Thursday, January 22, 2015

Book Publishing Secrets with Marija Bulatovic, author of Fantastical: Tales of Bears, Beer and Hemophilia

Born in Yugoslavia in the 1970s, Marija Bulatovic, along with her parents, immigrated to the U.S. in the 1990s just ahead of the 1990s Yugoslav wars and the breakup of the country.  An accomplished business professional with years of experience driving enterprise business with Fortune 500 companies, Bulatovic graduated from Colgate University. Marija Bulatovic lives in Seattle with her husband and son.


Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Marija: While I didn’t set out to pursue career as an author, I was moved to do so after the birth of my son.  FANTASTICAL is a legacy to my son, as his birth was the catalyst for the book. 

These stories were born with my son.  Uncertain upon entering a wholly new phase of life, I sought wisdom and enlightenment – and a break from the daily routine of feedings, lack of sleep, and disorientation.  I was in search of something that would lift my spirit, make me laugh, and transport me, if only for a moment, to another, less tangible, place and time. 

While the world in which these stories unfold no longer exists, I still cling to the many lessons it taught me.  Because of my fantastical childhood, I know in my heart that life is much more than a sum of mundane survival activities.  I know that it’s fluid, magical, brimming with love and connection. 

This book was indeed the respite I needed.  It freed my mind to roam the wild landscape of a bygone era and lifted me on the wings of Balkan stardust.  I hope it will do the same for my readers.  My hope is that stories amuse and transport my readers, sustaining them on their journey as they have me on mine. 

Is this your first book?
Marija: Yes, it is.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Marija: I chose to self-publish.  FANTASTICAL is a work of passion and a very personal and dear project to me.  As such, I was interested to personally and deeply become involved in all aspects of publishing, from identifying the right experts to edit, illustrate, layout, and print the book to working with a tremendously talented publicist to bring it to light. 
At the same time, we are experiencing an explosion in tools and services suited for first time and self-publishing authors. 
I was curious about this process and it gave me an excellent opportunity to be personally engaged throughout the journey and understands all aspects of publishing. It’s been a great learning experience!
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Marija: Self-publishing is tremendously labor and time intensive, but also very rewarding and profitable, assuming one is able to make investments to get the book to the finish line.
The pros are that you, as an author are 100% in control of your book and the every aspect of it.  You are the final decision maker and owner of the outcomes-good and bad. It’s a wonderful opportunity to merge one’s creative talents with flawless execution.  It does require much self-discipline and hard work, but it’s also a rewarding process.  While the world of self-publishing tools and services can feel like a maze, once the author understands them, they are generally easy and efficient to you.
The cons are that you have to invest money, time and energy to personally research and identify everything that shapes the book: editors, publicists, designers, printers, distributors, etc.  This is no easy task and authors can feel discouraged by it and by the long road ahead.  The self-publish path also requires that you make personal investments or raise money to fund your book project-which done right, is not an inexpensive proposition. 
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Marija: The publishing industry overall is at an inflection point, destabilized by the explosion of self-published books and outlets offering self-publishing services.  Self-publishing houses such as CreateSpace, Lightning Source or Bookbaby offer quality services at an approachable price-point.  However, the learning curve is steep for a single author to learn, discern differences in offerings and advantages among these services, along with their complementary or duplicative nature.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Marija: Yes, most definitely.  If you feel ready and passionate about your book, you will enjoy the leanrings and the process that goes with self-publishing.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Marija: Just do it! Write your book, engage deeply with your project, commit to your work of passion and see what happens.  Most likely, more good things will happen than if you don’t embark on the journey.  And most importantly, Good Luck!



Sunday, January 18, 2015

Book Publishing Secrets with Linda DeFruscio, author of 'Cornered: Dr. Richard J. Sharpe As I Knew Him'

Linda DeFruscio is the founder and president of A & A Laser, Electrolysis & Skin Care Associates in Newtonville, MA. In addition to Cornered, her memoir about her friendship with Richard Sharpe, she is currently writing a book on skin care and completing a book of profiles based on interviews with transgender people, many of whom are her clients. While Cornered is her first book, her skin care articles have been published in magazines for years. Connect with the author on Facebook and via her website.

About the Book
In the year 2000, Linda DeFruscio was forced to make an unthinkable decision. Someone whose genius she admired immensely, a business associate and dear friend, committed a terrible crime. In response, she could cut off their friendship and avoid the risk of losing friends, clients and her own peace of mind—or, she could trust her gut and try to save some aspect of her friend’s humanity.
Cornered is Linda DeFruscio’s story of her long and often complex association with Dr. Richard J. Sharpe, the millionaire dermatologist from Gloucester, MA who was convicted of killing his wife. Beautifully written and surprisingly tender, Corneredallows the reader an upfront view of the fragility of genius and the decline into madness, all while casting a second light on how one woman’s refusal to turn her back resulted in momentous changes in her own life.
Find out more on Amazon.

Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Author: I am an electrologist (someone who removes unwanted hair from clients’ bodies) and an aesthetician (someone who helps clients enhance their skin and features so that they can be their most beautiful selves). Over the course of my 35-year career, I have written many articles on skin care and other aesthetic matters for various magazines. So, when I lived through a unique and challenging decade-long experience that I knew would make for a really great book, I already had some writing skills. And because I am detail oriented by nature, I also had lots of notes. Getting started was not that difficult for me. I had my ducks in a row, so to speak.
Is this your first book?
Author: Yes, but I am currently working on two others. One will be about skin care and the other, which is nearly done, is a compilation of profiles of transgender people. So many of my clients are transgender people, and some of them were anxious to tell me their stories so they could share their experience with readers. I’m very excited about this project. It is a true labor of love, for me as well as for the people who appear in it.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Author: Because I have my own business and work long hours, I didn’t have the time or inclination to self publish. I had one of my associates contact some publishers and three of them responded with offers of contracts. I looked them over and decided that Twilight Times Books was the best fit for me.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Author: The journey is a long one once you decide to go with a traditional press. It took almost a year from the time my book was accepted at Twilight Times to see it out in print (and in online stores). But in that time it went through a couple of edits with really good editors who gave me a lot of advice for improvements as well as line edits, a variety of cover art options, etc., and now the publisher is sending it out to various reviewers on my behalf. So it is time well spent.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Author: I learned that there are too many people writing and not enough reading. It’s a challenge to get published by a traditional publisher. I’m sure self publishing is easier if you have the time to learn the ropes. But I think it’s also harder in the sense that many readers and reviewers make assumptions about self-published books and don’t give them the chance most of them deserve.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Author: If you’re in a hurry, self publish. If you have the time, explore other options. Writing can be a very lonely process. When you work with a publisher you suddenly have a team of people who care about the success of your book almost as much as you do.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Author: Don’t give up. Go after your dream. Persevere. The rewards for me have been huge, even though the book is barely out at this time. Not only did I accomplish what I set out to do, but in the process I discovered answers to questions that had plagued me for years.    



Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Book Publishing Secrets with Harris Kern, Author of 'Going From Undisciplined to Self-Mastery: Five Simple Steps to Get You There'

Harris Kern is recognized as the foremost authority on providing practical guidance for solving management issues and challenges. He has devoted over 30 years helping professionals build competitive organizations. His client list reads like a who’s who of American and International Business. His client list includes Standard and Poor’s, GE, The Weather Channel, NEWS Corporation, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminal (HACTL), among hundreds of other Fortune500 and Global 2000 companies. He pioneered theDiscipline Mentoring Program and Professional/Personal Growth Program (P²GP)and is the author of over 40 books, including his latest, Going From Undisciplined to Self-Mastery.

Learn more: Website Amazon

Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Author: I've been writing books for over 20 years and have a passion to help people become more efficient and productive by learning how to be more disciplined.
Is this your first book?
Author: No. I have written over 40 books - too many to list below. Most are posted on www.harriskern.com.
Did you self publish or go the traditional route?
Author: I published in a traditional manner with Koehler Books.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Author: I started working with Prentice hall/Pearson in 1994. It was an incredible experience although, frustrating at times because like most large publishing houses they are slow and bureaucratic. On the flip side they do an awesome job producing a quality book in the end.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Author: You need to have a lot of patience - they don't move quickly. They have no sense of urgency at all.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Author: Yes. The traditional publishing method is the best way to go.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Author: Patience and perseverance. The publishing business works very slow - even after you finish writing your book prepare to wait a few years to actually see your book in print. It takes time to find the right agent who is interested in your work, then for them to trya and sell your work to a publisher.