Marketing the Book Once It's Published: Author Interview with Irene Onorato

You've been traditionally published and now you write as an indie author. I understand you’ve received the rights back from the original publisher to indie publish those books. What exactly does an author have to do to get your rights back? 
First, a disclaimer. I’m not an attorney and the following is what I’ve learned through personal experience and shouldn’t be taken as legal advice.

The first step in asking for reversion of rights from a traditional publisher is to carefully read your contract, determine the expiration date, and also look for clauses that state the conditions under which the publisher could grant early termination. For example, if your contract is for five years, there might be a clause that states you can ask for reversion of rights after three years if certain criteria are met. 

Criteria might be things like not making X number of sales in a given length of time, or not making a certain dollar amount for so many quarters in a row. Bottom line is knowing the ins and outs of your particular agreement. And, even if you cannot find a clause for an early-out, it never hurts to simply send a courteous and respectful request for the reversion. The most they can do is say no.

How extensive of a rewrite do you do on these books prior to re-publishing?

When I got the rights back for my books I didn’t have to do extensive rewrites. I had to fix a few errors here and there and also write new back-cover blurbs as the publisher had written those and wouldn’t let me use them.

How much design input did you give the illustrator for your covers? 
I’m not at all artistic when it comes to visual things like cover making, so I leave that task to the pros. I met one of my cover makers years ago when I was still on Facebook. She’s fantastic and comes up with ideas with very little input from me. She did the Unlikely Love and Forever a Soldier series, plus a few stand-alone books. I also use a couple of other cover makers and usually ask for very few revisions.

What’s the hardest part of publishing and marketing your own books?
One of the hardest parts of the publishing process is knowing when the product is ready to launch. I’m riddled with self-doubt. Does my storyline have holes in it? Is the editing as near to flawless as humanly possible? Releasing a book is as terrifying as it is exciting.

Marketing is a time-consuming endeavor for sure, and I spend quite a few hours each week researching new ways to promote my books. It’s also not cheap to advertise, so I’m constantly evaluating my methods to determine how to get the most bang out of each dollar spent.

Marketing is a big part of increasing book sales. What venue have you found most successful in not only getting clicks but sales as well?
I have a list of promo sites that I use regularly. My new favorite is Faithful Reads, which is only for free and bargain Christian eBooks. I also like ENT (Ereader News Today), Robin Reads, Book Cave, and Book Doggy.

I’ve participated in group promotions through BookFunnel and Story Origin, and I’ve done swaps with other authors where I advertise their books in my NL and vice-versa.

Out of those two options (paid ads VS group promos and swaps), I have better success with clicks turning into buys with the paid ads.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? 
Starting a book has its challenges. There’s so much to accomplish on those first few pages, like setting the stage for time and place, introducing a character or two, and maybe igniting a few sparks for conflict to come. That’s a tall order for an author to deliver. I’m thankful for my critique partners who don’t pull any punches when it comes to telling me if I’m missing the mark. 

At the start of each of our books we usually trade “what ifs” with one another. “What if, instead of starting with the heroine’s POV, you go with the hero’s… Or, or, or, how about starting with the car wreck instead of all the backstory leading up to it…” It’s great to have people to brainstorm with!

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
My husband is the great encourager in our house, and believes I can do anything I set my mind to. After each book is launched, he asks me to read it to him in the evenings. His enjoyment of my work spurs me onward.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
Writing a full-length novel, or even a novella, is a lot harder than I’d thought it would be. And, it’s not just the writing, but everything that follows once THE END is penned. Sometimes whole scenes or paragraphs need rewrites. Then there are the seemingly never-ending edits. It’s worth it in the end, but during those clean-up stages, it sure doesn’t feel like it.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Read everything you can about the craft of writing.

When I first started out, I wrote an 80,000-word novel, paid to have it professionally edited, and shopped it to several agents. While the book wasn’t entirely without merit, a couple of the agents graciously took the time to tell me what I needed to do to make it marketable. I bought book after book on the subject of writing. Stacked one atop the other, the pile reached my hip. (No exaggeration!) After reading and studying the wealth of information in each one, I set out on the task of rewriting my novel. I later submitted it directly to a couple of publishers, and one of them offered me a three-book contract.

Can you give me a short synopsis of your latest book?
My most recent release was The Street Magician and the Librarian which was book #3 in the Unlikely Love Series.

A chance encounter with a street magician throws librarian Carolyn Lambert a curve ball. What starts as a friendly attraction for the winsome and irresistible Eric Sinclair and his magic tricks turns into a bond Carolyn wasn’t expecting.

Sounds like a good lead in for a page turner. If you'd like to learn more about Irene's works, here are some links to get you started.

Website: https://ireneonorato.com/

Blog: https://ireneonorato.com/blog/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Irene-Onorato/e/B01EI7QE9G

Mysteries for Middle Grade: Author Interview with Mandy Broughton

Of all the genres you could write, what drew you to writing for children? What inspired you to write the first book?

I started writing novels as a child and, of course, they were middle grade mysteries. Most of these mysteries were thinly veiled stories akin to Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden.

 

As an adult, I still loved reading in the middle grade genre. When my oldest child was a baby, instead of reading silently, I would read these stories to her—even though they were meant for older children. One particular book (and I won’t say which one) was so bad that I told my husband, “I can write a mystery better than this.” His response? “Well, you read enough books, you should be able to write one.” And that’s when I decided that my writing would be a career and not a hobby.

 

An interesting side note is that my youngest daughter loved that book I hated. The moral of the story is that there are many types of books for different types of people.

 

You’ve now published 3 books in your middle grade chapter book series. When did you actually start writing your first book? How long did it take to write your first draft?

I started writing Cream Cape and the Case of the Missing Hamster in 2006. The first draft was completed in several months. I edited and revised, a little—very little—for I had taken a children’s online writing class from the Writer’s Digest University. I used the Missing Hamster manuscript for the class and thought that meant I was done editing. I started sending the manuscript out. But based on feedback I received, I realized it needed more work—a lot more work so I decided to have it professionally edited.

 

How did you decide on an editor? 

I selected The Editorial Department for my editing. I had read their book, Self-Editing for the Fiction Writers and thought they could help me (that was back when they had a children’s content editor—they no longer do children’s work). Over the next several months, I revised the story—a lot. Many writers have to cut scenes but I was the exception. I had to add scenes. And descriptions. And better characterization. I also added a red herring suspect. The only thing I kept from the original story was the plot—two sisters figure out who stole the class hamster.

Who encouraged you along the way? 

I’ve not had a lot of encouragement along the way, probably because I would let people read my first drafts which I thought were great pieces of literature.

 

Seriously, though, my husband and kids are my encouragers. My husband encouraged me to spend the money to have the first story professional edited. The price was very expensive and all he said, “we’ll put it in the budget.

Prior to writing these children’s books, what was your publishing and writing background? 

My writing background is eclectic. I’ve taken classes from the Writer’s Digest University—both mail-in and online. Back before everyone had the internet, I took their mail-in classes. My instructor would mail assignments to me and I would complete them. I’ve also taken online courses from them which are much easier than the correspondence courses. I highly recommend their classes.

 

I still use The Editorial Department for my adult novels. Jane is the go-to gal for them. She answers all my goofy questions and is an amazing administrator. She can read my mind on what services I’m looking for and points me in the right direction. And Betsy Tice White is an amazing editor. She has taken the time to understand what I’m trying to say and tell me how it’s not working. She’s the master working with a hack and I appreciate it greatly. My adult cozy, The Cat’s Last Meow, was edited by her. I love it more every time I read it. It’s passed The Missing Hamster on my best and steady seller.

 

Are you active in any writer critique groups?

I have a weekly critique group, Katy Kritique. Our motto is “family and friends will tell you they love it, we’ll tell you the truth.” And we’ve had a few tears along the way after hearing the truth. These ladies are incredible. I think my writing has jumped leaps and bounds from their help. We are a mix of traditionally published, self-published and small press.

 

I also participate in the yearly www.NaNoWriMo.org writing challenge. I love NaNo and believes it helps get the creative juices rolling. And to finish what I’ve started. It’s a wonderful program.

 

Your three mysteries in your series go from 100 to 160 pages. Why such a difference? Will the series continue?

I am a minimalist as a writer. I used to only write short stories. Tell the story and then get out. The Missing Hamster went from a 14,000 word first draft to 20,000 word finished product. As I’ve written more, I find that I have more story to tell. The Case of the Blue-Hair Heist, the third book in the series, has many suspects along the way whereas The Missing Hamster has only two suspects.

 

My audience?

I do school talks and mostly speak to third and fourth graders. I have spoken to fifth graders as well. I see the series as complete but my children would like me to write more. My "to-be-published" list is very long. If I ever do continue the series, it will be several years.

 

The publishing company, Cypress Professional Group, PLLC is your company. How long have you been doing publishing?

In another life, I conducted continuing education classes for Texas Professional Counselors, Texas Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and Texas Social Workers. Cypress Professional Group was the publisher for those materials. Now instead of doing education, we do fiction.

 

Did you try the traditional route and send out to publishers and agents? What type of feedback did you receive?

I spent a year sending The Missing Hamster out to agents and publishers. I had interest from several agents but they eventually passed because “we have something similar in the works.” After a year of trying the traditional route, I had a polished manuscript and nowhere to send it. I sat on it for six months and in 2009 uploaded it on NOOK and Kindle. “Why not?” I thought.

 

I sold a lot of Cream Cape and the Case of the Missing Hamster  through Barnes & Noble NOOK. It’s unheard of now because I never promoted it. And sold it for the unheard of e-book price of $7.95.

 

When I wrote the second book, I knew it had to be self-published. Then I entered a contest with my adult cozy, The Cat’s Last Meow. It didn’t win, but I had an edited manuscript so why not self-publish as well? Now I self-publish exclusively. I enjoy the freedom it provides. Not a lot of money up front, but I’m working on that.

 

What are some of the promotions that you’ve done for the book that have been the most successful?

Goodreads has been the best online promotion I’ve done. In person, the school visits are the best.

 

I’ve found when I make a personal connection with people, they are more open to trying my books. I’m on twitter, but I only occasionally tweet about my books.

 

I’m also in a marketing collective, The Space City Scribes. We are a collection of small press and indie authors that do author panels at libraries and sell books at indie and other festivals. We try to pool our resources, see what works and what doesn’t. They are a great group of ladies and I’m learning a lot from them.

 

How did you go about finding an illustrator? Do she work strictly from your text or did you give her suggestions of how you want the story to be done?

I cannot remember how I found Dee Densmore-D’Amico. I do remember doing lots and lots of research. She is an amazing artist.

 

I remember researching several illustrators online and contacting them. And I’m sure I looked through the SCBWI web-site on their children’s artists. I think I also browsed deviantART.com.

 

Dee is an amazing illustrator and very professional. And because she is awesome, between books one and two, she increased significantly in popularity—as did her cost. With self-publishing on a tight budget, I had to make the difficult decision to not use her for the third book. I really struggled but, finally, decided to change the covers of the first two books to match the third. I kept her illustrations for the interior of the first two books. The paperbacks are black and white whereas the e-books are color.

 

 What has frustrated you the most in putting these books together? 

The most frustrating thing in publishing is that so many people think $3.99 or $4.99 for an eBook is too expensive. My time writing, editing, hiring a professional editor, artwork, and marketing are a few of the costs that go into making a book happen. Tight budgets and slowly recouping the money are all part of the game. For me, free or $.99 just isn’t a feasible sales price for an eBook.

 

A pleasant surprise is that I am pretty good at making covers. I buy stock artwork and design all my covers now. And I love doing it.

 

What do you know now about publishing you wish you had known sooner? 

Publishing is constantly changing. I’m not sure any prior knowledge would have helped me. In fact, if I had been more knowledgeable about how the system works, it might have scared me from self-publishing in the first place. I’m enjoying learning as I go. And, boy, is it a learning curve. 

What advice would you give someone who wants to write children’s stories?

Sit down... Write... Write some more... Finish... Revise... Feedback... Edit.

More feedback... Don’t argue with the feedback... Analyze it—helpful, not helpful, bizarre.

Edit again... Polish... Repeat the entire process.

What is the writing best advice you’ve been given?

When I was in fourth grade, Jane Yolen came to my elementary and spoke. She said to always stop writing in the middle of the action. If you stop at the end of the action, you’ll never go back. If you stop in the middle, you’re constantly thinking about what happens next.

 

I’ve always tried to follow her advice and it’s worked for me.

 
How much time daily do you have for writing?

My typical day Monday through Friday:

9 a.m. Writing/editing

11 a.m. Lunch

Noon Writing/editing until about 2 p.m.

 

Designing a cover or formatting:

10 p.m. Artwork/Formatting until about midnight or 1 a.m.

 

I’m not sure why but I must write in the morning and design covers or do artwork at night. Wednesday is my critique day so writing is a bit shorter.

What message would you like parents and children to take away from your books? What future plans do you have for writing?

In my children’s books, I wrote them without the typical “get rid of the parents in middle grade novels” mentality. I included the parents (1^st and 2^nd books) and grandparents (3^rd book). The girls still solve the mystery but I have a team approach to the entire family. The parents are more than just window-dressing.

 

And I would like kids and parents to enjoy the books. I'm a hack—I write to entertain. I like humor. I love mysteries. I want the reader to finish the book with a smile.

 

The future?

I have two novels coming in late 2014. One is a historical horror (“run, Quincey, run!”) and another cozy, Sliding into Murder (“batter-up, oops, she’s dead”). I also have two sci-fi short stories being published in the Tides of Possibilities anthology by the Houston Writers Guild. This is also Fall, 2014.

 

That's it for today's interview. If you'd like to follow up with Mandy here's the way... 

Visit me online at www.MandyBroughton.com or on twitter @MandyBroughton. I’ll talk to anyone who will listen in 140 characters or less.

Switching Themes - Writing What You Love: Author Interview with Peter M. Leschner

Peter M. Leschner has been a practicing real estate and corporate attorney in New York City and New Jersey for over 30 years. But that wasn't enough for him. He wanted to dabble in something more creative and started writing. Startling Connections was his first novel. The Sapphire Prism Cave (Book 1 of A Journey Through the Space Vortex trilogy) is his second novel.

What made you decide to take on the challenge and write a novel? How long did it take to write your first book? How many rewrites did you do on it?
I am attorney having practiced commercial real estate law for over 30 years. Ever since reading The Firm by John Grisham years ago, the idea of writing a novel and doing something artistically creative has intrigued me. I worked on a thriller entitled Startling Connections over the span of many years while practicing law. I tried to get an agent and/or a publisher to publish it but my attempts were met with numerous rejections. Although the book was finished, I put it in a drawer and did nothing with it for several years. Fast forward to 2009. 

What happened next?

After leaving my traditional law firm job in New York and starting up my own law practice, I had more time to think about writing again. On most nights when I put my children to bed they wanted to hear a bedtime story. Night after night they asked me to come up with a bedtime tale and usually I did. One day I mentioned to my daughter that I had actually written a whole book (Startling Connections) and parts of other books. She was very interested and wanted me to read the book to her. Startling Connections is actually a thriller for adults so I had to read her an edited version of parts of it. She thought it was very good and encouraged me to get it published.

Around, 2010 self-publishing through Amazon, the iBookstore and Barnes & Noble for e-readers was really taking off. I spent a year rewriting and updating Startling Connections. I also hired an editor to work with me and by the end of the 2010 beginning of 2011 I self- published Startling Connections. To date it has received 11 five star, 2 four star reviews and two three star reviews on Amazon.

Who helped you with the editing?

I did pay someone to help with a light edit of Startling Connections since it was my first book and I wanted it to be a as professional as possible.

How did you decide on the way to do your self-publishing

I researched self-publishing (uploading the files) and figured how to do it on my own after a lot of reading on the subject. I did utilize a professional to format the e-books so that they would come out well.

Are you involved with any critique groups?

I am not active in any critique groups, however, I sometimes interact with readers or authors in the author's forums on Amazon.

How do you go about getting book reviews?

I have given some books away but I never condition giving a book in return for a review. I thank a reader and say if they want I would welcome a feedback either in the form of an email or a review. Some reviews are from people who know me but others are posted by strangers who I don't know and have never met.

Could you give me a short synopsis on suspense novel, Startling Connections for my readers?

The protagonist, Larry, lived an uneventful life as a commodity trader in New York City until a sudden tragic incident during a routine dinner with a friend connected him to Sofia, the beautiful and intriguing woman of his dreams.

Their ensuing relationship unravels a sequence of life-changing events. Sofia is mysteriously abducted by a global terrorist organization about to launch an attack of unprecedented dimensions. Though ill prepared for such a journey, Larry's love for Sofia and his fear of losing her force him to embark on a dangerous quest filled with thrilling non-stop action as he travels to the ends of the earth to try to find Sofia, get her back and thwart the terrorist organization's diabolical plans.

Startling Connections, though packed with action and a twisting plot, also examines the causes of extremism and terrorism in modern society and the dilemma as to best way to confront and eradicate it.

Sounds intriguing! How did you make the jump from adult suspense to your second book which was written for children?

 Although my daughter was excited that I had published Startling Connections she quickly came to realize that it was not a book for kids that she could have her friends read. I was thinking of writing another thriller but she pleaded "Dad can't your write a kid's book that my friends could read?" I protested "I don't know... I was thinking about another thriller." "PLEASE Dad..." Well, as any parent knows, it is extremely difficult to turn down a request like that from your child so after some thought, I agreed.

I ran my idea for the story A Journey Through the Space Vortex broken into three books by Katherine. She gave the story concept a thumbs up. Day after day I would work on the outline and write a few pages of book one-The Sapphire Prism Cave. Night after night I would read her what I wrote and she would give me helpful comments like "Dad, a kid wouldn't say it like that - how about..." So I had a good instant feedback from a great "editorial assistant."

Every day she should would ask "Did you write?"  Most days the answer would be "yes", but if it was "no" I was in big trouble!  Finally, I finished a first draft of the book. We were both very happy and excited with how the story turned out. For the next six months I edited, polished and proofread the book with the assistance of a number of readers.

It was first published on Amazon, the iBookstore, Barnes & Noble and Kobo as an e-book. Just this year in April, I published it using Createspace, as a physical book. So far the book is just being discovered, but I have gotten very positive feedback on it so far from both children and adults.

How far along are you on the rest of the trilogy?

I have a rough outline of the plot for the second novel in the A Journey Through The Space Vortex series and have the concept for the third and final book.

How do you write? Did you do an outline first? Did you do individual character development before doing the full plot?

I use three separate documents for writing. The first is an “idea list” where all ideas for the book are quickly jotted down as they occur so that they are preserved. The second is an outline where I organize and develop the ideas. Lastly, there is the draft of the book itself where the story is actually written.

Although many of the thoughts and ideas are organized in the outline, I often spontaneously develop and add plot, description detail while doing the actual writing. I also find that listening to great music helps get the creative juices flowing. (The Rolling Stones and The Who are two of my favorites to listen to while writing.) With respect to character development, I usually think about and feel the character’s personality and bring it out during the writing. For example, in The Sapphire Prism Cave, James is full of energy, enthusiastic and daring. These characteristics comes out through his actions and dialogue.

How much does social media play in your promotion of your books?

I have separate Facebook pages for each book where I can post about things of interest and interact with readers. I find that reading a review from someone who truly liked your book or receiving an e-mail from someone touched by it is one of the most rewarding aspects of writing. I sometimes post about my books on pages like Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble.

A writer is often confronted with a dilemma as to how to get their books noticed by readers. If he or she says nothing, it is harder for a potential reader to discover the book and the author. If he or she constantly posts only about the book, many readers “tune it out” because they consider it spam. The best thing seems to be to try to provide interesting content, i.e., pictures, articles and writing, which the provides value to the reader. The problem with this is that providing truly valuable content can be very time consuming.

What type of publicity do you do to promote your book? What has worked best for you in generating sales?

The best way I have found to promote my books and actually generate sales is to temporarily reduce the price and publicize the book and price reduction through sites such as eReader News Today, Kindle Nation, Book Bub, Pixel of Ink, Kindle Tips and Tricks. I think more readers will give a book a try when the price is reduced and it is brought to their attention by these sites. Before doing this though it is best to have a number of good reviews, a good synopsis and a great cover.

I have tried Facebook ads and unfortunately found that that so far they have not been very effective in actually increasing sales of books.

The ultimate goal, though hard to achieve, is to get enough people talking about and recommending the book through word of mouth so that publicity and promotion is no longer necessary. I think most people discover and read books recommended by their friends and also in a book review or from a “best seller”

What do you know now about writing/publishing now that you wished you had known sooner?

Coming up with a good marketing plan for one’s books is difficult and involves a lot of trial and error and consistent, hard work. Also how difficult it is to turn marketing efforts into actual sales.

What have you learned about writing you would like to pass along?

You have to have a real passion for what you are writing about. You have to really care about quality and pay attention to details. Quality is more important than quantity. You have to define what success means to you. Do not be afraid to try new things and experiment. Don’t be afraid of failure. If you don’t try something you will never succeed and if you don’t love what you do, you will never do it well enough to truly succeed. Keep trying new things and don’t give up. Don’t make excuses for not writing or getting a book done.  Just do it, despite obstacles that inevitably arise. The satisfaction of accomplishment from finishing it makes the struggle to get it done worthwhile.

What is the best advice you’ve heard about writing?

Veronica Roth gave an amazing answer to a similar question which has stuck with me. She said “One piece of advice I have is: Want something else more than success. Success is a lovely thing, but your desire to say something, your worth, and your identity shouldn’t rely on it, because it’s not guaranteed and it’s not permanent and it’s not sufficient. So work hard, fall in love with the writing—the characters, the story, the words, the themes—and make sure that you are who you are regardless of your life circumstances. That way, when the good things come, they don’t warp you, and when the bad things hit you, you don’t fall apart.”

That’s all for today’s interview. If you’d like to know more about Peter’s writing and his books, here’s some links to do that.

Startling Connections on Amazon: http://amzn.to/pDlU57

Startling Connections Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/oJO2HA

The Sapphire Prism Cave on Amazon: http://amzn.to/SSHGGR

The Sapphire Prism Cave Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/O4SLhC

What You Didn't Know About Peter Pan: Author Interview with Christopher Mechling

We’re all familiar with the Peter Pan story thanks to mostly movies and TV. What inspired you to delve into the story a little deeper?Well, I've always liked Peter Pan. For some people Peter Pan is just a fairy tale. For me, Peter was always more than that. Since publishing my book, I’ve found many people share that feeling. JM Barrie captured something true, something essential to childhood and to the human spirit, in his work. I find Peter to be a very relatable character.

What was your initial experience with the Peter Pan story?
When I was little, my father read the original book by James Barrie to me. Onscreen, I saw the Disney animated movie, the Mary Martin stage version, and Hook. Later, I read the book more than once on my own, and watched the 2003 film version of Peter Pan, which I particularly liked. I also enjoyed Finding Neverland with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.

I’ve also visited London a number of times over the years, and I love the many parks they have there, particularly Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, and St. James’ Park. When you are inside these places, you forget the city around you. In Tokyo, there is a park I’ve visited more than once which has the same immersive feeling, although it covers a much smaller geographical area- the name is Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens, and it is one of the older and more beautiful parks in Tokyo.

Whenever I’ve gone to London, I’ve stopped by Kensington Gardens and paid a visit to the statue of Peter. It’s a nice place. If you get a chance to stop by, go for it. You will experience the gardens that both James Barrie and Peter the Wild Boy roamed, more than a century apart. If you have never been to Kensington Gardens I should describe it for you briefly. It is set right in the heart of London, and yet once you have passed through its gates the city disappears behind you. There is expansive beauty and greenery all around, and a channel of water called the Serpentine runs through it. It’s a perfect place to have a picnic and spend the day outdoors.

What did you find in your initial search on the Peter Pan origins?
That all being said, I wasn't actively seeking Peter Pan's historical origin when I first came upon some articles about Peter the Wild Boy. But as soon as I started reading about Peter the Wild Boy's life, I made a mental connection with Peter Pan, and the more I researched, the more it made sense that Peter the Wild Boy was the inspiration for JM Barrie’s work. 

I believe I was the first to make this link. However I wasn't satisfied with only linking the historical Peter and the fictional Peter. To tell the tale properly, I also sought potential historical origins for Wendy and the lost boys, Hook and the pirates, Tinkerbell and the fairies, the Indians, the mermaids, etc.

I did not try to force the structure of the fairy tale on top of the facts. I based the story on actual characters and events as much as possible. My aim was to tell the tale of Peter the Wild Boy as vividly as I could, so that people would reach the same conclusion I had- that this was in fact, the true story of the Boy Who Never Grew Up and the origin of the legend of Peter Pan.

There are a lot of historical details I found that support my theory, and I tried to fit as many of these as I could into my novel without making it feel like a history lesson. Over three years later, and after having publishing the book, I am still finding more evidence that supports the theory.

The characters you list in your story are the well-known authors Daniel Defoe who wrote Robinson Crusoe and Jonathan Swift of Gulliver’s Travels. Both are brilliant authors who are probably more overlooked these days. How do they fit into the story?One of the primary ways we know about Peter is through contemporary sources, people who either observed him directly, or were well-acquainted with his story. For a time, Peter was one of the most-talked about people in London. Both Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe wrote about the Wild Boy.

Swift in particular had access to learn about Peter through his connection with Dr. John Arbuthnot, Peter’s tutor and caretaker while he was in London. Swift wrote a number of satirical pieces either directly referencing Peter, or inspired by Peter, and also co-authored one with Arbuthnot.

Defoe wrote a particularly lengthy satirical essay about Peter, titled Mere Nature Delineated. The narrator of the essay suggested that there must be something wrong with Peter, or else there is something wrong with all of us.

Defoe and Swift both saw in Peter a great opportunity to poke fun at court society. Once you catch on to the sense of humor behind their writings, you can see that their satires were not aimed at Peter at all, but at those around him.

Your bio states that you intend to publish a number of your completed works over the next few years. Have other novels been started and stopped along the way?
Yes. Peter: The Untold True Story is my most recent work, and it is the first book I've chosen to publish, because I felt it would be a good way to introduce myself as an author, but there is much more I am looking forward to sharing with my readers.

How long did it take you to write the Peter Pan book? How many rewrites did you do on it? It took about two years to write Peter: The Untold True Story, including time spent in research, and time spent on other parts of life. How many rewrites were involved? When I think of the word rewrite, I think of starting a passage, a section, or an entire story again from scratch, or near-scratch. Thankfully, rewrites did not play a big part in the process of writing Peter.

I did spend a month or two reviewing the manuscript after it was assembled, and that was definitely a worthwhile process. There were a few new scenes that emerged in the review and really added to the story, and there were some points of detail that needed filling in. It’s like applying the final strokes to a painting. Family and friends gave some great feedback in that process. Review can be painstaking at times, but ultimately, it made me much more confident of the product in my hands.

Did you try the normal route and try to find a traditional publisher to handle your book?  To borrow a line from Ray Bradbury- I jumped, and built my wings on the way down. Being an unknown author, new to publishing, I knew it could take a while to find the right agent and the right publisher to market my book.

With a different manuscript, I might have decided to go through that process. But this was the true story behind Peter Pan! I had spent more than two years researching and writing- all the while worrying that someone else might get the same idea I had, and therefore keeping the subject of this book secret from all but a handful of people. I wanted to be the first person to tell this tale to the world. If not, then I would not have been able to call it the untold true story! So I investigated self-publishing, and built direct relationships with Ingram, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon, enabling me to launch my book at a time of my own choosing.

Are you happy that you decided to self-publish?
In hindsight, I am glad I did. Of course I would love to see the story reach the widest audience possible; I believe it will eventually. I have learned a great deal from this process so far, and I still retain all of my rights.

How do you write? Did you do an outline first? Did you do individual character development before doing the full plot?I just write what the voices tell me… :)

Actually, I usually do have a fairly clear picture in my mind before I begin writing. Occasionally I will do a bit of outlining, but mostly the composition is all done in my head. When I was in school, I would write my final draft first, then reverse-engineer my second draft, first draft, rough draft, outline and note cards, adding in spelling errors and grammatical mistakes as I went along, to reassure my teachers that I had faithfully followed their instructions. Later, I found I was glad I had practiced these structures, because plotting thousands of pages sometimes requires outlining and multiple drafts.

As to the question of which comes first, the plot or the character, I guess I would say it varies- the two are certainly interrelated. There are some singular characters or relationships between characters that are so vivid, stories will naturally emerge. Then there are some great stories that appear like trees with their branches weighed down with ripe characters. For me, it’s usually a bit of both. In the case of Peter, I suppose it began with the idea of the character, and the details of the plot filled themselves in.

What type of publicity do you do to promote your book?
My first concern is writing the best book I can. I write stories out of love. Once the writing is finished, if I have been able to commit what’s in my heart to the page, I have faith the book will eventually find its audience and grow more popular overtime. Nowadays, there is a great deal of pressure for artists to be instant successes, and of course we all want success, but we don’t want to lose sight of the original reasons why we write.

Overall, I think the number one driver for my book so far is word-of-mouth, because people who have discovered my book are really positive about it, and they want to tell their friends. It’s hard to give you a formula for that, but start by writing a story you would want to read, then get your story out there into the hands of people who share your interests. If you take a book about knitting to a biker club, you may be disappointed by the response, but if you find the right audience, your book may do very well.

 What has worked best for you in generating sales?
I’ve done press releases that helped promote my book, bringing traffic to my website, boosting my search ranking and my sales. One thing you want to make sure of is that you have good analytics in place so you can measure the effect you get from each press release. Marketing should produce measurable results. If you have no way to track the effect of what you’re doing, then it’s very hard to refine your messaging. By watching the results of each press release carefully, I became more conscious of the keywords I needed to use and the approaches I needed to take.

In the past six months, I’ve also gotten more active on Goodreads. Goodreads offers an amazing platform for authors to connect with their readers and build engagement, and if you’re new to social media, as I was when I launched my book, it’s a great place to get started, because everyone in the Goodreads network is looking for a good book to read.

Tell me about your Goodreads experience.
Goodreads Giveaways have been a surprisingly effective tool for promotion- one that I would recommend experimenting with. It seemed counter-intuitive to me at first. Why offer to give away something I am trying to sell?

But in my first giveaway, which was launched last October mostly in the spirit of “Why not?”, I offered up five signed hardcovers. In thirty days, this giveaway attracted 1,704 people to register. My second giveaway offered ten books. It ran for just over two weeks and drew 2,150 people. My third giveaway was three books for three months. It drew 6,430 people and held the position of #1 most popular book in the First Reads program for several weeks before it was over. My fourth giveaway was just one book for just four days- it drew 1933 people to register. My fifth giveaway was done right in the middle of tax-filing season, and in six days drew 1,105 people. Currently, I have a three-month giveaway running for just one book. I launched it a little over two weeks ago, and it is already within the top 30 most popular giveaways on the charts right now.

What suggestions do you have for others using social media?
Whatever you do, don’t rest on your laurels. Give yourself goals to achieve- to grow your network, to find new ways of reaching your audience, to build a better platform for promotion. Give value to those who choose to follow you, whether by posting engaging blog content, inviting them to special events and promotions, participating in groups, sharing cool quotes, recommendations, etc.

Get to know your readers. The more you learn about their interests, the more you will understand why they came to be drawn to your book.

Lately I have started doing Twitter giveaways for my book, promoting it to my friends and followers at Goodreads. Now my base of Twitter followers is starting to grow. Everything is cumulative. What you do this season, if you do it well, can make you more prepared next season.

What do you know now about writing/publishing now that you wished you had known sooner? I feel I’ve been very lucky. As I said, I leapt first, and figured out the mechanics of flying afterward. I still have more to learn, I’m sure. But, I would say to any aspiring author that you need to be prepared for an ongoing campaign to win, keep and grow your audience. Learn as much as you can bear to learn before you launch your campaign, and then allow yourself a ramp-up of at least six months of marketing before your book is actually released, to build excitement and demand for the book.

I gave myself a short window of pre-release marketing because I felt time was of the essence with the release of this title, and because I was and I still am very confident that the book has strong, lasting appeal. But in most cases I see no reason not to give yourself more lead time. Then, after the release, be prepared to continue your marketing efforts. If my experience has proven anything to me, it’s that persistence pays off.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along? Outside of my immediate family, the person who gave me the best advice about writing was Ray Bradbury. I wrote something about my experiences with him in my preface to Peter: The Untold True Story. Ray was a great inspiration for me.

On the day I first met Ray, I remember he said to the group, “Now, I know that you’ve all come to hear me talk about the Art of Writing, but I am going to talk to you about Love…”

That's it for the interview today. I hope you've found something to encourage your writing. If you would like to learn more about Chris and his writing, here's some links to do that...

www.peterpantruestory.com

www.christophermechling.com

www.goodreads.com/christophermechling

www.twitter.com/mechling

www.facebook.com/christophermechlingbooks

Here a Bunny, There a Bunny: Interview with Children's Book Author, Russell Whitehead

You’ve now written two books about Easter and bunnies. What made you decide to write on this topic?

I suppose by looking at my current portfolio one might assume I'm obsessed with bunnies. Although I do love the little critters, I can assure you that''s not the case. Or is it?

How did you come up with the idea for the first book?
An Easter Bunny's Journey is a story about a little Easter bunny who's forgotten what Easter is all about. He goes searching for the answer and along the way meets several characters who represent what I perceive as the general attitudes one encounters when presenting the gospel.

Could you give a short synopsis of the story for my readers?
There's of course the little bunny, who to me represents a Christian who's been there and done that, but really doesn't know why they're doing it anymore. There's an owl, who doesn't understand what the big deal is and quite frankly is just annoyed by the whole prospect. Next there's a little field mouse who's excited to follow along and find out what it all means, and an apathetic cow, too busy munching grass to pay much attention. The story ends with a presentation of the gospel given by the little bunny's Granddaddy rabbit. As to why Easter bunnies hide their eggs... Well, you'll just have to read the book.

How long did it take you to write it?
The book was originally written as a script for a shadow puppetry performance. I was approached on rather short notice by the children's pastor of a local church and asked if I could do a short program before their annual Easter egg hunt. The idea was that it would keep the kids occupied while the grownups hid the eggs. I agreed to do it and over the next two weeks I wrote the script, built the puppets and the set, met with the piano player at the church and recorded the music and script for the play. It went very well. The kids really seemed to enjoy it and I performed it three times that year for a couple of different churches.

How did it go from a play to a book?
I rewrote the script into a storybook and enlisted the help of an illustrator. A co-worker friend of mine introduced me to Carol Metz. Carol happened to be the mother-in-law of of his sister-in-law (or something like that). Anyway, Carol agreed to do the illustrations for next to nothing as a ministry offering of sorts, which was great because I had very little money spend on the project.

I had several family members proof-read the text, a couple of which are very well read or have a degree in English. The arrangement worked out pretty well, and over the next four months I was able to put the whole thing together. Just in time for Easter last year. So far it's traveled to several foreign countries with different missionary groups. China, Haiti, India, Mali.

Where did the idea for the second Easter book come from?
The Blue Bunny book literally came "out of the blue". One day while taking a drive with my granddaughter, who was three years old at the time asked the question. "Papa? Have you ever see a blue bunny?"

To which I answered. "Well, no I haven't...I have seen a green bunny. But, I've never, ever seen a blue bunny." The conversation went on like that, back and forth through all the colors we could think of. By the time we got home I had the beginnings of my next children's book, Have you ever seen a Blue Bunny?

What was your writing background prior to writing these books?
I've written dozens of puppetry scripts over the years, although I've never had anything published until now. I've been active on Wattpad since October 2013. I've published a few of my works on there and received a fair amount of reads, votes and some pretty good reviews. That's been an encouragement to me. Most recently I've tried to become more active on Goodreads.

I'm not familiar with Wattpad. Could you tell me about it?
I had never heard of Wattpad either until last October when I saw someone mention it in a twitter post. Wattpad is a Canadian based website where readers and writers connect, similar to Goodreads. It's been a good resource for learning how things work and getting feedback on my stories. I've had comments from folks as far away as Thailand and Russia!

Did you try the normal route and try to find a traditional publisher to handle your book?
I have tried. However, I can't say that I've tried very hard. I sent out a few query letters to no avail. My impression of agents right now is that they are understandably, very busy people. I realize they are inundated with material and my story isn't the only one they need to consider.

Still I hate the thought of taking time to send off my manuscript only to have it sit in a pile on someone's desk and I may not even hear back from them. I can handle criticism, and I'm pretty easy to work with. But, one thing I can't stand is to be ignored, especially when I think I have something to say. I haven't given up on the idea of being published in the traditional sense. I do plan to make more of an effort to make that happen and hopefully I'll be successful at it. Meanwhile, I think the books I've already self-published could only be positively impacted by any book deal I may manage to get in the future.

When did you decide to self-publish?
When I wrote An Easter Bunny's Journey I did so with the clear intention of self-publishing it, mainly because I wanted control over the project and I wanted it to be available that Easter. After a fairly quick search I settled on Amazon's CreateSpace Self-Publishing platform. I've also started using Smashwords for publishing. I must admit there's been a considerable amount of time spent learning how to format books for print and for use with different apps like Kindle and Nook.

What do you think is the most common misconception about self-publishing?
I think the most common misconception about self-publishing is that if you publish a book and it's a good book it will automatically sell. I don't think most people realize the amount of marketing necessary to sell your books once they're published. Of course, those are things you don't have to consider with a traditional agent/publisher relationship which is why it's so attractive.

What type of publicity do you do to promote your book? What has worked best for you in generating sales?
I've done one interview for a local paper, but I'm mostly using the various social media outlets to get the word out. I'm familiar with sites like Facebook and Twitter, so I use them as much as possible. I know it's not enough though. That's why I plan to arrange a few book signings in the near future. Also, I've started a couple giveaways on Goodreads hoping that will generate some interest. This is all very new to me. So I'm learning as I go along. I'm concentrating mainly on improving my writing skills while getting up the nerve to do the work of marketing what've written.

What do you know now about writing/publishing now that you wished you had known sooner?
My background as a writer has been mostly writing scripts and performing puppetry for children. It's something I've really enjoyed doing for many years. But,it wasn't until I wrote An Easter Bunny's Journey that I realized which part of the process I enjoy the most. The artistry and the mechanics involved with creating characters and making them come to life for an audience is a wonderful experience. But, in the end I found the part I love the most...the part that's most important to me...is the story. I wish I had realized that a lot sooner.

What other projects do you have in the works?
I'm currently working on The Sparrow Princess. It's an original fairytale intended for a middle grade audience and explores the consequences of jealousy and revenge as it relates to certain family dynamics. The story is a stand alone project. But, I have outlines for both a prequel and a sequel making it a trilogy. You can read the unedited beta version free for a limited time on Wattpad.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along?Know your audience! Your motivation for writing should be to connect with the reader in some way. Don't go looking for inspiration...just keep an open mind and it will find you wherever you are.

Thanks for the interview! If you would like to know more about Russell's writing or getting a sneak peak at it, here's how you can...

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7377028.Russell_Whitehead
http://www.wattpad.com/user/RussellWhitehead
https://www.facebook.com/TheSparrowPrincess

Romance Today, an Interview with Author, Lynn Ricci

What made you decide to take the plunge and write a novel?

Writing a novel was something I always wanted to do but more so after my mom and I were cleaning out my paternal grandmothers apartment and I came across a green leather, zippered journal.  My grandmother was 92 at the time she passed and this was a snapshot of her life at 16, moving from the woods of Maine to NYC during the roaring 20s.  And there was a story in those pages – one I still want to fictionalize and tell.

You’ve released two novels – one in August and the second in December. Do you write that fast or have these been in the process for some time?

The first novel, The Dating intervention, was started long before my second novel, Cursed. The Dating Intervention took about two years to the point when I released it, but Cursed was already well underway at that point.  I have another couple of stories right now that I am feeling out to see which one will bubble up and write itself quicker!

How long did it take you to write the first book? How many rewrites did you do on it? Who helped you with the editing?

The first book required more rewrites.  I had a group of diverse friends that I had read my early draft manuscript in order to elicit good feedback.  I set up an online anonymous survey so no one would hold back!  I built out characters they wanted to know more about and revealed more of the back story because of the process and I think it really helped.

Did the second book come about quicker?

The second book did come quicker – almost like a movie inside my head.  And it’s written that way with lot of visually rich descriptions and nuances to help the reader see what I did.  Not as many rewrites, actually none!  I presented the story in its current form to the editor and found I was in decent shape. 

How did you come up with the idea for The Dating Intervention?

It actually came about from personal experience – although the book is not about me!  Very similar to the main character, I am divorced with children and a corporate job.  I started dating a man and when that ended, my friends didn’t want me sitting around and kept telling me to get back out there – but dating is REALLY tough when you are in your forties.  I started sending out snippets of my “bad dates” to friends and got a lot of positive feedback that it was funny and someone suggested I tie them together into a book.  Well, that was enough to get me started. 

Could you give me a short synopsis on the story for my readers?

The Dating Intervention deals with the issues of dating post our "prime," juggling other responsibilities, and allowing ourselves to take chances with our lives to find what really gives us happiness – whether with a relationship or what we do for a living.  The book is similar to real life – there are touching moments with close girlfriends, sad and frustrating moments when you feel your life is crashing down, and some funny times when you can’t believe this could be happening! 

Your 2nd book, Cursed is defined in a review as a “spellbinding modern gothic.” What exactly does that mean – vampires, werewolves, and witches? What should make readers interested in learning about your main character and her life?

Without giving too much away, there is a witch involved and she is made even more dangerous because she is a scorned woman.  There is no time travel – but there is a look back to Boston in the late 1800’s, and the same brownstone Sarah Carter has moved into.  What she finds out along the way is the connection she has to the family that had lived in the house back then and how that connection may put her in extreme danger from the witch who wants her revenge.

How would you define the difference between chick lit and romance writing?

I enjoy chick lit for my personal reading.  I feel it’s usually a lighthearted, fun look at love, where opposites attract and usually involves shopping and shoes – two things I love.  Romance books explore more of the can’t live without, passionate, spiraling, lusty type of love that many times is with an against all odds backdrop.  Both are great and hopefully everyone gets to experience each type in their lives – at least once!

Did you try the normal route and try to find a traditional publisher to handle your book?Did you pitch any agents? When did you decide to self-publish?

That was part of the delay with The Dating Intervention.  I did query several top agents but got all the same response – thanks but no thanks right now.  In hindsight, I should have tried more than 3-4 but by then I was starting to learn how tough the traditional publishing route is.   

I was also learning more about the self-publishing world and how much it had changed from the days of vanity press to the new print-on-demand option that allows an author to have control over their work, and when and how their books are released.  For me, it was a simple decision; I was not as hung up on being represented and more about sharing my stories.  I now have people reading and enjoying my work, writing reviews, and making a connection with me through social media.

What type of publicity do you do to promote your book? What has worked best for you in generating sales?

It’s hard to say what works best since it’s been a relatively short period of time.  I did decide to go the Amazon KDP route first for both books so offering the free days has generated subsequent sales.  And I did a blog tour for The Dating Intervention and I am about to kick one off for Cursed during the first week in March.  I have done the Goodreads giveaways and I think that also helps with visibility.  Right now, being a new and unknown author, the best thing I can do is get my name out there to generate new readers and generate enough buzz for the books to go viral.  And avenues such as this interview are a good way to do that, so thank you!

What do you know now about writing/publishing now that you wished you had known sooner?

The amount of promotion was a little bit surprising.  As I just mentioned, the level of marketing required to get your name out there in the sea of new and upcoming authors is not only huge but it’s never ending.  I need to be active on social media like Facebook, Twitter, and write a blog, along with keeping my website up to date and change it enough to keep visitors coming back.  Then there are the interviews and guest blogs for blog tours and making sure your online presence is kept up to date on places like Shelfari, Amazon Author Central, etc.  All while continuing to write, work and raise a family. 

Is this a stand-alone book or are you planning a sequel or prequel for any of your characters?

For Cursed, I am considering a prequel that would focus more on the witch and show a little bit of the same story told from her side.  As for The Dating Intervention, I have thought about connecting some of the secondary characters in future contemporary romances. 

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along?

It takes more than you as the writer to get your book across the self-published finish line.  You need to ask others to beta read your story (listening to their feedback!), and enlist professionals for the cover and editing services.  Although the allure of doing it all yourself for free is powerful, you need to view this as a business - investing in yourself and the product you are releasing to the world.

I hoped this has piqued your interest to learn more about Lynn and her writing. To get you started here's a link to her blog - lynnricci.wordpress.com, website, Facebook