Q. I can't get your books on Amazon, but I really want to read them. What should I do?
A. Sorry! My e-books are currently exclusive to Amazon for the time being. One thing you can do is buy the paperbacks (they're gorgeous, btw!). You can also email me and I'll consider donating a copy to your local library, if your country is located where Amazon kindle books aren't available.
Q. Do you have any tips for a beginning/self-published writer?
I'm flattered you're asking me this : ) For beginning writers, this is going to sound cliche, but just read and write as much as you can, and learn how to improve your stories as you write. Don't worry if you didn't write loads of stories when you were a kid, or you don't have a burning desire to write every day. I barely had time to read fiction in middle school (we had class from 7am to 6pm, not to mention homework after school). I didn't finish my first full-length novel until I was in grad school. Fanfiction is a great way for practice, because you have a fully-fleshed world and characters to work with, and if you post as you write, such as on fanfiction.net, you get immediate feedback. Also, craft books are also very helpful, just be careful not to read too much of them and delay the writing. Here are a few that have helped me:
1. Nail Your Novel - Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, Fix and Finish With Confidence, by Roz Morris
2. Write Great Fiction - Plot & Structure, by James Scott Bell
3. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression, by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
For the self-published writer who has a few books but failed to see traction, I know it's tough--I didn't start selling until my fifth book, which was released in my third year of publishing. My first four books were middle-grade/coming-of-age which were fun to write but lacked mass appeal. They're also, IMO, weaker in plot/characters, but they were the best I could write at the time, and I've learned to improve since.
And so, from my experience, genre and market is extremely important. There are outliers in, for example, literary fiction, but most of us making a living write in commercial, popular genres. Romance and its various subgenres, mystery, fantasy, space opera, are all great choices. You don't have to write to market (I've put down so many books because I was tired of reading the same thing over and over), but do your best to make the story entertain and engage the reader.
I also believe that while you don't have to unconditionally love every minute of creation, you should enjoy what you have written. In a business as volatile and unpredictable as self-publishing, it's going to be doubly frustrating if you don't like your story and it doesn't sell. If there are scenes in your book that make you laugh, cry, or just can't help reliving it in your head...it's very likely your reader will feel the same!
Here's the place I go to for the latest information on self-publishing. Without it, I'd never have been able to go full-time.
Q. Will you review my book?
I'm sorry, I used to do reviews, but as Amazon has been getting stricter and stricter with reviews, as a writer, I've decided to avoid posting reviews about other writers' work, especially if I was bored/hated the book, or if I know the writer personally. However, I do recommend books that I've enjoyed to my readers...if it's a story I like, then it's likely that they'll enjoy it too. Feel free to send me a link and I'll add it to my to-be-read pile. I'll happily spread the word of your book if I read and loved it.
Q. I'd love to review your book! Can you send me a copy?
If you are are a book blogger and frequently post reviews on Amazon/Goodreads, sign up for my ARC reader list, and I'll send out an email when I have a book available for review.
A. Sorry! My e-books are currently exclusive to Amazon for the time being. One thing you can do is buy the paperbacks (they're gorgeous, btw!). You can also email me and I'll consider donating a copy to your local library, if your country is located where Amazon kindle books aren't available.
Q. Do you have any tips for a beginning/self-published writer?
I'm flattered you're asking me this : ) For beginning writers, this is going to sound cliche, but just read and write as much as you can, and learn how to improve your stories as you write. Don't worry if you didn't write loads of stories when you were a kid, or you don't have a burning desire to write every day. I barely had time to read fiction in middle school (we had class from 7am to 6pm, not to mention homework after school). I didn't finish my first full-length novel until I was in grad school. Fanfiction is a great way for practice, because you have a fully-fleshed world and characters to work with, and if you post as you write, such as on fanfiction.net, you get immediate feedback. Also, craft books are also very helpful, just be careful not to read too much of them and delay the writing. Here are a few that have helped me:
1. Nail Your Novel - Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, Fix and Finish With Confidence, by Roz Morris
2. Write Great Fiction - Plot & Structure, by James Scott Bell
3. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression, by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
For the self-published writer who has a few books but failed to see traction, I know it's tough--I didn't start selling until my fifth book, which was released in my third year of publishing. My first four books were middle-grade/coming-of-age which were fun to write but lacked mass appeal. They're also, IMO, weaker in plot/characters, but they were the best I could write at the time, and I've learned to improve since.
And so, from my experience, genre and market is extremely important. There are outliers in, for example, literary fiction, but most of us making a living write in commercial, popular genres. Romance and its various subgenres, mystery, fantasy, space opera, are all great choices. You don't have to write to market (I've put down so many books because I was tired of reading the same thing over and over), but do your best to make the story entertain and engage the reader.
I also believe that while you don't have to unconditionally love every minute of creation, you should enjoy what you have written. In a business as volatile and unpredictable as self-publishing, it's going to be doubly frustrating if you don't like your story and it doesn't sell. If there are scenes in your book that make you laugh, cry, or just can't help reliving it in your head...it's very likely your reader will feel the same!
Here's the place I go to for the latest information on self-publishing. Without it, I'd never have been able to go full-time.
Q. Will you review my book?
I'm sorry, I used to do reviews, but as Amazon has been getting stricter and stricter with reviews, as a writer, I've decided to avoid posting reviews about other writers' work, especially if I was bored/hated the book, or if I know the writer personally. However, I do recommend books that I've enjoyed to my readers...if it's a story I like, then it's likely that they'll enjoy it too. Feel free to send me a link and I'll add it to my to-be-read pile. I'll happily spread the word of your book if I read and loved it.
Q. I'd love to review your book! Can you send me a copy?
If you are are a book blogger and frequently post reviews on Amazon/Goodreads, sign up for my ARC reader list, and I'll send out an email when I have a book available for review.
