5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR ANN CHARLES

Ann Charles is a rising star in the publishing world.  Just put her name in the Amazon search engine and you'll see exactly what I mean.  She is also a real treat to interview.  If you want to know about her writing style, just read her answers and you'll quickly understand why readers are flocking to her books.  She has two separate series going, one takes place in Deadwood, South Dakota, the other in my backyard, Jackrabbit Junction, Arizona.

 Ann was very gracious enough to spend a little time to play five questions with me and I think you'll be glad she did:

1- What’s a nice wholesome girl like you writing about a place called Deadwood, South Dakota?

 Okay, who’s going around spreading rumors that I’m wholesome and nice? Ha!

 I spent summers growing up in and around Deadwood, South Dakota, learning about the history of the place, daydreaming about what life used to be like in the Black Hills during the area’s rough and rowdy past. Several years ago, when I was back in Deadwood visiting my mom, who still lives there, a story idea hit me about a single mom of twins trying to make it on her own in a town full of colorful characters and a past that just won’t die. That was the birth of my Deadwood series, and I’m loving every minute of writing one book after another with many of the same characters and several new ones appearing along the way.

 2- Your protagonist, Violet Parker, is a single mother of twins—how is Violet different from you?

 While I’m a mom of two kids, I’m not a single mom, nor are my kids twins (whew!). I am lucky to get to tag-team with my husband and have down time to keep from pulling my hair out some days. I can’t imagine how single parents handle the constant responsibility of be “on” for their kids. I have tons of respect for parents raising children on their own, and that was at the forefront of my mind when I came up with Violet. I wanted a heroine whose strength is not necessarily in her ability to shoot a gun or kick the crap out of a bad guy, but rather more in her determination to keep standing while taking one hit after another.

 3- Tell us a little about your career path and how did your relationship with your agent stay afloat during your Indie phase?

 My agent grew as frustrated as I did with me making it “close” to getting a contract time and again only to be rejected for a book that wasn’t considered to be able to draw a big audience. Together, we decided to put it out without going through a New York publisher and let readers to determine if it could draw an audience or not. She’s been by my side throughout this whole venture and is loving seeing my success.

 4- Between work and family, when do you find time to write?

 I don’t sleep much. Ha! No, seriously, I don’t sleep much. I average about five hours a night for most of the work week, dragging my sorry hiney into work every day and slamming the caffeine throughout the day and into the evening. Once a week, I try to get seven or more hours of sleep to catch up a little. Then I’m back at it. Until I can afford to quit my day job, this is the routine. I would love to write/publish books faster, but three a year is my absolute max because my books average 100,000 words.

 5- With your experience writing about marketing, how do you see authors like yourself finding an audience in the future?

 Using whatever means they can get their hands on. There is no one thing that makes you successful. Building your empire takes a lot of time and hard work. You have to build with long-term in mind, focusing on different areas of your platform at different times. I have done everything from blog tours to writing articles, winning contests to buying ads. I have also given over 150,000 ebooks away through Amazon’s Kindle Select program. Somehow, you have to get visibility, and the competition is fierce for readers’ attention. You’re competing with television, movies, video games, other books, and more. I joke about all of the chickens I have sacrificed to the publishing gods to get my name out there, but it’s tough. Patience, persistence, determination, and a lot of stubbornness pays off.

Thank you, Gary, for the fun interview. I appreciate you having me on your site!

HOW TO MARKET YOUR NOVEL

I generally despise how-to posts.  It's the reason after two years I've rarely posted one.  But I recently received an email from Geoff Nelder, a writer who entered a monthly writing contest I ran on this blog back in 2010.  He felt his honorable mention in my contest helped get him a book contract for his novel, Left Luggage.  He thanked me for running the contest and offering attention to relatively unknown writers. 

I think he may have overstated my influence in his accomplishment, but it brings me to the genesis of my topic: What are the best ways to market your novel?  Facebook? Okay.  Twitter?  Fine.  Ads? Sure, why not.  Blog? Eh.  What am I getting at here?  The fact is, I don't believe any one of these things can garner big sales all by themselves.  And all together they amount to name recognition, but not much more.  What I found to be the best method of getting your name out there is to find other authors like yourself and help them out.  And I'm not talking about sucking up to people for pure reciprocal purposes.  I'm talking about sincerely promoting people who you believe are good writers with good reputations.

This blog originally began as a monthly contest for writers to get exposure for their work.  I offered a $50 Amazon gift card each month to the winner of the strongest scene. (Yes, that's where the title came from.)  I never charged a submission fee and paid for the gift card out of my own pocket.  Why?  Because I thought it would help promote other writers.  Period.  There was no ulterior motive.  Then, I became so inundated with submissions I couldn't find time to write, or spend time with my family, or eat regularly, so I turned to interviewing writers instead.  I interviewed John Locke before he was John Locke--Rick Murcer, before he became an Indie sensation--and Robert Bidinotto right before his career took off as well.  I always do the research and ask specific questions for each author and it pleases me to see their careers progress.

So is this the best method of marketing yourself?  Getting to know other writers and developing relationships with them?  Yes, I believe this is a grass roots way to gain attention from other writers and therefore tapping into their readers' radar screen.  Am I saying you need to start your own blog to make it happen?  No.  A simple Facebook share every now and then for a writer trying to get their books noticed is good.  A Retweet.  A Facebook "Like."  These all add up.  Again, pick someone who you respect and believe deserves attention.  Don't expect anything in return.  It's a good gesture and that should be its own reward.  For me, I was able to receive a nice blurb from John Locke for my books.  Rick Murcer actually thought enough of my work that he invited me to participate in an anthology with six other writers.  I was very humbled.  Did I expect any of these things?  Of course not.

Maybe the most important part of this concept for me was the friendships I've developed.  I'm online less and less these days, but I do try to keep up with people like Claude Bouchard and Luke Romyn and Stuart Ross McCallum.  These are writers whom I first met when starting this blog and I still try to help them whenever I can.  I've read their work.  They're fine writers. 

See how this works?         

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR HUGH HOWEY

Hugh Howey is a rock star in the Indie world. Publishers and production companies are literally throwing themselves at him for attention. Less than a year ago, he was a complete unknown. Today, his "Wool," series of Sci-Fi stories are the hottest commodity on the Amazon top-selling list. His "Wool Omnibus E-book," is constantly in the top 50 overall on the Kindle list and with 830 reviews, he has a 4.9 ranking. That means 811 of 830 reviews are either 4 or 5 stars. Plus, Random House has just signed on to publish the hardcover version in the UK in 2013.  Wait, I'm not done.  The latest USA Today Bestseller list has "Wool," listed #98 for overall books (Ebook and print book combined) and the NY Times, which normally turns their nose up at Indies, has "Wool," listed at #31 on the Ebook fiction list.  Like I said, he's making a big splash in the pool and publishers are taking notice.   

Oh, did I mention that Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, Prometheus, etc . . .) has purchased the option for the movie. Pretty wild, huh? So does he have a big head about this? Uh, no. Even though he's been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Variety, and the Huffington post, he was very generous with his time as you can tell by his thorough answers.

Thanks, Hugh, we wish you all the best:



1- First of all, "Wool," is obviously tremendously written or it never would've received all the accolades, but the series seems to have touched a nerve. Do you attribute any of its success to the whole Fed-Up, Occupy, Anti-Establishment, Anti-Greed thing going on--or am I digging too deep?

"Digging too deep!" I like what you did there. I think anyone who's read the series probably just chuckled along with me. But yeah, I think you're right about this story striking a nerve with people. What's fascinating to me is that I have avid readers right across the political spectrum. Some are drawn to the struggle against injustice. Others see this as a case of the blue-collar class being able to rise to power and make the world a better place. There's also a lot of gray areas in the book. As despicable as those in charge can be, many readers come away with at least some understanding of why they do what they do. And then there's the question for those rising up: At what point are the costs of revolution greater than what is suffered under an unjust regime? Or is it right to ever willingly suffer injustice? These are questions posed but never answered in the books. Perhaps it's the complicated nature of these issues and the honest treatment of them that has so many people discussing the series.


2- What was it like to be contacted by Ridley Scott (or his people) to buy the rights to "Wool?" And how were you contacted?

 I had a lot of amazing phone conversations during the media rights phase of all this. I spoke with producers whose work I absolutely adore, and I talked with people from TV who create some of my favorite ongoing shows. It was a jarring and surreal process. You're on the phone with five people at a time, all these people chiming in and telling you how much they loved the work, and that they can't wait to get started on this, and you just get so flattered by all the greasing-up that you want to sign up with anyone and everyone.

I became attached to several parties during this process and didn't want to upset any of them by making a choice. Then we heard Steve Zaillian was reading and really enjoying the book. Ridley Scott got involved. When I spoke to the people at Scott Free and Film Rites, the companies associated with both of these mega-talented men, they had the same passion I felt about the material. The more contact we had, the more right it felt. And when we took their offer, the other interested parties completely understood. I reached out to them to explain my decision, and their graciousness and excitement for me really took the sting out of having to disappoint them.


3-Walk us through the thought process of when and if you might sign with a U.S publisher for the rights to the hardcover version of the series? Do you secretly nibble on a loose cuticle or two trying to calculate the right decision?

 That is a test I will face in the next few days, actually. A publisher is flying me to New York to sit down with them, and my agent has lined up quite a few similar meetings for the three days I'm in the city. So yeah, I'm already biting my nails and rehearsing.

 The nice thing for me is that the decision to remain independent gets stronger with every passing day. The book is doing great. I'm on several outlets right now and selling well. The feedback from readers is excellent, and I'm getting major media mentions, like a half-page story in Entertainment Weekly and a mention in Variety. This kind of exposure normally requires a major publisher. I'm less eager to give my work away in exchange for something the word-of-mouth is providing on its own.

My question for publishers here in the States will be simple: What exactly are you guaranteeing me? Because I'm not handing over a manuscript, which is what they are used to dealing with. I'm handing them something with brand recognition, something with a major film option and huge names attached. I'm handing them over a hundred thousand fans. There are reviews, interviews, and articles on major web sites.

The last time we went to publishers, much of this was already in place, and they offered me the same thing they would offer a promising manuscript. One publisher wanted to change the name of the work! Another wanted to take everything off the market and re-publish almost a year later. These are old ways of thinking. What Century and Random House offered in the UK (which is why I am so excited to have signed with them) was far more progressive. Everything that worked over here, they want to emulate over there. They want to augment what I've already done. I need to hear the same from a domestic publisher. The ideal pitch would be to make an offer on the physical rights and leave the digital rights alone. There's a lot of money for them to make in printing a book and putting it in stores and feeding off the media mentions I'm garnering. The problem, though, and the reason I doubt I'll ever sign with anyone over here, is that they want to take everything I'm making and offer no guarantee in return. That may work for a hopeful writer with a manuscript. It's a more risky gamble to take when you've quit your day job and are trying to subsist on your existing sales.

 4- Okay, we love a good rags-to-riches story. What's been your biggest indulgence so far?
Or have you had one yet?

 There has been one indulgence. I'll get to that in a moment. First though, the story of the last few hectic months: Before any of this really took off, my wife sought a new job in Jupiter, Florida in order to be closer to her family. We've been dealing with all that's involved in that as all the book news poured in. So I've been writing on the road as we drive down for her interviews, again to look for a house, dealing with selling our house up here while buying one down there. The stress of owning two houses for a brief period has me very cautious about spending on anything. There's also the 60-day delay in getting paid from Amazon, which means I still haven't seen the vast majority of what I've made there, nor have I seen the advances from all the foreign deals or the film option. Those things take time.

Because of all this, and also from being keenly aware that the fall comes faster than the rise, we are being extremely cautious with our sudden good fortune. The house we purchases in Jupiter is 900 square feet. The list price on it was $125,000. My wife and I have had a happy ten years together by living simply, and I hope to continue doing so. My dream is to write for the rest of my life without ever having to get a day job again. That means saving up as much as possible. And it isn't like I'm making millions of dollars. Only a handful of writers make that kind of money in a year.

So what's been my indulgence? Cover art. I recently received some awesome cover art from a professional in the Netherlands named Jasper Schreurs. Simply breathtaking stuff. He's a huge fan of my stories, and so he created these original digital paintings for the covers of the Wool Omnibus and the first Molly Fyde book. You have to see these to believe them. They are dynamite. So I asked Jasper what it would cost to commission covers for the rest of the Molly books. He gave me a huge discount, and my wife still squealed when she heard what it would cost. And I'm doing it anyway. This is a lot of money for me to spend, but I am such a huge fan of Jasper's talent, and his work has already given me such joy, that I'm viewing this as a gift to myself.

Pretty lame, eh? My big indulgence is a business expense. Cover art. But really, there's nothing I could enjoy more than seeing what Jasper does with the sequels to the Molly series.

 5- Since you dabble in science fiction--create a vision of what the publishing world will look like in 5 years?

 Five years normally isn't all that long, is it? But I think you've nailed how quickly this industry is changing. Look at what Napster and iTunes did to the music industry. Or what digital cameras have done to film. E-books are showing phenomenal growth. We're talking triple-digit increases year on year while physical books see double-digit decreases. The trends point one direction. As someone who worked in an independent bookstore for the past two years, I've been watching this unfold from the retail as well as the production side.

I think the biggest change will come from the success of the indie writer, to be honest. And I don't say this because of what I'm experiencing. Rather, it's because of the dozens and dozens of friends I've met online who are having success with writing and publishing on their own. People are quitting their day jobs because their e-book sales are able to support them. They are now free to concentrate on their craft, supported by the small purchases of thousands of people around the world, all of whom have access to more choice in reading material than ever before.

As publishers see their market diminish, and I believe they already are, I think they are going to become open to working with authors in a more equitable fashion. E-book royalty rates have to change. They simply have to. The publisher offers almost nothing and in exchange they want almost everything. In five years, we'll hear about more and more authors signing physical print deals with major publishers while they retain e-book rights. That may not sound like much (since it's so logical and fair) but it will signal a monumental shift in how business is done.

Another change we may see, though I think this is ten or fifteen years away, is the end of stocking all titles on shelves, which has meant shipping books back and forth between printer and retailer and then back again for remaindering or pulping. It's a wasteful system. We have the technology now to simply print the book the reader wants in under five minutes, while they wait. I'd love to see more bookstores that highlight the social and community aspects of reading. A place to come and discuss books, to find out what's being written, to meet local authors and attend book signings. Bookstores are already becoming coffee shops that sell board games and children's toys. That trend will continue until they mostly carry bargain books and bestsellers, and everything else is printed behind a counter while you sip on a latte.

What won't change is the supply of books worth reading and people eager for each and every one of them. We have thirsted for stories since we received them around campfires. The method of delivery is not the thing. It's allowing another's words to stir our imaginations. And so we should concentrate on this and care less about the manner in which it happens.

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR BEN LIEBERMAN

I first came upon Ben Lieberman when his book kept on showing up

on the Amazon page for my first novel, "A Touch of Deceit."  Apparently readers were buying his book quite a bit, because it stayed on the first page for a very long time and it's been wildly successful.

Ben Lieberman is a 20 year Wall Street

veteran and well aware of his industry’s reputation. While working in this

volatile environment as an institutional bond trader, he was also an

aspiring author. And nearly ten years ago, fiction writing became
Lieberman’s refuge while Wall Street melted around him.
But working full time and raising three children didn’t leave much
time for his new hobby, so Lieberman did the bulk of his writing
every day before work in a coffee shop across the street from
his Wall Street office.

Writing his first book this way took more than six years, but the

finished product Odd Jobs, earned him praise from James Patterson and Donald Trump who sent him glowing endorsements for the book. He also won the Tommy Award for Excellence in Writing for

Odd Jobs, from WritersNewsWeekly.

I'm very glad he found time to play 5 questions with me.

1- What caused you to go from bond trading to writing fiction? Was it a longtime burning desire?

That depends on the time of day you ask me. Often, I believe it was a longtime burning desire and often I believe it's a birth defect that just can't be corrected. There are so few things I enjoy more than getting a positive reaction to a piece of writing. This "Jones" kept developing with each situation. For example, I was taking creative writing classes at Columbia University after work. During classes and workshops when anything clicked and made people laugh out loud or get a reaction I was aiming for, I swear it felt like I just hit a three - pointer for the Knicks.

2- You received some blurbs from Donald Trump and James Patterson. The Patterson blurb is worth it’s weight in gold—How did that come about?

That blurb is worth more than its weight in gold because it goes way beyond sales. First and foremost, here is a guy that has reached every level of success and was willing to help a stranger. That in itself set an example beyond writing and how to be a person. After Mr. Patterson read the manuscript he spoke to me about the my writing, the marketplace and his writing - that is worth more than its weight in gold . Then, oh yeah, having his endorsement will give me some credibility and improve sales. Who would have thought that last point would come in third place?

I would like to say the endorsement came about over some wild story, but it came about simply because I had the chance to meet Mr.. Patterson and have a discussion. I nervously asked for a blurb and he said he would "take a look." A few days later he actually called me to discuss. It was surreal.

3- Kevin Davenport is your average guy lured into unusual circumstances once he discovers his father’s murderer. Was it a conscious decision to create a protagonist who was an average citizen, rather than a homicide detective or a forensic scientist?

Yes, it definitely was a conscious decision. This story was written in the first person, present tense, because I was hoping to put the reader in the middle of the action for each punch taken and thrown. If I was going to do this right, anyone reading this could either be Kevin or know a Kevin.

4- Is the success of “Odd Jobs,” allowing you more time to write, or less?

I wish it was creating more time but if I'm going to be honest, its less time. The desire to write more is there but the reality is that some conflicts have developed which can make it more difficult. When I wrote Odd Jobs there was no type of marketing or presentation to worry about. It was all about filling the pages. As you know, it takes a lot of effort to support your work and unfortunately, the effort to maintain and market can conflict with creating new work.

5- If you aren’t already, is it a goal to become a full time fiction writer? And what are you currently working on?

Being a full time fiction writer is definitely the goal. I don't know how realistic it is but if you are asking about goals or even dreams, full time writing is certainly up there. Creating stories and entertaining people seems like a great way to spend a day to me.

I'm working on a follow up to Odd Jobs and really like how the story is coming along. I definitely learned a lot from my debut work and enjoy improving and developing. I'll let you know when it's ready.  

 

 

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR NINA WRIGHT

Nina Wright is author of the humorous Whiskey Mattimoe mystery series, featuring Abra the Afghan hound, the bad girl of dog fiction. Book #6, Whiskey and Soda, is due out in late May 2012 in both trade paperback and ebook formats. In addition, Nina has published two urban fantasies, Homefree and Sensitive. She is also a playwright, director and actor.  In her spare time she rescues stray dogs and converts them into drug sniffing police K-9's.  Okay, just kidding about the last one, but she keeps a busy schedule, so I was grateful for her time. 

1- What do you feel is the main difference between writing a play and writing a novel?

Thanks for asking this perceptive question. Writing for the stage requires, first, an education in how theatre technically works (the jargon and the mechanics of it), and second, a vision of what will beboth possible and emotionally powerful in a theatrical experience. The essence of good theatre is that it reaches the minds and hearts of its audience through their willing, collective participation inan active illusion. That is to say, theatregoers know that they are watching a simulation of life happening a short distance from their seats, but if the piece works, it draws them into another world and moves them to the perspective-altering response the playwright intended. Strangers gathered in a darkened room simultaneously witness and respond to moments of “live” human crisis. In this anonymous group setting, audience members may be more likely to squirm or sigh or weep or guffaw than they would be while reading a novel. To that end, theatre, when it works, is both more engaging and more objectifying than any other art form I know. It’s also massively collaborative in that the playwright conceives the vision and crafts the story, but a team of talented individuals—including producers, directors, designers, technicians, and of course actors—must ultimately put their fingerprints all over it in before the play comes fully to life.

Writing a novel requires skills in thematic and plot development, characterization, pacing and dialogue similar to those demanded of playwrights. A novelist, however, has greater flexibility in choosing point of view and setting, as well as the number of characters and scenes. Whereas a playwright is necessarily limited in the size of her cast and the cost of her sets, costumes, props, etc., a novelist has no such restrictions. Conversely, it is the sole responsibility and burden of the novelist to build every fiber of her world and the characters who inhabit it. She must be a master at revealing motivation, not to mention molding language, tone, action, and sensory images in such a way that her story comes to life for individual readers. The world of the novel must exist so vividly in the reader’s head that she does not want to put the book down.

2- Tell us about your writing process. Do you have a fairly structured outline, or do you fly by the seat of your pants?

Usually I start with a situation that has captured my fancy: a specific person has a sticky problem or question. Then I wonder and wander all over a hypothetical landscape, repeatedly asking myself “why?”, “how?”, and “what if . . . ?” Always I imagine the character encountering unexpected and increasingly troubling complications, including people who are not what they seem to be. By the time I actually sit down to write the novel or play, I have a strong sense of my major players, my setting, my rising action, my climax, and my resolution. The rest I find once I dive in and begin crafting scenes. The best part of working this way for me is that the thrill of discovery becomes part of every day’s labor.

3- What was it like the first time you saw an actual performance of actors reading your dialogue onstage?

To be bluntly honest, I was bathed in sweat! Perhaps that was partly because I had been a professional actor before I became a playwright, so I was vicariously experiencing the on-stage process at the same time I was judging my own work. Fortunately, that reaction never recurred. I learned another valuable lesson very early on: trust other professionals to care for your work. Backstage at Chicago Dramatists Theatre, I was introduced to the cast of my play only moments before curtain. I was silently horrified at the casting choices the director had made; each actor seemed physically wrong for the roles I had written. I did my best to mask my concerns, but my stomach was in knots until the lights went up, and I realized that the director had chosen the right professionals for each role.

4- Your reviews have been remarkable--How do you keep your protagonist, Whiskey Mattimoe, fresh throughout you entire series?

Keeping a protagonist fresh is one of the biggest challenges for any writer of series fiction. I was never more mindful of that than when I wrote my latest Whiskey Mattimoe mystery, Whiskey and Soda, due out in late May 2012. When we last saw Whiskey in the fifth book of the series, Whiskey with a Twist, she was worried that she might be pregnant by her ex-husband. The answer to that question, unveiled in the new book, will doubtless change the course of her misadventures.

From the start, I’ve taken the position that Whiskey Mattimoe, though a fully formed adult, is capable of yearning and learning, which means that her life can and must change as time passes. Like the rest of us, she has experiences that cause her to question her previous assumptions and consider new choices.

I respect that my readers have specific expectations of Whiskey based on her distinct foibles. For example, Whiskey doesn’t seem to realize that she’s as impulsive and libidinous as her naughty dog, Abra the Afghan hound. She’s the least intuitive person in town, which means that her friends are often frustrated as they try to guide her. In series fiction, as in real life, characters must encounter situations that neither they, their readers, nor even their author saw coming. Having a dog who’s prone to run away and wreak havoc helps keep Whiskey’s responses lively. 

 5- How has the publishing industry changed for you over the past decade, and where do you see it headed for the next ten years?

Although my first novel was published less than seven years ago, I’m astonished by the changes I’ve already seen in the publishing industry, most of which, of course, have been driven by costs and technology. As recently as the early 2000s, I mailed queries and copies of my manuscripts so often that the staff at the local post office knew me well. Now I use email and social networks for virtually all professional communication.

I’m a huge fan of hardbound books, and I believe they will not become extinct, although their number will grow smaller and more elite. The future of mass market paperbacks looks bleak, and I expect fewer trade paperbacks, although POD will continueto enliven that branch of publishing, producing increasingly customized books in order to appeal to print readers.

 I’m very excited by the explosion of digital publishing, which speeds up and democratizes the process. It also muddies the marketing waters in that so many writers are pushing so many books at the same time. The challenge to stand out as a writer worth reading is more daunting than ever. Yet, sales success is no longer limited to those relatively few writers signed by a few big publishers. Bloggers and readers who post online can now dramatically influence a writer’s success.

 Thanks so much, Gary, for this opportunity to talk about my writing. All best to you in your impressive career!

 

IS AMAZON HELPING DISSOLVE WRITER PROFILING?

The prominent bookseller on the planet, Amazon, has become the target of many publishers trying to break up the company's stranglehold on the e-book market.  It seems the court's ruling this week has done nothing to diminish Amazon's ability to bring reasonable pricing to their customers, and readers everywhere should rejoice.  Instead of increasing their prices, Amazon has actually been trying to reduce those prices.  On any given day the bookseller has hundreds, even thousands of books available for free.  Free.  You can't make it up on volume when you give it away.

Yes, one of the ways Amazon has attracted so many readers is by offering low prices, but there's another reason why they have maintained their dominance in the market--Diversity.  Amazon is completely agnostic when they recommend a book to their readers.  They don't distinguish between an indie writer and a traditionally published writer.  To them, it's simply a matter of offering the best possible chance for the reader to enjoy their next read.  You can't do that on Barnes and Noble's site.  If you don't have a deal with the big 6 publishers, the chance of an indie author getting their book read on B&N are reduced dramatically.  I can bore you with statistics, but I've interviewed enough writers to know this is a real occurrence.

So how does this effect the industry?  Simple.  The lines between indie authors and traditionally published authors are fading and Amazon is the reason.  There was a time when all indie writers were self-published because they had no choice.  They couldn't get an agent or a publisher, so they were relegated to the indie route.  Now, that has changed.  There are so many writers choosing to go indie instead of using a publisher that readers can't tell the difference anymore.  And since readers can't tell, Amazon gives them the choice to decide which book they might like best.  Isn't that capitalism at it's finest?

Why doesn't Barnes and Noble do this?  Boy, I wish I knew.  I could throw all kinds of conspiracy theories out there, but the honest answer is--who knows?  If they're not in bed with the Big 6 publishers, they're certainly in the bathroom slipping on a negligee.  I'd like to have more options to offer my readers, but the reality is, Amazon takes good care of their writers, no matter their denomination.  And more importantly, they take care of their readers.  And that's good, because I'm one of their best customers.  I'm a reader.

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR ROBERT CAPKO

Award-winning author, Robert Capko, writes Action-Adventure Thrillers, including the popular John Paxton series.  He is a veteran of the Unites States Air Force and currently lives in Florida, where he is a high school English teacher by day, but a terrific novelist by night.  He has four wonderful sons and two beautiful grandsons and still found time to play five questions with me.  Thanks, Robert.

1-      Tell us about your Air Force career and what led you into writing fiction?

Well I certainly didn’t do anything as exciting or heroic as my protagonist John Paxton when I served in the Air Force.  I served in the time period leading up to Desert Storm.   It was then that I first learned of the Air Force Pararescue Jumpers (PJs) and their mission to rescue downed pilots behind enemy lines.  I was fascinated by their ability to both fight and save lives.  I knew immediately that I wanted to write novels about them.  From there I spent years learning as much as I could about PJs and what they do.  I have been privileged to meet many of them and to tour their training facilities.  They are truly unsung heroes.

2- Would you be able to write "Say Goodbye," without your experiences in the Air Force?

I would have been able to write it, but I doubt it would have had the realism that I was after.  My service helped me to understand and appreciate the way members of the military interact with one another and the atmosphere in which they operate.  Keeping in mind I write fiction, not training manuals, I strive to capture the essence of military life. 

I knew from experience that everything does not work flawlessly and the mission and leadership are sometimes less than logical.  I strive for an accurate portrayal military life; while at that same time take license to stray from strict accuracy if it serves the plot.

3- Tell us about USAF Pararescue units and why John Paxton is different from your typical protagonist?

The United States Pararescue Jumpers (PJs) are the Special Forces operators that go pretty much anywhere in the world to rescue people.  Their primary mission is to rescue downed airmen behind enemy lines, but they do much more than that.  They are also on standby for all the manned space missions ready to rescue the astronauts should something go wrong.  They are also involved in civilian rescues both on land and at sea in the most extreme circumstances.  I find it intriguing that they combine skills as both warriors and first responder medical professionals.

4- You obviously have a knack for writing tense thrillers.  Where did you develop your writing style?

Thank you.  I learned the style from the masters.  I read tons of action/adventure novels when I was growing up.  I loved reading them so much that I wanted to start writing my own.  So I would take them apart.  If I would read some passage that was particularly exciting, I would stop and ask myself, “how did the author do that?”  I still do that to this day (it takes me forever to read a book!).

5- How do you see digital technology changing the publishing landscape of the next 5 years?

Technology will continue to give authors, and, more importantly, readers, more choices.  It brings the authors and their readers closer together, and the economics of it will foster experimentation.  While I still love a printed book, I am excited about the opportunities that digital technology is creating.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? A TOUCH OF GREED BECOMES REALITY.

After spending ten years publishing short stories and receiving publishing credit and garnering two Pushcart Prize nominations, I decided it was time to attempt a novel.  That book was my first Nick Bracco thriller, "A Touch of Deceit."  In the original manuscript Nick Bracco couldn't tell a lie, similar to the James Spader character in Sex, Lies and Videotape.  But an FBI agent who couldn't lie became cumbersome and required significant reminders to the reader, so I scrapped the idea and moved forward.  That project took almost a decade to perfect--constant changes and rewrites until I was completely satisfied with the end result.

Fast-Forward a few years--after "A Touch of Deceit," loitered in the offices of a high profile Literary Agent's office in New York for 18 months until his assistant was kind enough to contact me after she'd left and tell me the agent had only submitted it to one publisher and had no intention to do anything more with it.  Then another agent, Robert Brown, was the judge of the S.W. Writers Contest, who awarded me first prize in the thriller category and was excited to take me on as a client.  It only took him a couple of months to realize there was no one interested in taking on a no name client during the recession.  His advice, publish it yourself.  He was smart, kind-hearted and honest.  He even helped format the book for ebooks knowing he would never receive a penny for his work.  Who else would have done that?  No one.

Now, two years later, the third book in the series is a reality.  After 10,000 people bought my Nick Bracco thrillers in December alone, the series seems to be finding an audience.  It's all I ever wanted when I began taking my literary career seriously some twenty years ago and if not for a broken publishing system and a caring agent, I would not have gotten this far.  I am grateful for the opportunity and it's rewarding to know that every time I sit at my computer and write, thousands of people will be reading those words.  A very heartfelt "Thank You" to my many readers and especially to Robert Brown.

Below is the opening to A Touch of Greed: 

When the blood stopped oozing from James Braden’s head, FBI Agent Ricky Hernandez knew his partner was finally dead. Hernandez was tucked behind a steel column in an abandoned airport hanger just inside the Mexican border. His partner was sprawled on the floor ten feet away, his body riddled with bullet holes from the ambush.

“Mr. Hernandez,” the man’s voice called out from behind him in a Mexican accent, “we have two kinds of soup today. We have chicken soup and we have screw-you soup. Unfortunately for you, we are out of chicken soup.”

A roomful of laughter echoed throughout the empty chamber of aluminum roofing and corrugated steel walls. Hernandez judged about thirty men surrounded him with AK-47s, while Hernandez had an FBI issue 9mm pistol with just one solitary bullet left. He stared at Braden’s corpse lying there in such an unnatural position, his eyes wide in horrified shock. Hernandez’s legs trembled. His left eye had an uncontrollable twitch. The desert heat was so viciously oppressive, his sweat-soaked shirt stuck to his chest.

The voice taunting Hernandez belonged to Antonio Garza, known as El Carnicero throughout the world of Mexican cartels. The Butcher. He was an infamous assassin with a legendary reputation for torturing anyone who crossed him. Including undercover FBI agents posing as drug dealers. Hernandez had seen the remains of the bodies Garza had left behind. Fingers, eyes, tongues, all severed and stuck inside the victim’s mouth, while the body floated in a vat of boiling water. The assassin was known to have a doctor on hand to continuously revive the victim and prolong the torment for hours, sometimes days.

“Mr. Hernandez,” Garza said, closer now. “I make you a deal. Come out right now and I let you speak with your family. You can say a proper farewell, eh?”

Hernandez was in shock, his mind numb to the statement.

“You can't be saved, so make your peace,” Garza ordered.

Among other things, Garza was a chronic liar. Hernandez was lured into Mexico while undercover, so there would be no rescue. He was out of US jurisdiction. Then it hit him. He still had a minute or two to say good-bye to his wife. He fumbled into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

“I’m waiting,” he heard Garza say.

Tears blurred his vision as he tried to find his Nicole’s number in his contact list. He was bawling now, warm urine leaked from his bladder. Once he’d heard her voice he realized he wouldn’t be able to speak. He was wasting too much time just trying to gather himself. Then he saw the name just above Nicole’s. Nick Bracco. Hernandez knew then what he needed to do with the remaining seconds of his life. He pushed the button.

“Time is up,” Garza called out.

“Hey, Ricky,” came the voice on the phone.

“Nick,” Hernandez stammered. “Nick can you . . .”

“What’s wrong?”

Hernandez’s hands shook, tears crawled down his face. “Please tell Nicole . . .” he hiccuped and whimpered, “how much I adore her.”

“Where are you, Ricky?” Nick demanded.

“Now!” the assassin screamed, a barrage of bullets exploded all around the agent as he shriveled up behind the column for protection. His legs were getting pounded by direct hits and ricochets.

“Ricky?” Nick shouted into the receiver.

The shooting stopped. The tops of Hernandez’s feet were missing, only two toes stood out among the bloody stumps. Hernandez’s stomach spiked up into his throat. “Nick,” he uttered. “Promise me you’ll kill him.”

Footsteps came shuffling up behind him and Hernandez dropped the phone between his legs. He took one last look at his partner, then said, “I’ll be right there, Jimmy.” As he braced the tip of his pistol tight under his chin, the one thought which remained, the one glimmer of solace which contained him, was the thought that Garza would not survive long. Hernandez had an irrational rush of jubilation. Nick Bracco had been notified. Ricky Hernandez smiled.

Then he pulled the trigger.

Here's a link to the Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Greed-Bracco-Thriller-ebook/dp/B007C6EDJE/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1





           

5 QUESTIONS FOR THRILLER AUTHOR ALLAN LEVERONE

Over the past year and a half, I've highlighted some very talented writers just on the verge of becoming superstars--John Locke, Rick Murcer, and Robert Bidinotto are just a few.  I believe Allan Leverone is the next rising star in the publishing world.  His thriller, "The Lonely Mile," went from #11,000 on Amazon's Kindle bestseller list to #15 over one weekend, going from selling one book a day to selling several hundred a day.  He explains that here, plus his insider view of the future of publishing .  To me, the most intriguing part of Allan's career was the fact he actually got a job as an air traffic controller before ever stepping foot inside of an airplane.  He's been an air traffic controller at Boston's Logan airport for the past twenty years now and at 52 he's going to be forced to retire in four years.  Maybe, just maybe, if he continues on this torrid pace of selling thrillers, he might find a sweet home writing bestsellers and make a lot of readers happy.
Here's Allan:

1- How do develop your stories?  Do you outline, or fly by the seat of your pants?

I’ve outlined one book, and by the time I was maybe halfway through writing the first draft I had deviated so wildly from the damned thing it was completely useless. This outline, this supposed roadmap, which I had spent dozens of hours over several weeks developing, was now nothing more than a taunting reminder of how little I know about my own book when I start writing it.

That was the first, last, and only time I’ve ever outlined on paper before starting to write. This is not to say I have no idea where I’m going when I start a book, only that the process of outlining is just too specific for the way I write.

To me, writing a book is a little bit like taking a trip with a blindfold on. I know where I’m starting, and I have a pretty good idea where I want to end up, but the route I’m going to take to get from Point A to Point B is mostly a mystery. I might follow the highway, but I just might drive through a field and plow through a few houses, too. And that’s kind of good thing for a thriller writer, because if I have no idea what’s going to happen next, how in the world could a reader?

Plus, more often than not, I drive right on by Point B and end up somewhere in the vicinity of Point C. Or D.

2- Have you ever considered writing a series with a continuing protagonist?

I’ve absolutely considered it, and in fact, my newest release, PASKAGANKEE, is the first in what I envision as at least a three-book series. I’ve already completed the first draft of Book Two and am running ideas for Book Three around my twisted brain.

As you know, being an author yourself, the biggest hurdle facing any mostly unknown author—at least in terms of making sales—is the lack of name recognition. My theory is that readers don’t buy books, they buy authors. If a potential customer is trying to decide between buying my book and buying Harlan Coben’s latest release, I’m facing an uphill battle, because a hell of a lot more readers are familiar with Coben’s work than mine.

The advantage of writing a series is that not only does the reader become familiar with my name, but if they buy one book in a series and like it, they are that much more likely to buy another. And we all want sales. If we didn’t, we would just stick to keeping a journal. Fewer bad reviews, you know?

3- Give us a short recap of what happened a couple of weeks back with "The Lonely Mile," and how you ended up in the top 25 of the Amazon bestseller list?

Wow, what a ride! I had been promoting THE LONELY MILE pretty much nonstop since its release last July, trying various promotional ideas, giveaways, etc., without really ever gaining much traction in terms of sales. I was stuck in a rut, selling around thirty copies a month, give or take.

I had been extremely skeptical of Amazon’s Kindle Select promotional program, but after seeing numerous reports from authors I trusted, all saying their sales had spiked after taking part in it, Aaron Patterson (CEO at StoneHouse Ink, publisher of THE LONELY MILE) and I decided to give it a try. What did we have to lose?

The response was phenomenal. We gave away 42,000 copies over the three days of the giveaway, spending most of that time period at #1 in Amazon’s Free Store (Free Store – there’s an oxymoron for you). When we ended the promo and resumed charging for the book, sales went through the roof. We started the day at #11,000 in the Paid Kindle Store, and by the end of that day we were in the Top 100.

Over the next three days, we hovered at between #21 and #25 in all Kindle releases, got as high as #15 in all fiction titles, and camped out at #2 in Suspense Thrillers. We sold 8000 copies over that three day period, and although the pace of sales has slowed, it’s still several hundred times better, literally, than it was before starting the promotion. I’m having trouble wrapping my brain around the unbelievable success of the promotion and the book.

4- What is your relationship like with Stonehouse Ink and what service do they provide for you?

StoneHouse Ink isn’t my first publisher, but when I heard my friend and bestselling author Vincent Zandri rave about this little publishing outfit in Boise, Idaho doing everything right, I knew immediately I wanted in.

To me, StoneHouse is kind of a hybrid, the perfect publishing model for this brave new epublishing world. They were among the first to utilize a strategy of epublishing first, following that up with print publication several months later. They pioneered the use of digital shorts as a way to raise the profile of their authors.

CEO Aaron Patterson understands the importance, also, of things like excellent cover art, solid, consistent editing, quality formatting of digital editions, and, most especially, how to sell books to the author’s best advantage at Amazon, the eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the new publishing jungle.

I owe a lot to StoneHouse Ink, and you’ll have a hard time finding a more vocal proponent of the company than me.

5- What do you think the publishing world will look like in 5 years?

Man, everyone has opinions on this subject, and I’m no different.

I believe mass-market paperback books will disappear almost entirely, and sooner rather than later. The amount of overhead required to print books, warehouse them, ship them, deal with returns, etc., is staggering. At some point in the not-too-distant future, ereaders will become so cheap and so prevalent (we’re almost at that point right now, I believe) it will simply become too economically inefficient for any publisher to continue the mass-market paperback format.

This is not to suggest print books will disappear, though. I believe the biggest-selling megastar authors will continue to feature large print runs of their books, but all other authors will be featured in print-on-demand technology. The quality of that technology has risen almost to the point where you can’t tell the difference between it and offset printing, and the economics favor its use with all but the best-selling titles.

Hardcover books will continue and probably flourish, as collectors and the biggest fans will be happy to shell out the money for the latest Lee Child book, or (insert your favorite bestselling author’s name here) book.

Some of the biggest, top-heavy publishers, real biggies, will have to adapt, and quickly, or there will be a rush to bankruptcy as the big-name authors come to the conclusion they don’t need to be satisfied with the paltry royalty being offered by their Big-Six publisher when they can self-publish and work out a distribution deal for print books that will put far more greenbacks in their pockets than they’ve been used to. John Locke and his deal with Simon and Schuster for distribution of his physical books might be the most revolutionary thing to happen in the world of publishing. Ever. Mark my words on that one!

And I believe all this will happen in far less than five years. Publishing is undergoing its first real revolution in five hundred years, since the invention of offset printing, and we’re here to see it. It’s a pretty exciting time, unless your name is Random House.

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR TREVOR SCOTT

Trevor Scott was an Eagle Scout, loaded weapons on Navy aircraft carriers, and spent seven years as an officer in the Air Force.  He's traveled to 60 different countries and lived in 15 different states.  I'm guessing a lot of his experiences show up in his writing, where he's published more than a dozen mystery, espionage and thriller novels worldwide.  His Jake Adams thrillers are consistently bestselling Kindle books.  His newest thriller is titled, "Way of the Sword."    

He was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to play 5 questions with me.

1- Tell us a little about your protagonist, Jake Adams, and how does he differ from other leading characters?

Jake Adams is a character I developed as a captain in the Air Force stationed in Germany. He's kind of a cross between James Bond and Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name character.

2- Your plots are so creative, how do you work—with a strict outline, or do you wing it?

I rarely use a full outline to develop one of my novels. It's too constraining. Also, there are times when I have no idea what might happen. I'll usually know how a book will start and end, but getting to the climax can be an adventure for me as well as the reader.

3- Do you feel your military service allows you more insight than the average writer about the politics of terrorism?

As an Air Force officer stationed overseas, we were constantly briefed on terrorism. Additionally, I studied international relations and geopolitics at the graduate level while stationed in Germany. During the INF treaty implementation, I escorted Soviet inspectors around our secure nuclear facility. I'm sure their handlers were KGB and GRU officers.

4- What is your current relationship like with your publishers and how can you afford to sell some of your ebooks at just .99 cents?

It became obvious early on in the eBook market that pricing would drive sales. I've been selling eBooks since 1998, having best sellers in a number of the old platforms like the Rocket eBook and others. While it's true we are selling books and trying to make a living, it's equally true that what we are selling is pixels and digital files. It doesn't take as much to produce an eBook, since no trees are dying and no books are being shipped to warehouses and bookstores. By selling at a buck a book, I'm hoping to work on building a larger readership. So far sales have been great with this new price.

5- Any idea what the publishing world will look like in 5 years?

I believe the large New York publishers have had their day in the sun. You should see major authors selling directly to their readers, cutting out agents and publishers. Authors like myself (what they used to call mid-list authors) are already doing this. We have been the leaders in the eBook revolution.

THE REAL REASON SOCIAL MEDIA IS GOOD FOR WRITERS

Honestly, I haven't posted for a while because I never want to write a blog post which was done twelve thousand times before.  It's why I interview other writers, so I can get a different perspective and promote some authors whose work I respect.  But I'm almost finished with my third Nick Bracco thriller and I decided to stay home from work and get it done.  It sounded like a great idea until I tried it.  The house was quiet and the monitor was beckoning me to place those last few words onto the screen, but there's something you need to know about writing.  It's lonely.  There I said it.  Sitting at a computer and tapping the keys is a solitary chore and most writers like communicating with other people.  It's not normal to be cooped up by yourself for extended periods of time.  We need to know there's someone else out there enduring the same solitude we are.  For me, it's mostly other writers, readers and family members.  For others, it might be sports aficionados.  But when I need to know I'm not alone I can click on Facebook, or Twitter and see that the world is still out there and I can watch the globe communicate to each other as I create my next scene.

So, although many people feel social media is simply the newest way to promote your writing, I'm a firm believer it's not the main reason.  As a matter of fact, I'm a little timid in the self-promotion department myself.  I hate being pitched something, so I try to do as little pitching as possible.  I believe the main reason writers are so enamored by the lure of Facebook is because they need the connection to other humans while they're sitting by themselves creating their fictional worlds.  After all, truth is stranger than fiction, and have you seen some of the FB posts lately?  There's plenty of plots waiting to be written and writers would be well-served by watching some of the stuff scrolling down our screens each day. 

Okay, back to my own little world now.  Carry on, the rest of you.  Somehow I feel a little better knowing you're out there.