1. How long did it take you to publish, ‘Enemies and Playmates?’
Forever! I finished the first draft in 1992 or maybe early 1993. I published the book in 2009. So technically the answer to this question is about 16 years. In reality, though, I was not working on getting it published that entire time.
I sent an early draft to a few agents, along with the formal query letter and synopsis. (Both of which I despise writing, by the way.) One agent miraculously requested the manuscript and liked what she read enough to send a reply requesting I call her. The cost of that one-hour long distance call turned out to be the best investment I’ve ever made. The summation is that she loved my writing style but I had POV issues. Or, more succinctly, I had no handle at all on POV. We were in everyone’s head, all the time. (Called omniscient POV, and not appealing to the mainstream market.) That agent asked me a question that has driven my writing since: Whose story is this?
I went back to the book and did a major rewrite. This did not happen quickly since, at the time, I had two small children, a rocky marriage, and a fast-progressing chronic illness. (Much later diagnosed as chronic Lyme disease.) Years passed. I have no idea how many rewrites I did, though I’d say around a half-dozen. I was also working on another book at the same time, which is titled Secrets. Eventually I did the dance with query letters, trying to get an agent’s attention. My story is long and convoluted, and I don’t want to bore everyone, so I’ll just say I am not a fan of the query process. By 2008, indie publishing was on the cusp of exploding and I found myself with lots of time on my hands. (I was no longer able to work due to worsening health complications.) I researched independent publishing, found CreateSpace, Kindle, and Smashwords, taught myself how to format, and learned all the other things that go with the business side of writing. Then I learned the basics of web design and put together a website. And, 16 years from my first draft, finally published Enemies and Playmates.
2. If you could choose one thing about the whole work involved from writing your first book, to its publication, what would you say was the hardest thing to achieve?
Tough question. I’d say the hardest thing is a tossup between finding my voice and confidence. The two sort of go together. Once you find your voice, you have far more confidence in your writing.
3. Of all the books you have written, which book did you enjoy writing the most?
I love to create, and have enjoyed spending time with all my characters for different reasons. But the one I had the most fun writing has to be The Cutting Edge. The main character is a hairstylist with murderous fantasies. I was a stylist for 15 years, and this book is absolutely the closest I’ve ever come to putting my own life within my writing. The salon is based on the actual salon I worked in. The story is set in the same small town I lived and worked in. And all the clients in the fictional salon are based on real clients, right down to the incidents and conversations. I changed the names and minor details in order to protect the innocent and hide the guilty.
One reviewer accused me of making up the most absurd cast of characters ever, claiming they were so annoying that they were unbelievable. This made me laugh, since they are the only characters I’ve ever based completely on real people. J
4. How long did it take you to get your first successful book published?
I suppose that depends on how you define successful. Enemies and Playmates, my first, is also my most successful in terms of sales. That has to do solely with marketing. I was fortunate to get into indie publishing before the flood of free books Amazon now provides. I offered this book free for quite some time, which had the benefit of gaining well over 100,000 downloads and a lot of reviews. The more reviews a product has, the more Amazon will then promote the book to its shoppers. While those free downloads didn’t make me any money, they did work for long-term marketing purposes.
Unfortunately, Amazon’s Select program for authors has now had the disastrous counter-effect of stalling sales. There are too many free books for Kindle and it no longer works as well for marketing.
5. If you could give one piece of advice to a new writer, what would it be?
Lose your ego. Our books are like our babies, and no one wants their children criticized. But the only way to grow as a writer is to take in critique, use what fits, and toss out what doesn’t work for you.
6. Many writers are warned about the dreaded ‘rejection letter,’ but speaking from your own experience, what is your take on the rejection letter?
Don’t take it personally. Don’t even take it as a sign of your book’s worth or appeal. The mainstream publishing world is in turmoil these days, and I’m not sure whether that works in favor of or against the unknown author. Regardless, the process is really about timing. In order to reach a mainstream publisher, you first need an agent. And agents are looking for the sure deal. They’re busy and don’t want to waste their time on unknowns who won’t make them money. They have their own likes, dislikes, and preconceived ideas of what good writing is. They want specific stories to fit their needs. If you happen to reach an agent who is looking for exactly what you write, or an agent who needs to fill a gap in the market he/she represents, then you stand a chance. It’s a game of needle in the haystack.
I have to say that what bothered me far more than the standard, impersonal rejection letter was the countless agents I queried who never even bothered to reply.
7. What would you say is the first steps of publishing?
This depends solely on your choice of publishing options. So I suppose the answer is you first have to decide exactly what you’re looking for and how you want to publish. Do your research and figure out whether you want to pursue a mainstream publisher, whether you’d be happy with one of the many smaller publishers who are far friendlier toward new authors, or whether you want to join the indie movement. There are pros and cons to all and the choice is ultimately a personal one.
8. If a new and upcoming writer was trying to publish their own novel, how would you recommend they go about it?
If you’re speaking about the independent route, my advice would be to first get a good editor. I do not recommend trying to self-publish without one.
9. 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?
Oh, that’s like asking me which child is my favorite! I love them all. Okay, I probably wouldn’t choose the twisted, psychopathic killers in my books, but even they hold a special place in my warped imagination. If I look at this question as which two characters I’d want to hang out with, I’d probably choose Skye from The Cutting Edge and Lucianna from Hit List. Skye is kind of a hippie who loves her rescue dogs. Lucianna is an independent, fearless woman who enjoys looking for trouble. I think they’d be fun to spend time with. Or maybe I’d choose Joe from Into The Light, because I love that he can hear ghosts.
10. 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?
You’re absolutely right that independent publishing is not for everyone. It’s a lot of work that, most often, gives very little financial return. That being said, being published mainstream is no guarantee of success either. While the big-time authors – James Patterson, Stephen King – are promoted everywhere, publishers spend very little money promoting their newer or lesser known authors. Many authors who get published mainstream still have to do their own promoting and marketing, while making less in royalties.
I think it’s important to really research your options. Talk to authors who have published independently, through small publishers, and mainstream. Learn the pros and cons of each option. Be realistic in your expectations, as well as in how much time you’re willing and able to devote to publishing and all it entails.
As for whether I would take the same route, yes, absolutely. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about the industry and about myself. Being independent allows me to make all my own choices. My books are mine. I’m a bit of control freak about what that means. Being published mainstream or even with most small presses means you give up much of that control. For instance, mainstream authors have no say in their cover design. Most have word count parameters, in which the books they write must be within a certain range. (This explains why some mainstream books have so much extra fluff. The 70,000 word draft turns into a 100,000 novel.) I’m a firm believer that a story should start where it starts and end where it ends. No more and no less. Mainstream authors are also held to specific expectations as far as genre and content. A mystery author remains a mystery author and can’t suddenly decide to venture off into the paranormal for a book or two. (Unless they are among the elite.) So, for me, independence works. It’s not perfect by any means, but it allows me the room I need to create and really own those creations.
Forever! I finished the first draft in 1992 or maybe early 1993. I published the book in 2009. So technically the answer to this question is about 16 years. In reality, though, I was not working on getting it published that entire time.
I sent an early draft to a few agents, along with the formal query letter and synopsis. (Both of which I despise writing, by the way.) One agent miraculously requested the manuscript and liked what she read enough to send a reply requesting I call her. The cost of that one-hour long distance call turned out to be the best investment I’ve ever made. The summation is that she loved my writing style but I had POV issues. Or, more succinctly, I had no handle at all on POV. We were in everyone’s head, all the time. (Called omniscient POV, and not appealing to the mainstream market.) That agent asked me a question that has driven my writing since: Whose story is this?
I went back to the book and did a major rewrite. This did not happen quickly since, at the time, I had two small children, a rocky marriage, and a fast-progressing chronic illness. (Much later diagnosed as chronic Lyme disease.) Years passed. I have no idea how many rewrites I did, though I’d say around a half-dozen. I was also working on another book at the same time, which is titled Secrets. Eventually I did the dance with query letters, trying to get an agent’s attention. My story is long and convoluted, and I don’t want to bore everyone, so I’ll just say I am not a fan of the query process. By 2008, indie publishing was on the cusp of exploding and I found myself with lots of time on my hands. (I was no longer able to work due to worsening health complications.) I researched independent publishing, found CreateSpace, Kindle, and Smashwords, taught myself how to format, and learned all the other things that go with the business side of writing. Then I learned the basics of web design and put together a website. And, 16 years from my first draft, finally published Enemies and Playmates.
2. If you could choose one thing about the whole work involved from writing your first book, to its publication, what would you say was the hardest thing to achieve?
Tough question. I’d say the hardest thing is a tossup between finding my voice and confidence. The two sort of go together. Once you find your voice, you have far more confidence in your writing.
3. Of all the books you have written, which book did you enjoy writing the most?
I love to create, and have enjoyed spending time with all my characters for different reasons. But the one I had the most fun writing has to be The Cutting Edge. The main character is a hairstylist with murderous fantasies. I was a stylist for 15 years, and this book is absolutely the closest I’ve ever come to putting my own life within my writing. The salon is based on the actual salon I worked in. The story is set in the same small town I lived and worked in. And all the clients in the fictional salon are based on real clients, right down to the incidents and conversations. I changed the names and minor details in order to protect the innocent and hide the guilty.
One reviewer accused me of making up the most absurd cast of characters ever, claiming they were so annoying that they were unbelievable. This made me laugh, since they are the only characters I’ve ever based completely on real people. J
4. How long did it take you to get your first successful book published?
I suppose that depends on how you define successful. Enemies and Playmates, my first, is also my most successful in terms of sales. That has to do solely with marketing. I was fortunate to get into indie publishing before the flood of free books Amazon now provides. I offered this book free for quite some time, which had the benefit of gaining well over 100,000 downloads and a lot of reviews. The more reviews a product has, the more Amazon will then promote the book to its shoppers. While those free downloads didn’t make me any money, they did work for long-term marketing purposes.
Unfortunately, Amazon’s Select program for authors has now had the disastrous counter-effect of stalling sales. There are too many free books for Kindle and it no longer works as well for marketing.
5. If you could give one piece of advice to a new writer, what would it be?
Lose your ego. Our books are like our babies, and no one wants their children criticized. But the only way to grow as a writer is to take in critique, use what fits, and toss out what doesn’t work for you.
6. Many writers are warned about the dreaded ‘rejection letter,’ but speaking from your own experience, what is your take on the rejection letter?
Don’t take it personally. Don’t even take it as a sign of your book’s worth or appeal. The mainstream publishing world is in turmoil these days, and I’m not sure whether that works in favor of or against the unknown author. Regardless, the process is really about timing. In order to reach a mainstream publisher, you first need an agent. And agents are looking for the sure deal. They’re busy and don’t want to waste their time on unknowns who won’t make them money. They have their own likes, dislikes, and preconceived ideas of what good writing is. They want specific stories to fit their needs. If you happen to reach an agent who is looking for exactly what you write, or an agent who needs to fill a gap in the market he/she represents, then you stand a chance. It’s a game of needle in the haystack.
I have to say that what bothered me far more than the standard, impersonal rejection letter was the countless agents I queried who never even bothered to reply.
7. What would you say is the first steps of publishing?
This depends solely on your choice of publishing options. So I suppose the answer is you first have to decide exactly what you’re looking for and how you want to publish. Do your research and figure out whether you want to pursue a mainstream publisher, whether you’d be happy with one of the many smaller publishers who are far friendlier toward new authors, or whether you want to join the indie movement. There are pros and cons to all and the choice is ultimately a personal one.
8. If a new and upcoming writer was trying to publish their own novel, how would you recommend they go about it?
If you’re speaking about the independent route, my advice would be to first get a good editor. I do not recommend trying to self-publish without one.
9. 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?
Oh, that’s like asking me which child is my favorite! I love them all. Okay, I probably wouldn’t choose the twisted, psychopathic killers in my books, but even they hold a special place in my warped imagination. If I look at this question as which two characters I’d want to hang out with, I’d probably choose Skye from The Cutting Edge and Lucianna from Hit List. Skye is kind of a hippie who loves her rescue dogs. Lucianna is an independent, fearless woman who enjoys looking for trouble. I think they’d be fun to spend time with. Or maybe I’d choose Joe from Into The Light, because I love that he can hear ghosts.
10. 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?
You’re absolutely right that independent publishing is not for everyone. It’s a lot of work that, most often, gives very little financial return. That being said, being published mainstream is no guarantee of success either. While the big-time authors – James Patterson, Stephen King – are promoted everywhere, publishers spend very little money promoting their newer or lesser known authors. Many authors who get published mainstream still have to do their own promoting and marketing, while making less in royalties.
I think it’s important to really research your options. Talk to authors who have published independently, through small publishers, and mainstream. Learn the pros and cons of each option. Be realistic in your expectations, as well as in how much time you’re willing and able to devote to publishing and all it entails.
As for whether I would take the same route, yes, absolutely. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about the industry and about myself. Being independent allows me to make all my own choices. My books are mine. I’m a bit of control freak about what that means. Being published mainstream or even with most small presses means you give up much of that control. For instance, mainstream authors have no say in their cover design. Most have word count parameters, in which the books they write must be within a certain range. (This explains why some mainstream books have so much extra fluff. The 70,000 word draft turns into a 100,000 novel.) I’m a firm believer that a story should start where it starts and end where it ends. No more and no less. Mainstream authors are also held to specific expectations as far as genre and content. A mystery author remains a mystery author and can’t suddenly decide to venture off into the paranormal for a book or two. (Unless they are among the elite.) So, for me, independence works. It’s not perfect by any means, but it allows me the room I need to create and really own those creations.