 Once More With You is first book in the Fable Notch series where (retold) fairy tales come true in the mountains of New Hampshire. Featuring a steamy second chance and tons of small-town charm.  Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts? After being published by several small presses since 2007, I made the switch to self-publishing in August of 2022 to have more control over all the parts of the publishing process – pricing, distribution, release dates cover, etc. I was already responsible for my marketing with those houses, so that’s not new, but having access to my books as the publisher means I can determine when and where I’m putting my marketing efforts. Doubts? Sure – all the time, but I had those without self-publishing. You can never know what the market will want and it’s a long process with no guarantees. What did you like best? I like that I get to make the decisions – when to release, wide or KU (I’m wide), the look of the series, how to build my newsletter. Sure, there are days when I wish someone else was handling it all, but like many self-published authors, I like that I can make decisions that work for me and how I write. Recently, I had a book take longer than I thought it would and it was easy to look at my schedule and change things around. What was the hardest part? Finding an editor in my price range who I felt could do a great job with my book, helping me to make it the best it could be. It’s also challenging managing all the moving pieces – there’s a lot involved in getting a book ready and uploaded for sale – and doing that while also writing the next book… it’s a lot to balance at times. Would you do it again? Would I? I am! After releasing 3 books in 5 months, I have another book scheduled for May and more releases every three months after that (hopefully). What advice do you have for authors just starting? Take your time. Learn everything you can. Join groups like 20Booksto50K on Facebook, listen, ask questions. And discover what is right for YOU. It’s not the same for every writer – there is no magic formula, no one way. I know writers who make six figures a year releasing six books a year and writers who make the same releasing two a year. You have to find what works for the way you work or it won’t be sustainable Elena Markem writes emotionally rich contemporary romances about dreams, love, and taking a chance on both. Her stories reflect her belief that life is about the passions we pursue, the people who support us along the way, and never giving up on what we want.
You can find her and her newsletter at www.elenamarkem.com
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she'd do it again in a hot minute - meet intrepid traveler and wine Scout, carolyn dismuke2/13/2023  ". . . an inspirational memoir for anyone afraid to follow their passion, and a helpful guide through California wine country for those who want to road-trip vicariously. It's for anyone who thinks a girl needs more than four pairs of shoes."  Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts? I chose to self-publish after weighing the usual risks and benefits: more work and upfront costs can yield more revenue because you don’t have to share it. But that’s an oversimplification because it’s really not about money. You always have to share revenue because even if you self-publish, you may want to use Amazon or other huge resellers. Ultimately, I wanted to learn how to design a book cover, page layout, and eBook while tackling a marketing plan, social media, ad campaigns and all the other facets of the process. I had doubts, fear, and insecurities because I know nobody is good at everything. But, now, no one can ever take away what I learned or experienced in the process. It's akin to having a kid. After giving birth, most mothers want to raise their babies themselves. You can hire other people to do the jobs you’re either not qualified for or don’t want to do. But, they’ll never love your baby the way you do. I did a lot of the work myself as a labor of love. But hired qualified people for their expertise in certain areas. What did you like best? It’s ironic. What I liked best was what I didn’t want to do or have time to do. I procrastinated hiring people because I didn’t know what skills to look for or request. Yet, each person I interviewed helped in a different way, leading me down the right path, even the ones I didn’t hire. Each expert I contacted gave me advice that was invaluable. I let their stories guide me. I trusted that each would help in some way and they did. What was the hardest part? Marketing! Nobody can know their book will sell. But you can learn by studying the market, doing comparative lit reviews, and reviewing top sellers in your categories. When that still doesn’t work, you can build a social media platform, run ads, and take creative opportunities. You’d run into the same marketing pitfalls with traditional publishing. In the end, you’d be wise to get started on your next work. That’s the fun part. What does an author need to know to self publish? It helps to be a little tech savvy or at least let go of all your technophobia. And it wouldn’t hurt to know the publishing world and how it works. But truly determined authors learn what they need to learn when they need to learn it. Isn’t that true with any endeavor? How long will it take and how much will it cost? These can vary depending on your book, its categories, and what you’re trying to accomplish. But all these are ultimately up to you because it is your book. This means that you’ll have to be diligent in assigning deadlines and meeting them. But it also means that you decide what you want to do, how you want to do it, and when to hire an expert. Would you do it again? In a hot minute! It’s an exhilarating feeling. I’m filled with excitement to do it all over again, even the tough stuff. I’ve experienced an indescribable elation in having something that’s been part of my subconscious for years to now be free, living on its own in the world, becoming whatever it can be. What advice do you have for authors just starting? Trust your gut. Follow your passion despite the pain. Tap into that voice inside you; it may not even use words but believe in it and give it a voice. Carolyn Dismuke is a California native raised in a family that spent most summers road tripping from their home in Silicon Valley. After earning a WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, Carolyn explored the Golden State's hidden gems, a journey that transformed her into a California travel aficionado. Drink Your Words is full of her appellation adventures and the life lessons of a solo traveler. You can find her at www.carolyndismuke.com Here's where you can find her book on Amazon.
 The Four Winds meets Blind Tiger in this tale during Prohibition Era Appalachian Tennessee, set in the early 1900s, Based on a real-life tale of the author’s grandmother, the reader gets immersed in Ruby’s choices as she searches for worthiness and belonging.  Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts? Without a doubt, I knew the minute my first draft was nearing completion that I would self-publish. I am 66 and would rather spend time creating my own publishing company and a marketing plan than querying agents and editors. Secondly, traditional publishing has changed: there are fewer companies, less support for the debut author, and increased lag time to get a response from submissions. What did you like best? My novel is very personal, based on the true story of my grandmother’s felony conviction in 1920s Appalachia. Because it’s so personal, I wanted to have control of the editing, the cover, and the distribution of my novel. Also, the time to market was right for me with self-publishing. when Rock Bottom, Tennessee was ready, I could quickly get it to the distributors and into the reader’s hands. What was the hardest part? It was scary to do it alone. There was much to learn. However, the writing community is very supportive, and by asking the right questions, I could find the information I needed. The imposter syndrome was real for me. It took courage to expose my writing and myself to the world. Would you do it again? Absolutely. However, if a top 4 publishing company wants to talk, I’d have to consider it. What advice do you have for authors just starting? Two things helped me with my first launch. First of all, become a part of the online writing community. such as Wide for the Win and 20Books to 50K. Secondly, get involved with your local writing groups. When you find a stumbling block, the community is very gracious about getting the answers. The networking will help with marketing (such as book-signing information, back cover blurbs, reviews, and newsletter swaps). Kimberly Nixon is an emerging author of biographical fiction. She was blessed with a plethora of family stories, featuring strong, determined—and sometimes wild—characters. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Paul most of the year and travels for adventure when she can. Rock Bottom, Tennessee is Kimberly’s debut novel. Visit her website for news on her upcoming sequel about Ruby at www.kimberlynixon.com.
You can pick up a copy of Rock Bottom Tennesee at Amazon Barnes and Noble Audible You can find signed copies on Kimberly's website  All good reasons. Even so . . .
 After reading a dozen or so interviews with indie authors, I was curious about what the chatbots had to say on why writers self-publish. I asked a few - their answers were similar but ChatGPT was the most articulate. They all agreed that wanting to have control over the process was the most important reason.
Where I got confused or maybe they did was with the idea that it costs less to self-publish than to be published traditionally. I'll have to go back and ask about that one. And ChatGPT offered two I hadn't really thought of . Publishing niche or uncomventional content. And being able to continuously update and improve the book after publication. Overall, I'm floored. What do you think?  Misty Dreams is a heartwarming love story about second chances and the healing power of new beginnings.  Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts? The main deciding factor for me was time. Although I’d been writing since an early age, I was past 60 by the time I was ready to publish my book. For decades, my insecurity and lack of self-confidence prevented me from taking my craft seriously. I never had my work critiqued, convinced I didn’t have it in me to write anything a trade publisher might want to take on. But after self-publishing became a viable solution, I began to see a glimmer of hope of seeing my work in print. I wrote the first draft of Misty Dreams in Italian (I was living in Italy at the time), then translated it into English after moving to the United States. By the time it was finalized, revised, professionally edited and polished, my mind was pretty much made up. Don’t get me wrong, I dreamed nothing more than to be picked up by one of the Big Five, but I knew how hard that is for first time authors. Besides, I’d been waiting too long to get my book out into the world to be willing to waste any more time. That said, I didn’t jump immediately on the ‘indie’ bandwagon; I sent out dozens of queries to publishers and agents, and I gave myself six months for the responses to come in. When all I received was a bunch of polite rejections, I pivoted. I have no regrets for choosing the path of the indie author. I’ve been hearing of traditionally published authors making the switch after becoming more and more frustrated with not having enough marketing support or creative control over their books’ titles or covers, and for receiving pitiful royalties in return for their hard work. What did you like best? Feeling that my book is ‘mine’ in every aspect. Self-publishing not only gives you the opportunity to publish faster, but you have creative control over your book and your sales, while holding onto your rights. You get to make the call over every aspect of the book, from its content to its cover. What was the hardest part? The hardest part is undoubtedly the marketing. As a self-published author, you do all the heavy lifting, and promoting your brand is the heaviest load. Prior to publishing, I didn’t have a strong following, and I had no clue how to go about getting my book into the hands of potential readers. I was social media-shy, and the idea of setting up advertising platforms seemed overwhelming. While revising Misty Dreams, the enormous amount of work to get my manuscript to marketable standards took up all of my time and energy, so that there was none left for building visibility as an author. I was painfully aware that most other debut authors were way ahead of me. They had a blog, a newsletter, a street team to cheer them on, as well as ARC readers pledging to post reviews on release day. They were planning launch parties. Since I published my book in April of 2021, I’ve come a long way in getting out of my comfort zone and establish a public presence, and I’m still learning the ropes. However, it has become more difficult to find the right balance between my day-to-day responsibilities, my writing time, and maintaining a presence on social media. Would you do it again? Absolutely. Although I’ve learned a lot since the start of my do-it-yourself journey, I’m a slow writer. I enjoy having the flexibility of working at my own pace, without the pressure of deadlines. What advice do you have for authors just starting? The best advice I can give aspiring authors is, look beyond your goal. Start promoting your book long before your publishing deadline. Writing a book doesn’t end at the words ‘The End’. There’s so much work to be done, before and after the publishing process. Ultimately, all this can be immensely gratifying almost as much as the writing itself. Josephine Strand was born in Italy, grew up in South Africa, and is a long-time resident of the United States. Her travels between the three continents have strengthened her love for the sea and the outdoors. When not writing or absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, she loves to cook and enjoys long nature walks. Misty Dreams is her first novel.
You can find her at https://josephinestrand.com/ The Huckster's Son: A Memoir of Fruit, Drugs, Rock and Roll is a raw and honest story of growing up in the '70s.   Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts? I self-published on the recommendation of my editor. He thought with the publishing climate the way it was post-pandemic it would be the easiest thing. The suggestion brought me a dose of reality and freed me from the delusion of my book being on the New York Times best- seller list. In the end it was the right decision since I was mainly trying to get my story out. How long did it take? The process of writing my memoir took five years or more. It was an extended and slow morphing process but the progress and my attention to the work was very satisfying. What did you like best? I liked working with my coach and editor who gave me great direction and really helped streamline the work and move the process along. I couldn’t have done it without my coach Michelle and editor Nick. What was the hardest part? Revisiting painful moments in my life was not easy though very cathartic. It was difficult at times to keep up with the changes my editor suggested. I had to really surrender to the process. Getting to the finish line was not easy but very rewarding. Would you do it again? I hope to do it again and in the nebulous stages of a novel at the moment. We shall see! What advice do you have for authors just starting? To authors just starting I would advise to stay the course. Even if you only write or revise for ten minutes a day just do something. As long as you keep dedicated to the process you will see the progress. The feeling of completing a book, regardless of how it is received is without compare. Holding the finished product in your hands for the first time is incredible. Randy Bucksner lives in Lancaster, PA. When not writing, selling women’s apparel to small boutiques, or playing gigs with his horn, he loves spending time with his four granddaughters. This is his first book.
 Better Than This is a story about finding the strength to break free from old habits, to dream with purpose and to believe in happiness. Life, and love, doesn't have to be perfect but sometimes everything depends on knowing that it can be better than this...  Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts? I publish through traditional presses as part of my job. Academic publishing isn’t designed to pay, so in that sense it is different from being a commercial author with a traditional press, but it does mean that I know quite a bit about how the editorial process works, pitching ideas etc. And it can be fun - I’m not against traditional publishing! But, because it is what I do for work, it feels like…work. And it is slow. It can take months or years to get even a 10,000 word article through the publication process. When I decided to publish my first novel I knew I wanted an experience that felt different from my day job, I wanted more control over the process, and I had done my research with respect to remuneration. It isn’t easy to make money publishing fiction whichever route you take, but the numbers seemed to stack up better for indie publishing for what I’m looking for (a steady, scalable income and lots of control about when and how I work). I’m naturally quite an indecisive person, so I spent quite a while looking into all of the options and asking advice. Once I’d made my choice, though, and was happy with my reasons, I got stuck in. When I choose a path, having the doubts before I start out means I don’t have to carry them with me! What did you like best? I absolutely love the writing process. My favourite stages are probably writing first chapters (often from the beginning and the end, then I work out what happens in the middle) and the editing process. I go over my drafts over and over, until I’m happy with every word, and I lose myself completely in the story. To my surprise, though, I also ended up loving the cover design process. My brain is definitely a word brain, so it always intimidated me and I had a bit of a false start with one designer, but then I found Jacqueline Abromeit at goodcoverdesigns.co.uk. I saw her portfolio and just knew she was the designer I wanted to work with, and when I saw her first draft of the cover of Better Than This it was incredible. My book suddenly seemed real, and Jacqueline brought out colours and shapes and textures that made me see different things in my own text. What was the hardest part? Coming up with a title! The manuscript had a working title throughout the writing process, but I always knew it wasn’t quite right. When it was done, I spent about a week throwing titles out to my partner. Mostly he winced and I knew it wasn’t quite right. He would suggest something and it wouldn’t feel right. It got quite frustrating. Then it appeared and I knew that Better Than This was the one I’d been looking for. (And he agreed!) The other very hard part of indie publishing, as I’m sure every indie author out there agrees, is marketing. I’ve never really done any marketing and I didn’t have any form of social media except LinkedIn until a few weeks before my book was released. Now I’m working with a professional marketing specialist and I still don’t feel like I’ve got it figured out, but it’s a skill, like any other, and I’m willing to give it time and effort. As my parents always taught me, that’s all we can ever do. Would you do it again? Absolutely. In fact, I will be indie publishing my second novel this Easter. The process has been complicated in places and I feel like I’m learning new things at every stage, but I’m looking forward to going through it the second time around and doing it better. It is also exciting building up some momentum. Control is one of the key things that drew me to indie publishing and I really enjoy the direct relationship between putting in work and seeing changes, whether that is in marketing, editing or creating new stories. What advice do you have for authors just starting? Start with your story. I did a lot of research while I was writing but whatever decision you make about how to publish, it all has to start with a story that is as good as you can make it and that you really believe in. All publishing involves putting a piece of yourself into the world. It is always scary. Indie publishing means that you don’t have a lot of the support and encouragement or the sense of a safety net that traditional publishing gives you. If you make a terrible decision about your cover or editing, nobody will necessarily be there with years of experience in the industry to tell you. That makes it even more imperative to trust in your own work and to know that you have made it the very best that you can. I also found The Creative Penn podcast by indie author Joanna Penn truly inspirational. The podcast has been going for over ten years so there are hours and hours of content, including interviews with authors, editors, designers, marketers, etc. as well as reflections on different kinds of publishing, genres and reader groups and building a fan community. There is so much information out there, and there are so many people offering advice. The Creative Penn has become my final checkpoint for everything. I read widely, but in the final analysis, if Joanna Penn says something is a good idea, then I trust that she knows what she is doing and has tried it out herself. Rebecca Darley is a full time historian, currently working at the University of Leeds. Her academic specialism is the world of the Western Indian Ocean in the first millennium CE. In 2022, she also began publishing fiction under the pen name Rose Marzin. As an indie (self-published) author, Rose Marzin writes contemporary and historical romance, with a focus on the emotional complexities of human relationships.
 When I started Bacon Press Books, I needed to re-issue a real book to make sure I knew how to do it. Judith Podell, wonderful writer, friend and neighbor generously agreed to let me use her book – Blues for Beginners: Stories and Obsessions - for my first trial. The title story –“Blues for Beginners” – had worked its way into national consciousness as a story so smart and familiar it seemed to have written itself. Nice for Judith that the story was so popular, not so great that she didn’t receive credit every time it appeared. Blues for Beginners was included in the humor anthologies Mirth of a Nation, and May Contain Nuts. Susie Essman recorded it for the CD.. Judith gave readings. Won coveted places at all the prestigious writing retreats. Got an MFA. Made friends around the world and then her small publisher went out of business. Her work was only available to the lucky few. So, yes, she was willing to let me learn the independent publishing ropes with her book. She even did the cover art. I made a few mistakes. Did a few things right. Still, we were both pleased with the results. I wanted to hear Judith’s thoughts 10 years later.  I knew Blues for Beginners: Stories and Obsessions deserved to stay in print, so when my original publisher, a well respected small press, went out of business,
I recognized that it would be up to me. I’d always envisioned myself as one of those cult favorite type writers, like Eve Babitz and Lucia Berlin, but didn’t want to wait to be rediscovered. Actuarilally speaking, time was running out. I’ve been thinking about the marketing and publicity angle and conclude that burden is always on the writer. Short story collections like mine do not receive the same kind of in-house support as self-help books written by celebrities and never did. I had the resources for a low-key l DIY campaign of readings in bookstores and writers conferences, namely a blog http://www.memphisearlene.com, 900d Facebook friends and lots of spare time.  15 books later - I'm ready to teach  Did you ever start out meaning to do one thing, but then life becomes its own kind of rabbit hole, and you do something else? If you’re lucky, sooner or later, you end up back where you started. And you get to try again. About 12 years ago, when I heard about independent publishing – I thought it was amazing. The idea that you didn’t have to get approval and didn’t need permission to get your book published and into the hands of readers. You could do it yourself, your own way, on your own timetable. I learned as much as I could about how to do it and where to get help on the technical parts I couldn’t do myself. I had two plans. One was to take already published books and make them available in paperback and eBook. The other – the one I rehearsed over and over in my mind – was to teach people how to publish their books. Most of the writers I knew didn’t have the time or the interest to learn how to do it on their own. So I would do a class. Maybe at The Writer’s Center or Adult Ed or . . . Old habits die hard. I’m definitely part of what I consider the Beauty Queen/Teacher’s Pet generation. Even though I loved the idea of publishing my own books, I never thought of giving my own class. I wanted permission, approval, and validation. It’s taken me 12 years to realize I can just give a class on how to become an author-publisher.
What I wish for every writer is to get – a wonderful agent who answers in a week, a fabulous book deal that leads to fame and fortune, and maybe a five-part TV series and a slot in a celebrity book club. But if that doesn’t happen. Then I wish you the pleasure of seeing your book in print just as you imagined it. More about the class as soon as I have dates. In the meantime, I’ve put together an easy-to-follow guide on the basics of Self-Publishing for Authors. It’s free. You will end up on my email list but I promise I won’t inundate you with emails and offers. I’ll be lucky if I figure out what to write about every couple of months. |