Book Publishing Secrets with Steve Starger, Author of Misfits and Supermen

Steve Starger is a journalist, author, and musician. His 2006 book, “Wally’s World: The Brilliant Life and Tragic Death of Wally Wood, the World’s Second-Best Comic-Book Artist,” was short-listed for the Will Eisner Industry Award for Best Comics Related Book of 2006.

His latest book is a memoir titled MISFITS AND SUPERMEN: TWO BROTHERS’ JOURNEY ALONG THE SPECTRUM.

Website: www.misfitsandsupermen.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Steve-Starger-2222670174658438/

BOOK BLURB:

The bond of brotherhood is hard to break, but a lifetime of dealing with familial expectation, bitterness, and psychological disorders can bend and warp it into something nearly unrecognizable. This story tells the tale of two brothers: Melvyn, the elder, whose amalgamation of disorders leave him completely unable to function within society; and Stephen, the

younger, whose own emotional and psychological issues are overshadowed to the point where he becomes little more than a pale and twisted reflection of his brother.

On different ends of the same spectrum, Melvyn is blissfully unaware of their troubling connection (or so his brother can only assume), but for Stephen, it is undeniable. He lives with it every day, sensing his own otherness in every twitch, outburst, and inability of his brother to overcome his inner demons. Left largely on his own to deal with his peculiarities-while carrying the burden of being "the normal one," of whom much is expected- Stephen begins a complicated and unpredictable journey, one which will take him as far from his brother as he can manage to get, even as it brings them inexorably closer.

A portion of proceeds from this book will go toward the Camp Cuheca Scholarship - Melvyn D. Starger fund at Waterford Country School, Quaker Hill, CT., to help fund a two-week summer residency at the camp. For more information about Waterford Country School, please email development@waterforddcs.org.

“A finely crafted, affecting memoir of two brothers.”

-- Kirkus Reviews

“If you want an honest book about life with mental illness in the family, this is it. Great writing. Brutally honest. Hard to put it down. Great stories about CT, NY and CA from the 1940s to 2000.”

--Amazon Reviewer

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=misfits+and+supermen&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Barnes & Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/misfits+and+supermen/_/N-8q8?_requestid=1514906

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’ve always had ambitions to write, all the way back to early childhood.

Is this your first book?

No. In 2006, I published Wally’s World: The Brilliant Life and Tragic Death of Wally Wood, the World’s Second-Best Comic-Book Artist. The book was short-listed for the Will Eisner Industry Award for Best Comics-Related Book of 2006.

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

My first book was published by a third-party press, but I self-published Misfits and Supermen with Friesen Press because I felt a kind of urgency to get the story of my brother out into the world. Finding a third-party publisher can be a long, agonizing process.

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

I received my first professional byline when I was 19, a theater review for my local newspaper when I was in college. I spent about 30 years as a professional journalist, and I also have written plays and fiction. My “journey” has been at times more like a rollercoaster ride, which I think is typical of the writing life. I wouldn’t change one second of it.

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

Publishing is an extremely difficult goal to achieve. One has to be dedicated or crazy to do it. Developing a very thick skin is a requirement, as is faith in one’s work.

Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

Self-publishing, these days, can be very rewarding and legitimate. The days of the “vanity press” are gone, thankfully. Many self-publishing houses produce beautiful books and give the kind of editorial help that third-party publishers are known to give. In terms of post-publishing support, self-published books are positioned well these days to receive the same kind of promotional support that a small third-party press might give.

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

If you feel you have what it takes to be a published writer, don’t give up! Be your own toughest critic and move ahead, if your work demands it.

Book Publishing Secrets with A.S. Fenichel, Author of 'A Lady's Virtue' @asfenichel #bookpublishing

A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back.

A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story.

Multi-published in historical, paranormal, erotic and contemporary romance, A.S. is the author of The Forever Brides series, the Everton Domestic Society series, and more. With several books currently contracted, A.S. will be bringing you her brand of edgy romance for years to come.

Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the Southern Missouri with her real-life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, travel, history, puttering in her garden and spoiling her fussy cat. 

Website Link: http://asfenichel.com
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/asfenichel
Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/A.S.Fenichel
 

Click below to sign up for her newsletter!

http://asfenichel.com/

BOOK BLURB:

Can a broken engagement ignite the spark of true love?

Sylvia Dowder had almost made it to the altar when her fiancé unexpectedly became a viscount, and dropped her like a stale crumpet to make a more “suitable” match. Though Sylvia’s heart has been crushed, her spirit has not. She puts her wits and social savvy to use as a secret gossip columnist—and as the Everton Domestic Society’s party planner to the ton. Luckily, she’s not in danger of ever falling for an aristocrat again…

Especially not one like Anthony Braighton, Earl of Grafton. Raised in America, Anthony sees no reason to marry when he can enjoy all the perks of being an eligible earl. Determined to convince his family he doesn’t need a wife, he hires Sylvia to act as hostess and decorator for upcoming parties. Yet Sylvia is as adept at captivating his interest as she is at beautifying his home. And despite this Everton lady’s aversion to titled men, some attractions can’t be denied—and love rarely does go where it’s told . . .

ORDER YOUR COPY:

https://www.amazon.com/Ladys-Virtue-Everton-Domestic-Society-ebook/dp/B07DZJW3NC

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-ladys-virtue-as-fenichel/1128957664?ean=9781516105861

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/A_Lady_s_Virtue?id=WLJkDwAAQBAJ&hl=en_IN

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-lady-s-virtue

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?

A.S.: I became an author because I had stories in my head. I wrote the for years and years, seventeen to be exact, getting rejection after rejection. I hoped one day I would hone my skills enough and connect with an editor who loved my stories as much as I did. Eventually that happened. J

I love to write empowered women regardless of the time period the book is set in. It’s easy to write an ass kicking woman in modern day, but Regency times demanded women be meek. Or did they? Even Jane Austen wrote about women with minds of their own and the ability to make their own decisions. She herself did as much. I created the Everton Domestic Society so that my ladies would have a safety net where they could become the magnificent women they’d been written to be.

Is this your first book?

A.S.: No. A Lady’s Virtue is my nineteenth published book.

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

A.S.: I’m traditionally published with Kensington Books in their Lyrical Press line. Kensington is a mid-sized publisher. Not as big as the big 5 but quite substantial.

I prefer traditional publishing because it gives me more time for writing and editing. I’m not fond of the work required for self-publishing, though I admire writers who do it all and do it well.

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

A.S.: As I mentioned earlier, I attempted to get a book deal for seventeen years before I succeeded in 2011. I have had some success, though not great as of yet. It can be a very humbling industry. Very few people are overnight successes and roadblocks are plentiful. I always ask myself during the dark times, “If you knew right now that you would never publish another word, would you still write.” As long as the answer is “yes” I’ll keep at it.

I enjoy writing for Kensington. They are like family to me and have done much for my career. I signed with an agent last year and have high hopes that together we will push my career to the next level.

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

A.S.: If being an author is what you want, never give up and grow a thick skin. You will need it.

Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

A.S.: I don’t think one way or another is better. It’s a personal choice, a matter of finances and control of your work. I trust my publisher and am happy to hand over that side of the business to them. Each author must make this determination for themselves.

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

A.S.: Don’t give up, hone your craft and find a group of like-minded writers to support you.

Book Publishing Advice from Kevin C. Alston, Author of The 'Real' American Diet

Born & raised in the small town of Mullins, SC, by God-fearing parents who instilled religion into his life at an early age, he's had an insatiable appetite for knowledge since birth. God blessed him with a keen, analytical mind, & an almost feverish desire to help others. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran, married to the love of his life, with five wonderful kids, & a deep passion that still burns within him to help the less fortunate, through whatever means necessary.  The correlation between what we eat & the epidemic-like rise in diseases of today has the author on an impassioned mission to get to the bottom of what he thinks is a big conspiracy by our government & Big Business.

His latest book is The ‘Real’ American Diet.

Website Link: http://diet4america.wix.com/real , https://youtu.be/sQ8LOeFoj68

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/kcasrkev1

Facebook Link: http://facebook.com/kcasrkev

About the Book:

This book is a culmination of the author's life, but mainly the past 10 years, where personal tragedies have led him to discover more about the correlation with food, nutrition & the diseases of today, & how it affects us all. 

This program is an experiment of sorts, with the author using himself as the guinea pig, with positive results having been discovered, & hopefully, in time, even bigger positive results yet to come. 

Between our government & Big Business, we, the people, are already involved in an experiment.  It's like a big laboratory.  With all of the harmful toxins that are allowed in our air, food, &  water, diseases are at epidemic-like levels, & the author, for one, would like to know if there is more to this than is being told to us. It speaks volumes when other nations refuse to accept grains & meats from us, or at least it does to the author. 

Most of the ailments we suffer from today emanate from our guts, & our poor diets keep the sickness-wheels turning, costing each of us millions of dollars, a whole lot of heartache, pain, & suffering.  It's time to make a change, & that change started with the author's experiment on himself.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Real-American-Diet-Kevin-Alston-ebook/dp/B0794MPWWD/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+%27Real%27+American+Diet+kevin+alston&qid=1552343215&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spell

Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published. Is this your first book?

This is my first book, but I don't believe that it will be my last. I decided to write this book after my 'other' daughter passed away at the hands of Cancer. She fought a tough battle, & that was my first time actually seeing the struggle personally. My mom & dad both died of cancer, but I wasn't present to 'see' the struggle. My daughter didn't deserve a death like that, so I was compelled from that day that I had to do something

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

With this book, I chose traditional, mainly because I had no clue as to how to write a book, even less of a clue on how to get it published

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

I'd been writing poems since 2000. This particular book was written mainly to combat cancer, of which I'd seen countless loved ones, friends, & coworkers succumb to. After my 'other' daughter fought & lost her battle with cancer twice, I'd had enough. The pieces that I'd been putting together over the years finally came together after I read Dr. Joel Furhman's 'Eat to Live'. I don't know enough about other options to express my opinions on the cons, but the pros are that you pick the publishing company that gives you the best deal, sort of like with your cell phone, Sprint, Verizon, AT&T. Whoever has the best deal for you.

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

There's a lot of publishing companies out there to choose from. Take your time & pick the one who best suits your needs. Remember, you don't have to let one do the entire process. One might be better at publishing, & yet another might be better at marketing. You decide. You don't have to stay with one, per se

Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

Yes. I'd recommend the route that I took. Now that I know of other ways to market, it makes it even better now.

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

If you are an aspiring author, get started. Start writing. You can get the publisher after you've completed writing. But you definitely need to get started. Why wait? Tomorrow isn't promised to any of us.

Book Publishing Secrets with #Scifi #Fantasy Author David H. Reiss @davidhreiss

While growing up, David H. Reiss was that weird kid with his nose in a book and his head in the clouds. He was the table-top role-playing game geek, the comic-book nerd, the story-teller and dreamer. 

Fortunately, he hasn't changed much.

David is a software engineer by trade and a long-time sci-fi and fantasy devotee by passion, and he lives in Silicon Valley with his partner of twenty-six years. Until recently, he also shared his life with a disturbingly spoiled cat named Freya.

(Farewell, little huntress. You were loved. You are missed.)

David's first book, Fid's Crusade, has just recently been published; this was his first novel-length project, but it certainly won't be his last—he's having far too much fun!

Website Link: https://www.davidhreiss.com

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/davidhreiss

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/davidhreiss

About the Book:

Title: FID’S CRUSADE
Author: David H. Reiss
Publisher: Atian Press
Pages: 365
Genre: Scifi/Contemporary Fantasy

BOOK BLURB:

Consumed by grief, rage, and self-loathing, a brilliant inventor rebuilt himself to take on a new identity: the powered-armor-wearing supervillain, Doctor Fid. For twenty violent years, Fid has continued his quest to punish heroes who he considers to be unworthy of their accolades, and the Doctor has left a long trail of blood and misery in his wake. After a personal tragedy, however, Doctor Fid investigates a crime and uncovers a conspiracy so terrible that even he is taken aback.

Haunted by painful memories and profound guilt, the veteran supervillain must risk everything to save the world that he once sought to terrorize. Every battle takes its toll…but the stakes are too high for retreat to be an option.

In the end, it may take a villain to save the entire Earth from those entrusted with the Earth’s protection.

Praise:

"Fid's Crusade by David H. Reiss is one of the most refreshing and lively takes on the superhero genre I've seen in years. His title character's crusade is colorful, compelling, and takes wonderfully unexpected turns, and the novel delivers an impressive emotional punch (to go along with the super-powered ones). It stands easily alongside other character-driven superhero novels like Austin Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible, Carrie Vaughn's After the Golden Age, and Paul Tobin's Prepare to Die!." - Hugo award-winning author Tim Pratt

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C92PMDH

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?

In my earliest childhood memories, I was already a writer; I’ve been fascinated with reading and storytelling for my entire life. As such…becoming an author wasn’t much of a stretch. Writing this particular book, on the other hand, was a strange mix of luck, inspiration and stubbornness.

I’d been working on a different novel and run into a road block. After beating my head against that metaphorical wall for a while, I decided to start a new project just to clear my mind. Given that superhero stories are ubiquitous these days, I decided to write a piece of superheroic prose…with a twist. Fid’s Crusade was originally intended to a short story, a nonlinear stream-of-consciousness deep-dive into the mind of a supervillain, informed by the works of Faulkner and Vonnegut—a literary take on a popular genre that focused on the perspective of a traditional antagonist.

The first draft was well-written but painfully dry, so I tore it apart and started over in a slightly different style. And then tore that one up and started again. At some point, I realized that I’d come up with an entire novel’s worth of story that I wanted to tell from these characters’ perspectives.

Is this your first book?

Fid’s Crusade was my first finished novel, yes. I’ve since made quick work of a sequel and am currently putting the finishing touches on a third in the series.

As I mentioned earlier…I’ve been writing for all of my life. I’ve probably penned

hundreds of short stories, but I’d always had trouble with longer works. Sometimes, I think that the real reason that I was able to finish Fid’s Crusade (and now feel confident in my ability to write further novels) is that I stumbled across software to help me outline my plots. I think that every writer is different and that the software package that works for me may not work for other writers…but I do highly recommend that writers experiment to find a tool that helps them put their visions to paper.

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

I had begun the process of querying agents with the intent to publish this book traditionally, but in the end decided that being published in time for my grandmother’s one-hundredth birthday was more important…so I made the leap to self-publish. I’ve never regretted that choice. The book was dedicated to her and I was able to give her a signed copy as a present.

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

The main ‘pro’ of self-publishing is that there are fewer gatekeepers who must be appeased in order for your work to be published. You don’t need to find a literary agent who happens to be a good emotional and professional fit for your career ambitions, and you don’t need to wait for that agent to find a publisher who shares your vision.

The main ‘con’ of self-publishing is that there are fewer gatekeepers. Literary agents and publishers provide useful services in making sure that your book is ready for release and that it is ready to be marketed to the correct audience. If you self-publish, you need to learn all of those skills on your own.

(Hint: It’s not easy. I’ve found some wonderful online communities that can provide useful advice, but…in the end, all the work falls upon the self-publisher’s shoulders.)

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

First and foremost, I’ve learned the importance of developing a marketing plan well before one hits the ‘publish’ button. That’s a place where I failed, honestly…I didn’t have a platform, I didn’t have a strategy in mind, I didn’t even have a firm idea as to who my prospective audience was or how to reach them.

If ever I successfully build a time-machine, my first act will be to leap back to a few months before I released Fid’s Crusade and punch my younger, more innocent self in the nose.

Actually, there are several points in my life that would probably have been improved by nose-punches. If I ever show up to a sci-fi con looking like I’ve spent a lifetime working as a substitute punching-bag at a heavyweight boxing gym, you all know why.

Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

Yes, and no. For one thing, I still believe that the traditional publishing model provides a tremendously valuable service. For another…If you’re the sort of author who wants to focus upon your writing and nothing but your writing, then self-publishing is not the path for you.

But if you are willing to put in the time and effort to learn all the completely-not-writing-oriented skills necessary to successfully negotiate to get a professional cover created, to have your work professionally edited, to market and advertise and promote your work…I do genuinely believe that self-publishing can be a very rewarding path.

(Note: If you take the time to learn those skills BEFORE you start self-publishing, you will be far happier in the long run.)

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

Read a lot and write a lot. There is no substitute for experience.

Also…don’t get discouraged. If your first story isn’t as perfect as you would have liked, feel free to close the file and start another one. And another. And another.

You’ll get there.