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

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📙 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….