BOOK PUBLISHING SECRETS: HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK!

Book Publishing Secrets with Wes Verde #books #bookpublishing

Wes Verde is an engineer by trade, a busybody by habit, and a lifelong Jersey boy.

A fan of nature, he spends as much time outside as possible.

His latest book is the horror/action novel, Luna’s Veil.

Author Links

Website | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

📙 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?

Wes: Thanks for having me and glad to be here.

Honestly, I’ve been telling stories in one medium or another for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until about five or so years ago that I decided to go for public release. I had acquired an interest in history, especially about my home state, and I really wanted to share what I had learned. Incidentally, this is also the basis for my Words and Coffee podcast. New Jersey has its own cryptid – the Jersey Devil – and a series of attacks along the shore in 1916 that were attributed to a shark attack (or was it?) so a foray into the horror genre was overdue for me.

In the case of Luna’s Veil, my kids asked about eclipses and how they work. That took me down the rabbit hole of ancient accounts of eclipses being seen as harbingers of doom and thus came the concept of an ethereal being who could only influence Earth during certain phases of the moon. Then there’s the role of gangsters and secret societies in the 1920s and I had material aplenty.

📙 Is this your first book?

Wes: Luna’s Veil is lucky number 3. Before that was Jalopy and The Safe Game. I’ve made my literary home in historical fiction. As a personal challenge and help focus the narrative, I have two rules: 1) primary setting is New Jersey, and 2) set around 1920. As often as I can, I will try to incorporate research from the Words and Coffee podcast into the books in the form of side characters or little details to give the story just a little more depth.

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

Wes: Indie all the way. Amazon is a really outstanding resource for someone with an idea and drive, but no connections to major publishers. Most of my readers are through Kindle Unlimited.

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

Wes:To continue from my previous answer, Amazon isn’t perfect. For those just starting out or without established readers, the indie route involves a lot of effort. Not insurmountable, but certainly daunting for those who are just beginning their literary journey. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful guides and tutorials to help you figure it out.

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

Wes: It’s really easy to lose money on faux-influencers who promise to expand your reach. Botfarms exist and they give all the appearance of engagement, but none of the readership or sales. There is no substitute for putting in the work, growing readership, and vetting potential advertisers. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

📙Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

Wes: Absolutely. Amazon KDP was made for the indie writer. Don’t be daunted by the level of effort; just eat the elephant one bite at a time.

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

Wes: Write what you love, because you will read it 1,000 times….

Release Date: June 29, 2024
Publisher: Wes Verne
ASIN: B0D1LK45JH; 328 pages, eBook $1.99
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1LK45JH

Book Publishing Secrets with W.L. Brooks #books #bookpublishing

W.L. Brooks was born with an active imagination. When characters come into her mind, she has to give them a life- a chance to tell their stories. With a coffee cup in her hand and a cat by her side, she spends her days letting the ideas flow onto paper. A voracious reader, she draws her inspiration from mystery, romance, suspense and a dash of the paranormal.

A native of Virginia Beach, she is currently living in Western North Carolina. Pick up her latest novel, Unearthing the Past - available now!

Website: www.wlbrooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorwlbrooks

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16200243.W_L_Brooks

Fletcher J. McKay has been shot, driven insane, and tortured by a madman, so what’s one more psycho coming after her? But this foe’s disturbing attempts to extinguish Fletch’s light leave her shaken. Running out of options, she must consort with the enemy.

Fletcher is undoubtedly Sheriff Noah Reed’s nemesis. Their discord began with an irrevocable outcome of an unforeseeable trauma, but duty demands he keeps her safe. The closer he gets, the more his loathing turns to lust.

Devastated by loss, Fletcher agrees to go into Noah’s protective custody. Passion takes them across the boundaries of their animosity, but is their tentative bond enough? Or is the line between love and hate, as with life and death, fixed.

Pre-order eBook on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TD6x4a

Amazon (paperback): https://amzn.to/3FJd33G

📙 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?
W.L.: From as early as I can remember, I've been a storyteller. This book is the fifth and final book in a romantic suspense series I've been working on for twenty years.
📙 Is this your first book?
W.L.: No, this will be my sixth full-length novel.

📙With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
W.L.: I've been lucky enough to have my entire series published with The Wild Rose Press.

📙Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey? The pros and cons?
W.L.:I've been doing this for several years, and the industry has changed so much since I started. So much of this business is marketing. The days of having anonymity as a writer seem to have passed, which is difficult for those of us who are introverted, but we try.
📙What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
W.L.:You have to do what's right for you, no matter what is trending.
📙Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
W.L.: Again, you have to do what's right for you. Everyone is different.
📙What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
W.L.: You've got this- just one sentence at a time.

Book Publishing Secrets with Deven Greene #books #bookpublishing

Fiction writer Deven Greene lives in the San Francisco Bay area. Ever since childhood, Deven has been interested in science. After receiving a doctorate in biochemistry, she went to medical school and trained as a pathologist. She worked for several decades in that field before starting to write fiction. Deven incorporates elements of medicine or science in most of her writing. She has published several short stories. Her debut novel, Unnatural, is the first book of the Erica Rosen MD Trilogy, and was released in January 2021. Unwitting, released in October 2021, is the second Erica Rosen MD novel. Unforeseen is the final book in the Trilogy.

Visit her website at www.devengreene.com or connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.

Pediatrician Erica Rosen is stymied when two of her patients don’t respond to medicine as expected. When other patients later develop strange, unexpected illnesses, she is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Meanwhile, the department’s newest pediatrician, Dr. Nilsen, appears to be trying to steal her patients. Erica suspects he is after her job as the clinic director. She also discovers Dr. Nilsen has become romantically involved with her trusted assistant, Martha. One evening, while looking for patient information on Martha’s desk, Erica comes across a list with the names of some of her patients. A boy who recently became ill with a mysterious malady is on the list and has an asterisk by his name. What does that mean?

Erica is convinced something nefarious is underfoot, and Dr. Nilsen, rather than simply being after her job, is engaged in a dangerous scheme involving her patients. Unable to recruit the help of law enforcement in a timely manner, she realizes she must take matters into her own hands. As she proceeds with her investigation, she is unaware of the dangers she is about to encounter.

Book Information

Release Date: August 18, 2022

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Soft Cover: 329 pages; $21.95; eBook $6.99; FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Tp8u3J

Black Rose Writing:

https://www.blackrosewriting.com/thrillers/unforeseen?rq=deven%20greene

📙 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?
Deven: I’ve wanted to become an author for some time. I finally decided to stop thinking about it and DO something about ten years ago. The first novel I wrote remains unpublished. I like the story and will probably publish it in the future. However, being my first novel, it needed some rewriting. I became tired of working on it and looked forward to starting a new project, the Erica Rosen MD Trilogy. Book 1 of the trilogy, Unnatural, is the first book I published. It is about human embryonic stem cell gene editing, a topic I find fascinating. It has the potential to do a lot of good but also could be very harmful if not done ethically.
📙 Is this your first book?
Deven: The first book of the trilogy is the first book I published, but the second novel I’ve written (see the previous question)..

📙With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Deven: The whole trilogy is published by a small, independent publisher. Of course, I would have loved the novels to be picked up by a large, traditional publisher, but that wasn’t in the cards. I tried to make that happen but was unsuccessful. I didn’t want to self-publish, so I went with a small publisher. I used the same publisher for all the books in the trilogy, so the format and cover styles would be the same.
📙Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey? The pros and cons?
Deven: I attempted to get an agent, but after failing to land one and being put off by their rudeness (lack of responses and failure to follow up after asking for additional material), I decided not to pursue that further. I didn’t want to self-publish, so I looked for a publisher who accepted queries directly from authors. That was the best path for me, although I know many authors are happy being self-published.
📙What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Deven: It is necessary to learn as much as possible about the publishing industry before embarking on the publication journey. If your preferred method doesn’t work out after a while, try something else. Publicity is more important for sales than the method of publication. Unless you are a favored author of a large publisher, you will need to budget some money to publicize your work.
📙Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Deven: I am glad I went with a small publisher rather than self-publishing, but this may not be the best route for everyone. Although there are a lot of small publishers, it is still difficult to be picked up by one, and many, like agents, don’t respond to queries.

📙What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Deven: If writing is what you want to do, keep doing it. Don’t give up because some people don’t appreciate your work. Write what you want to write, and try to find the right readers.

Book Publishing Secrets with Richard I. Levine #books #bookpublishing

Richard I Levine is a native New Yorker raised in the shadows of Yankee Stadium. After dabbling in several occupations and a one-year coast to coast wanderlust trip, this one-time volunteer fireman, bartender, and store manager returned to school to become a chiropractor. A twenty-three-year cancer survivor, he’s a strong advocate for the natural healing arts. Levine has four Indy-published novels and his fifth work, To Catch The Setting Sun, is published by The Wild Rose Press and was released in August 2022. In 2006 he wrote, produced and was on-air personality of the Dr. Rich Levine show on Seattle’s KKNW 1150AM and after a twenty-five year practice in Bellevue, Washington, he closed up shop in 2017 and moved to Oahu to pursue a dream of acting and being on Hawaii 5-O. While briefly working as a ghostwriter/community liaison for a local Honolulu City Councilmember, he appeared as a background actor in over twenty-five 5-Os and Magnum P.Is. Richard can be seen in his first co-star role in the Magnum P.I. third season episode “Easy Money”. He presently resides in Hawaii.

Visit Richard’s Amazon Page or connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.

There’s a killer loose on the island of Oahu. His targets? Young, native-Hawaiian women. But it also appears that he’s targeting and taunting Honolulu police detective Henry Benjamin who knew each victim and whose wife, Maya, had been the first name on that list. In addition to battling his personal demons, this New York transplant’s aggressive style didn’t sit well with his laid-back colleagues who viewed Henry’s uncharacteristic lack of progress in the investigation as evidence that fueled ongoing rumors that he could be the killer. Was he, or could it have been someone within the municipal hierarchy with a vendetta? As it was, after thirteen years on the job Henry had been disillusioned with paradise. His career choice long killed any fantasy of living in a grass hut on a wind-swept beach, being serenaded by the lazy sounds of the ocean and a slack key guitar. Instead, it had opened his eyes to a Hawaii that tourists will never see.

Release Date: August 22, 2022

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Soft Cover: ISBN:‎ 978-1509243297; 320 pages; $17.99; eBook $5.99

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Rl42Aw

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3BRB0mv

Apple iBooks: https://apple.co/3dVBaBj

📙 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?
Richard: I do not remember ever making a conscious decision to become an author, but I can say with certainty that I have always found it easier to express my thoughts and feelings through writing. For me, To Catch The Setting Sun, as with my other books, is one vehicle I use to express myself; it is my voice. It is my method of communicating a message in an entertaining way without being interrupted or shouted down—something that has become all-too-common in our society today.
📙 Is this your first book?
Richard: This novel is my fifth. My first four are a series which follows an ordinary guy, Ray Silver, who is drawn into extraordinary situations which finds him risking life and limb to protect his family and his way of life. He is the antithesis of the typically Hollywood action hero who ends up doing heroic things when necessary. Those four novels are Indy-published and can be found on Amazon in paperback and ebook.

📙With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Richard: To Catch The Setting Sun is published by The Wild Rose Press. I suppose they are considered small press. You would have to ask them. As with my first four novels, I was going to Indy-publish this book, but after incurring some financial setbacks during the COVID lockdowns, which included $30,000 dollars in unexpected medical expenses, I found the associated costs to go Indy were a little out of reach for me. I began to query literary agents with no success and that’s when an author friend, who I consider my literary mentor, recommended I query a publisher she used for a few of her many romance novels. I did, and the rest is history.
📙Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey? The pros and cons?
Richard: You’ll have to forgive me for not really answering this one at this time. I’m still trying to assess it all and I’m waiting to see how this particular journey plays out before I can comment with honesty and clarity. I’m not suggesting anything bad with the choice of going small press, I’m simply waiting until I have a 360 degree view..
📙What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Richard: As with the previous question, I feel the lessons are still occurring. I wouldn’t want to come to any premature conclusions until I’m in a position to take a step back and do a full analysis.
📙Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Richard: As with anything in life, a person has to explore, research, and analyze every option that is available to her or him and then make an informed decision based upon individual wants, needs, and desires. What may be the right path for one person may be the wrong path for someone else.

📙What’s next for you?
Richard: In addition to writing, I have been working on my acting skills. In 2020 I co-starred in a third season episode of Magnum PI and I definitely want to explore that world in greater depth. So, while I work on novel number six, I am simultaneously enrolled in an actor’s workshop where I am training with a group of dedicated actors on a regular basis.

Book Publishing Secrets with Steve Brock #books #bookpublishing

I’ve been an author in search of a novel for just about forty years now. Writing was the first thing I ever wanted to do seriously. Over the years I’ve done quite a variety of things. My first real job, the kind where you have a schedule and get paid hourly, was as a cook at the local Sonic Drive-In. I’ve been a machinist, a forklift driver, a production worker, a computer programmer, an IT guy, an installation manager, a software trainer, and an education department manager. Those are just the employment highlights. Through it all, I was a husband and father, and I attended college at night to get my bachelor’s degree in technology management.

Before all that started, I wanted to be a writer. It just didn’t work out that way. Maybe that’s ok, I’ve had a good life and I have a wonderful family that I am proud to have. I don’t regret any of what I’ve done to support my family over the years. The desire to write has persisted, however, and I took a look at my odometer one day and it read 61 years old. None of us know how high our personal odometer will go, but I knew if I was ever going to be a writer, now was the time.

I’m bringing my lifetime of experience to my novel writing. Many of my characters are loosely based upon people I’ve known in real life. Some of my plot elements are also influenced by real-life experiences as well. As of this writing, my first novel, Half Moon Lake, will be published on Amazon in a few weeks. I have begun work on my second book as well. I hope you will take time to register your email address so I may keep you apprised of announcements and special offers. I’d be thrilled to count you as one of my first dedicated readers.

Steve Brock’s latest novel is Half Moon Lake.

You can visit his website at www.BrockNovels.com or connect with him at Twitter.

Crease Williams lived a charmed life with a bright future. Only in his junior year at Texas Christian University, his skills as a wide receiver had already captured the attention of NFL scouts.

Then a tragedy cost him his family and his desire to play football. Personally devastated, he left his old life behind and got as far from Ft. Worth, TX, and football as he could get.

Keeping mostly to himself, he became a float-plane pilot in the far north of Minnesota. Flying fisherman and hunters into remote locations was how he spent his time. When a group he had flown to Roudy’s Cabin goes missing, he faces accusations and more turmoil than he could have ever imagined. To make matters worse, his quiet existence is upturned by an element from his past bent on vengeance.

Half Moon Lake is Steve Brock’s first novel. A suspenseful mystery written with likable characters and a lighthearted flavor.

Book Information

Release Date: March 30, 2022

Publisher: Steve Brock

Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-0578391977; 187 pages; $9.99; Kindle Unlimited FREE

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3knaPfd

📙 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?
Steve: Writing is something I intended to do even back in high school. Life had other plans for me and it has taken me forty years to come to a place in life where I could fulfill that dream.
📙 Is this your first book?
Steve: Yes, it is.

📙With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Steve: I independently published. I didn’t pursue traditional publishing. After seeking out advice from some authors that have long resumes, I learned there are a lot of negative aspects to traditional publishing that can be avoided by publishing independently.
📙Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey? The pros and cons?
Steve: It was mostly positive. As I said, I sought out help from experienced authors, and that helped me in a lot of ways. As for the pros and cons, the most positive thing about publishing yourself is you can set your own pace and you don’t have anyone else’s deadlines to meet. On the down side, you are completely on your own, and if this is your first publishing experience there are a lot of lessons to be learned. Things like finding a professional editor and a professional book cover designer are issues I didn’t think about before I started down this road.
📙What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Steve: Publishing on your own puts everything on your shoulders. Finding all the assistance you will need to prepare your book for publication, learning the steps involved in getting your book published are just two of the things a new author must deal with. In addition to that, after publication, all the marketing has to be done as well. With an average of 450 books being published every day, it isn’t easy to draw attention to yours.
📙Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Steve: It’s hard to say without having anything else to compare it to. I know publishing has been changing the last few years. The days of the large publishing companies deciding which books are published are over. Virtually anyone can publish a book if they are willing to put in the work. Before I started writing if I had been given the option of traditional publishing I’m sure I would have taken it. If for no other reason than to have someone to guide me through the process the first time.

📙What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Steve: Find a mentor, someone who has experience in some aspect of book writing or publishing. Once you get going, most things you will learn as you go, but having someone to bounce ideas off of is really valuable.

Book Publishing Secrets with Jeanette Baker #books #bookpublishing

Jeanette Baker is the award-winning author of twenty paranormal, historical and contemporary novels, most of them set in the lush countryside of Southwest Ireland where she lives with her husband and writes during the “Seasons of Silence,” the autumn and winter months. Her ancestors, the O’Flahertys, hail from the counties of Kerry and Galway. She takes great pride in the prayer posted by the English over the ancient city gates, “From the wrath of the O’Flahertys, may the good Lord deliver us.”

Jeanette spent many years teaching 6th grade in a small school nestled under a canopy of Eucalyptus trees where the children consistently surprised her with their wisdom, their hopefulness and their enthusiasm for great stories. Currently, she enjoys the company of her own grown children and her precious grandchildren.

Jeanette graduated from the University of California at Irvine and holds a Master’s Degree in Education.

She is the Rita award-winning author of NELL.

Her latest book is the women’s fiction, Birthright.

You can visit her website at www.JeanetteBaker.com or connect with her on Facebook.

Two women on a course to confront the past, one to expose its secrets, the other to bury them.

Claire Williams travels halfway across the globe from Southern California to Ireland to find the mother who gave her up and the questions that need answering. Norah O’Connor is equally determined to avoid revisiting the most shameful time of her life and the devastating decisions she was forced to make.

Claire’s presence fifty years later is the engine for the confrontations to come when neighbors Norah has known forever recognize Claire’s resemblance to a younger sister. Norah must face the man who fathered both her daughters, and decide to either hold the secrets that continue to embitter her or release them for the shame that will surely mark her.

“Jeanette Baker’s award winning novels have earned her a place in the paranormal genre beside giants such as Barbara Erskine and Kristin Hannah. Now she brings her unique writing style and compelling characters to the stage of contemporary Ireland, sharing a world as alluring as its secrets are opaque.”
—Lauren Royal, New York Times and USA Bestselling Author.

“Gorgeously descriptive and unforgettably moving, Baker’s novel is a wondrous journey of the heart.”

—Candi Sary, author of Magdalena

“Birthright will find a welcome place in any library strong in stories of mother/daughter relationships, Irish culture, and the special conundrums faced by adult children who seek answers to the decisions their birth parents made.”

—Diane Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review