Interview with an Author - Number 3 - Morgen Bailey

Author Bio

Morgen Bailey is a multi-genre author, freelance editor (for publishers and indie authors), writing tutor, Writers’ Forum magazine ‘Competitive Edge’ columnist, blogger, speaker, and Northants Authors co-founder. 

The former Chair of three writing groups, she has judged the H.E. Bates, RONE, BeaconLit, BBC Radio 2 and Althorp Literary Festival short story competitions. She also runs her own free monthly 100-word competition.

Author name: Hello. I’m Morgen Bailey. 
Morgen with an E. Not to be confused with the handful of MorgAn Baileys (mostly American), including a rocket scientist, basketball player, Green politician, and transsexual porn star. I get some interesting Google Alerts!

Are you a traditionally published/indie/hybrid author?
I’m both. I self-published seven books between 2011 and early 2018, and my eighth, The Serial Dater’s Shopping List, was traditionally published, the first of a two-book deal, by Bombshell Books (part of Bloodhound Books) in July 2018. (Hello Betsy, Fred, team, and fellow Bombshells!) 
Self-publishing means the author has total control but not the support of a publisher or agent. I’ve been very lucky with Bombshell in that I got to choose the (fabulous) cover, and had a blog tour and review promotions upon release. These days it’s generally up to the author anyway to do most of the marketing and I’m hiring two marketeers to help with this.

I will probably still self-publish, especially my short stories (my first love). Many authors would love to have an agent to automatically get their books in bookshops… as if that route is a ‘given’!

Most bookshops won’t take self-published books and being published by Bombshell has meant my Waterstones has ordered it – the book is set in various locations around Northampton. It’s tough whichever way you go but it’s fabulous having the choice! I’ve learned that it’s all about marketing and the worst thing an author can do is say, “Please buy my book”. This is why interviews like this are so important. Readers get to know the author then hopefully be interested enough to explore further. 

What was the last book you released?
The Serial Dater’s ShoppingList aka ‘31 men in 31 days – what could possibly go wrong?’ 
Isobel MacFarlane is a recently-turned-forty journalist who usually writes a technology column for a newspaper based in Northampton, England, but her somewhat-intimidating boss, William, has set her the task of meeting thirty-one men, via a local internet dating site, all within a month. 

How long have you been writing? 

I’ve always been an avid reader and blame Stephen King for me wearing glasses; reading his books under the duvet with a torch as a teen because I was so hooked. 

I loved English at school then moved to Northamptonshire (indirectly through work) in 1999 and did various evening classes to meet people – because the company I was due to move with went to Surrey instead and I couldn’t afford to move there – the last of which was creative writing in 2005 and was immediately hooked. 

I’ve been to countless literary festivals, on one-day and weekend courses, and am now mostly teaching at them rather than as an attendee.

What is the most challenging thing about writing for you?

Finding enough time. I try to do 1,000 words a day but it’s not always possible so I have a binge write on a Sunday when I endeavour not to do any ‘work work’. 

I’m very fortunate that I live alone (other than my dog and two Monday to Friday lodgers) so no family distractions. I’ve also recently quit a writing group, two committees, and my teaching job (my evening classes had come full circle), and spaced out my freelance editing work (my ‘day job’) to free up more time.

And what is the best thing about writing?  

Not knowing what’s going to come out. 
I interviewed around 700 authors on my blog  and probably 95% are pantsers – as am I – where we get an idea and ‘fly by the seat of our pants’. 
I love the characters I create, and for most authors (and readers, agents, publishers) the characters are far more important than an interesting plot or stunning location.

Where is your favourite writing spot?

At my (organised chaos) desk on my laptop. 

I do write longhand but only when out with my dog. (Yes, I can walk and write at the same time and am very fortunate that I have a dog who prefers being off the lead than on.) 

I’m a much faster typist as I was a secretary for over twenty years. I wrote the 115,640-word first draft of The Serial Dater’s Shopping List in twenty-eight days! I then edited it several times over several years but it was having an array of weird and wonderful men that gave me the start I needed to create Izzy and send her on her way. 

Interview With an Author - Number 6 - Lindsey S. Frantz

Author Bio
Lindsey S. Frantz was born and raised in Appalachia and earned her MFA from Bluegrass Writers Studio at Eastern Kentucky University. 

Her stories and poems have previously appeared in numerous literary journals, including Main Street Rag's Villains Anthology, Ruminate Magazine, and Emerge Literary Journal.


Author name: My full name is Lindsey Stockton Frantz, so I publish under Lindsey S. Frantz. 
I had a few pieces published in literary journals before I got married, and those were published under the name Lindsey Stockton. 

Are you a traditionally published/indie/hybrid author?

My publications have been kind of all over, so I suppose I’m a hybrid author. 

I have one short story published in an indie anthology (From Now On: The Last Words Anthology), one novel published by a traditional small press (The Upworld by Line by Lion Publications), and a handful of short stories and poems published by literary journals. 

You can check out other books published by Line by Lion at www.linebylion.com!

What was the last book you released?

The Upworld is my debut novel! It was released by Line by Lion Publications in August of 2017, and holding it in my hands for the first time was most definitely the best moment of my writing career! 

The Upworld: It has been many generations since the Vitium War. In the ruins of what was once Appalachia, the population has split into three groups—upworlders who live in sparse, walled off cities, albino cave dwellers, and a group of savage nomads called the Wylden. Then there’s Erilyn—a telekinetic 17-year-old girl who can see auras and hear thoughts. For three years she’s lived a quiet, calm life in the woods with Luna, her albino serval cat, until the day Finn—an upworld boy from Sunnybrook—stumbles, injured, into her clearing, chased by Wylden hunters. Erilyn’s once calm life is turned upside down as she guardedly travels with Finn back to Sunnybrook. There she must confront both the secrets of her past—the cave dwellers she ran from as a child and the bittersweet memories she daily tries to forget—and Morrigan, the girl who broke Finn’s heart and who’s harboring her own a dangerous secret.

How long have you been writing? 

I remember “writing” my first story (dictating to my dad) when I was about five. Together, he and I made a little book about a golden pony that lived on top of a hill. 

I have loved books since I was a toddler, so my parents weren’t that surprised when I started coming up with stories. 

But I suppose I seriously started writing, really trying to put stories together, when I was maybe thirteen or so. My uncle let me borrow Dragonseye, a book by Anne McCaffrey, and I just fell in love with this world she’d created around telepathic dragons and deadly silver thread. So I sat at my family’s desktop and started writing a story that was heavily based on hers. It was terrible, but it’s where I started, and I haven’t stopped since! 

I’m 33 now, so I guess that means I’ve been writing for 20 years, which just seems unbelievable to me. 

What is the most challenging thing about writing for you?

I actually just had a conversation about this yesterday! 

My local library invited me to be a speaker at their Know-It-All Festival this past weekend and I talked about my writing process and gave some general advice to new writers. In that conversation I admitted that the hardest part about writing for me is actually making myself do the writing itself. 

I spend a lot of time thinking, brainstorming, planning, questioning, taking notes, and just figuring things out in my head, but when I sit down to write I start to get nervous that I won’t get it right! 

So, the hardest part for me is making myself just write straight through (without revising as I go). 

If I stop to revise, I’ll never finish, so I make myself write (with breaks, obviously) straight through a book or story or poem, and only when I’ve typed the last word do I let myself go back and revise, but I digress. 

It’s the act of writing—of putting all those ideas I’ve mulled over and shaped and reshaped in my head and in my notes 1,000 times on paper—that’s the most challenging for me.

And what is the best thing about writing?  

In retrospect, the best thing about writing is the writing process (but as I said above, it’s also the most challenging). 

Oddly enough, I really enjoy revision. I like to compare the writing process to baking a cake. You have to make sure all the ingredients are there, you have to make sure it’s baked for the proper time, and after it’s done, you have to let it sit for a while. 

But revision is like decorating the cake! If you mess up, you just scrape the icing off and try again. Revision is the fun part, because there’s so much less pressure. You can try things and sit with a single sentence or phrase or even word for hours if you want, because the bulk of the work, the hardest part (the writing), is done!

Where is your favourite writing spot?

It’s so important to have a space that’s all yours to write in. 

My favourite, right now, is in my kitchen (a space that I’ll no longer be able to use, because we are planning to move in the next few months). My kitchen has bright yellow walls and big windows that look out over our backyard, and a stream and field behind that. It’s just my calm writing space. 

And if I’m not home, there are two local coffee shops—Purdy’s Coffee Co. and Berea Coffee & Tea—that I love to go sit in, maybe with headphones, and some kind of hot drink to work. But honestly, I get the most done if I’m in my kitchen. Here’s hoping our new house, when we find one, has a spot like my lovely yellow kitchen.

Interview with an Author - Number 2 - Wendy Hewlett

Author Bio
Wendy was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and raised in Ontario, Canada. She currently resides in Bala, Ontario, deep in the heart of cottage country, where she works at a private addictions treatment centre as a counsellor and support staff. 
Wendy's debut novel, Saving Grace, is the first in the Taylor Sinclair Series. The second novel in the series, Unfinished Business, was released in June 2014 and has proven to be as much of a page turner as Saving Grace. 

Interview with an Author - No. 1 - Gill Sims

Author Bio
Gill Sims is the author and illustrator of the hugely successful parenting blog and Facebook site ‘Peter and Jane’. She lives in Scotland with her husband, two children and a recalcitrant rescue Border Terrier, who rules the house.

Interview with an Author - Introduction to author interviews

Hey blog fans,
I have some very exciting news for you. Scooch closer...

I'm running an 'Interview with an...Author' (please note, not vampire) 😉

Over the next week and a half(ish), instead of the almost-weekly posts, you'll see DAILY interviews. Eep!
Somewhere, lurking at the very bottom of this page, is an option to 'follow blog by email' - feel free to sign up so you don't miss a single one. Or I think following me on Google+ works too - not quite sure (I'm not THAT tech savvy!?).

Honestly, there's some VERY exciting authors waiting to meet you.

All kinds of authors are covered; traditionally published, indies and even hybrids.
The purpose?
~ Well, to introduce you to some wonderful writers
~ To remind everyone that ALL authors need your love/reading eyes
Writers - we are one! We are all on the same 'author ship' together. And we'll get to our destination faster if we all pull together (*heave, heave*).
Readers - we all love you all. Truly, we do.

Mutual support, respect and love 💗
Because, as HH Dalai Lama says "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

So, tune in tomorrow for author number one, please.

Always in love and light,

TL

REVIEW - Coordinates of Loss - get lost in grief

Date read: 4th October 2018

My rating: 4.5*

Genre I reckon: Women's fiction and grief

Buy link: Amazon




Can I really say I enjoyed a book so immersed in the deepest grief?
I'm struggling to come up with the right word to use.
Rachel and James suffer from a grief nobody should ever have to endure; the loss of a child.
And it is brutal. Amanda Prowse doesn't hold back. You feel the full force of this devastating agony as it rips through the couple's lives.

There's some wonderful, rich characters along the way. And some twists and turns as Rachel, more than most, battles to come to terms with what happened in the first few pages. Cee-Cee in particular is beautiful.

I cried! I'm not ashamed to admit it. It may be impossible not to.

If you are grieving and want to know you're not alone, this book may serve your purpose.

Everyone deals with grief in their own way, and that's OK.

Yes, I "enjoyed" this book, and would recommend to a friend.

It matches my bathroom decor and everythin'!

Always in love and light,

TL

WRITING TIPS - You've Written a Book - Now What? - a checklist for authors

If you've written a book - congratulations!
So many "have a book inside them" and they just "think about writing one", but few get this far. So give yourself a pat on the back.

But now the real work begins!

1) Edit!!!
Hopefully, you've written draft one and have gone over it at least once.
But it is incredibly difficult to edit your own work - your brain knows what you meant to write.
So, hire an editor and a proof reader or copy editor - seriously!

2) ARC readers
Field test your book! ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) readers are incredibly helpful.
There may still be bits you need to think about.
Incidentally, beta readers are a good idea once you've finished draft 1, in case there's big changes which need to be made in the early stages.

3) Blurb
I've written an article to help guide you through this most despised task.
It's a very different skill set, and worthy of your time & considertaion.

4) Cover
Your cover needs to be awesome. People can tell if it's not professional, and will deter some of your potential readers.
This is one of your main points of contact; your first chance to make a good impression.
They are truly worth their weight in gold.
Personally, I use the fine service of Robin Ludwig, but obviously, choose one who you feel best.

5) Publish
Once you have a fabulous, well-polished product, it's time to publish.
Whether this is via a traditional publisher or yourself is up to you.
A traditional publisher will help you with the editing and cover. NEVER pay a publisher; they should pay you!
My pros and cons of both options are in this handy blog post.

If you decide to publish yourself, are you going to use Amazon KDP?
They hold the market share, so yes, you should.
But they have KDP Select, which means your book is free in Kindle Unlimited BUT limits you to Amazon only.
There's another post about KU vs wide distribution here.

You'll need to create your KDP account.
Also, if you're distributing your book as a paperback as well as ebook, you'll want to consider purchasing your own ISBN number.

OK, so upload your book. I've still not written a post on the KDP process, but you will need to decide which categories (genres) your book goes into and the keywords.
Keywords are the words readers type into their search to bring up a selection of books e.g. billionnaire romance.
Now, certain keywords will open up different, hidden categories.
e.g. the keyword 'witch' will get you into Romance>Paranormal>Witches
A list of these keywords is on the Amazon KDP website.

You will also need to decide on pricing. This needs some research, and depends on the length of your book, amongst other factors.

For things to do for the paperback, please see this post.

6) Reviews
Hopefully, you got some ARC readers lined up from step 2.
But if you haven't, it's not too late.
There are websites such as The Indie View who list reviewers, along with the genres they read and website where you'll find their review policy, if they're accepting requests and how to submit them.

7) Promotion
Now, you need to tell the world!!!
Write to your local paper; is there something special that makes it stand out that a newspaper will want to talk about?
Who's your target market? Where do they hang out? Get to know them, mingle (online).
Is there a book club near you that would like to read your book?
Who are the 'influencers' in your genre? Can you grab their attention.
Befriend other authors, especially the more successful ones ;) Hey, they're nice people, they may lend you understanding if nothing else.
(blog on advertising for introverts here)

8) Advertise
(like promotion, but bear with)
Two of the most important ones I've discovered that work for me:

i) AMS ads (Amazon Marketing Services)
This is located under your KDP account, under 'ad campaigns', 'view your ads dashboard page'.
This is not an easy process. It's worth taking time to study it.
Dave Chesson does a free course, accessed via his YouTube video - he takes you through the long way, but obviously, there is the option of purchasing his Rocket software (but don't feel obliged).

ii) Facebook ads
NOT the boosted posts! No!
Under the top right dropdown list on Facebook you'll find a "create ad" option.
If you've taken the time to learn AMS ads, this is a whole lot easier; it's a similar process.
*UPDATE* this is less effective now and can have costly mistakes!

Plus iii) Bookbub
I've STILL not managed to bag myself a 'Featured Ad' deal - they're like gold dust!
BUT I am told that they're really worth their high price tag. You should at least make back the cost of the ad (but don't blame me if you don't).
It's definitely worth creating an account on their site. More and more people are starting to use this for reviews as Amazon make it harder to do so. And there's lots and lots of readers on there.
They also let you run your own ads (similar again to AMS) and there's pre-release options too.

9) Launch
Have a fb launch party if you want - I've not ever achieved many sales, but have made new author and reader friends there.
*UPDATE* less effective now but still fun and good for networking

Plaster your release day across your social media.

Then 10) Pray...
to whatever deity you are affiliated with! 😉
Because, at the end of the day, it's all luck.
Be in the right place at the right time and your book will get noticed by the right people.

Oh, and secret option 11) Panic 😱
Yep - most of us go through this, especially when the book's with ARC readers.
It goes something like, "My book is awesome, I'm really excited. Shit, but what if it's not? And readers hate it? This could end my career before it's begun. What have I done? Oh dear God, I suck so bad! Why did I do this? Whyyyyy?" 😱
*Please note that this may be slotted in at any step, and often repeated.

This always leads to 12) What was I worried about? 😏

Please, during 'Panic' do remember that you do not suck. That you WILL get through this. Just keep going. Chocolate and/or alcohol is very handy to have in stock to assist the alleviation of 'Panic'.
- This is also another VERY good reason to make friends with other authors. When 'Panic' is reached, message one (or several) authors, who will understand and offer you reassuring virtual pats on the head and soft words of understanding.
*Don't forget to breathe!

So, I leave you, wishing you very good luck.
You got this!

Always in love and light,

TL