MwM Self-Publishing Spotlight: Leigh Ellwood
Marketing with Mandy Self-Publishing: Leigh Ellwood
Q: Please take a minute to tell us a little about yourself.
A: Thanks for having me here. I am Leigh Ellwood and I mainly write romance and erotica, though I take on other genres under another name. I have been writing all of my life, but didn't publish a book until 2001. When I'm not at the day job helping clients with social media, I'm writing and reading, and hope to complete at least one novel a year.
Presently I have works out with Phaze Books, Samhain Publishing, Loose ID, and a number of works pubbed myself through an co-op imprint, DLP Books.
Q: What prompted you to self-publish your book(s)?
A: There are a few reasons. Early in my writing career, I had a few non-erotic books publish and quickly fizzle. I didn't know much about marketing back then, and the publisher of the first book unfortunately had little experience, too. When I got the rights back to these works I noticed few publishers were willing to take on the reprint rights, so I published them myself through DLP. To my great pleasure, those titles are selling better now than they had with their original publishers!
As for new material that I self-publish, the works are mainly genres that didn't interest some of my target publishers. I have a number of F/F erotic stories, which were once hard to place with pubs. After publishing them myself, though, I've noticed they sell well.
Q: How has the experience been to date?
A: I find the experience is good. I like that I get to keep most of the spoils when the checks are cut. The challenge for me is time to handle all of the marketing in addition to the writing. It's expected even when you're with a legacy publisher, yes, but publishers do relieve you of some of the book production that now falls on you.
Q: What do you know now that you wished you knew when you started?
A: I know cover art is very important in terms of making the package attractive to readers. I feel I have grown as a self-publisher in a sense because I know where my weaknesses lie in the process. I can produce an "okay" cover, or I can invest in a professional to create something more visually appealing.
Also, I wish I were a better accountant! Just a note for those of you new to this: keep track of EVERYTHING you buy – ad space, stock photos, etc.
Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?
A: I believe content is king. I find that blogging and guest blogging (blog tours) are the way to go to get your name out there. I am planning one for my next work and hope to do one for every release going forward. I do also play around with Twitter and Facebook, but mainly for personal purposes. Your name needs to be where the readers go, and I think readers are more inclined to check out the book bloggers for recommendations.
Q: What is one thing you'd want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?
A: Write, revise, and revise some more. Find a good critique partner who will stick with you and be honest about your work – one who tells you when things don't work. If he/she doesn't, a reader just may tell you later.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
A: My latest, ODD, is a M/M short out through All Romance's Perfect Strangers imprint. It is a contemporary, humorous short about two partygoers who meet at a most unusual event. It is available exclusively through ARe along with others from the line.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP's (works in progress)?
A: I am also finishing up a full length M/M work, tentatively titled Act Daring. This story is about an actor who makes a bad career move and leaves Hollywood to recover. While visiting his parents, he falls for a small town man directing a play and looking for inspiration. I hope to announce a release date soon.
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