A Rocking Interview with Kory Shrum

Today's author interview is with Kory Shrum, author of Dying by the Hour and Dying for a Living.

What made you decide to go Indie and self-publish?

I was frustrated by how slow the traditional publication model is. So I broke up with my agent so I could do everything faster. 

What do you think is the benefit of going Indie and self-publishing your own work?

More creative license and freedom to follow your own vision of a project. For a perfectionist like me, this is heaven. :)

What do you think is the biggest challenge an Indie author faces?

Being an unknown unknown.

What are you working on right now?

I'm wrapping up some shorter projects and a cool anthology. Then I'll be back to writing Jesse books 2 and 3.

What advice can you share with other Indie and aspiring Indie authors?

Whatever you do, don't stop writing. When you stop, your muscles get cold--and it gets so much harder.

Which authors inspire you?

Laurell K. Hamilton, Neil Gaiman, Nancy A. Collins, Stephen King, Anne Rice--plenty of writers do.

What genre do you write in?

Urban fantasy--technically ;) 

Amazon

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

It gives me a big playground to explore in the scifi/fantasy realm that I prefer.

How much research do you do when you write?

Enough to make things work--but I prefer to make up my own rules.

When did you decide to become a writer?

Around 2003.

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

My imagination is more alive at night and therefore that's when my best ideas come, but it is best to do the writing first thing in the morning--before the day takes you over.

Do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

I try to write something everyday. I have an 87% success rate.

Do you work to an outline or plot, or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?

Both. A few big ideas will come to me and I'll write them down and then I let my imagination fill in the dots, exploring how each "High" scene came to be.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

By leaps and bounds. But most importantly, I'm learning to let myself play. My inner critic can be so ruthless, snatching the paint and glue out of little hands. I'm learning not to listen to that *&^%%

How long, on average, does it take you to write a book

About 8 months; Then two months to produce it (turn it into something you can hold).

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Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.

The covers are lovely! They were made by the lovely John K. Addis and I think they are good representations of each book.

How do you market your books?

Mostly Twitter and blogs.

What part of your writing time do you devote to marketing your book?

None! You have to treat them differently, or you get into a habit of thinking you don't need to write that day. Bad, bad, bad!

What’s your views on social media for marketing?

I think social media is a FANTASTIC way to reach out and talk to your readers. Writers need readers! But I think it's a terrible idea just to use it to make people buy your book. Let them know when new and exciting things are happening, sure! But mostly, just be yourself--hopefully, a charming, funny, clever self.

Is there anything else you would like to add that you haven’t included?

Thanks for having me! :)

Kory Shrum's Blog

Dying for a Living on Amazon

Dying by the Hour on Amazon

Elements to a Story

Character.

Setting.

Plot.

Conflict.

Theme.

The five main elements of every story. 

You need all of them. But what element leads the pack in importance?

A tricky question. If you asked 100 writers, each would have a different answer. I will share with you my thoughts. Agree or not, I hope to at least make you think.

I believe the most important is the least visible: theme. On first thoughts, the theme can seem like the least important. Often times, the theme is not tangible. You cannot touch it and talk to it like you can with your characters. You cannot see it, like you can see the setting of a story. It does not, on first analysis, push your story along like the plot and conflict do. But I hold that your theme is such an important aspect of writing that without a solid understanding of why you are writing, nothing else will fall into place.

Because that is ultimately the question; why are you writing your story? Just like if you were building a structure, the reason why would dictate what it would look like. A home for a family is vastly different than an office building.

So what is your message? What do you want your readers to come away with? I have heard some claim that it is not our job as authors to actually go about trying to influence our readers… but I hold that that it is simply impossible. Does your villain win or lose? Does the love interest conquer and win the love of the heroine? Is your character stagnant or do they grow throughout your story? If so, how? Each and every decision you make, tells your reader something. So, I say that you should be deliberate in what you tell your reader.

What is your theme? Know it. Surround yourself with it. What lesson will your character learn? Do you want to make your readers laugh or cry? Do you want to offer gentle hope or expose stark realities? A story can be complex and make a reader experience many things, but one theme must take precedence. Gathering answers to all these questions; truly understanding your theme, then will help you understand your characters. It will help you place your novel in the right setting. It will help you chose the right story and conflict. And most importantly, when you are stuck in the middle of your manuscript, feeling lost (because we all know that it happens!) you can ask yourself just one question: What is my theme? And in doing so, you can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You can plot out your next move.

As authors, we know that things change during the process of writing. At least for my sister and me, all aspects of the story grow and develop as we write. All aspects alter somewhat, except for our theme. Our theme is our constant and as long as we try to stay true to why we started writing our story, everything else can fall into place.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree or do you believe that another element holds more importance than theme? We would love to hear your ideas.

By May Nicole Abbey

Shawnette Nielson

Caroline Gregory

Caroline Gregory and Shawnette Nielson (known as May Nicole Abbey) are a sister writing team who, despite the incongruity of their very different characters, always seem to be on the same page when it comes to their passion for reading and writing. The difference in their personalities create a well rounded vision of what life should be; stable yet chaotic. College, construction, motherhood, wrestling, management experience, or traveling the world as a nanny, all fall under the experiences of this pair.

Find out more about them on their website, or look for their books on Amazon.

Off the Grid

I'm writing this on my iPad in the middle of a forest. I'll upload it as soon as I encounter some internet....

But you see, being on a camping trip with my other half has made me realise how important getting away from things can be.

We've written before on this blog about finding the balance as Indie Authors between work and our personal lives, relaxing, recharging, and I have always admitted that whilst it's the ideal, it almost never happens. I didn't think I knew how to switch off. How to forget about the writing, and the blogs, and twitter and everything else that goes with it.

We become so caught up in the promotional work and the deadlines. Because we work for ourselves we push ourselves the hardest.

So I think that all writers should take a week off and go camping in the woods. No computer, no internet, just the sound of nature. Maybe, somewhere out there, you'll find the next story you want to write, but even if you don't it will properly give you a chance to recharge.

A Rocking Interview With Lindsey Sablowski

Today we have Lindsey Sablowski sharing her insight into the world of writing. Be sure to check out her website.

What made you decide to go Indie and self-publish?

My first book was published by Old Line Publishing, a traditional publishing company, when I was 18 years old. I was actually thrilled to have a publisher, having spent four years searching for one. I love the company; they are located in Maryland, and the communication between them and the authors is great. I've met the founder at several events, and he is always very supportive of my work. They are definitely a great company to start out with, and I'll always praise them to the highest degree.

However, I decided to self-publish because I was used to working on promotions and editing on my own. Self-publishing offered me a chance I always wondered about and had never previously taken. At the age of 19 when my second book, Shadows and Embers, was finished I decided to self-publish through Createspace. I do so again this year with my third book, and I am glad of the decision.

I've had a taste of both world, though make no mistake I haven't been with one of the top publishing companies. I still attend events with OLP authors, and fortunately now I can bring along my self-publishing books as well and share my stories. 

At the end of the day it was my faith in my books that helped me make the decision. It's great now being able to track my sales and how much royalty I earn and so forth. 

What do you think is the benefit of going Indie and self-publishing your own work?

The benefit is that you have complete control over your book and its entire publishing process. Every step of the way you are in control, and you decide what happens. Unlike with a publisher you don't need to wait 9 months or more for them to be ready to start preparing your book for publication. You start as soon as you want to. Also, you earn more royalty as a self-published author. With a traditional publishing company the highest royalty you may ever make is 12%, whereas with self-publishing you can make about 35-70% (depending on the company you chose and etc.). 

What do you think is the biggest challenge an Indie author faces?

The biggest challenge is being recognized. The publishing industry is huge, books are so easy to come by. What will make someone read your book over say a best-seller like Stephen King? Also it's difficult for indie authors to have their books inside of bookstores. 

What are you working on right now?

My third book, Thicker Than Blood, just released on August 1st. The story follows Alaire Sencler, one of the five remaining Dark magicians. This is the third installment in the Magicians series. 

With that being complete I'm starting on the fourth book in the series, Bloodline Inheritance. I don't want to reveal too much about the book yet, seeing as Thicker Than Blood just released. However, I will say this book follows the story of a new character and leads into a lot of action. I expect this book to be releasing sometime in 2015. 

What advice can you share with other Indie and aspiring Indie authors?

Write and publish the story you're willing to stand or fall with. The best stories come from the heart.

Which authors inspire you?

J.K. Rowling, John Green, Stephen King, Michael J. Sullivan, and many others. Michael J. Sullivan was actually a huge influence for me; I've spoken with him several times via email, and he attended my first book signing at Greetings and Readers about two years ago. 

I found reading the struggles of authors helped me a lot with coming to terms with rejection when I first started out as an author. The famous authors we know and love today once were in the same position, being told their work did not deserve to be published. It was inspiring to see that despite their struggles they kept moving forward until they succeeded. 

What genre are your books?

Fantasy, but you can definitely expect romance added in as well.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Fantasy books have always been my favorite to read, and honesty it offers a very open world. I wanted to create worlds that people could escape to while being able to relate to the characters. I also love the possibilities that are available when you write fantasy; anything can happen.

Artistic Choices AKA You Can't Please Everyone

I think of myself as a crafty writer.  The words are important.  To me, it's as important how you tell about what happened as it is that you have an engaging, interesting story.  One of my reviewers called me "a magician with words", which is embarrassingly flattering, but also a beautiful metaphor for a story.  I love the idea that a well-told story is a weaving of a special kind of magic, subtly casting a spell on the reader. 

When I wrote E, I made some very careful choices about how I wanted to tell the story.  One of those choices was in regards to world-building.  I chose not to go in depth about the complexities of the society I had created.  I did not explain how certain things had come to be, aside from dropping a few hints.  My story is told in first person, so I felt that the scope of the world was limited to what my character was seeing and perceiving, and that the immediate threats to her well-being far superceded any pondering over government, politics, and so on.  I felt that world-building needed to happen on that immediate level.  On the level that was most relevant to the story.  Did that leave some questions?  Yeah, of course it did.  However, that was also my intent.  I wanted my readers to ask those questions, as they are relevant to the ongoing story.  I thought of them as teasers that would draw my readers into the bigger picture.

To a large extent, this all worked as intended.  I have those readers who totally got what I was doing, and they are on board one hundred percent.  I've had lovely reviews that have praised the world-building and many readers who have made comments about the unique world, etc.  Then, on the other hand, I have a handful of readers who did not like that I held those things back.  They wanted answers to the questions that were raised.  They wanted them now!  So, essentially, the choices I made did not please everyone.  However, they did have the desired effect in both groups of raising questions and offering teasers that lead into the next story.

The hard part is when people take off a star on a review for something that I intended to be a certain way, and absolutely would not change about my story.  I love reviews, and even the ones that are not entirely positive are well worth reading in my opinion.  I love to see what is happening in my readers' minds when they read my story.  But yeah, that missing star can be painful, especially when a reader claims to have loved the story in the review!  I think the thing is, we need to sometimes focus on what readers are saying in reviews, not looking at the missing stars. 

For me, I know that my sequel has to include answers to some of those questions, and more world-building, which is all on track with how it was going to be anyway.  I'm headed in the right direction.  The main lesson I have learned as a writer is that I am never going to be able to please everyone.  That just reinforces that I really write for myself, because I love to write.  Sharing my stories with others is just an added bonus.  I will continue to stay true to what I believe is the best way to craft my stories, and I believe that ultimately, that will lead to success.

But You're Giving It Away!

Some friends are horrified at me giving away free copies of my book. ‘You’re not making money!’ they cry. Of course, they haven’t realized how valuable ‘free’ is.

‘Free’ is a wonderful word everybody loves to hear. Nobody loses with ‘free’ – you’re getting something without spending money, so you’re likely to take a risk. If it’s not for you, you’ve lost nothing. If you love it, you’ve been exposed to something new you may not have tried if not for that magical word. ‘Free’ is the indie author’s friend. 

I’m not saying give every person a free copy of your novel, but running a giveaway offering a number of copies can really generate interest. Lowering the price of your eBook to £0 for 24 hours can see your readership increase because people are more likely to pick it up. Many readers specifically look for free eBooks. With money tight and book prices rising, unless it is a known author they adore, they stick to free eBooks because it is a way to get their literary fix without breaking the bank. And if one person likes it and recommends it to a friend, that friend could be a paid purchase.

I also distribute free copies to people who are specifically reading to review. There are numerous people willing to do this, such as the wonderful team at Rock the Book. Reviews are gold. Not only can they be an ego boost (or a sobering reality) but they are one of the main things customers look for when purchasing novels (along with cover and blurb). Utilizing services offered by people who are happy to read and review in exchange for a free copy is an invaluable investment. 

There is a line between profitable ‘free’ and giving it away to everyone. You need to be using ‘free’ to generate interest, gain readership and hold attention. If it is always free, the hype will burn out and people may question why it is priced at nothing. 

Top tips:

Use ‘free’ sporadically – drop the price to nothing for 2 to 5 days every 6 months.

Time ‘free’ right – coincide it with a specifically high reading time: winter, back to school, summer vacations, a holiday your book is associated with (Halloween Horror, Valentine’s Romance).

Promotion – Generate hype! Create Facebook events, update your website/social media, produce a countdown, post daily during the ‘free’ event. Get people interested.

By Chloe Testa
 Chloe is of British-Maltese descent and grew up in the small, seaside town of Brugibba with her mother, grandmother and two arrogant cats. She now lives in Surrey, UK, dividing her time between writing novels and teaching English, with almost no time to sleep in between the two. She is a lover of great books, good company and bad puns.

Find out more about Chloe on her site, or find her book on Amazon.

Cover to Cover: Tips for creating a top-notch design

So as ever I am going to draw on my own experience to find a topic for my blog this week.

Just yesterday I received the proof for the new paperback version of Chasing Freedom. It was my second time creating a paperback and it wasn’t any easier than the first, but I got it done. Other than a tiny error with the edge of the front cover it’s looking pretty good.

But it got me to thinking – how important is your cover? And what kind of thing should you be doing to make your cover look as professional as possible?

So to the first question – how important is your cover? Well, despite the old adage, never judge a book by its cover, your cover is actually one of the most important things about your book. Of course you want it formatted properly and you want to make sure the writing and editing is top notch – but the sad fact is that if you have a bad cover none of that will matter because no one will see it.

Unfortunately there are a lot of Indie authors out there who assume, I think, that because their book will be digital the cover won’t matter. It does.

So there here are a few tips I can give to making your cover as professional as possible:

·         Obviously the most obvious answer is to have it designed by a professional cover designer. Your cover will look professional, but on the downside, it can cost a lot of money, and not all of us have the cash to spare. If you are willing to make that investment then definitely go for it.

If a professional is out of your price range, then try a few of the tips below to really get that edge you need for a great cover.

·         Quality is essential when it comes to the artwork – whatever you do, don’t skimp on it. It might be really tempting to pay a little less and get the lower resolution picture – and it might work to a point on the small scale thumbnail on Amazon, but if you want a print copy it will need to be at least 300dpi or it’s going to look bad.

·         If you are designing it on an Office programme (which is possible) avoid all the standard fonts. They have a habit of making a cover look homemade – there are lots of more exotic fonts out there, and you can often find great ones online to download. Search around a bit to find something that works.

·         Play with placement. You don’t have to stick with the title at the top and your name at the bottom – it’s the most standard, but playing with different placements can really make something stand out.

·         Get a second opinion. Make sure you have someone whose opinion you trust look at it. Get them to tell you what works and what doesn’t. And listen to them. You don’t HAVE to change something they don’t like, but normally if something jumps out at them in the wrong way it will be the same for other people.

·         But most important of all, take your time. This isn’t something that can be rushed. If you rush it, it will show. You want your cover to be as good as it can possibly be and that will take time and effort. But at the end of it you should have a cover that you can be proud of.

What about other Indie authors out there? Do you have any tips for great cover design? What works for you? Do you love or loathe making covers? Comments below!

Have a great weekend!