Book Publishing Secrets with Thriller Author Darden North

Name: Darden North   

Book Title: The Five Manners of Death

Genre: Fiction/Thriller

Publisher: WordCrafts Press

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?

     I enjoy putting pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard) and with this novel began to explore the five ways to die.

Is this your first book? 

     No, “The Five Manners of Death” is my fifth novel.

With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?

     Small Press. “The Five Manners of Death” was accepted by WordCrafts Press, a small press that offered publication in both hardcover print and trade paperback as well as online digital. When my query was accepted, I quickly recognized that editor Mike Parker saw the potential of this unique story and possessed publication vision and experience.

Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?

     My first three novels were self-published and successful in their own right in that about 17,000 copies collectively were sold. I then wanted a partner in this journey and reopened the process of querying agents and publishers.  My fourth novel, “Wiggle Room,” was published by Sartoris Literary Group.

What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?

     No matter how large or small the publisher—whether traditional, indie, small press, or the self-publishing route—every author must bravely market themselves and their own work. There is no place for ignorance in learning the value of social media, and there is plenty of room for humility.

Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

     As long as the author is willing to engage with readers and book promoters and sellers, both online and face-to-face—including bricks and mortar bookstores—there is room for success for any author in any genre.

What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

     Expectations low … Serenity high.

Book Publishing Secrets with Tom Carter

Name: Tom Carter

Book Title: Nashville: Music and Murder

Genre: Fiction (Suspense, Thriller, Crime)

Website: www.authortomcarter.com

Is this your first book?

Tom: No, I've written eighteen, half of which were New York Times or USA Today best-sellers.

With this particular book, how did you publish - traditional, small press, Indie, etc. - and why did you choose this method?

Tom: This is my first self-published book.  I did so because conventional publishers no longer pay the lofty advances-against-royalties that I derived from my previous books.  Also, my self-publisher (Ingram) pays much higher profits than royalties issued by conventional publishers.

Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?

Tom: I was a 17-year newspaper reporter who also wrote for Time and People magazines.  I moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1988 to collaborate with singer/pianist Ronnie Milsap to co-write his

autobiography.  I eased from that book to an autobiographical collaboration with another celebrity.  My momentum gathered, and I eventually co-wrote twelve celebrity autobiographies.  I also 

wrote six unrelated books in various genres.

What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?

Tom: My two books for 2017 were my first dance with self-publishing.  I learned about self-publishing mostly through time consuming trial and error.  My previous books were published by Simon & Schuster, Doubleday, HarperCollins, Random House, McGraw-Hill and Putnam.  Once a deal was signed, the publishers handled all of the production and distribution.  Not so with self-publishing, where a writer must learn the ins-and outs of the day-to-day rigors inherent to publishing, select a publicist, fulfill the publicist’s recurring demands, writing blogs, taking PR meetings, etc.  I may return to conventional publishing just to avoid self-publishing’s busy work. 

Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

Tom: Yes.

What's the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

Tom: Love to write for writing's sake.  The odds of being commercially successful are stacked against you.

                             //////

                         About the Book:

     As a teenager, Maci Willis fled the poverty and sexual abuse of her Louisiana childhood in hopes of finding a new life as a Nashville recording star or greasy spoon waitress.  Despite the odds, the former fate unfolded, and Maci recorded hit songs for two decades while indulging a pampered lifestyle void of risks and regrets.

     But all of that changed during one fateful performance.

     While Maci sang a fourth encore to a crowd of 18,000, the music was shattered by a gunshot fired by an obsessed fan.  She emerged triumphant from the attempt on her life — only to face another attempt shortly afterwards.  Was it a coincidence?  Or was something more sinister at work?

            Nashville: Music and Murder follows Maci's frantic flight from danger — and toward redemption.  Along the way, it exposes glamour of stardom, the loneliness of fame, and the seedier side of the Nashville music scene.

            Antagonized by the mass media, victimized by her record label executives, stalked by deranged fans, and hunted by local and federal authorities, Maci leads readers through a fast-paced descent into hysteria, chaos and murder. 

            In an attempt to escape it all, Maci finds herself returning to the childhood she once fled.  The woman who faced life on her own terms soon discovers that loneliness is a walking prison from which she’ll never walk away. 

Book Publishing Secrets with Suspense Author Gabriel Valjan

Name: Gabriel Valjan

Book Title: Corporate Citizen: Roma Series BookFive

Genre: Mystery. Suspense. Thriller.

Publisher: Winter Goose Publishing

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?

Gabriel: Like most writers, I enjoy telling a story. I get to inhabit different ways of thinking, feel emotions, and live a vicarious set of experiences. Once I’ve set up the premise, the characters began living their own lives and I was along for the ride with them.

Is this your first book?

Gabriel: No. Corporate Citizen is the fifth book in the Roma Series, but not the last. I provide readers with the first chapter of Book Six.

With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?

Gabriel: Winter Goose Publishing is a traditional publisher, with a growing reputation for talent in multiple genres, especially poetry. WGP turned five-year in 2016. Visit the WGP web site, sign up for emails and you’ll receive a free book, written by yours truly.

Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?

Gabriel: I started writing short stories in 2010. A colleague had challenged me to write a short story with a strong female protagonist. That story was the genesis of the Roma Series. I had had such fun with Alabaster that I expanded on the story and turned it into a novel, which I submitted to Winter Goose in late 2011. One day I received an email that my novel, Roma, Underground, had been accepted. I would work with the talented editor, James Logan, have a say in the design of the artwork for the Roma Series. If there were any ‘cons,’ I would say that, like many authors, visibility is challenging. I remain positive, however, as I’m slowly building a following for the Roma Series.

What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?

Gabriel: The paramount lesson I learned is this: Write what you want to write. Don’t subscribe to trends or think you can time the market. Develop your skills and have fun. Yes, there are things that you can do to promote yourself, but use your energy wisely. There are experts, and there are also unscrupulous types out there. My take on all of this is to do the best you can, don’t worry yourself sick, and keep writing.

Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

Gabriel: I can only speak to my experience with Winter Goose Publishing. I have heard anecdotal stories where authors had little to no say in the editing process, cover art, or that they had to be cautious about which battles they would take on because they weren’t ‘established.’ My experience with Winter Goose Publishing, a reputable publisher, has been very positive.

What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

Gabriel: Write, keep writing, and strive to improve your craft. Honor your reader, have gratitude that they have spent their precious time reading your creation.