Interview with Author and Blogger Mike Lanza

Mike Lanza, MA Ed and MBA (Stanford), is Chief Blogger at Playborhood.com (started in 2007), and the author of Playborhood: Turn Your Neighborhood Into A Place For Play. An expert on the subject of kids’ play in neighborhoods, Lanza has worked hard to create a very rich neighborhood play life for his three boys – ages 7, 4, and 2 – in Menlo Park, California. He’s also discovered and written about dozens of neighborhoods throughout North America that are doing innovative things to make a vibrant life for kids. Prior to his writing career, Mike was a five-time software and Internet entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.

1.  You are author of Playborhood: Turn Your Neighborhood into a Place of Play, and you keep a blog that complements the book. Which came first? Can you talk about the process of turning a blog into a book or a book into a blog?

I started with the blog, playborhood.com, five years ago, in 2007.  Back then, I knew I had a lot to learn about the subject of kids’ play in neighborhoods.  I wanted to try to find some solutions to the problem of lack of neighborhood play for my kids and then write about it for other parents. I also wanted to find neighborhoods other than my own where parents were making play happen for their kids.

So, writing the blog gave me a platform for learning about my subject matter and for meeting other people with similar interests.  I started thinking about the book in 2009 once I felt that I had become somewhat of an expert in the subject matter.

2.  How did you, as a non-fiction author, build your platform? How much of a platform did you have before you sought publication? What advice would you give to fellow writers looking to build their own platforms?

The blog was my first platform.  Before that, I had zero credibility in or knowledge of my field.  Soon after I started blogging, I sought speaking engagements.  In my first engagements, I didn’t do that great a job, but doing them motivated me to get much better.  My speeches are now very high quality – most of my attendees are very enthusiastic, and a few usually linger after each speech to tell me how I’ve motivated them to change their children’s lives.

I also started tweeting (@playborhood) and posting to the Playborhood Facebook page back in 2010.  These social media platforms have been learning experiences for me. I’m still not completely comfortable sharing short snippets every day.

At the time I published the book Playborhood, Playborhood.com had about 5,000 visitors, my Twitter feed had about 800 followers, and the Playborhood page on Facebook had about 500 followers. I was speaking about once a month, which included a mix of national conferences and local school visits.

Because I spoke at a fair number of conferences in the fields of play, child development, landscape architecture for children, and early childhood education, I became known to many experts in these fields.  So, when I solicited “blurbs” for my book from experts, I had no problem getting over a dozen very favorable testimonials.

My advice to aspiring authors would be to work very hard on your platform every day, corresponding with as many people as possible with a very clear, consistent brand (name + graphics + message). For the purposes of book platform building, I wish I had more of a taste for blabbing on twitter and Facebook, but I just couldn’t bring myself to talk about myself multiple times a day and tell dozens of other people how great they are every day.

3.  What was the publishing process like for you?

I spoke to a few book agents back in 2009 and 2010 and ultimately decided to self-publish. In those conversations, it became immediately clear to me that I wasn’t going to get a big-time, big publisher contract because I wasn’t a well-known professional in child psychology – I was “just” a very motivated parent.  I did think that I might be able to get a mid-tier publisher to work with me, but as I saw it, these were mediocre organizations in a dying industry.

On the other hand, self-publishing was very enticing to me.  Before writing, I had a career as an Internet and software entrepreneur, so I felt very capable of pulling together everything I’d need to publish and market my book.

I did pull everything together pretty well, I’d say.  The book is top-notch, I think, and the marketing is going well. Sales aren’t pulling in anywhere near enough to give me a good salary, but I didn’t expect them to because this is my first book, and I’m not famous.  However, I’m getting a lot of speaking gigs, and a few pay decently.  In addition, I’m getting a lot of media appearances that, I hope, are expanding my platform quite a bit.  My web site, Twitter feed, and Facebook page are all getting a lot more traffic since I published Playborhood last month.

4.  Your background is in education and software design. How did you learn the craft of writing?

The best writing experience of my life was writing for my high school newspaper.  I became editor in my senior year and wrote many of the most important articles for our paper.  I think it’d be difficult to be a good nonfiction writer without learning the craft of journalism first.  For instance, due to my journalistic training, I always endeavor to write a great “grabber” lead paragraph, and I think this enables me to engage my readers very well.

In college, I wrote lots and lots of papers.  Not only did the large volume of writing hone my writing skills, but also, my professors pushed me hard to do deep, thoughtful research and to write very logically and clearly.

Since college, I’ve always strived to write clearly and engagingly.  I try to never lapse into lazy email or texting shorthand.  Instead, I aim for correct grammar and complete sentences, and I often spend extra time trying to turn a good phrase, even for “quick” emails or texts.

5.  What tips do you have for keeping a successful blog? Do you have resources you use to regularly find fresh material for your blog?

a)  Write very well, with special attention to the headline and first paragraph (the “lead” paragraph).
b)  Respond quickly and thoughtfully to every comment and email.
c)  Be thoughtful to the point of being controversial, but always stay on the side of your followers (i.e. don’t turn on any of your followers).
d) If you ever piss anyone off, try very hard to repair the damage as soon as possible.
e)  Choose a subject that you’re totally obsessed about. If you’re not obsessed, you’ll never be able to continue coming up with good material after the first few posts.
f)   Try to overcome any taboos so that you can write about anything that’s on your mind.  You write best about things that are most in your head.

6.  Was Playborhood ignited by your own children, or was this an idea that came from your childhood?

Well, both.  I had a great childhood, and almost all of my best memories are of playing with my friends in my neighborhood with no adults around.

On the other hand, at the time my first son was about to be born, all the kids I saw were having far inferior childhoods – with virtually no neighborhood play. Instead, they were spending all their free time either sitting inside in front of screens or getting driven around to various adult-led activities. From what I could see, they weren’t having much fun.

I resolved right then that I would not raise my kids like these other kids I saw. That’s led me to where I am today.

7.  How do you find the balance between maintaining privacy for your family and using your family as material for writing?

There is no “balance.” I don’t care about privacy. Telling other people about my family’s inner life doesn’t bother me in the least. The only thing that stops me from writing more about my family is that I know my readers have different perspectives, so I want to share stories of other families different from mine.

8.  With a career and kids, how do you find time and inspiration to write, and what is your creative process like?

I’ve been doing this full-time for a few years now. As for kids, there’s a lot of synergy – my writing helps me deal with my kids better, and my life with my kids gives me a lot of great writing material.

9.  What is your advice for other parents who would like to write a book and get a message out?

a)  Blog first to build up your platform and learn more about your subject.
b)  Commit to writing and posting on social networks regularly.
c)  Don’t expect to make good money, at least for a few years.  You may get lucky, but you should treat it like a labor of love.

10.  Do you have any upcoming books or events we can look out for?

I have an idea for a new book, but I haven’t committed myself to it yet.
As for events, boy, I have a lot, but none that are huge “home runs” like The Today Show.  Here are a couple highlights: on Thursday, May 24, I’ll appear on Chicago’s WGN for their “Midday Live” newscast at noon, and on the following Thursday, May 31, I’ll appear on Portland’s KOMO on their AM Northwest program from 9am-10am.

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

With a publishing industry that is ever in flux, it can be hard for an aspiring author to figure out what information is relevant and what she needs to do to be successful. Recognizing this, literary agent Andrea Hurst and writer and blogger Katie Flanagan present a series of weekly interviews with publishing industry specialists. The AUTHORNOMICS Series features literary agents, editors, authors, marketing experts and more talking about their opinions on the publishing industry, writing, and what a writer needs to know.

Interview with Larry Brooks

Larry Brooks is the author of “Story Engineering: Mastering the Six Core Competencies of Successful Writing,” published in 2011 by Writers Digest Books.  He is also the creator of Storyfix.com, a major site for fiction writers, and has several craft ebooks available through that site.  He is the author of five psychological thrillers, including a USA Today bestseller and a novel named by Publishers Weekly to their “Best Books of 2004” list after a starred review.  He teaches and keynotes and workshops frequently, and has less hair than the accompanying picture would have you believe.

1.      Your blog and workshops teach writing on the developmental model. Can you explain what that is?

It’s hard to explain what it is, but it’s actually hard to explain what makes a story work without a development model.  In other words, beginning writers often just grab an idea and take a swing at it, using their intuitive notion and subconscious story architect (usually gleaned over years as a reader, one who ‘feels’ what makes a story work).  The trouble with that is, like anything else done at a professional level – and make no mistake, getting published, or self-publishing a story readers will be drawn to, is very much a professional-level of aspiration – this is like sitting in the stands at a game and using that audience-level experience to declare you’re ready for an NFL or a PGA tryout.  It’s much harder, and much more complex, than it looks.

My site breaks the element of a story down in four basic groups, and then adds the two basic “execution” skills required to make those groups work together.  When broken down, we see not only what these elements are, but also how they work together – as they must – to become a sum in excess of their parts.  I leave the rhetoric behind and get very precise, assigned definitions, criteria and applications for each of the elements, and in context to each other.  The fog lifts, and no longer are you alone with your idea; you now have a tool chest with which to carve greatness from it.

 2.      You separate issues with manuscripts into criteria-based issues, like concept, character, structure, and theme, and executional issues, which are scene writing and writing voice. Is either of these categories easier to correct?

Never been asked that.  They’re all challenging, and it depends on what you mean by “correct.”  Is elevating “good” to “great” a correction, or a value-add?  Much of what we do intuitively is good, really not in need of correction as much as benefitting from an elevation, so to speak.  That said, if a story is missing one of the four elements – concept, character, theme and proper structure – or even just weak in any one of them, it’s pretty hard to fix that after writing some great scenes with a killer writing voice.  It’s like a car that’s “just not running quite right”: you need to put it on a diagnostic computer operated by a trained pro to really understand what’s working.  If the writer has just winged it, chances are they’re not the person to see what could be better.

3.      Can you give an example of a theme problem and how a writer could fix it? 

Sure.  Let’s say a writer has a strong concept for a mystery.  A whodunit. So the story becomes a sequence of clues and close calls, and maybe behind the curtain we eventually see the bad guy out-smarting the detective and is about to get away with it all.  Great fun.  But… it needs to be more than “great fun.” Offering a puzzle to solve is entertaining, but they’re empty calories.  What this story means, how it reflects real life and the interior landscape of characters is the place where theme kicks in. It’s what makes a reader relate and offer empathy; it’s what makes a story “feel” good rather than just taste good.  Romances are always about theme, but is the theme original?  This is a tough core competency, but it parallels character development and arc, which is nearly impossible to achieve without also infusing the story with them.  In my view, if this is given solid thought beforehand, with a thematic intention and target, it informs the writing itself through the characters.  It’s like a kid being raised in a religious home, versus a kid being raised in a morally bankrupt home: this background tapestry informs everything that the character brings to the table.

 4.      What about a writing voice problem? How can a writer fix their writing voice?

Years of practice, for one thing.  Not imitating the style of another, even though another writer may lead you to your own voice.  Comfort level.  Study.  Feedback.  Openness to that feedback.  Not over-writing.  Discarding purple.  Understanding that less is more.  Infusing the writer with power and substance over style and adjectives.  Developing an ear, along with finally knowing who you are as a writer, and who you aren’t.

5.      You are author of five psychological thrillers. Do you prefer writing or coaching?

I can’t make that call.  They are connected, like playing and coaching, investing and spending, preaching and praying.  One leads into the other.  My teaching makes me salivate to work on a story, and my stories reinforce the power of what I teach.  I can’t separate them now, and thus, I can’t choose.  I am a writer who teaches, and a teacher who writes.  There is no fence there for me.

 6.      How did you learn the craft of writing?

I have all the usual answers… but let me give you an unexpected one.  The most powerful thing I’ve done to learn about storytelling, and about writing novels, is to study screenwriting.  There is much me baseline information (“how-to”) out there than there is about novel writing, and it’s orders of magnitude more precise.  I discovered that the underlying core competencies are EXACTLY the same, just as the athleticism required for most sports is the same, only the exeuctional skills differ.  Same here.  It’s the best I have: if someone needed to learn to write a novel in, say, two months, I’d say read my book and website, and/or study anything and everything about screenwriting.  If nothing else, what you learn is demonstrated in an abundance of two-hour clinics (films) that allow you to see the craft in play, versus the many, many hours it requires to read a novel for the same purpose.  And by the way, studying stories IN CONTEXT to an exposure to the underlying principles really is like the fog lifting, you’ll see things going that, as a reader, you had no idea were so powerful, or even there at all.  But they always are.

 7.      What was it like transitioning material from in-person workshops to a blog?

Hardest part was breaking things down into small bites, rather than feeling the need to serve the whole meal, or a whole course, in one post.  The posts are bites, each one with flavor and nourishment.  Together they form a portion, then a dish, then a plate, then a table full, then a banquet.  You really have to consider the whole in addressing the parts, both as the writer and for the reader’s benefit.

 8.      What are some of your tips for building a successful blog?

Quality content trumps everything.  Giving as much of it away, as fast as you can, with a minimum of transparent agenda (what you’re selling).  You need to earn loyalty through consistent quality, and do so in a non-threatening, peer-empathetic yet credible way.  Not easy.  Then you have a build a following.  Ask for comments, and when you get them, respond.  Be a commenter on lots of other blogs in your arena.  Never compete; be a peer, part of a community.  When you can, ask to guest post on the bigger sites.  Social media… sure, though it’s not my favorite part of the job (I suck at it).  If you build it, and it’s worth reading, and you do a minimum of obligatory pimping out there, they’ll come.

9.      Do you have any upcoming projects we can look out for?

I’m talking to Writers Digest about the next writing book.  I just launched a Storyfix monthly newsletter, one can subscribe (free, of course) from my home page.  I’m working on two novels and two writing ebooks, and developing two other non-writing sites.

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

Interview with Author, Radio Host, and Consultant Jennifer S. Wilkov

Jennifer S. Wilkov at Your Book Is Your Hook! is a respected book & business consultant, the Literary Agent Matchmaker™, a best-selling, award-winning author, an award-winning freelance writer, and a speaker and trainer who focuses on supporting writers with the essentials to become a bestseller: a great project, a strong platform and a well-polished pitch, presentation and hook for their book. She supports first time writers and seasoned authors with the writing, getting published and marketing of their book ideas and projects as well as the building of their platform to raise their visibility to readers and the media. Find more at www.YourBookIsYourHook.com.

1. You are involved in many aspects of book publishing. You manage to run a radio show, blog, consulting service, and still find time to write.  How did you first get into the world of publishing?

I came into the publishing world with a big bang when I wrote, produced and published my first book, Dating Your Money: How to Build a Long-Lasting Relationship in 8 Easy Steps in 90 days.

In the same 90 days…

• I set up distribution for the book all the way to the shelves of Barnes & Noble;
• I put together a national publicity campaign with a publicity company including satellite TV interviews, quotes in some of the top 20 newspapers and top magazines in the U.S., radio drive-time interviews in the largest radio markets and more;
• I set up the publishing company to own the project
• I produced and created the audiobook with the help of a professional recording studio
• I was also simultaneously running my own financial planning firm with staff

The publishing industry stood up and took notice when the book rushed to the top of the Amazon charts in 2 major categories – making it a bestseller. It also became one of the top selling books of all of Amazon at that time.

I then became a consultant for other writers when they approached me to ask how they could do what I did.

2. You created the “From Thought to Sales in 90 Days” book process. That sounds fast! Can you give us a highlight of what this process is?

Yes. The process is really about clarity and includes the blueprint for how to write, market, publish and sell your book in as little as 90 days – like I did. Not everyone is up to the task but it can be done.

The fastest book I’ve ever done was complete and up for sale in 60 days! That book, The Green Guide Girls: Guide to Book Publishing, was endorsed by The Green Press Initiative; Larry Kirshbaum, who is now the Publisher at Amazon and who formerly ran Time Warner Books and subsequently his own literary agency, LJK Management; and the Founder and President of Treehugger.com.

3. You also run the “Your Book is Your Hook” radio show. Can you elaborate on the meaning of hook as it applies to an author?

A hook is grounded in the reason behind why you wrote the book – its purpose. It’s also how you use the book in your marketing platform to hook people into your other opportunities for them to interact with you and buy from you.

For example, in fiction, the subject matter may be your hook such as grief in your storyline and how your characters handle it. Another hook for fiction may be a character such as Jonathan Graves or Alex Cross.

For non-fiction, the book may be a hook to one’s business, to book speaking appearances, or to other materials and experiences you provide or sell that relate to the book’s topic and message.

I always say that your book is your hook! It’s a business, not just a book. It can take you everywhere you want to be – and take your readers on a great 8-hour journey that they’ll be grateful for and come scrambling back for more of what you’ve written and offer.

4. Your radio show periodically features interviews with authors. What advice do you have for shy writers about to give some sort of presentation?

First and foremost, breathe. The best presentations are conversations, whether they are 1:1, in a small group or in front of an audience. The objective of the presentation is to connect with your audience of one or many so they connect with you and the book–so they’ll buy it.

Instead of letting fear clutch you in the chest and gut, breathe.  Get clear and be prepared to answer the question, “So, what’s your book about?”

Most of all, prepare and practice. Don’t wing it. Oftentimes, especially with industry professionals, you have a very small period of time to grab their attention—sometimes mere seconds. Invest your time and energy in putting together a stellar presentation and pitch.  Your return on that investment will pay off and put you at ease with the conversation you’re going to have each time.

5. One of the services you offer is a consultation about whether to self-publish or not. What are some of the factors that go into this decision from your end as a consultant? Do you think self-publishing is the way of the future?

Self-publishing has advantages for writers who don’t want to wait the many months it will take to get published using the traditional venue of finding a literary agent and large publishing house. It also gives writers the opportunity to make more money, keep more of their rights, and much more.

In order to self-publish, you’re going to need funds to invest in your project. Don’t cut corners. Have your manuscript professionally assessed and edited. Don’t just throw it out there.

There are also considerations re: self-publishing that can affect your writing career. Keep an eye on the number of books you sell as this may impact any future relationships you’d like to build with agents and publishers in the future.

I do believe that self-publishing has established itself as a viable venue for publishing writers. I also see that in order for it to keep its high profile, the quality of the writing needs to be a focus for each writer. There are so many books that are self-published that have simple yet distracting grammatical errors, spelling and capitalization issues, and content/flow challenges that confuse or disappoint the reader. The higher we can keep the quality of these books, the better it will be for the entire industry. Today, anyone can publish a book, but not everyone publishes a GREAT ONE.

6. What are some of your top tips for an author publicizing their book? What avenue do you think is the most effective?

To be most successful when publicizing your book, look into first creating a marketing platform and plan for it. This is essential for the longevity of the book. It will also help you determine where and when to spend your money and which opportunities will raise your visibility for the little or no money.

Be sure to include integrated activities online and offline.

Most of all, KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. Publicizing your book where your audience lives, works and plays is the best way to enroll their interest in your project.

Capitalize on the many venues, forums and websites and blogs online that can help you reach more readers faster than ever today.

7. Do you ever get writer’s block, and if so, how do you overcome it? Where do you do most of your writing and what gives you inspiration?

Writer’s block happens to many writers once in a while. It is easiest for me not to force the words onto the page but instead find inspiration for what I’m writing about. I will listen to a song I like, take a short walk, take a short nap or work on something else and then come back to my writing with a new sense of what I’d like to focus on.

I do most of my writing on my computer in my home office with my cats nearby. They are inspirations themselves, being named Socrates and Aristotle.

I find my inspiration by focusing on the reader and their experience with what I’m writing. I dedicate my writing and attention to them as I want them to have a great few minutes or hours with what I’ve expressed. I give it freely to them in the hopes that it will educate, entertain and enlighten them—and contribute to their greater human experience.

8. You’re known as “The Make It Happen Girl.” What was the path that led you to this? You’ve managed to accomplish so much while battling a disease. What would you say has helped you the most with accomplishing your goals?

Many people feel and have told me that when they or someone they know has a dream, an idea or a project they want to bring into the world or one they want to make bigger, I’m the one they send them to or that they turn to themselves. Hence, the nickname, “The Make It Happen Girl.”

I bring 20+ years of strategic planning and business development to every project I look at and work on, whether it is a book, a business, a non-profit endeavor or an event. I use the Socratic method.  Among other questions I ask, I want to know why the person is doing it and what good it holds for the recipients and target people they want to support with it. I also want to know what’s in it for them personally and professionally.

I have survived and thrived after 30+ years of living with Crohn’s disease, a debilitating disease of the intestinal track that affects energy levels and many other health aspects of a quality life. I beat it after 2 surgeries and haven’t taken medication for it in more than 10 years – quite unheard of in the medical community. Like other areas of my life, I did research. I asked a lot of questions and found alternative ways to counter the effects of the disease so I can live a healthy and happy life.

I do what I teach others to do – plan, strategize, organize and then leap into the project. A well-thought-through endeavor is more likely to succeed than one that is thrown together quickly and executed poorly. I also mastermind my goals and intentions with others I trust to get insights about my blind spots. I’m not of the opinion that I know it all. Instead, I seek out trusted resources for insights and wisdom so I can deliver the highest and best project and product for the recipient. I listen more than I talk and I ask a lot of questions about what they feel I’ve got handled and what they think I’m missing.

9. What does “remaining fabulous” mean to you?

I believe that every person is born fabulous. It is not something you earn or a status you reach. It is innate. We sometimes forget that we are fabulous as life throws us experiences that make us feel less than who we are. We need to remember to remain the fabulous people we have always been and not allow others to take that away from us. We are the ones who let them do it and we don’t have to participate.

Nothing and no one can make you less than you are – unless you let them.

Remaining fabulous is about being YOU – the glorious, amazing person you are right now. It is about celebrating the fabulous you that you are today and continue to be each day as you gain from more life experiences and understanding.

Hold your head up high and go forth into each day knowing that you are and always will remain fabulous, no matter what happens.

10. Do you have any new services or books coming out that our readership might be interested in?

The Next Bestseller™ Workshop for Writers is fast approaching this September in New York City. This is a unique opportunity for only 40 writers (fiction, non-fiction or children’s with a book idea, concept, manuscript or published book) who want to work closely with a dream team of industry professionals including those from the book industry, Hollywood, publicity, marketing, alternative sales alliances and much more to effectively talk about your book with everyone and anyone. If you’re not sure how to answer the question, “So, what’s your book about?”, consider joining us for this elite experience where you will meet bestsellers, go behind what it took for them to become a bestseller and how they continue to remain on the lists, prepare your answers and conversation about your book, and then meet with the industry on the final day to fully give your polished pitch and presentation to those at the highest levels of all aspects of the book and Hollywood industries and others. Discover what it really takes to be The Next Bestseller™. www.TheNextBestsellerTV.com

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

Interview with Author Pandora Poikilos

International best-selling author, Pandora Poikilos has been writing for more than 10 years for various media which include newspapers, radio, television and various websites. A social media enthusiast who is passionate about blogging and finding her way around the virtual world, she wills away time in the real world by reading, writing and people watching. Find out more at pandorapoikilos.com or view her books at www.amazon.com/Pandora-Poikilos/e/B004S8GWMA.

1. When did you decide to self-publish, and how did you decide which platform to use?

Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out had been published by an independent publisher in April 2011. By October 2011, sales were still low and I was wondering if I should give self-publishing a shot. I started with two short stories on 6 November 2011 and this was followed by my second novel, Frequent Traveller, on 13 November. Amazon and Smashwords were the apparent choices then and I was nervous whether I had made the right decision. I am non-US citizen so Pub-It from B&N was not an option for me.

As luck would have it, Amazon announced its KDP Select programme in early December and I tried it. Four days before Christmas I had sold 30,000+ books. Some were free giveaways, most were paid. I was ecstatic. After more than seven years of trying, pushing, prodding, pulling and breaking down, I was finally a paid writer. I have since kept my books exclusively for sale on Amazon via KDP Select. Maybe in a few months this might change and I may opt for Smashwords again. I’m close to completing 180 days on each book and I think it’s only fair I attempt other ebook markets instead of putting all my eggs in one basket.

2. You not only published a novel and a blog-to-book, but you’ve also started your own advice ebook series. How has it been managing all these projects by yourself?

I’m not going to lie, it is hectic most of the time. Dora’s Essentials was conceived in November 2010 and was initially distributed through my blog. Based on the feedback I received from my blog readers I edited these once I started to self-publish and uploaded them to Amazon as well last year and created newer titles.

When I was first approached by my former publisher I was too excited to worry about the finer details such as editing and formatting. These weren’t big issues for me this time last year. Now they are. When someone buys your ebook, you’re selling the person a service. It might be difficult to be perfect but you need to know you have given it your best.

I now have an editor who also functions as my proofreader and I have someone who formats my books for me. We’ve worked out a timeline that works for all three parties and so far it’s looking good.

Now, on a daily basis, I work on my other blogging projects for an hour, and spend at least two hours each on editing and writing. I try not to work on weekends unless I have a deadline.

If I had to offer one piece of advice to any author, it would be choosing to work with someone you’re comfortable with. Like any other relationship in life – be it an agent, publisher, book designer or editor, two-way communication must exist.

3. With all your other writing projects going on, how do you also generate fresh content for your blog?

When I first started the blog in May 2010, it was set to be an inspirational blog. Over the years, the inspiration is still there but it has also become a book blog. Outside my own posts, I invite other authors to write guest posts and book features are posted on Tuesdays & Fridays.

I do my best to reply to all comments but more often than not, I’m pretty far behind and I’m grateful my readers understand this. They do know that if they need an urgent response from me, they can send me an email.

4. How do you get word out about your books?

My blog has been a strong foundation for this, I host giveaways and joint ventures with other authors. Social media has also played a strong role for me to meet with readers and keep in touch with them. Just a few weeks ago, a student from a school in Georgia emailed to say they were using my book as a class project. It’s nice to have that kind of reach.

In addition, I do use paid advertising in the form of E-Reader News Today, Kindle Nation Daily, Good Reads, World Literary Café, and other avenues. I don’t have all the answers when it comes to self-publishing. Some months I look at my income and think woo hoo, other months my heart sinks a little because I can barely pay my rent and I get worried thinking about the following month.

But the one thing about promotions I have learnt is consistency. Once people know you’re serious about what you’re doing, they’ll pay attention to you. Keep doing, keep learning. Rinse, repeat and it’ll fall into place. You don’t have to send 10 emails a day saying “buy my book” for people to buy your book.

5. You have over 100,000 followers on Twitter. What’s your secret to attracting and keeping followers?

I have seen many authors who time their hourly tweets with their book quotes and reviews, I do not do this. The most book promotion I do for my own book is about five different tweets a day. Most of my tweets are focused on promoting other authors and blogs, plus funny stuff I find in the TwitterSphere.

When I have a few minutes, I love tweeting #RandomThoughts #TellMeWhatYouThink and hearing back from others. Some make you laugh and others make you think.

Lastly, I have a wonderful tribe of tweeting fairies as I call them. They are a wonderful bunch of book bloggers and authors who collectively tweet via the social network, Triberr. For any author trying to gain a social media presence, I definitely recommend this.

6. What tips do you have for writers considering self-publishing?

Wow, where do I begin? First and foremost, pay attention to what others have done – the mistakes they’ve made, the things that have worked for authors such as Amanda Hocking, John Locke and JA Konrath.

Your journey will not be the exact same one as theirs, but work on something that works for you. Be it a writing project, a marketing programme or an advertising campaign, we’re all not going to achieve the same results.

Set your own trail. Be consistent. Keep away from negativity. And then work even harder.

If you’ve started out and you’re still not sure where you’re heading, join up Facebook author support groups such as the Indie Author Group, Author Central and the Indie Exchange. Each have their own “governing” rules but you’ll find loads of support be it from book cover to editing within these groups.

Most importantly, don’t expect overnight success.Romewasn’t built in a day and people who tell you overnight success is achievable are lying because it just doesn’t exist.

7. Do you have any upcoming projects for us to look out for?

I am currently editing my third book, “I Am Not You” and this will be released in May 2012. Cathy Dixon fans can also look forward to a MoonStar website that should be launching any time soon.

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

Interview with Writer and Cartoonist Marc Tyler Nobleman

Marc Tyler Nobleman is the author of more than 70 books for young people of all ages. His picture book Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman is out in July 2012. His previous picture book, Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, is the first biography in any format for any age on the two young men who dreamed up the world’s first superhero. It received multiple starred reviews, was one of 75 out of a potential 6,000 named a 2009 American Library Association Notable Book, and made the front page of USA Today for a discovery Marc made during his research. He has written extensively for Nickelodeon and is also a cartoonist whose work has appeared in about 100 international publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Barron’s, Good Housekeeping, and 94 you’ve never heard of. He’s been invited internationally to speak at conferences, schools, libraries, museums, and even a couple of business lunches. On his blog Noblemania, he reveals the behind-the-scenes stories of his books, from uplifting research moments to unconventional promotional efforts.

1.      You are both writer and cartoonist. Which art came first? Is there one you secretly like more?

As it does for most of us, drawing came first. We ALL start off as cartoonists because we all have access to the simple tools needed for it—pencil (or crayon), paper (or wall), and imagination. At most every school visit I do, a student asks which I like better and I openly admit that I spend a lot more time writing than drawing these days. But I will always hold a fondness for both.

 2.      What were some of the comics you read growing up that gave you inspiration for your own work?

I liked team-up titles. My three favorites were The Brave and Bold (Batman teaming up with a different guest hero each month), DC Comics Presents (same idea but with Superman), and Justice League of America (Superman, Batman, and a bunch of others).  I was always fascinated to see how they subdivided to handle a crisis. I didn’t realize it at the time but it was the personalities, not the powers, that made this so fun.

 3.      Your book Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman comes out in July. Can you talk about the route to publication for this book?

Oh, man, it was a long, often bleak, always unmarked route! I conceived, researched, and wrote it after I sold Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman (2005) but before it came out (2008). My Boys of Steel editor turned it down—three times starting in 2007. She didn’t feel it had the same fuzziness as the Superman story—and she was exactly right. However, the Superman story is actually dark, believe it or not, and the Batman one—perhaps appropriately—is even darker. Some publishers turned it down for fear of infringement, although we’d already shown we can do it right with Boys of Steel. The offer from Charlesbridge came in 2010.

 4.      Is there a large market for readers of comic books with superheroes like there used to?

I’m no expert on this but the audience of comics readers must be smaller than ever. There is more competition than ever from other media. Some young kids don’t know that Superman and Batman debuted in comics—for all they know, those characters first appeared in movies, TV, or even video games. Luckily, however, I don’t consider comics readers my only audience for my two superhero books!

 5.      As the author of more than 70 books, you have obviously created a successful platform. You have a large website, but it also lists a plethora of real-life speaking events. Have you found old-fashioned or new-fashioned author publicity to be more effective?

Great question. I work hard to find and book speaking engagements, and I take the responsibility of giving a presentation (no matter what the makeup of the audience is) very seriously—yet have fun doing it. I go after publicity in any way that makes sense for the speaking engagement. That always involves some form of social media (blogging, Facebook, Twitter) and almost always involves me notifying the traditional media as well. The more creative the publicity or the more unusual the story you’re seeking PR for, the better chance you’ll have of coverage. I have found that when the story behind the story is also a good story, the press will pay attention. For example: http://noblemania.blogspot.com/2011/12/edward-is-phoenix-surprise-for-author.html.

 6.      Your blog focuses largely on the research behind your books. Can you talk a little bit about how you incorporate research into your writing process?

I like to tell stories about people who are not household names even if their accomplishment is famous (i.e. everyone knows Superman but few can name his creators). It makes sense from a marketing perspective (less competition) and it opens up greater possibilities, or so it seems, to stumble upon a meaningful fact that no one else has written about before. That happened multiple times with both my Superman and Batman books. Being a writer means being a detective, and I find the process of hunting for facts exhilarating.

 7.      You mention having to come to terms with everything going digital. How has that changed what you do and how do you think it will affect your work in the future?

We are already seeing some writers embracing digital. Ultimately, any of us who wants to stay in the business MUST come to terms with the fact that digital WILL substantially diminish the number of print books and bookstores. But whatever the format/medium stories are packaged in is not nearly as important as the quality of the stories themselves. We will always want and need good stories. We as writers may just have to work even harder and get even more creative PR-wise to continue to make enough money from writing.

8.      What are your tips to aspiring picture book writers? Cartoonists? Magazine writers?

For aspiring pic book writers: read picture books constantly, read books on the craft of writing, strive to tell stories with vibrant and well-drawn characters, and revise till your fingertips chafe. Do homework before submitting and devote as much energy and cleverness to your queries as to the works themselves. (Similar for magazine writers.)

For aspiring cartoonists, similar: read lots of cartoons in the format you want to pursue (for me, it was gag cartoons) and practice as often as you brush your teeth.

 9.      What are some of your upcoming events or projects for us to look out for?

Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman is out July 1. At least one tangent project has come out of that, but I can’t say much about it yet; this much I will say: it’s not a print project. I’m shopping around a passion project, a nonfiction picture book on a little-known WWII incident that is nonetheless one of the most riveting true stories I’ve ever heard—and most I tell it to seem to agree. More on that here: http://noblemania.blogspot.com/2011/09/picture-book-for-sale.html. And I have begun another nonfiction picture book that might be considered my first “girl-focused” one.

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

Interview with Agent Sharlene Martin

Sharlene Martin began working in television in 1993 as a partner in Martin/ Walker-Lampley Productions, a company formed with Bree Walker, a CBS prominent television news anchor in New York and Los Angeles. Sharlene also spent time as a reality television developer for Media Savvy, and an Associate Casting Director with Joy Todd. Her most challenging casting project for film was the movie “Gods and Generals,” with 156 speaking roles.

In 2003, Sharlene began devoting herself full time to her passion for great stories and formed Martin Literary Management. Her agency has experienced extraordinary success in sales and alliances; a quick visit to the pages of the company website verifies the well-rounded nature of her acquisitions as well as the extensive sales success that her clients’ books have enjoyed.

In the nine years since that time, her remarkable rise in the publishing industry is demonstrated by a rapidly growing list of non-fiction sales to such renowned major publishers as Ballantine, Crown, Regnery, Rodale, Harper Collins, St. Martin’s Press, Penguin Putnam, Sterling Publishing, Grand Central, Simon and Schuster, as well as a host of boutique publishers for specialized genre books.

1. How has the role of the agent changed since you first started? Where do you see it going?

The role of agents seems to be evolving and morphing based on how publishing is changing.  Many agents are now offering additional services that would have been frowned upon ten years ago such as editing, ghostwriting, self publishing, pr.  I think that ultimately agents will define for themselves the path they choose to take and are most talented at and for me it’s the adaptation of books to film/tv in scripted and unscripted.  I’ve always had my focus on that because that is my background prior to getting into publishing ten years ago and keeping my eye on the ball has been very productive for MLM.

2. What is the most important thing you look for in a submission?

There’s no one thing. It’s a combination of great story, great writing and great platform.  One out of three just won’t make the grade anymore in this competitive environment.

3. What kind of book would you love to represent right now?

I’d love to represent a nonfiction book that can be adapted to a major feature film….Similar to what Kathryn Stockett did in her novel, The Help.

4. You have authored Publish Your Non-Fiction Book. What is one piece of advice a writer can glean from that book?

Yes!  If you remember nothing else, please remember this: study the issue of authorial platform.  Do not run from it.  There are specific things that any determined person can do to increase the visibility of their work, and this is vital to you as a writer whether you are submitting to a major New York house or self-publishing entirely on your own.  Even if you are the sort of person who feels tempted to isolate and ignore your platform issues, please force yourself to tend to it anyway.  Remind yourself that you are doing it because people need a reason to pick up a book these days.  Your platform goes a long way toward giving them one.

5. What kind of book do you like to read in your free time?

I love interesting memoirs—The Glass Castle is one of my favorites.  I also loved the novel, The Help.

6. What are some of the common mistakes you see in submissions?

Every single literary representative in the business has already read enough junk to last a dozen lifetimes.  Therefore, please don’t send any junk. Seriously. Polish your work.  Do it like you mean it.  I once got a sloppy submission from some random megalomaniac who briefly apologized for the draft quality of the work but added that “the Hollywood types can clean it up” prior to publication.  This delusional soul actually believes in a world where publishing is occupied by highly skilled editors who can buff prose to a shine and do so on a volunteer basis. I ask you: How much human insight could a writer like that offer to a potential readership?  Everything about your work and the way it is presented indicates what sort of a writer and what sort of a client that you will turn out to be.  I have found that their unpolished writing itself reveals the same fundamental lack of understanding of human nature in any arena where they are not the primary focal point.

7. You are not only an agent, but you also offer seminars and editorial services. Do you have a favorite aspect of the job?

I love every facet of what I do.  I particularly enjoy giving lectures.  I just spoke to a class at UW-Seattle of writers in a Nonfiction Certificate Program.  I love being able to share my knowledge of the industry and my enthusiasm for good writing with serious writers.  I love speaking at Writer’s Conferences as well.

8. Do you have any upcoming projects we can look out for?

Yes, you can be on the look out for PRESUMED GUILTY by Raffaele Sollecito (Simon and Schuster/Gallery Books) in September.  It is his memoir of the four years he spent wrongly convicted in prison for the murder, with Amanda Knox, of Meredith Kercher.

Also, please check out my brand new book, LITERARY FAILS:  Totally (sic!) here:

Literary Fails Book & Kindle  It’s a collection of the worst (funny) 101 query letters I’ve received in ten years.

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

Interview with TriQuarterly’s Amanda Morris

Amanda Morris is the managing editor and a former nonfiction reader for TriQuarterly Online. She is a science writer and publications editor in Northwestern University’s Office for Research. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois where she received the Bill Geist Award for Broadcast Journalism in 2002. She is now pursuing an MA in creative nonfiction at Northwestern. Her writing has appeared in CenterPiece Magazine, the Evanston TribLocal, Chicago Sun-Times, LiveScience.com, Yahoo News, MSNBC.com, Huffington Post, and the website for the National Science Foundation.

1.      The TriQuarterly has been around for ages, and it must get hundreds of submissions every reading period. Can you tell us a little bit about how the staff reads those submissions? 

Sure. We have groups of readers based on genre—fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry—and each group has an editor.  Well, fiction actually has five editors because we receive so much fiction.  Each group tries to plow through as many submissions as possible every week.  Two people are assigned a set of pieces and rate them from 1 to 4.  One is a definite no, and four is a definite yes. Pieces that receive a 3 or a 4 are passed along to the rest of the genre group while the others are sent a rejection.  This helps us weed out the poor stuff fairly quickly while spending more time with the more promising pieces.  If the rest of the group rates those pieces a 3 or a 4 as well, then they have a high enough score to make it to the next round. The next round is a meeting among the editors only, and they decide which pieces will make the issue. We have these “Second Reads” meetings multiple times per issue.  It sounds like a complicated process, but it is actually quite efficient and keeps us moving quickly.

 2.      What are your tips for a writer preparing a submission? Any dos and donts?

Proofread, proofread, proofread!  Even have a friend proofread the piece if you need to.  I cannot stress that enough.  Even if the story is fresh and compelling, if there are lots of typos, then we will not take the submission seriously.  It shows that the writer is sloppy or lazy, and it turns us off right away.

Also some people do weird things with the formatting to catch our attention, but those things end up seeming immature.  Like using a strange font, for example. It might make the piece stand out but not in a good way.

Keep in mind that slush readers don’t have much time, and they read many, many pieces a week. One of the ways that we save time is by only reading the first page or even the first paragraph of a submission.  If the first paragraph is not a strong representation of the rest of the piece, then it will be rejected no matter how great the middle and ending might be.  It’s important to hit the ground running or else we will never even see the rest of the piece.

 3.      What are some of the most common reasons a short story, poem, or essay is turned down?

The most common reason is that the subject matter is old.  We read SO many pieces about break-ups, grandmothers dying, and the Peace Corps.  It’s okay to write about these things, but if you’re going to do it, then take a fresh angle.

Another reason is that the piece needs more workshopping.  Some pieces show great potential but just aren’t “there” yet.  Writers need to take their time with their work and make sure it’s tight and that every word serves a purpose.  It’s not good enough to have a brilliant sentence here and there.  Every single word needs to be given great care.

 4.      The TriQuarterly staff transitions regularly so that new students can get experience editing. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this high turnover?

The role that transitions most frequently is that of managing editor.  The biggest problem with that is that the genre editors can stay in their positions for as long as they want.  So they stick around for a while, and they live through several different managing editors.  Every time they get into the swing of having one managing editor, then it’s time for that editor to move on.  Then they have to explain their process to a whole new person and build a whole new relationship.  I know that can get tedious for them.  But the most fruitful productivity happens during these times of transition.  A new person comes in with fresh eyes and new ideas and spots things that the staff didn’t see before.

 5.      The TriQuarterly, which was originally founded in 1958, moved recently to being an online journal. What was that transition like?

It was interesting.  At first, there was a lot of disappointment over the new format.  But being online has given TriQuarterly the opportunity to try new things that it wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.  For instance, in our winter issue we debuted a wonderful collection of video essays.  After reviewing our Google analytics, we found that the video essays drove more people to the site than anything else, and the numbers were enormous.  Plus, we’re starting to incorporate more audio into the site and are inviting our contributors to read their poems or short stories aloud with a digital recorder. We are going to upload these readings to accompany the written pieces.  These things will never replace the terrific writing on our site, but it will enhance it or give our audience members a new way to engage with it.

 6.      How does a literary magazine like TriQuarterly measure its success?

That’s a really good question because it’s such a hard thing to measure.  An easy way is to count how many readers are visiting our site and seeing how much time they spend on it.  Another way is by totaling accolades.  Are our contributors winning Pushcart Prizes?  Are our pieces finding spots in published collections, such as Best American Short Stories or Best American Essays?  We keep track of all those things.

 7.      What do you think the role of literary magazines is in the publishing world?

Literary magazines are the home for the short story, poem, and essay.  If you are interested in reading or writing these shorter forms of literature, then the best place to turn to is the literary magazine.  Collections of shorter works are sometimes published in book form.  But it is hard to publish a collection like this when you are just starting out as a writer.  Plus, from a reader standpoint, a lit mag is a great place to discover new writers and find a variety of voices and styles in one place.

 8.      The TriQuarterly is edited by graduate students in the Northwestern creative writing program. What do you think the benefits are of an MA or MFA in writing?

For me, the biggest benefit of being a student in an MA or MFA program is that it pushed me outside of my comfort zone and forced me to try new things.  I have a bachelors degree in journalism, and now I’m studying nonfiction.  When I entered the program, my personal work tended to lean toward narrative journalism.  But in workshops, you don’t always get to choose your format.  I had a teacher who encouraged literary journalism, another who stressed memoir writing, and yet another who introduced me to lyric essays.  MFA programs are a place where you can experiment and try new styles and really discover what you enjoy.  Plus, you get to read things that you might not have been introduced to otherwise and learn to read literature as a writer.  Beyond the workshop, writing programs are a terrific place to become a part of a community of writers.  One of the most important things about writing is having others read and critique your work.  Even after the program ends, you are still a part of this community of people who are willing to read your work and give helpful feedback.

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

Interview with Author Les Edgerton

Les Edgerton is an ex-con, matriculating at Pendleton Reformatory for a couple of years in the sixties for burglary (plea-bargained down from multiple counts of burglary, armed robbery, strong-armed robbery and possession with intent). He’s since taken a vow of poverty (became a writer) with 14 books in print. 2011 was a good year for him as he published two novels with StoneGate Ink—Just Like That and The Perfect Crime, along with noir novel The Bitch from Bare Knuckles Press, as well as a new short story collection, Gumbo Ya-Ya, from Snubnose Press. He just sold his existential novella, The Rapist to New Pulp Press, which will be released in 2013. He is also editor-at-large for Noir Nation International Crime Magazine. Work of his has been nominated for or won: the Pushcart Prize, O. Henry Award, Edgar Allan Poe Award (short story category), PEN/Faulkner Award, Texas Institute of Letters Jesse Jones Book Award, the Violet Crown Book Award, and others. He holds the MFA in Writing degree from Vermont College and a Certificate in Barbering from Pendleton Reformatory. He writes because he hates… a lot… and hard. Injustice and bullying are what he hates the most.

1.      As a prolific author with 14 books in print so far, can you elaborate on how the publishing process has changed since your first book?

It’s changed tremendously in some ways and barely at all in others. I’m old-school, so I don’t count self-publishing as publishing. A horse by any other name is still a horse. In my opinion, it’s just another name for vanity publishing, which is not publishing but… printing (abeit in electronic form). I’m not including in that assessment legitimate publishers who publish ebooks, but I am including those who simply publish the work themselves. I have friends who’ve chosen to self-publish and while they’re still my friends, I’m not going to purchase their books any more than I would the person who has stacks of their vanity or subsidy-published books in their garage. Just want to define the terms. And, there are degrees and shadings within even the self-published category. For instance, I’m getting ready to self-publish a book… but it’s a book that has been published and done well. It just never came out in ebook form, so my agent got the ebook rights from the publisher and we’re going to put it out. That, to me, isn’t the kind of self-published “vanity” book I’m referring to.

Definitions provided, to answer your question, let me address what’s changed first. The biggest changes have come about because of the advent of ebooks.

What’s changed is that if there was any doubt that mid-list authors have disappeared, now there’s no doubt. At one time, legacy publishers would publish a writer’s books knowing that they probably wouldn’t make any money on that particular book, but they saw something in the writer that made them think that eventually an audience would build for that author and down the road, they’d all make money on his or her novels. As Roberto Durante said, in another context: “No mas.”

The Big Six, in particular, are almost exclusively interested in brand names. Proven winners who have a sizeable audience already in place. Here’s a prime example. A few months ago, I was told in confidence by someone who is in the “know,” that a top editor for a major publisher, who has his own imprint, was told by his boss (yes, even top editors have bosses), that if he signed any novel that didn’t earn at least $30,000 he’d be fired. Not chastised, not given a talking to, or a slap on the wrist, but… fired. Think this guy is going to want to sign the brilliant novel by the unknown author or do you supposed he might opt instead for the same-as-the-last book by Mr. Brand Name? Fugedaboutit. That’s one change.

The second change I’ve observed is that so-called “literary novels” are just about over. Remember: I’m just the messenger. Don’t kill the messenger! Here’s how I know this. For almost thirty years, my wife and I and our son until he moved out of the house, visited a local bookstore every single week. Never missed a week. Our favorite was Borders and our second favorite was one of the two B&N outlets. One Saturday, we walked into Borders and stood in shock at the change. The biggest single area the week before was the space devoted to what was labeled “Mainstream fiction.” Mainstream encompasses literary fiction in bookstore terminology. They’d reduced that space fully by three-fourths. The area that used to house literary fiction and other fiction that didn’t fit a particular genre was reassigned. To two areas. Genre fiction was one. The other was greeting cards, wrapping paper, novelty items. Cute little stuffed animals. I talked to the manager and she said she hated to do it, but all the Borders stores were under corporate mandate to do the same. Literary and mainstream fiction just weren’t selling. They couldn’t justify the space devoted to it, so they reassigned it to genre fiction which was selling and significantly. It’s a cold, hard fact, but the marketplace is what determines what’s selling to publishers. Literary novels today are infinitely tougher to sell than ever before and that market is shrinking monthly. If you want to know what the literary tastes of a nation are, simply gaze about at a national chain’s brick and mortar outlet and see what’s on the shelves. The category area that has the most shelf space is the area that’s selling.

Does this mean so-called “literary” novels are impossible to get published? No; it just means it’s much harder. They’ll continue to get published because legacy publishers in this instance are the same as major film studios. Major film studios will put out 85 movies that appeal to the biggest audience demographic—teenaged boys—and the remaining 15 movies will be devoted to a mix of other kinds of films. Among those will be a couple of “artsy” movies. The ones that will be nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars. Most of which they know they’ll lose money on. Then why make em? Because, studios want to be thought of as intellectual, “arty” enterprises. Kind of an ego thing. They know most of what they produce is mindless schlock, but if they get an Oscar winner or even a nominee, they feel justified that they produce “art.” And, for the one movie that does get nominated or win, they’ll actually make money on it because of the publicity. It’s mostly a way for studio execs to feel good about themselves and be able to delude themselves into thinking that they’re actually engaged in quality work. Makes ‘em walk tall when they walk into Spagos.

Well, publishers do the same thing. For all the vampire novels selling in the bazillions, all the formulaic cartoonish novels about bigger-than-life vigilante superheroes, that maintain a healthy bottom line, they’ll all put out a few literary books that are published mostly because they’ll be up for the National Book Award, the Pulitzer, even the Nobel. For the same motivation as the film studios. So they can feel like they’re “literary” and providing “good literature.” Makes ‘em feel proud when they walk into the Russian Tea Room or Elaine’s or wherever they gather these days.

Am I cynical? You bet.

What are the things that have remained the same? Well, the legacy publishers still employ the best gatekeepers in the business. If you get published by a legacy publisher, you’ve achieved something. You’re truly validated by people who actually know something about quality in writing. If you self-publish, your validation is going to come from your relatives, friends, and how effective you are at marketing, for the most part. Sales seem to be the biggest factor in ebook publishing and sales are a poor barometer of quality. For example, there is an author who was, at best, a mid-list author when he was being published by legacy publishers—his work is truly mediocre, at best—who has become a huge marketing success since he opted for self-publishing. He’s making lots of money—and that’s fine—but his work is still godawful. If sales are your measure of success, he’s a good model to emulate. If being regarded as a good writer is your measure, he’s probably not the guy whose bust you want gracing your mantel. There’s a reason he went to self-publishing and it has to do with writing ability. His sales ability is off the charts. His writing ability is… what’s the word?… oh, yeah… pure do-do.

There are other changes and other things that remain the same, but those are some of the biggest.

2. You write novels, short fiction, nonfiction, and screenplays. What is your favorite genre to work in and why?

Novels, by far. They require the most creativity and the most ability. Short fiction would be second. Nonfiction for the money. Screenplays are last. The reason is, screenplays aren’t about writing. No one picks up a screenplay to go sit in the hammock for a lazy-crazy afternoon of losing themselves in a fictional world. And, screenplays are ridiculously easy to write. I wrote my first screenplay literally in two days. Took seven hours the first day, put it aside for two weeks, and then finished it in a nine-hour day when I picked it back up. Now, it’s easy to write a bad screenplay in two days, so that doesn’t mean much. However, this particular screenplay placed as a semifinalist in the Nicholl’s competition and Greg Beals, the director of the foundation told me it would have won if I’d sent it in the year before, but the previous year’s winner was remarkably close to mine and he said they never picked two screenplays in a row that were this much alike. But, it placed in the top 100 out of 4,500 entries. So, I take that as validation that it was a good screenplay. Written in two days. Don’t think I could write a novel like that. And, I’d just learned formatting the week before and had read my first screenplay ever that same week. As Gore Vidal said about Jack Kerouac: “That’s not writing; that’s typing.” I don’t write them anymore because I’m too old. After the age of 35, it’s virtually impossible to sell a screenplay to Hollywood. Notice I didn’t say “impossible.” I said “virtually” impossible. And, it is. Hollywood is clearly an ageist society in every segment of the business except for producing.

 3.      How did you go about mastering the craft of writing?

That’s easy! By reading. That’s the only way to learn how to write. There are no “secrets” in learning how to write. The “secrets” are right out in the open. They’re on the page of the book you have open before you. All you have to do is see how the author accomplished what they did and you’re learning to write. I regularly get writers in my classes who haven’t read a book in months or even years and I know there’s no way they’ll ever be a writer. But, I’ll also encounter a student who has read voraciously from the age of five or six and never stopped, and I know that person has a chance at becoming a writer.

 4.      How important do you think it is for fiction writers to obtain an MFA?

Again, an easy question. I think it’s totally unimportant. In fact, I think most programs destroy more writers than help them. I kind of agree with Flannery O’Connor who, when asked if writing programs discouraged writers, said: “Not enough of them.” And I have one. I have two degrees—(well, three—I also have a B.A.)—an MFA and a Certificate in Barbering from Pendleton Reformatory. Of the two, I value my barbering certificate much, much more. I’ve made far more money, enjoyed far more success with that one.

First, take a look at who the teachers and professors are in most programs. What have they done and what have they sold? If Stephen King ever showed up in an MFA program it would only be because he was slumming and bored and wanted a change. Most of the folks (not all!) teaching in many such programs are writing the kind of books Kurt Vonnegut was referring to when he said, “Literature is in danger of disappearing up its own asshole.”

And, most MFA programs are dedicated to teaching “literary” fiction. I don’t know about you, but do I want to spend thousands of dollars and use up a couple years of my life to learn to write something that’s basically dying? I don’t know what your I.Q. is but mine’s over 160 and I try to put it to use, especially for questions like this.

Years ago, an Ivy League college performed a study in which they looked at a random group of a hundred professional writers. They identified them as “professional” by the only legitimate definition of the term—writers who earned their entire income from writing. They discovered that almost exactly half of these writers had a high school diploma or less… and the other half had a college bachelor’s degree or higher. There’s really no correlation between writing education and writing success. What an MFA degree does do is give the student access to decision-makers. Lots of publishers and editors visit these campuses and lots of editor’s eyes light up when they see “MFA” in the writer’s query letter. However, most of these editors are the ones who are still looking for literary novels and believe there’s a decent market for such. A shrinking number…

These programs used to have more value even a few years ago than they do today. These days, they’re seen by many universities and colleges as “cash cows” and they’re springing up everywhere. And, like anything that gets bigger like this, the quality goes down, commensurately. At one time, there were perhaps five-six pretty good programs. Now there are hundreds. If anyone thinks they’re as good and as beneficial for writers as they used to be, well I’d like their phone number because I have this terrific bridge in Brooklyn I’m trying to move…

That said, there is one program I think is a great one and one I wish had been around when I got mine. Seton Hill focuses on genre writing (about time somebody did!), and everything I hear about it is positive. They appear to be a program that’s aware that it’s now 2012.

5.      As a creative writing teacher, what are some of the most common mistakes that you see beginning writers making in both fiction and nonfiction?

Not following the two elements that are always present in good writing. Be interesting and be clear. Of the two, being interesting is the most important. After that, there are structural problems that are very common. Most writers have never been taught story structure, or if they have, often it’s an archaic structure. Most English classes, most college writing classes, many MFA programs are focused on “parts” or writing. All these “exercises” on description, or characterization or dialog or whatever. Yuch! Listen, one doesn’t get to Carnegie Hall by practicing the scales. They get there by understanding what a symphony is and how to write a complete symphony. I hate it when writers refer to what they’re writing as the “piece” they’re working on. What in the hell is a “piece” of writing? Dude! Dudette! Write something that’s complete and entire. A short story. A novel. Talk about your novel, not the “piece” you’re working on.

The two biggest mistakes beginning writers make are not using their own, particular, unique voice, and not beginning the story of nonfiction article or book in the right place. After that, the next biggest problem is not striving for and achieving what Flannery O’Connor said about the best of novels (badly paraphrased) that they be: “All of a piece; all of a unified effect.” So many novels end up episodic with no through-line. In other words, a mish-mash of scenes and quirky characters. That’s a novel of which the author can say, truthfully, that it’s “only available in my room.”

6.      One of your well-known writing books is Hooked: Write Fiction that Grabs the Reader at Page One and Never Lets Them Go. What are the important elements in hooking a reader early?

To begin where the story begins. It’s that simple. A contemporary story is about one thing and one thing only. Trouble. That means the story should begin—when the trouble begins. Not the week before, not two years before, not even two minutes before. When the trouble begins. Period. And, that seems to be a difficult concept for many to master. Something has to create and/or reveal that trouble to the protagonist. That event is the inciting incident. And, that’s where stories today need to begin.

There was a time in our culture when novels could begin more leisurely. This was a time before television and movies and CNN and iPods and all the other entertainment venues were upon us. Today’s reader doesn’t have the attention span nor the interest in picking up novels with leisurely openings. That doesn’t mean stories should begin with gunfights, stabbings, bombs blowing up, kidnappings, murders, or any of that melodramatic stuff. It means they have to open with conflict—the major conflict that forms the core of the story. It can be a quiet conflict, but what it can’t be is a lengthy account of the protagonist’s bucolic life for the ten years before the trouble began. It has to begin with the trouble. Period.

When movies began, they had no structural models, so they used novels as their models. Today, it’s been reversed. Novels have to imitate film structure. Years ago, screenwriting how-to books insisted the first ten minutes of a screenplay be “devoted to the setup.” No mas, again quoting Roberto Duran. Those days are, in the words of my son, “so five minutes ago.” Films today begin… when the trouble begins. As should novels.

We read a novel for one reason. To see if and how the protagonist is going to resolve the story problem. If there’s no problem on the page, for that novel the reader is going to become… a nonreader. Count on it. Very few (and they don’t count) readers pick up a book just to encounter in the beginning a nifty shooting in an alley. If they don’t know the characters or the protagonist’s story problem, why would they care? There are a million places to see someone get shot. Just click on the nightly news. There has to be a reason to turn to Page 2. That reason is we see a character with a compelling problem—one we can relate to—on Page 1.

7. Beginnings are so important, especially in today’s marketplace. How does a writer determine if they have started their novel in the right place? Do you have an opinion on using prologues?

If they’ve begun with the introduction of the event that created and/or revealed the problem that’s going to occupy the protagonist for the following 349 pages, they’ve begun in the right place. If they’ve begun anywhere else—they haven’t.

Also, that needs to be written in a scene. Everything truly important in a novel needs to be delivered via a scene. Not through the character’s ruminations or thoughts or that kind of thing. A scene. When I pick up a manuscript and it’s the character thinking on the page, my Nexium starts to malfunction and I can feel the bile beginning to rise and voila! I’m throwing up in my mouth.

The reason so many writers fail, is that they don’t write scenes. They write a character’s thoughts and ruminations. They deliver descriptions of emotions based on events the reader hasn’t been witness to, via a scene. Doesn’t work. I see this in high school students beginning to write poetry. They deliver all these descriptions of emotions based on something the reader hasn’t been privy to and think that that’s poetry. It isn’t. The only way the reader is impacted emotionally is by living through the event right along with the character and at the same time. Period.

Prologues? I think the vast majority… what’s the word?… oh, yeah… suck. Most aren’t needed. Now, for those who practice selective reading, I didn’t say “all.” I said “most.” Occasionally, one might work—although I can’t think of any offhand. Most, I suspect, come from a writer who’s been admonished not to begin with setup or backstory and just has to provide that crap… so they create a prologue. I use an example of one in a brilliant book. Larry Watson’s Montana 1948. He uses one in his terrific novel and it won major awards and is one of my favorite books. But, it wasn’t needed. Not at all.

I feel the same about epilogues. Mostly, I think they come from writers who don’t know how to tie up the loose ends with the plot, so they stick ‘em on to accomplish that. I think most would be better served in learning how to plot better…

 8. How important do you think it is for authors to maintain a strong social media presence?  What tips do you have for keeping a successful writing blog?

Mostly depends on who you are. If you’re Joyce Carol Oates, it’s probably not important in the least. If you’re Les Edgerton, it might be…

I’m probably the wrong person to ask what it takes for keeping a successful writing blog. I have one and I don’t know if I’d call it successful or not! I mean, I only have 250+ followers. I’ve had more people watch me pull off a crime… If numbers aren’t important, then I feel it’s successful. I’ve made wonderful contacts through it and many that have helped me not only sell my books but even helped me get them published. As to what makes it successful, I think it’s to base it on the same elements I feel important in a good novel. Be interesting and be clear. I don’t know if it’s always clear, but I do try hard to make it interesting. After all, there are about sixteen bazillion blogs out there and if yours ain’t interesting, then who’s going to want to read it? I figure it it’s interesting to me, then it might be interesting to others. Maybe not… I have weird tastes… I also have a mean, contrarian side to me. I don’t believe in telling people necessarily what they want to hear. There are enough people out there in writing telling folks they’re great and that writing’s easy and all that stuff. There are just lots of folks who aren’t great and their writing sucks and somebody maybe ought to tell them that. How else do we get better if we don’t know we’re bad?

9.      On your blog, you have posted the first chapter of your new writing book, A Fiction Writer’s Workshop at the Bijou.  Do you think giving away the first chapter is helpful for building sales?

Good question! And, the answer is—I don’t know. I hope so. If the readers see it as valuable information—and early responses say it is—then I think it’ll prove helpful. Plus, although I plan on self-publishing it, chances are some editor or other gatekeeper will come across it and think: “Hey, I can sell that puppy.” And then ring me up on the telly. Who knows? After all, those folks whose first meeting with Ed McMahon was on their front porches were real people getting those giant checks…

 10.      Many authors are choosing to self-publish now. Do you see that as a viable option? What are the pros and cons?

Only under very special circumstances would I self-publish. And, I am for two books. One isn’t really self-publishing. We’ve obtained the rights from Writer’s Digest for a very successful book they published of mine—Finding Your Voice—and I’m publishing an ebook version of it since they opted not to. I’m pretty sure there’s a sizeable audience. It earned out its advance of $8,000 within six weeks of its release way back when and every year has paid me excellent royalties. I’m pretty sure there’s an audience for that book, particularly since it hasn’t appeared in ebook format.

The second instance is the Bijou book you referred to above. If I was a beginning writer with no street cred, there’s no way I’d self-publish it. But, I’ve got a pretty decent track record with sales of my other two writer’s how-tos, so I’m fairly confident that will translate into decent sales. Hooked just doesn’t let up in sales, year after year, so that tells me I have an audience. Plus, I’ve delivered and continue to deliver, a four-hour workshop on the film I use as the basis of the book—Thelma & Louise—to writing groups and workshops and draw absolutely rave reviews for the presentation, so I know there’s a significant audience for it and that it fills what I see as a hole in the writing how-to canon. Hope so, anyway!

 11.      Do you have any upcoming workshops, classes or author services to share with us?

I’ve been invited to appear and do a reading of my work at Noir at the Bar in St. Louis at Subterranean Books on April 28 that I’m pretty jazzed about. Great, famous venue! One of my publishers, Cort McMeel of Bare Knuckles Press got me the gig via the host, Jed Ayres, to help promote my novel, The Bitch. I’m really excited as I’m told folks like Scott Phillips and Nick Arvin will also be there to read and I’m a huge Scott Phillips fan! Details should show up at http://spaceythompson.blogspot.com/ or at http://store.subbooks.com/

I co-teach a class with author Jenny Milchman via Skype for the New York Writer’s Workshop and we’ll be taking applications for the next class shortly. It’s titled: Beginnings: The Start of Your Novel, Your Career, & Your Writing Life.

You can check out the class at http://newyorkwritersworkshop.com/online-course-beginnings-the-start-of-your-novel-your-career-your-writing-life

I also teach a private workshop online on novel writing. The next class will begin in approximately two months. Anyone interested can email me at butchedgerton@comcast.net.

Kristen Lamb has asked I join her world-wide network of writing teachers to provide video lessons for writers. Plans are still being formulated, but anyone who might be interested, I’d suggest following her blog at http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ as she’ll post information once it’s all set up.

And, please visit me at my own blog at www.lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/

The winner of Susan Wingate’s DROWNING is Carol Anita Ryan! Thanks for reading our blog!

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

With a publishing industry that is ever in flux, it can be hard for an aspiring author to figure out what information is relevant and what she needs to do to be successful. Recognizing this, literary agent Andrea Hurst and writer and blogger Katie Flanagan present a series of weekly interviews with publishing industry specialists. The AUTHORNOMICS Series features literary agents, editors, authors, marketing experts and more talking about their opinions on the publishing industry, writing, and what a writer needs to know.

AUTHORNOMICS Interview with Author Susan Wingate

Susan Wingate has written ten novels, two short story collections, a few plays, one screenplay and tons of poems. Her latest 2011 novel DROWNING  (contemporary women’s fiction), won 1st place in the 2011 Forward National Literature Award and also won a finalist award for the category of Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit in the 2011 International Book Awards. A vibrant public speaker, Susan offers inspiring, motivational talks about the craft of writing, publishing and marketing, and how to survive this extremely volatile (e-)Publishing industry. She presents these lectures for private groups and at writing conferences, libraries and bookstores around the country

1.       You are the author of ten books. Can you talk a little bit about your first experiences in publishing? How was the process different for your tenth book in comparison to your first?

My publishing route doesn’t look at all like a traditional route where an author finds an agent, gets a publisher and then gets their book out to the reading public. My career started a little backwards (but thinking now about it, it’s as if I were living in the future). I actually self-published my first novel “Of the Law” when the stigma of self-publishing still hovered. In 2009, when eBooks were looked down upon, my second novel, “Bobby’s Diner” got a publishing contract for eBook format and then a few months later the publisher decided to publish the paperback. After that run and after getting the copyright back, I found another publisher in California for a 3-book series for the Bobby’s Diner novels. That same year the number two book of the Bobby’s Diner series came out. Right after that, I received another publishing contract with a small press out of Texas for “Of the Law” (my first self-published book) but we changed the name to “A Falling of Law.” at the end of 2011 the rights reverted back to me and, now, I’m thrilled to say I have all the rights back for all of my titles.

The difference between the first book and the tenth book is this: if I want to publish my book without a traditional publisher, that old stigma of self-publishing no longer exists. In fact, I see a large number of authors self-publishing their work. It’s so easy these days because of user-friendly Print-on-Demand (POD) and online publishing.

What I do is give myself a year with any one title and if a traditional publisher doesn’t pick up a title within one year, I opt to self-publish. What’s great is while  promoting one title we see momentum grow with others. Sales from each title spurs on sales for other titles. It’s the ultimate form of team work.

Of course, the work is a lot more scattered between publishing, marketing and writing but when I think back to the pre-industrial era when writers did the same thing, like Benjamin Franklin, I feel somehow honored to be performing all of the steps within the industry–writing, art design and cover creation, interior design and typesetting, manufacture/POD/eBook, marketing/promotions and, ultimately, sales. It’s really something to learn and understand all the levels of this business as well as to be able to write something that people will enjoy.

 2.      Your latest book, Drowning, reached #1 on the Amazon bestseller list. What tips can you share with other writers on becoming a bestseller on Amazon?

Amazon is amazing! Amazon seems to want authors to succeed and without middle men. Instead of Amazon selling to someone else in order to distribute our books, like a book distributor traditionally has done, they are a distributor that goes directly to the consumer.

The traditional hierarchy for getting books to the consumer has been in this order: publisher, distributor, bookseller, then consumer. With Amazon, the publisher can cut out one step, in most cases. They are the bookseller and the distributor. That’s why we see such inexpensive books these days. Amazon is like a huge online Costco or Walmart but with eBooks too. The publisher can lower prices without hurting their bottom line. The lower costs are passed onto the consumer.

It’s all a great business model with Amazon.

Book distributors like IPG, Ingram, Consortium, and Baker & Taylor are the big names in the trade who have, historically, provided books to others who then sell these books, such as book stores and libraries. Amazon cuts out these expensive distributors by using either the mail to send a print book or by sending a book electronically as an eReader. And, where we see a flux in bookstores losing business and closing doors, I think the reason they’re closing doors because they are believing what these big distributors are telling them, that Amazon is bad, where really, if the bookstores would simply buy from Amazon, they’d see greater gross profits just because they’re not paying big commissions to distributors. Bookstores will come around but not before losing a few in the process.

As for promotions with Amazon… Well, with eBooks Amazon provides authors different promotional vehicles that will put your eBook out there. If you use these vehicles, Amazon will feature your work because you have opted in with them exclusively. They then turn around and congratulate you by featuring your work, using their amazing promotional abilities to get your name tops on the list. These promotional vehicles can be found through the Kindle Digital Platform where authors upload their titles into Amazon’s catalog for eBooks.

 3.      You dallied in acting, aerobics, bartending, and accounting before deciding to focus on writing. What convinced you that you were a writer at heart?

I think all that dallying! LOL. I always wrote as a kid because my dad did. My dad also was in theatre and that’s where I found myself as a child and as a teenager but then, reality hit as I grew into adulthood and found I needed to make money to pay the rent. So, I found myself in several different jobs just to pay my bills. I had been doing accounting for the longest stretch of time and figured I should get a degree so that could grow into better positions. However, three years after getting my degree, a BS in Accounting from Arizona State University, I moved from Phoenix and basically, retired. I had always worked but on the 1,900-mile road trip to retirement and the place where I live today, I began writing (in my head) my very first novel, “Of the Law.” Three days later, when I got furniture into my home, a table specifically, I sat down, started writing and never looked back. It was as if I found myself in the pen. It felt so perfect that doing anything else felt like spinning wheels.

4.      How did you learn the craft of writing?

Initially, I taught myself. I had not been trained in English like so many writers out there today. But, then I realized that I needed help so I started attending writers conferences. It was at the very last October 2003 NW Bookfest in Seattle that I first met Michael Collins. He was going to be teaching and critiquing at another conference in Gig Harbor the following April so I signed up for that. It was at that Gig Harbor conference that he offered to mentor me. Without Michael I don’t think I would’ve ever finished my first novel. I honestly believe that I would either still be floundering with it or would have had several starts and stops on others. Michael is why I’m writing today.

 5.      What are your best tips for aspiring writers and those just beginning a novel?

Keep at it. Keep learning. Keep practicing and letting people read your work. Let the good comments sink in and throw out the bad (unless you keep hearing the same thing over).

Learn the parts of the novel. Writing the novel is not like writing a short story because of the sheer length difference. Instead of giving one to three day’s worth of writing to the short story, you’ll spend weeks and months writing a novel. Novel writing takes much more planning and forethought before ever putting a pen to a piece of paper. The writing is the second half of the process. The idea stage is the first. Get a good idea down on paper (or your computer), write out all of your character development information, your timeline, your outline if you’re an outliner, do your research before setting your pen down to write. Then, when you begin writing, your writing will spill forth and be beautiful, logical and plausible. Why? Because your subconscious holds all the information from the planning stage in its hot little hands and waits for you to unleash your creative side in order to spill the ideas into your conscious mind and out onto paper.

Also, if you think writing is hard, you’re right, it is. But, if you feel that writing is the only thing that makes you complete–when you look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I can’t breathe if I don’t write,”–then you’ll also find writing will be the most rewarding thing you ever do. I write for me because without writing I fear I might shrivel up and die.

 6.      Can you speak about the publishing process itself? In today’s publishing climate, are there advantages to self-publishing over traditional publishing?

Self-publishing can be very satisfying simply because you have total control over your product. I really like this one point. You also receive the lion’s share of royalties when you produce and sell a product.

With traditional publishing you have a team of people working for your book. You have an entity’s budget for marketing as well as other parts of the process–someone who develops art for the cover and, of course, an editorial team.

With self-publishing when something goes wrong, and it often can, you hold the most risk. When you self-publish, it’s all you.

Traditional publishers usually have self-imposed fail-safes and a problem will be caught (generally) before a book goes public, not always, but a lot of the time.

If you are a self-publisher and you miss an error, the likelihood of it getting caught diminishes before a book goes public because one eye is usually not a very stable fail-safe.

 7.      How important do you think the book cover is in overall promotion and sales?

I love this question. I’m hearing it more and more since the advent of eBooks and since self-publishing has garnered a much better reputation. The fine art of cover art is something marketing teams in big publishing houses have known for years. I think book covers are the single most important selling point a book has. If you put up two books by two authors, both at the same selling level but one book is ugly and the other has a striking cover–even when people know the ugly book author’s work is good–consumers will opt for the book with the striking cover nine times out of ten.

Packaging and merchandising are two core marketing concepts and should never be taken lightly.

 8.      You are very active online with active profiles on all of the major social networking sites, a personal website, a personal blog, and a podcast. How do you maintain your marketing efforts and still find time for writing?

My day goes like this: I let the dogs out to go to the bathroom. Get my tea. Check my emails and go to Facebook. That all takes about an hour. After that, I write for two hours and sometimes more. Then, I break for lunch, relax and read a little. Check my emails again and either, get back to writing or (depending on which day it is) do a little more marketing. My busy writing days are the weekends and Mondays and Tuesdays. I have Bible study on Wednesdays and sometimes clean and goof off. My busy marketing days are Thursdays with the radio show and Fridays for Free-Book-Friday days. I write no fewer than three days a week and usually four days a week. Because I self-publish and have a publishing company, I have to give enough effort to keep the dollars flowing into my bank account and pay my bills.

 9.      Why is it important for authors to maintain a strong online presence?  Does it translate directly to higher book sales?

It’s like with any product, take insurance for example, the more a consumer sees your product, the more likely they are to buy your product. In fact, the next time I need insurance I’ve promised myself to look into Progressive because of Flo. I love her. I see her all of the time. She’s like a friend and I want to buy stuff from my friends. See what I mean? Put your face out there, people will see it often enough that they will think of you first and not that other writer over there. I want to sell my books. The publishing industry is a business, a multi-BILLION dollar business. Period. That’s why I market myself so heavily. Successful marketing efforts are expressed in terms of books sold.

 10.  How did your podcast, DIALOGUE: BETWEEN THE LINES, get started? What have you learned from doing it?

Joshua Graham and I, one day, were complaining about the lack of free radio and TV shows dedicated to fiction writers. We had an “Aha!” moment together and nearly, in unison said, “Let’s start our own radio show for fiction writers.” That’s how DIALOGUE got started. It was like that old Judy Garland and Micky Rooney movie about putting on a show in the barn. And, I’ve learned that if you don’t know what it takes to run a radio program you probably shouldn’t be running one! LOL! But, after a year now, we’ve gotten the hang of it. If you listen to the first few shows, you’ll find they’re just hysterical. We didn’t have a clue as to the technical side of things and fumbled around for about a month. Then, we started to understand all of the techy stuff. We were still pretty raw as far as being talented interviewers though. There were many times after signing off we would just break into laughter from some stupid thing we said.

Now, at this point, we’re getting NY Times Bestselling authors like Steve Berry, Frank Peretti, Lincoln Child, Elizabeth George and JA Jance to name a few. We had Andrea Hurst on–a publishing industry staple and a true professional.

But, we also strive to continue hosting other levels of writers and always interview people who are at the beginning of their career, who have just come out with a book and those who are simply in the process of writing a book. I think it helps our listening audience to have a full range of writers to learn from. Our listenership consists of many who write. I believe it’s good for them to hear the trials and tribulations a new author comes up against. Joshua and I have a few years of experience each and we both love to help people with issues or just offer a listening ear. Plus, it’s all about fiction so what’s not to love?

11.  Do you have any upcoming projects, interviews or presentations for us to look out for?

I do! On all points. My latest novel is my debut Young Adult Romantic Fantasy called SPIDER BRAINS: A Love Story. It was just released March 16, 2012 in eBook format only on Amazon.com–only. As for interviews, I have several that people can find links for if they visit my website at www.susanwingat.com. As for presentations, I will be very busy this spring and fall teaching and making a few public appearances–all dates of which can also be found on my website.

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

Jim C. Hines is the author of seven published fantasy novels from DAW Books, including the humorous Goblin Quest trilogy (which will be rereleased in omnibus form this July) and a four-book series of fairy tale retellings which began with The Stepsister Scheme (because Sleeping Beauty was always meant to be a ninja, and Snow White makes a bad-ass witch). His next book, Libriomancer, is the first in a modern-day fantasy series about a librarian from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and a fire-spider Smudge. Jim has also published more forty published short stories in markets such as Realms of Fantasy, Sword & Sorceress, and a number of anthologies.  He lives in Michigan with his wife, two children, and half an ark’s worth of pets. Find out more at www.jimchines.com.
1.      According to your website, before publishing your novel, you focused on writing short stories. Can you talk about the process of getting them published? Were they genre stories, and if so, how did you find genre literary magazines?

They were indeed genre short stories, primarily fantasy, but with some science fiction work thrown in. Back in those ancient times, we were just beginning to see websites and online resources, and I found a publication called Speculations that included a pretty thorough market listing for SF/F stories. After that, it was just a matter of writing and submitting and repeating as needed.

 2.      Your website also claims your writing has been rejected 500+ times. Any tips for dealing with rejection?

When I say “repeat as needed,” well, let’s just say there was a lot of repeating. Writing is like any other skill: it has to be practiced and learned over time. Nobody magically knows all about characterization and plotting and setting and everything else. So I’d suggest looking at it as a process, understanding that it takes time and work, but that you will make progress. Rejection is a normal part of that process, and every writer out there has gone through it.

Sheer, mule-headed stubbornness helps a lot too.

 3.      What is your success story? How did you find your agent and/or sell your book?

I originally submitted my work directly to publishers, but this was a slow process. Some publishers could take years to respond, so eventually I switched over to submitting to agents. But I did manage to sell Goblin Quest to a small press as a hardcover, and I was submitting another book to agents when one of those bigger publishers I had written off got back to me – two and a half years after I had submitted – and made me an offer … after the hardcover was already in print. Oops.

I talked to an agent, they contacted the publisher, the publisher got pissed, the agent turned around and sold mass market rights to another big publisher, and voila!

This is not a route I’d recommend…

 4.      You write a number of series. Can you talk about some of the advantages and disadvantages of knowing the next book you’ll write will have the same characters? How do you keep the storylines fresh?

In some ways it’s easier because I already have some familiarity with the characters and the world. Of course, I discover and invent more of the world with each book, and I introduce new characters … not to mention the returning characters can surprise you. But it can be nice to not have to build everything from scratch.

The disadvantage is that with a first book, everything is brand new. My next book, Libriomancer, has some ideas I’m really excited about. But in the sequel, those ideas will be familiar. It can be harder to create that same “unwrapping a new present” feel with the later books in a series.

As for keeping the storylines fresh, I think the one suggestion I’d put out there is to know when to stop. It’s hard to end a series, and I’ve had lots of readers ask me to go back and write another goblin or princess book, but I had told the stories I wanted to tell and I don’t want them to get stale. Sometimes that just means walking away and moving on to something new.

 5.      Do your stories begin from character, plot, a world, or some sort of idea you want to communicate? And how do you incorporate the other elements?

Yes. All of the above, depending on the story, and I don’t always know which it’s going to be. Libriomancer started with an idea: what if you could reach into a book and pull out anything, so long as it fit through the pages? Goblin Quest started with Jig, a nearsighted runt of a goblin, and his pet fire-spider Smudge. The Princess series came from my frustration with the princess merchandise filling my home when my daughter was younger.

At the moment, I’m imagining my writing process as a painting. I’m in the first draft of a new book, and it’s a very rough sketch. I’m outlining plot, throwing in a few lines of characterization, and so on. Over the course of the next few drafts, I’ll layer in the details and fill in the elements I’m missing.

 6.      In the Princess Series, you write entirely from the female point of view. Was this ever a challenge?

Not that I can remember, really. I did ask my wife if she had any suggestions on pregnancy details. She’s responsible for one of my favorite bits from Mermaid’s Madness, when someone asks Danielle (Cinderella) about her slipper, and she just kind of laughs and says, “My foot hasn’t fit into that thing since I had Jakob.”

 7.      You have a pretty comprehensive author website, including a blog. What tips do you have for engaging readers via the internet?

Don’t do it because someone says you have to. I’ve seen too many authors go onto Twitter or Facebook or whatever to Promote Their Book because that’s what someone said they should do. And that’s exactly what they do. It’s like an infomercial. Very few people respond, and eventually the site just dies.

I’ve done a lot of things online over the years. Some have worked, and others have failed miserably. I seem to be most successful when I’m being myself, whether that means posting goofy song parodies or writing about things I’m passionate about, issues that may have nothing to do with writing or my books. I also find that it works much better to think of it as a conversation, a community. I love that I get to talk to so many wonderful people online, trading smart-ass remarks on Twitter one day and talking about sexual harassment and assault in fandom the next.

 8.      You started publishing just before the advent of e-books and e-readers. How do you feel about the new technology? What are some of the most important changes in the publishing industry you’ve witnessed since your first book came out?

Oh, we had e-books back in those days. They just hadn’t taken off the way they have today. I think the biggest and most significant changes I’ve seen are firstly the move toward a more flexible, universal format. We’re not there yet, but we’re so far beyond the hand-coded HTML or rigid PDF files of those first e-books. And then, of course, there’s Amazon. When Amazon decided they wanted to rule the e-publishing game, they took a number of steps, including offering those lovely 70% royalties to authors who self-published with them. I think that was a brilliant move on their part, one that brought tens of thousands of authors to their doors and left the other online retailers scrambling to catch up.

How do I feel about it? I figure the more options authors have, the better. I’m a little tired of the Holy Wars between self-published and commercially-published authors, though. And I think folks would do well to keep in mind that publishing is a business. Commercial publishers are in business to make a profit … but so is Amazon. I’ve seen a number of folks talking about how Amazon is an author’s best friend, and I think that’s naïve. Amazon is Amazon’s friend. If you can do better through them, then that’s great. But don’t fool yourself into thinking they’re your buddy.

 9.  What is your best piece of advice for an aspiring writer?

Write. Read. Write. Learn from other authors. Write. Give yourself permission to fail. Write. Give yourself permission to be amazing. And also, write.

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope Publishing and Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.