NRR: Hi Tina! Thank you for taking
the time to join us! As many readers know you have had a lot of success in your
self-published novel, Love Unscripted. Can you share with us what made you
decide to do self-published rather than a publishing company?
NRR: What would you say is one of
the hardest/easiest parts of self-published?
Self-publishing was so easy to do
via Create Space, anyone with some computer knowledge can follow the
instructions and upload a PDF file.
That, a few dollars for a hard copy print and a small membership fee
will get you a book in hand.
Let’s talk book cover art. Now there is a task. Fortunately I had a friend who had a
cousin… We worked together on what I had
hoped to see and then I wrote a check.
After a while, you make contacts in the industry, and you get a cover
designer to work for you. There is a lot of talent out there making
awesome book covers. When you are
traditionally published, you have art teams at your disposal but then I’m not
sure how much creative control you have.
I honestly don’t know.
NRR: What would you say has helped
you the most in promoting your work?
Two words: BOOK BLOGGERS. The women (and men) I have come across
talking books and posting reviews have done me such a tremendous service,
reaching potential readers that I may not have gotten to know otherwise, that I
don’t think I’d even be close to where I am without them. In the last two years, some of my best
friends are bloggers whom I’ve never met in person but I talk to all the
time. I’m not just an author/writer –
I’m a voracious reader as well. I look
to these relationships just like everyone else does. I’m looking for the next great “OMG that book
rocked” recommendations. I read YA
romance, Adult Romances, and now Erotica.
Hey, don’t judge. You all are
reading it, too. The book bloggers who
first helped me out have characters named after them in my upcoming
sequel. My additional way of saying
“Thank You.”
Facebook and Twitter are my daily
living spaces. Well, mostly
Facebook. I’m a people-person. I need long-winded interaction. Yeah, I wrote a thick book… whatever. I had a lot to say J But personal addictions and predilections
aside, these “social media” tools allow me to have relationships with readers
all over the globe. In one day, I
typically converse with folks in 12 different countries. I love, no I LOVE my readers. They aren’t just readers or customers to me. They are friends. We talk, tease, joke, share, laugh, cry,
advise, complain, defend… I’m not just promoting a product (a book); I’m
promoting me – who I am. Hopefully
you’ll think I’m cool enough to give my thick-ass novel a read.
Lastly, and well nearest and dearest
to me, are the relationships that I’ve made with other authors. I’ve tried to make relationships with some
traditionally published folks and it seems like there’s this brick wall between
them and “the lazy ones.” I don’t get it
but then again, I didn’t wait years to see if my book would ever make it to
print. Did I take the easy way out? Tomato/tomahhto…
Then I hooked up with other
self-published rebels. We were like a
pack of gypsies, taking in strays and healing the wounded with our homemade
medicines. And somewhere we realized
“hey, we share a hell of a lot of readers” and “hey, do you realize that reader
tend to read more than one book?” My
readers/your readers – we all have the same goal as authors, right? Entertain as many people as we can with our
stories.
I love my author friends like they
were flesh and blood sisters. I’d go to
war with these women and I know that they’d be right aside of me wearing war
paint and giving it a heck of a go with me.
So take the advice, authors on
solitary islands. Go make friends. Earn your friends by being genuine. Be gold and gold will come back to you. Karma is real.
NRR: Some readers have animosity
toward self-published authors (which I find completely ridiculous since most of
my favorite books are written by self-published authors). What advice would you
give to aspiring authors who are timid to tread the waters of self-publishing?
I can give all the advice in the
world until I’m blue in the face. What
people have to realize is that it doesn’t matter if there’s a publisher name in
your book or not. Look up the word
“publish” in the dictionary. I am a
published author. I did all the work
myself. I share profits with companies
like Amazon. That’s it. If you are one who has the definitive line
drawn in your brain separating “trad” and “indie,” my opinion on
self-publishing will do nothing for you.
E-books are THE thing right now.
You don’t even need to put a book into paper these days to be
“published.” Authors are putting out 30
page novellas for $2.99. So the real
choice is do you want to sit on the bench and be mad that you aren’t playing or
do you want to get in the game any way you can?
The other plus is I have no
deadlines. I have readers to answer
to. I gave them a date of delivery. If I don’t deliver, I have a feeling I’ll be
lynched by the mob.
NRR: What would you say people over
look the most when it comes to self-publishing?
The day has come where
self-publishing IS publishing.
Traditionally published authors are self-publishing these day, realizing
the profits instead of splitting them with the big houses. The biggest obstacle I have right now is
getting paper and ebooks into other countries and into other languages. That will be rectified shortly for me as I’ve
got some new options. Other than that,
without a big house representing me, I will never see my book in print in
Target or Kmart. But one day (shakes
fist at sky) I will have an end cap on aisle 6 next to Electronics.
NRR: Now it's time for me to gush
over how much I LOVED Love Unscripted! When can we expect to follow up, Love
Unrehearsed?
The sequel to Love Unscripted, Love
Unrehearsed, is scheduled to be released on Amazon in paper and in Kindle
format on August 31st. Both
novels will be released for Nook and other formats mid to late September, once
my agreement with Kindle Prime Lending expires.
I also have 100 pages of the first
of my spin-off series written. There
will be three novels stemming from that following the Trent Brothers. Each will have a cross-over storyline but
still could be read as a standalone novel.
I hope to release “Jacked” – which is an adult contemporary romance in
the winter. FYI – it has a wee bit of BD
as in BDSM without the SM part. For some
reason I can’t stop writing about being tied up and dominated a bit. I’ll save the crops, floggers, and other
naughty bits for E.L., Christian, and Ana. O.o
And at the same time (I know –
crazy) I have 150 pages of the first of a sci-fi romance series started. So lots of pots are on the stove right now
and several really hot alpha guys are vying for my brain space and attention. I’m entertaining myself writing them so I
hope you’ll have that much fun reading them.
Thanks for having me here, NRR. Hugs and Happy Reading to all.
