of this interview.

Friday Film – Star Wars Angry Birds II Trailer

This is a fun trailer for the new star wars angry birds game. The emperor’s out-takes!

Author Interview – Holden Robinson

Within the Indie Author Hub, you can learn about other authors, their thoughts and opinions, what makes them tick and how their writing process works for them.

This week I interviewed Deb Nam-Krane. Have a look at her profile and books here.

What inspired you to become an author? I began my first book in 2005 when my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The idea of losing him was unbearable, and I needed a safe place to put all those feelings about losing my dad. Writing was my safe haven, my good friend, something I could cry over in my darkest hours. In 2008, I began writing comedy, and I continue to do so. I think God smiles when someone laughs. I love that I have made people laugh. It truly is the cheapest medicine on today’s market. Be careful, laughter is addictive.

 

If you couldn’t be an author what would you like to be? I aspire to become successful enough to open Tenth Life Respite Home, a sanctuary for senior cats. I would love to be on Broadway one day, and I’d love to be twenty years younger when that happens.

Do you write full time? No, but I’d like to.  I feel confident there is a delightfully rich fella out there who would love to have a quirky wife who writes full time and heats up a mean Stouffers.  He must love cats, (in case you know of someone). I work retail management.  Despite the daunting nature of this, it has given birth to Tommy’s Tool Town, a blog devoted to the hilarious reality of retail.  Tommy’s has drawn readers from all over the globe, proving that the one thing that links us all, is that we each have a retail horror story.

How do you fit writing into your routine? Some days I don’t, which is incredibly frustrating.  It’s hard to know there’s something else you’re meant to be doing.

Where do you write? I write at home or at a beautiful coffee shop I discovered on a snowy, serendipitous morning.

Do you have daily word targets? I shoot for ten pages.  Yesterday, I didn’t hit ten words.

Before writing, do you plan your books to the last detail? No.  I have a loose outline, and I write the ending early on.  I liken it to a map.  If you don’t know where you’re going, how in the world are you going to get there?

How do you decide on your characters and what they will be like? They tend to develop themselves, as odd as it sounds.  When I write a scene and introduce the character(s), I imagine then in the scene as if it were a play.  What do they look like?  What are their mannerisms?  I have also used biographies on my characters.  It is extremely helpful.

How do you get over the fear of a blank page? I once used a grocery list for filler.  I write through it, even if it’s garbage.  I go back later and edit it all out.

How do you target your audience effectively? I have not yet mastered targeting my market effectively.  I am up for any good advice.  I’d love for someone to say, “you’re doing it wrong, try this.”

What ways do you promote yourself online? If I have a weakness, this is it.  I utilize Facebook and Twitter, but not nearly as much as I should.  I try to market at least an hour a day, and this works well until the phone rings, the dogs need to go out, the cat produces a hair ball the size of a small planet, or it’s time to hit the day job.

How much time do you spend promoting yourself in social media? I try for an hour daily.  That doesn’t always happen.  The procrastination, however, is coming along fabulously.

What’s been your most effective way of promoting yourself? I did a virtual tour when I first launched.  The reviews were great, but the tour hosts had few followers.  I think with the right hosts, the virtual tour is most effective.

What offline promotion do you take part in? I have done a lot of book signing events, and have participated in events at venues that carry my books.  This has been fairly successful.

What made you decide to publish independently? The big houses couldn’t connect with my characters, which I liken to “the check is in the mail.”  I think it’s a standard response in today’s market.  I don’t think the large players want to take a chance on an unknown author.  Black Rose Writing is all about taking chances on new authors.  I was impressed with what they had to offer, and I remain so.  I wrote to be read.  Black Rose gave me that opportunity.

What do you think the future of traditional publishing will be? I think eventually all authors will be seen as equals, but we’re not there yet.  There is a great focus on Indie writers, and the beautiful work we produce.  I’d like to think we’ll see a day when books will be celebrated for what they give to the world, and not because a celebrity wrote them.  I think we’re getting there.

Is it necessary for authors to have agents these days? Unless they’re trying to break into the big houses, which is something MacGyver probably couldn’t do nowadays, I really don’t think so. It all comes down to the author, to what they’re willing to do, and how many cats and dogs they have to keep them from applying their marketing time wisely.

How do you deal with rejection or a less favourable review? For a few seconds, I want to quit, go off the grid into the mountains and raise goats.  Once that hissy fit passes, I try to determine what it was that created the poor review or rejection.  I look for the lesson in it, as cliché as that sounds.  What I don’t like is the occasional review that says simply, “poorly written,” or “this book just stinks.”  If you’re going to say something like that about something that took a writer hundreds of hours to produce, be decent enough to elaborate.

How do you keep yourself motivated?  I imagine the beautiful animals I will one day be able to save.  I know they’re waiting for me.  How could I possibly quit?

What’s your top tip for aspiring authors? Believe in your work and keep writing.

Thank you for being part of this interview.