1. How long did it take you to publish, ‘This Beautiful Thing?’
From the time I sat down to write TBT, to when it was published was a little over a month. This is a big no no because I didn’t have a professional editor and my reviews suffered for it.
2. Of all the books you have written, which book did you enjoy writing the most?
This is a hard one! I love all my books but I honestly had the most fun with Make Me. At the time I wrote the book, I had writers block. It’s amazing to me what invokes my imagination. I was sitting there watching a random movie and all of a sudden I had the idea in my head. I sat down and wrote everyday and I had Make Me done in three weeks. I was actually more excited for Make Me to come out then I have been for any of my other books. I think I was so happy to finish it and about how many people wanted to read it. Plus I loved the way my characters were with each other. They are my favourite couple.
3. If you could give one piece of advice to a new writer, what would it be?
Pay the big bucks for an editor. This will save your life in this writing world. You’ll receive less bad reviews simply for the fact a lot of readers won’t read a badly edited book. www.proofbeforeyoupublish.com, is my editor. Nicole is amazing and worth every penny. (Though I’ve seen editors charge more than she does).
I recommend her because I’ve had horrible luck with editors in the past. I know you only asked for one piece of advice but I feel this is extremely important also.
Check out the person you’re paying for services. Whether it be an editor, formatter, beta reader, cover artist, or a publisher who isn’t the big six. I hate to say it but authors can be very easily duped. Ask around on social media if they don’t have references on their website. Ask for examples of pervious work. Always keep your eyes open!
4. If a new and upcoming writer was trying to publish their own novel, how would you recommend they go about it?
Make a facebook, twitter and a blog first. Send teasers out to bloggers and post them on your pages. Do giveaways (I can’t express how giving things away gets you notice. I give things away all the time and that’s when I receive the most attention. Plus I love to give stuff away J).
Before you publish always make sure you get it professionally edited. That is the number one thing you need to have done. NEVER DO IT YOURSELF. That is a huge no no.
Make sure to give out ARCs to bloggers who express interest. I know this might seem stupid but if they like your book, they will pimp you out.
After you have it edited, never immediately release it. Set out a release date, get it noticed around the community, and then release it.
Those bloggers who got advanced copies will post their reviews and that’s what you want. Good reviews to go up on release day. Lots more people will buy your book if they have someone else’s opinion of it.
Also never read bad reviews and if you do, don’t get upset about them, unless you are personally being trashed. I know your book is your baby but not everyone is going to like it, so get over that real fast.
Plus I always read the bad reviews for books I want to read because I want to know what they didn’t like about the book. I read the good ones too but the people who didn’t like the book are more honest and you can learn if you should read the book or not.
5. We all love writing our own characters, giving them personalities, histories and lives, but if you had to choose two characters from your own books, which two would you say are your favourites?
Courtney Pierce from Save Me. He’s a character I wrote from the inside of my heart. He has so much of me inside of him, it’s a wonder I’m not male. Norma Jean from Norma Jean also for the same reason as Pierce. She went through something that I did and I bleed my pain from that experience into her.
6. The publishing industry is beginning to get increasingly difficult, with less and less books being published each year, and this year is no exception. Book deals and publications are at an all-time low.
Many writers are turning to Amazon, Smashwords, Nook, etc. and self-publishing their books.
But this choice isn’t for everyone.
What would you say to young, unpublished writers out there who are debating about which route to take?
And had you been starting out all over again, would you still take the same route?
In all honesty I would personally never go with a publisher. I don’t do well with deadlines and I don’t like answering to other people. And I will tell any writer who asks to go with self-publishing. I haven’t personally met an author who got picked up by a publisher unless they made the New York Times. And even then they may not get picked up. Plus they have control over what you write. I couldn’t get on board with that simply for the fact the way I write a story is the way it is. I rarely ever go back and change anything after the write read through. But that is not everyone’s opinion. I like control and others give it to other people. There are up sides to have a publisher. They do all the work and that’s the area I like. I have a horrible time with social media and getting blogs to share my stuff. I do my own advertising and its hard work. So all in all I would recommend whatever you feel comfortable with. There are plenty of pros and cons to both worlds. But it is so much harder to be picked up by a publisher.
From the time I sat down to write TBT, to when it was published was a little over a month. This is a big no no because I didn’t have a professional editor and my reviews suffered for it.
2. Of all the books you have written, which book did you enjoy writing the most?
This is a hard one! I love all my books but I honestly had the most fun with Make Me. At the time I wrote the book, I had writers block. It’s amazing to me what invokes my imagination. I was sitting there watching a random movie and all of a sudden I had the idea in my head. I sat down and wrote everyday and I had Make Me done in three weeks. I was actually more excited for Make Me to come out then I have been for any of my other books. I think I was so happy to finish it and about how many people wanted to read it. Plus I loved the way my characters were with each other. They are my favourite couple.
3. If you could give one piece of advice to a new writer, what would it be?
Pay the big bucks for an editor. This will save your life in this writing world. You’ll receive less bad reviews simply for the fact a lot of readers won’t read a badly edited book. www.proofbeforeyoupublish.com, is my editor. Nicole is amazing and worth every penny. (Though I’ve seen editors charge more than she does).
I recommend her because I’ve had horrible luck with editors in the past. I know you only asked for one piece of advice but I feel this is extremely important also.
Check out the person you’re paying for services. Whether it be an editor, formatter, beta reader, cover artist, or a publisher who isn’t the big six. I hate to say it but authors can be very easily duped. Ask around on social media if they don’t have references on their website. Ask for examples of pervious work. Always keep your eyes open!
4. If a new and upcoming writer was trying to publish their own novel, how would you recommend they go about it?
Make a facebook, twitter and a blog first. Send teasers out to bloggers and post them on your pages. Do giveaways (I can’t express how giving things away gets you notice. I give things away all the time and that’s when I receive the most attention. Plus I love to give stuff away J).
Before you publish always make sure you get it professionally edited. That is the number one thing you need to have done. NEVER DO IT YOURSELF. That is a huge no no.
Make sure to give out ARCs to bloggers who express interest. I know this might seem stupid but if they like your book, they will pimp you out.
After you have it edited, never immediately release it. Set out a release date, get it noticed around the community, and then release it.
Those bloggers who got advanced copies will post their reviews and that’s what you want. Good reviews to go up on release day. Lots more people will buy your book if they have someone else’s opinion of it.
Also never read bad reviews and if you do, don’t get upset about them, unless you are personally being trashed. I know your book is your baby but not everyone is going to like it, so get over that real fast.
Plus I always read the bad reviews for books I want to read because I want to know what they didn’t like about the book. I read the good ones too but the people who didn’t like the book are more honest and you can learn if you should read the book or not.
5. We all love writing our own characters, giving them personalities, histories and lives, but if you had to choose two characters from your own books, which two would you say are your favourites?
Courtney Pierce from Save Me. He’s a character I wrote from the inside of my heart. He has so much of me inside of him, it’s a wonder I’m not male. Norma Jean from Norma Jean also for the same reason as Pierce. She went through something that I did and I bleed my pain from that experience into her.
6. The publishing industry is beginning to get increasingly difficult, with less and less books being published each year, and this year is no exception. Book deals and publications are at an all-time low.
Many writers are turning to Amazon, Smashwords, Nook, etc. and self-publishing their books.
But this choice isn’t for everyone.
What would you say to young, unpublished writers out there who are debating about which route to take?
And had you been starting out all over again, would you still take the same route?
In all honesty I would personally never go with a publisher. I don’t do well with deadlines and I don’t like answering to other people. And I will tell any writer who asks to go with self-publishing. I haven’t personally met an author who got picked up by a publisher unless they made the New York Times. And even then they may not get picked up. Plus they have control over what you write. I couldn’t get on board with that simply for the fact the way I write a story is the way it is. I rarely ever go back and change anything after the write read through. But that is not everyone’s opinion. I like control and others give it to other people. There are up sides to have a publisher. They do all the work and that’s the area I like. I have a horrible time with social media and getting blogs to share my stuff. I do my own advertising and its hard work. So all in all I would recommend whatever you feel comfortable with. There are plenty of pros and cons to both worlds. But it is so much harder to be picked up by a publisher.