Jason Matthews's Blog, page 22

Indie Authors On Air Show each Monday

For writers, readers and everyone interested, we are hosted weekly by HangoutNetworks to do an Indie Author show Mondays at 6pm PST. Shows automatically become 1 hour YouTube videos and are a great way to promote your author name and book. Subjects include all things related to e-publishing. Authors who would like to be on the show, contact me through the comments section or at my Google Plus Profile page.

Here’s an example from show #6, topic–Social Media

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Audionautix – Jason Shaw, Free Music for Book Trailers, Videos

Where do you get free music for book trailers and YouTube videos?

A friend suggested using FreeplayMusic.com to add to a YouTube video I made for another friend in the publishing business. The idea sounded fine until reading the terms of use, which meant spending $200 or facing potential prosecution and legal fees. No thanks. FreeplayMusic, despite the name, is definitely not free for most uses.

Fortunately Audionautix, a truly free music site operated by Jason Shaw, had just what I needed in track #48, Wheels. There were nearly 300 instrumental songs to choose from–plenty of them would have complemented the YouTube video nicely. Jason Shaw’s only request: You are free to use the music (even for commercial purposes) as long as you credit “audionautix.com” where possible. Music must be part of some other created works. No further permission is required.

You got it, music credits in the description on my friend’s YouTube video. Audionautix also has a PayPal donation button; I was happy to contribute $5.

Check them out for free music. Any other recommended sites and artists? Please post them in the comments.

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Theresa Cramer–Indie Author and Then Some

To merely say Theresa Cramer is an Indie author would be a major understatement. She deserves extra attention and could quickly rise to the top thanks to talent plus major involvement in the field. Theresa writes books, articles, blogs, you name it. She’s the editor of EContent magazine and Intranets newsletter. She’s also a 10 year veteran with a background in both newspaper and book publishing and writes the Fiona Blake Series and publishes a Paper.li news-bulletin called DIY Daily: Self-Publishers Unite and more. Follow her on Twitter @TheresaCramer.

Theresa, you’re among the over-qualified Indie authors I interview—don’t even know where to start.

So not true! When I look at how much work other indie authors put into copyediting and rewriting and just the daily grind of writing, I am ashamed. I feel like such a lazy writer. I totally wing it and hope for the best!

Ashamed? Crazy. Now I know your toughest critic. I read your novel, Fiona vs. Foot Tickler—the title caught my attention and the writing is just as clever. The book is hilarious. Feels like you could be selling more on Amazon so wondering if you have it on the back-burner with all these other projects?

First of all, thanks. When it comes to marketing the book, I am totally slacking. I go through periods where I’ll spend a few nights looking for publicity or trying to get Amazon reviews, but then real life always takes over again. As much as I love my job, when you’ve been reading or writing all day it can be hard to convince yourself to sit down and do more of it at night… especially once the weather gets nice.

Fiona Blake, the MC of the novel, is she something of an alter ego?

Fiona is so much cooler and bolder than I am. She also drinks a lot more. But so many of the characters in the book are just caricatures or composites of people I know—especially her boyfriends. Once someone told me they didn’t think Murph’s hard drinking-preppy, foul-mouthed character seemed realistic. I wished I could trot out my friend Melissa for them. (Murphy is a lady, btw.)

You’re busy, much more than the average Indie. What are you writing in order of most to least between EContent Magazine, DIY Daily, Writer On The Prowl, your books, other things I don’t know about?

I’ve recently had a blogging resurgence. I had an unexpected hit with a post about Bikram Yoga, of all things, and ended up with lots of Writer on the Prowl followers out of it. So I decided to capitalize on it by trying to post more regularly.

Then of course there’s work… I write a column every month for EContent and usually end up cranking out another news story or two to fill the holes. I don’t do as much freelance as I’d like, but I’m coming into a little lull at work so I’ve been trying to dig more up. (Spread the word!)

I’ve got a couple of other blogs, that I operate with friends, that I often neglect. (The blogs, not the friends I’m guessing.) I’m full of ideas, but there isn’t always enough time in the day to make them all a priority. And lately, I’ve gotten back into writing some essays for one of my favorite local NPR shows. Hopefully I’ll be doing more of that, because it’s so different than anything else that I do.

DIY Daily is pretty much self-sustaining…and the books…oh, the poor books. I’ve been so neglectful.

Sounds like a quick history lesson is in order. UConn and then what until now?

Well, I kind of fell into journalism. I was a local reporter for three years or so (which is how Fiona Blake came to be), and then I up and left for New York. I spent a couple of years at Harper Collins working in rights and trafficking, before returning to journalism. I headed back to Connecticut and took a job as an assistant editor at EContent… and voila… here I am.

DIY Daily: Self-Publishers Unite, tell me more about it and your involvement?

I continue to be baffled by the amount of information out there about DIY publishing. It’s such a helpful, knowledgeable community and it hurt my head to try and take it all in. I’d set up a Paper.li for EContent quite some time before I became active on Twitter, and I knew it was a great, low maintenance way to pull together a bunch of info. So I started looking around for people from the self-publishing community to follow and include —then moved on to hashtags and keywords and the like. Before I knew it I had the DIY Daily.

And frankly, I was more than a little surprised at how popular it became. It’s really been an excellent marketing tool, though. Every time an issue comes out, I get a new follower or a bunch of retweets. When the Paper.li people contacted me to do a story about it, I was shocked. As easy as it was to get rolling—and as little attention as it takes to keep it going—it’s really been a handy tool.

How do you find the time for all this?

I work from home, so I’ve got a very flexible schedule. I also recently bought my first house, which means I have almost no disposable income… so staying home and being productive is often my only option when it comes to keeping myself entertained.

You seem well-connected in the publishing industry. How does that help or hurt with what you’re doing?

You’d be surprised how little it’s helped when it came to getting published the traditional way—but I’m also not one to ask for favors. I did send my manuscript to an agent who had been a publisher at HarperCollins when I was there. Still got rejected… In other forums, though, it can be helpful. A couple of friends of mine and I were working on a script together, and one of my columnists at EContent used to be a producer. He was very nice about letting me pick his brain.

Honestly, I really like my job. I get to work from home and produce a magazine about a subject I find fascinating. It doesn’t get much better. But I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t love to make a living as a full-time author.

Where do you get your ideas, inspirations?

The people around me. I recently realized that all my favorite TV shows revolve around a group of slightly eccentric folks in small towns—Friday Night Lights, Northern Exposure, The Gilmore Girls. They’re all really about community and totally character driven. That really appeals to me, and I find that I love writing about the quirky characters that make up everyday life—and there’s no better place to compile a list of those characters than at a local newspaper.

Even at EContent, I can’t tell you how many story ideas come from just talking to a colleague. The great thing about my magazine is that I’m writing about the business I work in—digital publishing—and so when I have a phone conversation with my former boss about the struggle of building circulation in the digital age, I can say, “Hey, maybe we’ll do a story on that…”

Know the feeling—I’m always looking for content to write about. So what’s a typical day in the life of Theresa Cramer? Is there such a thing?

Oh absolutely…I am such a creature of habit!

I am usually woken up by either my hungry cat or the dog who needs to go outside. I cater to the furballs, put the kettle on, and start reading my email over breakfast. I work for a few hours—which can be anything from putting together our newsletter, to assigning or editing stories to putting together payment reports to reading proofs—before finally getting dressed and taking the dog out for a nice long walk. When you work from home it’s so easy to become a couch potato, and without the dog I’m pretty sure I’d have become a hermit months ago. I go back to working when we get home, and sometimes in the late afternoon I’ll go outside to do some gardening (now that it’s nice out). If it’s a busy week, I often find myself working in the evenings. Now that the days are growing longer, though, I try to get outside again.

What do you do when not writing?

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of hiking—it’s free, it gets me out of the house, and I’ve found a new favorite trail where I almost never see another human being. I’ve also been getting my raised beds ready for this summer’s vegetable garden. Other than that, it’s a lot of time with my friends and family. The past couple summers I’ve tried to do some local sections of the Appalachian Trail and I’ll probably do some more this year.

I read you’re very green. What are you focusing on for the environment lately?

Right now most of my green efforts are out in the yard. It was pretty much a blank slate here when I moved in—the former owner barely had grass and the soil is practically sand. So I’m trying to use as many native plants as possible and organic measures to improve the soil. Lots of manure comes through this yard…

I just got a composter, which I am soooooooo excited about. Between my obsessive recycling and the composter, I’ll barely ever have garbage to take out. I’ve also been putting in raised beds for vegetables—going as locavore as possible. For years I’ve been growing stuff in pots, and in small little plots, and now that I’ve got a yard of my own I’m taking it to new heights. I put in a blackberry bush, and two blueberry bushes. The strawberries already have flowers on them—hopefully the birds don’t get them this year.

I would absolutely love to get chickens, but my yard is pretty small and I think they’re illegal in my town but I hear a rooster in my neighborhood. I figure if that guy can get away with a loud rooster, I should be able to get away with a couple of hens. Between the dog and the cats, though, I think my poor, hypothetical chickens would be miserable.

What’s something most people don’t know about Theresa but should?

I’m a terrible copy-editor.

Not sure I believe that. But I do believe you’re a great talent among the Indie ranks, still flying under the radar. Just wait until the readers see how funny your books are. And I’ll be able to boast, “Interviewed her before they knew she was a star.”

Read Fiona vs. The Foot Tickler if you love great comedy with your mystery/thriller.

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Biblio Connection Adds Giveaways

Biblio Connection just added a new feature: giveaways. Free book giveaways are a great way for members to connect, find out about new authors, try different genres and share the passion!  All of our giveaways and contests are listed here.

If you’re an Indie author with books to promote, why not do it? Biblio Connection is still a young site, growing daily and already has a lot to offer readers. Giveaways are a nice addition since people tend to gather like moths to flames when the word FREE is involved.

It’s a fine strategy to gift books, both ebooks and print, to attract readers. Freebies can generate momentum (buzz) and often extract a few precious Amazon reviews. I’ve done several forms of this, some with Goodreads and some for free on my own websites, and past experience has shown giveaways can work to attract thousands of readers–they love freebies–but the experience doesn’t always boost sales or buzz as authors hope it will. KDP Select is another form of harnessing the power of the freebie. Authors enrolled in Amazon’s KDP Select program pick 5 days out of the 3-month exclusive program to make their books free hoping it leads to thousands of downloads and “borrows,” which theoretically builds the coveted buzz and earns money from Amazon’s bonuses. The jury is still out on whether this is good business or not, and today everyone seems to be learning by experiment or by trial and error, from Indie authors to major retailers.

The Little Universe, my blockbuster novel that has taken its own sweet time building buzz, is currently enlisted in the Biblio Connection giveaway section, 10 free ebooks ready to get into the hands and eyes of happy readers across the planet. Share the love, enter to win or add one of your books and let readers know.

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Barnes & Noble Nook Sales Slow?

courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/acrider/...

Sorry for complaining, but are other Indie authors selling a tiny percentage of ebooks at Barnes & Noble compared to Amazon Kindle?

When Pubit, Barnes & Noble’s self-publishing platform, first came out it was exciting. My books were already for sale there via Smashwords, but it appeared Pubit might be a better way to go direct.

I began keeping stats in 2011, and from January through April my Amazon Kindle sales outnumbered sales for Barnes & Noble (Nook) by a 6 to 1 ratio. That was a number I could live with, knowing Amazon is the king of selling ebooks and B & N has always been playing catch-up. Since then, from May 2011 through March 2012, my Barnes & Noble sales have plummeted to a ratio of 1 Nook sale for every 39 Kindle sales. Yikes, seriously not good. Almost 7 times worse than the results before.

And I was one of the authors who resisted KDP Select, Amazon’s exclusive 90-day Kindle promotion program, because of not wanting to pull ebooks from other retailer’s shelves (and also ’cause the exclusive thing rubs me a little wrong). When KDP Select came out in December 2011, I figured the B & N sales would hopefully rise since so many Indies bailed from Nook shelves. But that was another wrong assumption.

So what’s up here? It’s not like I only advertise for Amazon. The links to every major retailer are clearly visible on my sites. Since the Kindle and Nook forums are largely avoided by me, this has turned into something of a head-scratcher. Also of notice, my B & N sales via Smashwords are far better than the same Nook book selling directly via Pubit. Starting to wonder if Barnes & Noble is slowly dying? Maybe. Maybe another wrong assumption.

What about other authors–what are your experiences? Inquiring minds would love to know.

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Indie Authors – Best of Times, Worst of Times

This article first appeared on LifeWithJessica.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… -Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

The famous quote can be applied to many things; it’s perfectly suited for the age of digital publishing and being an Indie author.

Who are Indie authors? They’re self-publishers, independent authors free from the configurations of traditional houses. Many Indies are new writers sidestepping the difficult task of acquiring literary agents while some have been published through major houses and are now going rogue, often desiring more control over projects as well as greater profit from royalties.

Why is it both the best and worst of times? Technology has created a new paradigm for the publishing industry. Any writer can now easily create and sell ebooks, like on Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Writers can also make paperbacks with companies like CreateSpace, Lulu and Lightning Source: print-on-demand copies that only get made as orders come in. Surprisingly, just five years ago this paradigm didn’t exist; the changes are happening faster than many people (and publishers) realize. It’s the best of times because everyone can do this and at no cost. It’s also the worst of times because new books are flooding the market in droves, many of them poorly written, which gives Indie authors a stigma of association with bad books. Do a little investigating to find some readers who love Indie authors and now refuse to spend more than a few dollars on any book while finding others who’ve been “burned” in the past and simply won’t read another Indie unless they’ve made the best-seller list.

courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/homerlib...

What are the major pros and cons? It’s like yin and yang where each aspect has pluses and minuses. The Indie author has total control over a project, which also means responsibility for doing everything. On sales, Indies make the huge bulk of the profits, typically around 70% of every sale, yet they must also make a deep investment of time and energy. If an Indie is successful, the possibilities are boundless with opportunity, yet to be successful they will need to do many things well other than just writing. Indies often handle their own cover design, formatting, marketing and more unless they have deep pockets for hiring out.

What does it take to be a successful Indie? This is the million dollar question as many recently unknown authors are quickly realizing their dreams of becoming household names. Best-selling Indies like Amanda Hocking, John Locke, J. A. Konrath and Darcie Chan are prime examples, with their books topping the Amazon charts and the money flowing in. These thriving authors show us it can be done without agents or publishers, and the rewards are enormous. Simultaneously, for each story of triumph there are thousands of writers who simply won‘t make it, destined to sell less than a hundred copies to mostly friends and family. Being successful as an Indie is perhaps equally as difficult as making it with traditional publishing.

I’m an Indie author and proud of being one. The stigma many readers have doesn’t bother me because I firmly believe my books are both fascinating and helpful. They sell as ebooks and as paperbacks to people all over the world, and the future is bright indeed. As the months go by I meet the most interesting people, make valuable online connections, establish myself as a “known” Indie author, and the sales continue to grow. Receiving monthly deposits from Amazon and other companies is wonderful, but the greatest reward is hearing from happy readers who wanted to let me know how much my book meant to them. I have literally been brought to tears from a kind email by a thoughtful reader, which is a priceless experience.

However, I’ve also managed many hurdles of frustration while being a stubborn do-it-yourself type, forcing myself to learn a myriad of things like complex software for designing book covers. Learning as you go is essential to Indie success. One quickly discovers the need to do so many things to keep up with the masses of new writers, which can often feel overwhelming. Formatting, cover design, blogging, social media, forums, articles, YouTube, making websites… these are just some of the things a fledgling author will need to learn and do well in order to rise to the top. It’s not easy by any means, and yet it can also be done by anyone.

Teaching these skills is now a big part of my life. Fortunately, my specialty is doing everything for free so this is a great way to make friends and network with other authors who are eager to save money. Everyone likes saving money, right? Another benefit is being a part of the Indie community, which is the most altruistic group I’ve ever been associated with. Have you heard the saying, “a rising tide lifts all boats?” It’s like that with Indie authors. The desire to assist each other and get help in the process makes being with this group a rewarding experience for all, regardless of the number of books sold.

If you have a book in you, whether it’s partially written or ready to print, and you want to be an Indie author—come join our community and make your mark. There’s plenty of room for anyone who has a great story and is willing to work persistently to share it with the world. Plus you’ll have an instant support network of authors ready to help you, people like me.

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Google Glasses–Ebook Killer? Nah, er maybe

Google Glasses–Project Glass–Internet Head–Google Goggles–maybe you've seen them. The space-age specks enabling you to go anywhere with the internet at your fingertips and eyeballs (assuming you want that) tend to elicit strong responses, polarizing many into camps of thought like heck yeah can't wait to get mine to those who claim it a sure sign of the end of the world. My opinion is closer to the heck yeah camp. What are your thoughts?

Since the scope of this blog is typically for Indie authors and all things e-publishing, one of my questions was if people would eventually read this way. Seems logical enough. Think you could read an ebook with Google Glasses? Certainly someone will. If so, might theses goggles make Kindles and other devices obsolete just a short time after the majority of readers finally accept them? Probably not. By then, readers might complain that they simply prefer the old-fashioned feeling of hard plastic and e-ink in their hands.

There's a Google Plus follow page for Project Glass, and yes, they are verified, go figure. Project Glass, really? Why can't Google brainiacs come up with a decent name right off the bat? Remember their ebook store that came out–Google Editions, which was a dumb name too so they changed it to something really clever–Google Ebooks. Seriously, they need to get a writer on payroll. Google Goggles perhaps? Have a feeling they're fighting that one tooth and nail.

Seems like just yesterday I was playing Classic Electronic Football that had tiny red lines representing players. Got to admit, it's hard to imagine what another 35 years of technology could bring. One thing's for sure in the here and now; several other R & D departments are probably scrambling to put something together comparable to Project Glass and fast. Apple? How about it?

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Indie Authors Unite–Site to Help Writers

Altruism, as in unselfish regard or devotion to the well-being of the group, is probably the best attribute of Indie Authors. It's amazing how many methods of support the self-publishing community have created to help other writers learn the business, network and ultimately sell books. Indie Authors Unite is another great resource as their slogan would suggest… writers helping writers.

From the site–If you want to become Self-Published or go with a Small Publishing House, you are going to have to do a lot of your own promotion.  Join us today and learn from those who are succeeding on the Indie path.  This venture was started to help others who wanted to become successful in their writing careers.  It's never too early to start learning how to promote your work or to learn from others who are established in the career that you have chosen.

The site began in 2010 as a collaborative effort of about a dozen writers who met on Facebook and discussed ways to help each other, and thus help themselves, in the process. When creative minds get together–ideas spark, and it wasn't long before the website became a reality. Today there are over 150 members and growing. One of the current site managers, Samantha Fury, fellow Indie author and friend introduced me to IAU. Samantha writes the Street Justice series including Tidal Wave and Charlie's Angel, both available at Amazon.

"We're a base for Indies to place links and blurbs for their books so readers can discover them," Samantha told me. The way to do that is to join the site and fill out a membership form, which will help get you processed and added to IAU. Once accepted, they'll post a profile picture along with links to your website and books.

They also have a Facebook Group and a News Updates site for the publishing industry, very informative. There is a forum, a link for contests and lots of book trailer videos for readers to see. Overall, this site really does a lot for Indie authors–nice to see the altruism continuing.

As the saying goes, "a rising tide lifts all boats."

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LG Bendable E-reader

image courtesy LG

LG is about to release a super thin, lightweight and bendable e-reading device. Sounds like a truth-stranger-than-fiction story years from happening, but this is soon-to-be-reality in the form of a 6-inch diagonal screen and 1024 by 768 pixels. It can bend about 40 degrees, comes in e-ink for now and claims to be fairly resistant to damage.

As a consumer and an Indie author, the immediate question is whether EPDs (Electronic Paper Display) are just cool gadgets or if they really enhance the reading experience? The fact that it will less than half the weight of a basic Kindle makes me think it's more than just a gadget.

Price? Hmm, not sure. What would you pay to bend an ebook? Surely it will be far more expensive than a basic Kindle at $79, but you'll be a huge hit at next month's book club party. (Just don't let the ladies spill red wine all over it.)

Sources say the device could be available in Europe within a few weeks. Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise–LG has been working on the EPD since last summer with models as large as a 19-inch flexible newspaper (below).

(Video courtesy of AskMenVIDEO on Mar 29, 2012) My leaving thought–this is an ebook that is starting to look much more like a paper book in at least one regard, bend-ability. What are your thoughts?

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Indie Author Progressions with Dr. Angela Massey

In September of 2011, I interviewed Dr. Angela Massey in a post entitled, Portrait of a Budding Indie Author. At the time, Dr. Massey was finishing up her first book, which would complement her work as a gapologist, one who helps others close the gaps that keep people from accomplishing goals. Back in September, Dr. Massey was just about to enter the world of e-publishing. That was then–this is now. Dr. Massey has released her book, Interview Skills: How to Get Hired NOW! Quick Job Interview Success Tips in both Kindle and paperback editions with Amazon.

Here it is about six months after the first interview and time to check in with Dr. Massey to see how things are going with a blossoming Indie author.

Q: Dr. Massey, what made you decide to get this book out there and when did that happen?

A: As you know, Jason, I am a corporate trainer, motivational speaker, and life/business coach–a career that affords me the opportunity to travel and meet people from all walks of life. And because I wholeheartedly believe in the Law of Attraction, I believe that we make our own economy. In other words, I don't buy into the gloom and doom about our economy, or that you can't make money, or that you can't get a job in this economy, etc. However, at least 80% of the people I meet believe just the opposite. So, I grew weary of hearing things like "my husband has been unemployed for a year. He gets called for the interviews, but he doesn't get the job!" I decided to write a guide to help people with the interview process. My book is very focused; consequently, it allowed me to target a specific group of people and to help them make their lives better.

Q: What was the biggest challenge (or challenges) to overcome in the entire writing/publishing process and how did you get beyond it?

A: That's easy! My biggest challenge was my tendency to procrastinate! I wrote this book in early 2011, but procrastinated in getting it published because the whole idea of doing it all myself was quite daunting. So, I did what all procrastinators do–I played Party Poker! How did I get beyond it? I reminded myself that party poker chips don't pay the bills (I never play for real money), and that if I didn't finish this project, I would be responsible for someone NOT getting a job. Also, Jason, I am very competitive and one of my speaker friends had written a self-help book but had not finished it. I decided I wanted to get mine published before she got hers published. I know, that's bad, huh?

Q: (Sounds like a little competition = motivation.) Your book and business help people find work. What are some of the main reasons that cause people to have trouble landing their dream job?

A: First, many people don't believe they deserve their dream job. They're so focused on their fears and insecurities, they give up on dreaming for the job, the lifestyle, the relationship–life! I mention this in my book: Thoughts become things. That means that first we must change our thoughts so that we can change our lives. In fact, because I know this is a FACT, I devoted an entire chapter to mental preparation: mindset, belief systems, and affirmations. I'm striving to get people to understand that if you believe it on the inside, it must manifest on the outside.

Q: Have people found great jobs since reading your book?

A: Yes. I received an email from a lady who purchased my book and experienced phenomenal results. She even wrote two reviews on Amazon! Initially after getting my book, she implemented the advice in the summary up front section. She reworked her resume based on my interviewing advice, and got three interviews. Then, she went back and read the whole book (isn't that funny, but so typical?) to prepare for the interviews. She landed the job she wanted and negotiated the highest salary! Another reader read my book, made a leap of faith, and decided to pursue her real dream of becoming an actress. She's doing voice-overs in NY now, and contacted me to do a documentary on fear. What strikes me about this young lady is that the chapter on mental preparation helped her decide that she needed to live her dream!

Q: I see your book has been out for just over 2 months and it's already doing very well. What's it like to hear from readers who have been helped by the advice?

A: Humbling and gratifying. I do what I do because I want to help people. When someone sends me an email, or goes to my website and reaches out to me as a speaker/trainer/consultant, it makes me realize how short life is and how important it is to truly live your life on purpose. On of my favorite authors, Dr. Stephen Covey, discusses this point in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. There's a part in the book that challenges the reader to think about what people will say about you once you're dead. It's a little morbid, I know; however, it helped me to crystallize my life's purpose. And for me, when it's all said and done I want people to say "she helped me. She showed me the path to my own greatness. She changed my life."

Q: You've been working as a Gapologist for awhile now. How has having a published book helped with your work?

A: It's opened up another unexpected income stream. I have people who want to publish their book on Kindle and CreateSpace, but they don't want to read and research to figure out how to do it. Just a few days ago, someone reached out to me on FaceBook and asked if I would help her. I sent her a link to your blog, invited her to join our group, and passed along several other resources. I also told her she could do it herself and do it for free. She didn't want to! Instead she wanted to pay me to do it! WOW! I spent a couple of hours on her book and formatted it, did some editing, and made a tidy sum from my efforts. Plus, she told me that she had five friends who wanted their books on Kindle and could she refer them to me? You know what I said? ABSOLUTELY!

Q: You're traveling like crazy as a Gapologist. Are event organizers any more receptive to hosting you now that you're an author than before?

A: This published book has opened up many doors, Jason. I'm working with a group from Rochester, NY to create a Interview Bootcamp targeted to those baby boomer professionals who now find themselves unemployed. They cannot do what they did 20 years ago and expect to get a job. Things have changed. For example, understanding the role of Emotional Intelligence is critical to the successful interview, and knowing how to market yourself as well. I'm also using my book to get on college campuses to help graduates get hired.

Q: What advice do you have for people who are thinking of writing a book?

A: Write it! Believe that you can do and then just do it. Get rid of distractions, toxic people, and excuses and write it! Don't concern yourself with how it sounds, if it's good, etc. The beauty of being an Indie is that you can learn from others, tweak what you've done, and consequently, you'll get better.

Q: Do you have more books in the works? If so, can you give us some details or tell us what the future holds?

A: I decided to create an Interview series. The next book is about how to answer Emotional Intelligence or Competency-based questions. It will follow my signature style: targeted, concise, no fillers, and no fluff! Once I get this done (no Party Poker for me!), I'll finish my next project: "If You Don't Like Your Life…Change It! 21 Ways in 21 Days to the Life of Your Dreams." And before the year is out, I plan to put two more books on Kindle that I've written. They just need editing and formatting. The future is bright, Jason! I love being an Indie!

And I love following your progress, Dr. Massey. Sounds like another interview in about six months and more good news to report. Thanks for your time. (Find more from Dr. Massey at her website – http://www.drangelamassey.com.)

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