Thursday, September 24, 2015

Book Publishing Secrets with Christopher G. Nuttall, author of 'Trial By Fire'

Book Title: Trial By Fire
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
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: Well, that’s two separate issues.  The blunt truth is that I saw a book I thought was a great idea, but really poorly executed, back in 2005, so I started to write a version of my own.  My version wasn’t much better, but at least it was a start.  Six years later, or thereabouts, I started to put together an outline for what would become the Schooled In Magic series.
Is this your first book?
Author: No.  Trial By Fire is somewhere around my fiftieth published book, counting both indie and traditional published books.  It’s also book seven in the Schooled In Magic series.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Author: Trial By Fire is published by Twilight Times Books, a small America-based press.  Like most writers, I wanted to be published by a traditional publisher, so I submitted the first book in the series and everything just went on from there. 
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Author: To be frank, being published by a traditional publisher lends a certain degree of validation to the author.  Someone has actually paid money to have this book edited, ergo they must think they can claw back the money, ergo they think the book’s good.  (The author is seen as an investment.)  The publisher also takes care of editing, obtaining a cover design and everything else the book might need, which frees up more of the author’s time for writing. 
The cons, however, is that you give up a great deal of control.  I haven’t had any problems with TTB, but I’ve heard hundreds of horror stories from other authors who tangled with the wrong publisher.  Do some research before choosing a publisher.  There’s also a delay between submission and publication that can be annoying, although getting the book edited is well worth the time.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Author: Do my research <grin>.  I think that’s really the most important lesson of all. 
But the publishing industry itself is changing.  The rise of eBooks put power in the hands of the authors, rather than publishers, and while the bigger publishing houses have done their level best to argue otherwise, I think its inarguable that big publishing will have to adapt quickly or go the way of the dinosaurs.  Small presses - and Baen Books - tend to be far better at adapting to the changing scene. 
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Author: It depends, really, on what they want from publishing.  Having assistance from a small publisher is worth its weight in gold, so I’d recommend it to anyone who intends to write for the long haul.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Author: I think the best advice would be to get some critics - and then listen to them.
Yes, I know; it isn’t easy to put up with someone being critical about our work.  We pour our heart and souls into the manuscript and it hurts - it really hurts - to watch someone tear it apart.  But a decent critic and a good editor are really worth their weight in gold.  They can make the difference between getting good reviews - and a good start in writing - or being crushed under a wave of negative reviews.
Frankly, there are quite a few well-established authors who have become editor-proof (I’m sure any well-read person can name a few) and their works rapidly become unreadable.  Forgetting that you need an editor is disastrous in the long term. 
And grow a thick skin.  You’ll need it.



Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Book Publishing Secrets with Jane Tesh, author of 'Butterfly Waltz'

Name: JaneTesh        
Book Title: Butterfly Waltz
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Silver Leaf Books
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?
Jane:  I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing my own stories, poems, and plays, so I must have been born an author.
Is this your first book?
Jane:  No.  I’ve written many books, probably twenty-five, and I’ve been lucky to have ten of those books published.  This is, however, the first fantasy novel that’s been published.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Jane: All of my books have been traditionally published.  There are two reasons I chose this method.  First, when I started trying to get published, traditional was the only way available, and second, I could not afford to self-publish.  Back in the Sixties, self-publishing was very expensive and the product did not look as good as it does today.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Jane:  In 1968, when I was 18, I started sending out manuscripts and queries. This involved typing a manuscript, finding the right size box, and mailing it to a publisher or an agent in New York. When it came back, I sent it to the next one on my list.  I did this until computers came along.  Then I emailed my queries.  At one point, I did manage to get an agent, but she and I disagreed on the direction my book was taking, so we parted (on good terms!) and I continued to send out manuscripts and queries.
Pros: I got what I wanted, a good traditional publisher.  But it took a very long time.  I got the contract for my first book in 2005.
Cons: It took a very long time!
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Jane: As I mentioned above, I had an agent for a while.  She wanted me to change my main character in the Grace Street series from a man to a woman.  This would’ve radically changed the entire universe I had set up for all the characters in the series.  I was really upset because I had tried for so long to get an agent, she was telling me what I needed to do to get published, and I couldn’t do it. Everything worked out in the end.  I found a publisher who took the characters as they were.  But I had to say to myself: how much am I willing to compromise to make my dream come true?  As it turned out, I wasn’t willing to make such a drastic change.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Jane: Publishing has changed so much since 1968.  Today, new authors have so many more choices and can choose which method suits them and their pocketbook.  If you have the money and want to control all aspects of the process, then self-publishing is for you.  If you want someone to pay you for your work and to take care of distribution, reviews, and publicity, then traditional is the way to go.  I would recommend traditional.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Jane:  My favorite author, Terry Pratchett says, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”  Relax and have fun with that first draft and don’t worry about it being perfect.  Everything can be fixed.
And one more thing.  I started trying to get a book published when I was 18.  I didn’t get a book published until I was 55.  I never gave up.  Neither should you.



Thursday, September 17, 2015

Book Publishing Secrets with Linda Lucretia Shuler, Author of 'Hidden Shadows'

Name: Linda Lucretia Shuler
Book Title: Hidden Shadows
Genre: Literary
Publisher: Twilight Times
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?
Linda:
I knew I wanted to be an author when I was around six or seven years old. I wrote my first story then, Koko the Monkey, which I still have tucked in a drawer somewhere. I never asked myself why I wanted to write. It was, and is, simply a natural part of me, something that’s always been there.
The idea for Hidden Shadows crept upon me slowly, seductive in its call. I took round-about trips in my imagination as well as in fact, exploring ideas and locales, before I found the path that the story wanted to follow.
I felt the need to explore grief, and how it can cleanse and renew or shatter and destroy. I wanted to illuminate the process of healing, of connection: to the land, to our ancestors, to others, to ourselves – and to the redemptive power of love.
And so Hidden Shadows was born.
Is this your first book?
Linda:
Yes, my first novel. A prequel is rattling around in my thoughts, demanding to be heard.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Linda:
A close friend whose novels I admire recommended her publisher, Twilight Times, a small press well respected in the publishing industry. My friend’s experience was so favorable, I decided to give it a try. So here I am!
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Linda:
My journey isn’t done. I’m still traveling,  road map in hand. However, from what I’ve experienced up to this juncture, there’s much to commend, and much to complain, about such a trip:
Pro: The satisfaction of seeing the story and characters born in my imagination come to life in print. The sense that readers are touched by this invented world, that it lingers in their thoughts, becomes a part of them. The ego-boosting “Yea!” when reading a favorable critique. The feeling that I’ve accomplished something good, and perhaps made a difference in someone’s life – if only for a moment.
Con: It takes work. A lot of it. Patience. Fortitude. Non-creative, non-fun necessary stuff. I’m like a kid wanting to kick her heels and howl in a temper tantrum because she can’t have her dessert now, immediately! So much work, in fact, that my mind hasn’t shifted gears enough to focus on the next novel. It can be frustrating.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Linda:
The publishing world has changed drastically over the last few years, and continues to morph. It would be easy to feel lost among the throngs of writers, of the multitudes of books released. Oh, to be listed among the top ten! That’s the dream of us all, isn’t it? It would be easy for me as a writer to feel “in the dumps” because I’m in a crowd, rather than among a select few. Or because my novel isn’t trumpeted in colorful ads plastered across the pages of glossy magazines, or blessed by Opera, or featured in the New York Times. But satisfaction must lie in the present moment, and what we hold in our hands.  
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Linda:
As the saying goes, “Different strokes for different folks.” What works for one author may not work for another. I hesitate to recommend a specific path toward publishing: the journey depends upon the traveler. Do what feels right for you, and for the market you want to attract.    
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Linda:
Believe in yourself. Don’t give up – not ever, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many boulders are strewn along the way, no matter how young or old you are. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy every moment of your life; if not, dissatisfaction or disappointment seeps into the pages of your work.



Friday, September 11, 2015

Book Publishing Secrets with S.W. O’Connell, Author of 'The Cavalier Spy'

Name: S. W. O’Connell
Book Title: The Cavalier Spy
Genre: historical fiction
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
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?
SW: I had once published a magazine, called Living History. With each issue I wrote a publisher’s letter and often “ghost” wrote a few articles. I found over time that I preferred the writing to the publishing. After the magazine went out of circulation, I decided that I would get to the writing I liked via my favorite reading genre – the historical novel. I grew up reading Thomas B. Costain, James A. Michener, Leon Uris, Wilbur Smith, and C.S. Forrester. Later on, I read many of Bernard Cornwell’s books. I learned a lot about history from those writers. Yet the stories entertained.
Is this your first book?
SW: No, The Cavalier Spy is the second in the Revolutionary War action and espionage series I call Yankee Doodle Spies. I know the name is a bit “kitschy,” but I like it. I plan on eventually writing eight books in the series.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
SW: I went with a small trade publisher, a small press called Twilight Times Books. A friend, the late Lee McCaslin, referred me to Twilight Times Books. He was a published author himself and was looking for a new publisher for his second non-fiction book. When he learned Twilight Times Books published mainly fiction, he referred me and I was accepted and given a contract for the first three books in the Yankee Doodle Spies series.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
SW: Well, I did all the usual things. After my first manuscript was done, I went on line to search for an agent. I also met with Dave Meadows and Michael O. Varhola, both published authors. Dave has written several naval espionage novels. Michael writes popular history, travel and ghost haunting books. They provided me lots of insight and encouragement. Lee McCaslkin did as well. But most of our dealings were by phone and email. I actually wrote a chapter in his book, Secrets of the Cold War. Then began the long and frustrating search for a literary agent. Mostly by luck (or unluck) I found two and had contracts with them. They provided feedback on my writing but it was a bit of drag and die. I would get some generalized comments. After I would address them and resubmit, I’d get more (different) generalized comments. It was clear different folks were reading these, as occasionally the comments clashed. In any case, I never was submitted to a publisher. In one case I was dropped. In the other, I did the dropping. These were not paid agents but fairly renowned New York agencies. I’d rate the experience as extremely frustrating, not to mention nerve grinding, but I did learn from it.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
SW: The most important thing I learned was to park my ego at the door. When you are writing, you have complete control of the world you are presenting. But once you get into the publishing phase, the situation sort of reverses. Editors and publishers now have a legitimate right to comment and suggest changing things. You have to trust them. And you have to let go of a part of the creative process. The author creates a work of literature for people to read. The editor and publisher have to turn it into a product for people to buy. The kind of fiction I write doesn’t really fit the cookie cutter mold.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
SW: Yes, I would. I find the publisher accessible and well versed in all aspects of the business. And this publisher supports its writers.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
SW: I’ll say that there are a whole bunch of folks who will shut you down. For them, your work is a business decision.  This is especially true of some f the agencies. I’d say – find your style… your voice, and hone it. But don’t try to change it. I’d also say be very patient…. And keep writing!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S.W. O’Connell is the author of the Yankee Doodle Spies series of action and espionage novels set during the American Revolutionary War. The author is a retired Army officer with over twenty years of experience in a variety of intelligence-related assignments around the world. He is long time student of history and lover of the historical novel genre. So it was no surprise that he turned to that genre when he decided to write back in 2009. He lives in Virginia.
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Title: The Cavalier Spy
Genre: Historical
Author: S. W. O’Connell
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
About the Book:
1776: His army clinging to New York by a thread, a desperate General George Washington sends Lieutenant Jeremiah Creed behind British lines once more. But even the audacity of Creed and his band of spies cannot stop the British juggernaut from driving the Americans from New York, and chasing them across New Jersey in a blitzkrieg fashion. Realizing the imminent loss of one of the new nation’s most important states to the enemy, Washington sends Creed into the war-torn Hackensack Valley. His mission: recruit and train a gang of rogues to work behind British lines.
However, his mission takes a strange twist when the British high command plots to kidnap a senior American officer and a mysterious young woman comes between Creed and his plans. The British drive Washington’s army across the Delaware. The new nation faces its darkest moment. But Washington plans a surprise return led by young Creed, who must strike into hostile land so that Washington can rally his army for an audacious gamble that could win, or lose, the war.
“More than a great spy story… it is about leadership and courage in the face of adversity…The Cavalier Spy is the story of America’s first army and the few… those officers and soldiers who gave their all to a cause that was seemingly lost…”
~ Les Brownlee, former Acting Secretary of the Army and retired Army Colonel
“Secret meetings, skirmishes and scorching battles… The Cavalier Spy takes the reader through America’s darkest times and greatest triumphs thanks to its powerful array of fictional and historical characters… this book shows that courage, leadership and audacity are the key elements in war…”
~ F. William Smullen, Director of National Security Studies at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School and Author of Ways and Means for Managing UP