Meet Paulo Sousa, Web Developer and Publisher

Paulo Sousa moved from Brazil to America in 1995. He has always been passionate about computers and technology, and around the same time that he came to the US, he began researching the workings of the internet. Soon he discovered the secret to ranking at the top of search engine results. This discovery made him one of the pioneers on SEO field, when this word still did not exist.

Over time, he became interested in e-commerce and attended Boston University to study web development. In 2010 he started a self-publishing website, www.e-selfpress.com. Since late 2015, he has been revamping and updating this site to provide more resources for customers. Learn more by following e-selfpress on Facebook. You can also learn more about Paulo and his work on http://www.askpaulo.com/.

1. How was SEO changed since you first began learning about it and using it?

When we look back 20 years ago, we did not have the idea of how SEO would change the way to do business online. SEO in those old days was a very simple thing to do, since the search engines then did not have enough technology to evaluate all aspects of the site. Today, the engines acts like a very smart human being, looking at every aspect of the site in order to deliver the best results for the searchers. Today, we have many more areas to work on each site to achieve a good recognition on the engines.

The engines are getting smarter and smarter, acting like a human. But 20 years ago, if you just created a good title for your site, it would be enough. Today, titles still remain as important as before, but they're just a fraction of the game. The engine needs to read your site, and follow the links from and towards to the site in order to understand what is the site is about. It's very easy for a person who does not know SEO but understands HTML to make a web site and fail to please the search engines with information in the source code of the page.

To succeed today, you have to start with a domain where you have keywords on it, instead of choosing a URL that does not tell anything to the search engine. We always have a solution when we talk to our clients. Of course you can always work on names that do not have keywords in them. If you sell, for instance, mattresses, the ideal URL should have mattress in it. This factor increases your relevance to the engines, and a website with this behavior gets some consideration of the engine doing that.

In short, each business website is evaluated differently, but the evolution has been huge.

2. What interests you most about doing web development work?

First of all, I love to see the happiness of my clients at the delivery of the work. The second beauty of this work is to perform a search and see your results in the top results of search engines. This is a priceless reward.

3. Would you tell us a little more about how you and your wife got into writing and publishing e-books and how you found success in that project?

Before I had even thought about starting my self-publishing website www.e-selfpress.com, I wrote a book about Secrets of the iPad, since Apple did not sell the iPad with a manual. This book became a bestselling book in Brazil. After that success, I decided to create my own publishing platform to help people in Brazil.

With my knowledge on SEO, I received over 70K "likes" on my Facebook page ( www.fb.com/eselfpress) in just one year, and then I knew I was on the right path.

Last December (2015), I decided to invest $96K to rebuild the platform which will be done at the end of September (2016) when I will re-launch the platform with a wide advertising campaign on the internet.

The success came because people were looking for such services in Brazil. I had an entrepreneur here in USA and also in Brazil who came after me offering an investment in my eSelfPress project. I did not accept by that time, since I could handle financially the initial expenses of the project. So I declined, but now, after the new version been made available, I can talk with potential investors about it.

4. Why did you decide to start e-SelfPress, and what are the services you provide?

The decision to start e-SelfPress came after the success of my book "Segredos e Atalhos do iPad" when I discovered that the world was changing the way to buy, sell, write, and read books.

We provide a friendly environment where people can easily understand the concept of how to use our platform. We offer services such as cover design, proof writing, and a free ISBN for those who also buy our services for wide distribution on stores such as Barnes & Noble, Apple Store and more.

The list of services is available in Brazilian currency at http://e-selfpress.com/services.

5. As someone who provides services to people in many different countries, what would you like people all over the world to know about you and your business?

We are very serious about business, and our goal is always make people happy by giving then the best option to write and sell their books. I know that writing a book is only part of the process: writers need to learn how to market their book.

We have a blog that we will teach writers how to succeed like I did with my book Segredos e Atalhos do iPad. That is going to be a big difference between e-SelfPress and the other guys. We are also going to help people who want to write a book and do not have an idea. We will help them to create content.

Please feel free to contact me at paulo@askpaulo.com. Thanks, Paulo!

Meet Nestor Eguez, Author and Teacher

Nestor Eguez is a technology teacher who immigrated with his family from Uruguay, South America to California twenty years ago in search of a better life. Since then, he has been teaching at adult and vocational schools. He had always had an interest in writing, and one day while helping his children with a school project, he experienced the moment that this story was born.

Nestor is the author of a novel called Kalima: The Secret of the Jungle. He is at work on the second book in this series and hopes to release it in the fall of this year.

1. How did you come up with the idea for Kalima?

Ten years ago, my kids wanted to do a puppet play as a school project. After they tried a couple of options, with no good results, I decided to help them with an original story. Two days after that, one morning on my way to work, the story came to me. That simple.

2. Why did you choose a zebra as your main character?

A lot of people asked me the same question, also if Kalima could be a different jungle animal. Well, a zebra was the first that came to my mind. After a little research, I found out that they are smart and strong animals, perfect for the kind of mission Kalima will have to accomplish.

3. As someone who is busy raising a family and also working as a teacher, when do you find time to write?

Honestly, it is very hard, especially because when you have a free time to do it, usually your inspiration Muse is busy.

4. When you were growing up in Uruguay, who were some writers whose work influenced you?

Definitely there were a lot of books that impacted me, especially in high school, but if I have to mention one, definitely was The Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.

5. What is your advice to other writers who are working on writing and publishing their first novel?

Well, I'm going to pass along a couple of good suggestions that a wise author told me a long time ago.

a) A story always has room for improvements, but at some point you have to finish it, and move on.

b) You have to be prepared to deal with rejection. Writing a good story is the easiest part of publishing a book.

Thanks, Nestor!

Meet Colleen Nye, Author

Colleen Nye is an author who enjoys writing in various styles and genres: novels, short stories, poetry, romantic comedies, suspense thrillers, drama, and more. In 2012, she published first book in The Unattainable Series: When in Maui, her first solo novel and a romantic comedy. In 2015, When in Maui moved to Blue Deco Publishing with her second novel, Immersion, a dystopian tech thriller. In January of 2016, Colleen presented the first books in an anthology series named The Lunch Time Anthologies.

Learn more about Colleen by visiting www.colleennye.com, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

1. Why do you think you've always been drawn toward being a writer?

I have always had an overactive imagination, and writing my stories into actual books to share is rather therapeutic for me. Plus, I just love hearing when something I've written has brought happiness, comfort, or excitement in someone's life.

2. What is The Unattainable Series about?

The Unattainable Series is about two best friends, Alice and Vivianne, who find love in a place we all only imagine about... from their celebrity crushes. A change of a lifetime, right? But there's just one thing... one of them runs towards love while the other runs from it. It's a comedic look at how realistic characters would react to something so regularly unattainable. When in Maui is book one. Book two, When in Doubt, comes out this spring.

3. Would you tell us about Immersion?

Immersion is a dystopian tech thriller. It's a story about a small group of people in a world not unlike our own, but the economy is worse while crime is up, and a virtual gaming device called B.I.G.S. is adding to the chaos. These people know what the world is being lied to about... the B.I.G.S. is dangerous. The more you use it, the less likely you are to come out of it. Can they stop this corporation before they bring the world to its knees?

4. Would you tell us more about your Lunchtime Anthologies series? It seems like a very unique idea to me!

TLTA is kind of a brain child of mine while working outside of the home. I saw myself and so many others reading while on lunch breaks and wishing they didn't have to stop in the middle of a "good part" to go back to work. So I figured why not make a full novel with short stories and bits throughout it? Other authors write these short stories or bits that are their own stand-alone pieces yet fit into a larger picture storyline, creating a full novel with stopping points! Gable Heights is the first book, having been released Jan 2016 through Blue Deco Publishing. It's a crime drama. The second book will be out later in 2016. Each book is its own storyline, but they all have that same concept. It's a lot of fun putting these books together.

5. What are your plans for the rest of 2016--and what else would you like readers to know about you and your work?

2016 is VERY exciting! I am releasing When in Doubt in Spring, The Long Summer (a coming of age story) later this year, and possibly another book later in 2016, a sci-fi story. The working title on that is The Push. I'm also a part of and co-leading a five-book anthology release called The Debut Collective, and I have a short story in all five books. Plus, there will be the release of the second TLTA book! I'll also have a convention and signing tour this year. Among others, I'll be signing at:

Festival of the Arts – Authorpalooza at the Gate – Big Rapids, MI – Feb 20th
Women's Expo – Grand Rapids, MI – March 11th - 13th
Barnes & Noble – Lansing, MI – May 7th
UtopiaCon – Nashville, TN – June 23rd - 25th
Tulip City Author Event – Holland, MI – July 9th
Indies in NYC – New York City – August 6th
Penned Con – St. Louis, MO – September 23rd - 24th

Thanks, Colleen!

Meet Deborah Leigh, Author

Deborah Leigh is a former magazine editor who took a sharp turn into the world of law, which she has inhabited for over a decade. She borrows from both of her pasts and her love of Westerns and classic films to tell tales of justice from bygone times. Born literally on Los Angeles's storied Sunset Boulevard, she enjoys including worries thought to be intrinsic to modern urban life in her rustic stories. She has called many cities all over the United States and Europe home and was married in France, where she gave birth in a suburb of a suburb of a suburb of Paris. She's had the good fortune to "walk to work" in Wiesbaden, "run errands in Belgium" when she lived near its border, "catch movies" in Luxembourg while living in nearby Metz, France, and study on a tip of Germany so far south, she once cut her morning classes to go to Switzerland, and was back before lunch. She's lived within bicycle distance of the Atlantic Ocean and crisscrossed the United States several times by train and car. Ultimately a hometown girl, she and her only son live in downtown Los Angeles, where she can see Sunset Boulevard from her living room window.

Learn more about Deborah Leigh by visiting www.darrowpublishing-losangeles.com and by following her on Twitter.

1. What inspired you to write Wake Not the Hangman? I've always been enamored of stories from the past. One of my lifelong favorite pastimes has been watching classic films. I particularly love well-told Westerns because they distill the human experience into one stripped moment, when everything is on the line, with often the only resource being oneself. When I sat down to write Wake Not the Hangman, I knew I wanted to tell a story that took place in the past.

Then, I thought about how, as a small child, I was fortunate to experience some unexpected but much needed friendships while navigating some tough waters and how that feeling that those "island" attachments gave me kind of never wore off. The generosity of spirit I saw in my friends stuck with me my whole life. I'm still grateful to this day. I decided to tap into that and make the unusual relationship between fifteen-year-old Thornton and the slaves his father brings to the family farm the focal point of the story. There turned out to be so much there to plumb. Rather than devolving into a captive/savior story, we really see how many hurdles Thornton has in his life and how he uses banding with others to overcome them.

2. What are some of the challenges when it comes to writing an historical novel?

The biggest challenge is keeping the reader in the time period of the novel by making sure to use period-appropriate language and descriptions. In the science fiction arena, we talk all the time about world-building, but it's just as important to build the right world in an historical novel and then remain loyal to it. You have to do your research to find out how people lived, worked, traveled, cooked, bathed, courted, and everything else in the era in which your story is set. In Wake Not the Hangman, the protagonist is fifteen. There were times when I knew he just wanted to say, "Duh!" but I couldn't let him because he would have sounded like he was sitting at a computer using social media! [Laughs]

So, on the one hand, it's a ton of fun digging into your craft as a writer and talking about things like anvils and water pumps and riding scarves and homemade jellies and fruit liquor and other such things, but on the other hand, some common references that come to mind, as your scene unfolds, are unavailable to you as a writer. And you can't bypass logic. If cars didn't yet exist in the time period in which your story is set, you may have to address how long it takes one character to get to another's house. How does snow factor in? And you have to get your facts straight. If you're dealing with an abused wife, what are her legal options? What did we call China or Finland at that time? Was it a horse and buggy or a rig? Glasses or spectacles? Beer or ale? And so on.

Finally, you have to battle what people's perception of the time period is. You may face, "They didn't have ice cream in saloons!" simply because the reader has never seen ice cream in a saloon in movies or on television. And yet, as you substantiate some obscure fact, you have to do it in a way that drives the story forward and doesn't bore the reader to death.

3. Why did you decide to start your own publishing company?

I decided to start Darrow Publishing so that I would have a centralized place to manage my various writing endeavors, and so that I could ultimately take on the projects of other writers. I'm in the process of developing two creative-minded websites that will be part of Darrow Publishing, and I also hope to release a small package of classics under an imprint that is part of Darrow Publishing.

Having a place and space where I can focus on my writing projects helps reemphasize my goals. I do things for Darrow Publishing that I might be lazier about [laughs] if I were just doing them for me. Trying to grow a brand and a company makes me, personally, work harder and look for innovative ways to branch out. It's a ton of fun!

4. You mentioned your love of classic films. How does your Hollywood Character Arcs blog on Darrow Publishing’s website factor into that?

As you know, social media has, in some ways, replaced writers conferences in the sense that some of the information about process that a writer could gather at a conference can be found online. You can google "show vs. tell" for a wealth of great posts about how to improve that aspect of your writing. And that's just one topic. Meanwhile, there is also a plethora of inspiration, commiseration, and validation available through social media communities.

Darrow Publishing's small contribution to that is to focus on the art of well-drawn characters by highlighting those that stand out in classic films. Every movie is populated with characters, but the good ones have one or more characters, who, even when dropped into a cliché or a typical genre, somehow stand out because they are so well-written. My hope is that writers who read the blog say, "Ahh. I see how that screenwriter pulled that off. Let me absorb some of that technique or mindset or philosophy and apply it to my own writing." Even a simple, "Reading about good writing just got my juices flowing," is great. I use classic films in the hope that the writer/reader-of-the-blog may not be as familiar with the movie or the characters. Hopefully, it frees them to just examine the writing process that gave us the interesting character, with no preconceived notions because they just saw the movie themselves last year. And, if they decide to find the film and see what all the fuss is about, for me that's fantastic. Anytime I can create interest in classic films, I'm super happy!

5. What writing project(s) are you currently working on?

I'm working on two standalone sequels to Wake Not the Hangman that will complete the trilogy, although I hesitate to use the word "trilogy" or "series" because each of the three books really will stand alone. It's more like I simply have three separate chunks of things to say about this gathering of people connected by name and history. Whichever of the three books focuses on them will stand very much alone as a reading experience. I'm also plugging away at a collection of short stories.

Thanks, Deborah!

Meet Thomas Moulson of Fruit Tank

Fruit Tank is a website that showcases creative works from unknown talent in hopes of getting the artists discovered and selling their work. The site currently features art, music, video, photography, and writing. Learn more at http://www.fruittank.co.uk, or click here to learn how to submit your work.

1. How did you choose the name Fruit Tank for your project, and what does the name signify?

The name was originally chosen for its mix of the words "Fruit bowl" and "fish Tank." This meant we could have sub companies for the individual mediums, mixing fruit with sea life. For example, music would be under Cherry Crab, films under Strawberry Squid, etc. That has been put on hold because it's rather confusing. But the name has stuck, mainly because it's unique and sounds quite good. It's not the best name origin story.

2. How does your site help creative people get their work out there?

Once the site gains more and more traffic and popularity, we hope that it'll become the go-to place for creative content. Eventually we are going to do member pages where creatives can host their contact info (only accessible for other members) so people can collaborate with one and other. For example, a filmmaker may go to the site and find music they really like and may want to contact the musician and get them to do a soundtrack. Or a musician may want an artist to design their record cover. It will just become the HQ for creative content. The dream is that record labels, production companies, publishers, and galleries will come to Fruit Tank to scout out new talent.

3. Would you tell us a little bit about the compilations that you're planning to put together with the work that people share with you?

Every few months, we will allow visitors of the site to vote for their favorite creative content on the site, and then the top creations will be distributed/sold. Music will organized into an album and distributed onto iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and 100+ other music sites. Art and photographs will be compiled into a graphics book and possibly showcased and privately held galleries, writing will also be compiled into books, and the the films will be shown at pop-up, drive-in film festivals in major cities. Sometimes there will be themes; for example, for Valentine's Day, we will have a call for content such as love songs, romantic poetry, and romantic films.

4. I like that you cite Andy Warhol as an inspiration for Fruit Tank. What can we learn from the ways that he got his own art into the world, and the ways he collaborated with and/or supported other artists?

Andy Warhol was a true one of a kind person; he knew how allow people to nurture their talents and really express themselves without boundaries. He had a place called "The Factory" where anyone was welcome; people could just walk in and join in. I can imagine it was such a creative environment filled with inspiration. He recognized true talent: he made Jean Michel Basquiat very famous, and he catapulted The Velvet Underground into fame. He knew what the world expected and always did the opposite--he knew controversy sparked a reaction, and therefore got people talking about his work. He understood what it meant to be an artist, and he knew how to get the best out of people.

5. What else would you like readers to know about Fruit Tank?

We just want people to be known for their talents. There are some really really talented people in the world but nobody ever knows them, because it's so hard to get discovered nowadays--you need to pull so many strings to get recognition. Talent alone isn't enough nowadays; you need the correct personality and the right friends. That's just wrong. Talent is talent, and we want to show off that talent. I'm a fan of the lifestyle of the 60s and 70s because everyone appears to be so free and open to self-expression. The streets were ruled by artists. However, in the present day, everyone is so restricted by boundaries. We want creative people to show off their talents and get discovered the right way, for their amazing gifts.

Thanks, Thomas!

Meet Glenn Lyvers, Editor and Writer

Glenn Lyvers is the masthead at Prolific Press, Inc, where he oversees eight literary journals, a full publishing program, and a chapbook series.

Born in Michigan, he now lives in a fishing village in Virginia. He is also the creator of the online submission management tool, Green Submissions, which is used by a number of literary magazines.

1. Why did you decide to start Prolific Press, Inc?

I think anyone who founds a press does so because they want to decide what is printed. It's not for the money, because there isn't any when you first start. I wanted to create opportunities for writers, without regard to pedigree or past achievements. It seemed to me, at the time and even today, that most notable journals seem to care far more about the name of the writer than the quality of the work. That's not how it should be. I have strong convictions about that.

I also knew that any vision for the kind of press I founded would be a diverse mix of journals and other projects. I have many interests. It made sense to house the various journal brands and publishing branches under an umbrella corporation. Most large publishers have that type of structure. If you look at any of the "big 5," you will recognize a loosely-similar framework. I wanted to have that in place and build into it, instead of figuring out how to combine multiple projects later. That can be confusing. Besides, "Prolific Press" is a catchy name, don't you think?

In point of fact, all our brands are good names. Poetry Quarterly, Haiku Journal, Jitter Press, Inwood Indiana, Tanka Journal, Dual Coast Magazine, Three Line Poetry, and 50 Haikus... these are all great names, popular and recognizable. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably have chosen a different name for 50 Haikus, as "Haiku" is the plural spelling, but it's a legacy. It felt right at the time, and the writers seem to like the quirky name.

Prolific Press is a family of journals and publishing programs--most importantly, we have a great group of passionate writers that submit regularly. We keep growing year after year. It's been a great ride, and it only seems to expand. I hoped it would be like this. It's been a dream-come-true in some important ways, and I thank the writers and staff for it. I know this interview is about me, but I take only a meager portion of the credit for Prolific Press's success. Without great people and talented writers, Prolific Press would have died in the first year like the majority of companies in this business do.

2. How do you find the time and motivation to balance the demands and publishing schedules of so many journals, chapbooks, and longer books?

I have probably been asked this question more than any other. I think people fail to realize how much time they waste. Facebook, Twitter, TV, Radio, yada yada yada... we live in a culture of time-wasting mechanisms. We have invented so many ways to waste time that we are amazed when we encounter someone who seems to get things done. I get a lot done because I work hard. I also have good assistants and technologies that reflect positively upon me. What that boils down to is.... Well, let's stay on point. The question is how I find the time and motivation.

I get some of my work ethic from my father. He worked long hours and always provided financially. Growing up, I remember him playing motivational cassette tapes in the car. I recall the speaker saying, "Everyone, rich or poor, has the same number of hours in a day." You never know when life will deliver up a nugget of gold like that. I can't tell you who said it, but I can tell you that it stripped away the mystery between those who get things done and those who don't.

The motivation comes from having a passion for poems, stories, and the heroes that write them. That passion never seems to fade. I get plenty of praise and reinforcement from the writers I work with. They recognize how hard I work, and how much I care about them--and I do. I really do.

3. When reading manuscripts, what catches your eye--and your mind as a reader?

A manuscript should grab my attention right away. I don't care about who wrote it. I care about the impact it has on me. I look at the mechanics--how the writer reveals the characters, backstory, and whether they make me care about the story. I can be a little callused about manuscripts because I read so many. The same is true of the short stories and poems. It comes down to impact.

The writer should care. If they don't, I can spot that almost instantly. Not to be cliché, because it's probably used too often to make this point, but Frost said, "No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader." I think that's very true, and if the writer doesn't have strong feelings about the offering, I can pick up on that fairly quickly.

4. Do you also pursue your own writing in addition to all the time you devote to publishing the work of other writers?

I do. I am writing a book of poems now. I don't write as often as I'd like--I don't have the extra time. But I do write, and I have some of the same concerns the writers who approach me have. I don't know where I'm going to publish when I do. I've been approached, but I don't know what the best choice is, or when. I feel these things; have these problems--I hope that makes me a better editor, too, because I know what other writers are going through.

I can't decide when my book is finished. I keep going back to fuss over the work. I have a passion and a vision for the work. I hope that when I'm ready, I can show that to others--give them something valuable. In the meantime, I help others realize their goals.

5. I admire your dedication to publishing poetry, in particular shorter poems. For those of us who share your interest in poetry, what do you think we can do to encourage others to read our own poetry, or get a press to notice our work?

That's hard. First, the poets need to deliver a worthy product, and that begins by having an audience in mind. Imagine whom you are writing for--and be specific. It's probably not enough (as an emerging poet today) to seek broad appeal like Collins, Bishop, Alexie, and Hayden. I'd suggest new poets look at icons like Olds and Neruda--they definitely have an audience in mind, and managed to climb to the top by building on political angles.

The first thing a poet needs to do is carve out some kind of readership. Not to be crass, but some poets seem to approach the whole thing like self-gratification. That's completely wrong. If you want a readership, then you must write for others--give them something of value. Poetry should make people feel something. It should make our lives better. When it is written to do that, then and only then, people will seek out your poems.

For the poet, this often means submitting to presses that have more relaxed acceptance rates, and then slowly adjusting until you find some presses that will publish you regularly. It is far more important to develop good relationships with a few stable presses than to have a thousand acknowledgements.

Readers rarely read one poem and choose to buy a poet's work. It's much better to find a platform to expose your work to readers regularly, so they come to know and trust your voice. Then they will buy, and probably buy everything you ever do.

I have built some good relationships with many writers. It's an honor to publish some of those voices. I get to watch them grow and evolve as artists. The readers seem to agree with my choices. The feedback from our publications is almost unanimously positive. Good relationships benefit everyone, the poets, our press, and most importantly, the readers.

Thanks, Glenn!

Meet Adam Salviani, Author and Publisher

Adam Salviani is a novelist and publisher, who over the past two decades has delighted readers from around the globe. He is a bestselling author and as owner of Raider Publishing International, has published over 1,200 titles since the company's inception in 2005.

Learn more about Adam by visiting www.adamsalviani.com and www.adamsalviani.org.

1. Have you always enjoyed writing?

Yes, writing has always been a way for me to escape since I was very young. I dove into writing novels as a teenager... which wasn't easy... but I think those experiences at a young age have really helped me become a more well-rounded writer.

2. What motivated you to start a publishing company?

I had been on a month-long book tour in Europe, promoting my third book, The Lost King, and it was a life-changing experience for me. That being said, the support of my publisher at the time... or lack of support... was shocking. I decided at that point to take what I made from the book and start my own company, which has now been around for over ten years and been quite successful.

3. How have you managed to get so many books published as an independent publisher?

We've always been a very popular destination for authors looking to get their books published. I think our message of giving our authors complete creative control over their own work really resonates with writers. We've also always accepted writers based on the quality of their work, no matter where they are in the world, which has also made us very popular.

4. What is your advice to authors who are looking to publish their work?

My advice would be to focus on publishers who give priority to promotions. What the industry doesn't want you to know is that most production services are the same. Promotions show the true intentions of the publisher and if they want your book to succeed or not, or if they're just looking for your money. Make sure that they commit to at least some promotion in the contract. This will give you a much better chance for success.

5. When do you know that your own work has reached the point where you want to share a book with the world?

That's a great question and one that is different for every writer. Personally I suggest that authors single out someone in their lives who will give them an honest opinion of the work, not just what they want to hear. If that person approves of your book, then it's as ready as it will ever be.

Thanks, Adam!

Introducing Booqla, A Versatile Self Publishing Tool

I've been interested in self-publishing for many years and have explored lots of different avenues, from handmade zines and books to ebooks and print on demand. When it comes to print on demand and ebook publishing, there are a lot of different ways to proceed. For example, you can hire a book designer for some or all of your publishing process. You can also utilize different software programs to design and format your book.

While I do know people who are talented in both writing books and completing the layout and publishing related tasks, many of us who want to write and publish aren't so comfortable in the design department. I've tried a number of different tutorials and software programs meant to simplify the process of formatting books for print or ebook downloads, and I've found some ways to complete my DIY publishing projects, but I have to admit that it's not exactly a simple process!

Enter Booqla. Booqla is a web-based, self-publishing tool which allows authors to import their manuscript in Word and instantaneously convert it to Epub format as well as Amazon's Mobi format. It also creates a print-ready PDF which can be edited to fit special requirements of printing companies (such as print on demand publishers).

The idea of Booqla is to limit the amount of steps an author has to take to publish their book, thus saving time and money compared to the price of hiring out the work of having your book formatted. Let's face it, there wouldn't be such a big market for self-publishing services for authors if everyone found it easy; Booqla fills a need in the marketplace by creating an easier to use DIY option.

Even better, Booqla stores your manuscript in their system to make it easy to edit it if you find changes that you want to make (this always happens to me, and then I have to go through different versions of my manuscript files on my computer).

Booqla also makes selling your book easier through an affiliate sales system. They have a "Minimart" which allows you to set up as many small webshops as you want, place them on any website or social media outlet you want, and use this tool to sell your books. You can easily create a share a small button to sell your books in all sorts of places, such as discussion forums on topics relevant to your book.

Developed in Sweden, Booqla is available in Europe, the Middle East, and the US. Learn more at www.booqla.com.

Meet S.R. Remus, Author

S.R. Remus is an aspiring sci-fi/fantasy author, who also happens to dabble in poetry. He is signed to Double Dragon Publishing out of Canada, and his first novel, The Time Outlaw, will debut in 2016. Learn more about S.R. Remus and his work by visiting his website as well as his Facebook page.

1. How did you first become interested in writing fantasy/sci-fi?

I first became interested in writing sci-fi/fantasy, basically out of similar interests outside of writing. I am a big comic con, video game, Star Trek, and Star Wars fan. I love the Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones--these things which have huge fan followings into the realm of geekdom possessed me. They are my inspiration to the genre. I can remember back to when I was a freshman in high school (I'm 30 now for perspective) and I was content rocking my GameBoy Pocket and Pokemon Blue. A lot of my drive to need to break into the genre just comes from what I'm interested in.

2. What inspired you to write The Time Outlaw?

I had to write The Time Outlaw. Sometimes writers will say they just became obsessed with something, some story they need to tell. I knew what I was writing was different than a lot of the other dystopian novels, teen fiction books that are being pushed into the market. I let some samples of my chapters leak to people I know like to read, and they really pushed me forward. Ultimately, someone told me I should do it, because I had always wanted to write a novel.

3. Would you tell us a little more about the arc of your intended three-book series?

The Time Outlaw trilogy is centered on Jensen James, a gunslinging, time traveling, reality-bending protagonist. Jensen bounces around time, fighting against the evil Latentech Corporation, falling in love, and of course, being his gunslinging badass self. You will get a sense that the series has a lot of little guy vs big business conflicts throughout the stories.

4. Why did you choose Double Dragon Publishing for your first novel?

I basically chose Double Dragon because of their body of work in the ebook/print on demand industry as well as solely focusing on my specific genre; I felt that was the best option. I also chose them because they chose me first. I submitted so many manuscripts to agents and agencies, and then just waited. Double Dragon beat everyone out in getting back to me.

5. How would you summarize your overall goals or interests as a writer?

Well, I wish I could sit here and say I had any outstanding goals for world domination, endless riches, and enslaving the human race through my writing, but I'm just here to write, tell some stories, maybe have people build statues of me if they want. All in all, I just want us all to have an enjoyable time.

Thanks, S.R.!

A Kickstarter to Bring a Fantasy Trilogy to Bookstores Near You

Are you a fan of sci-fi and/or fantasy novels? Want to see more of these books by independent authors make their way into your neighborhood brick and mortar bookstores? Check out the Kickstarter campaign currently being run by author Leeland Artra.

Leeland Artra is the author of the Golden Threads trilogy, and his books have a solid track history with strong sales and reader reviews. The first two books in the series are currently available in e-book and print-on-demand format, and with the Kickstarter funding, the books will be republished in hardback and pocket paperback editions.

As the author writes on his Kickstarter page, the novels "represent twenty years of world building, and thousands of hours of work crafting them for your enjoyment." He's using the money he raises to put the books through an additional editing and proofreading process, and then to get them distributed by Ingram.

The novels are set 20,000 years in the future, and the main characters are a young mercenary woman and a junior wizard. The books are described as an epic journey and have maintained an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with over 600 reviews so far.

Along with undertaking this project to get books one and two of the trilogy into the hands of more readers, Artra is also hard at work on book three, and he says it will be released very soon.

This is an author who has really put the time and effort into his books to develop a following of readers--and this Kickstarter could be just the boost he needs to help his work find an even wider following. If you want to get more of an idea of his work, you can read an excerpt of book one, Thread Silvers, here; and read an excerpt of book two, Thread Strands, here.

How to Make People Read Your EBooks

The following is a guest post shared by the designers at www.ebookenhancers.com.

Publishing an ebook has been made easier through various online self-publishing platforms. However, marketing the book is the most demanding part. You need to put in a lot of effort to draw the attention of the large population of readers towards your ebook. Below is a list of ways that could attract readers to buy your ebooks.

Write Well to Reach Well

A good book is always sought-after by readers across the world. There are many books available that are written just for the sake of publishing, with the content written by writers who have no proper idea about writing a book professionally. Books should be written to satisfy the readers. Readers would look for books that are highly informative as well as entertaining, without any errors or fake information.

Check Thoroughly to Make Sure the Content Is Error-Free

Giving good information alone is not enough--the same should be narrated in an interesting manner. The content should not have any errors. A thorough edit should be performed, possibly by a professional editor, to ensure the content is free from grammatical and spelling errors.

Give a Strong Title and Subtitle

A good title and subtitle are effective tools to catch the eyes of the viewers/readers. Your title and subtitle should contain keywords that would be used by readers to search online. When your book's title could get listed in the initial page of results in a search engine or online bookstore, there are a lot of possibilities for viewers to find your book.

Have an Elegant Cover Page

The cover page is the face of your book. It needs to be professionally designed and exceptionally beautified to catch the sight of viewers amidst a number of ebooks. It should be designed by an expert graphic designer like Ebook Enhancers, who possesses good creativity. The design should be unique, of course.

Publicize Your Ebook

Advertisement is required for marketing as yours is not the only book to be noticed. You have to do a lot of hard work to get your book read and purchased by potential readers. Put the diverse options provided by the self-publishing platforms to work to promote your ebook. Use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn and introduce your book to the public, highlighting its specialties. People always look for something new. So, tell them what is special in your book and how it is different from that of others.

Create a Blog and Your Own Website, Too

Creating a blog as well as owning a website will be highly useful to promote your books. Put your book in a nutshell through a blog post and request that readers get in touch with you to have access to a free sample chapter of the book. Provide the first chapter to enable the readers to go through and get provoked to buy the whole book.

Get Reviews of Your Ebook

Contact professional reviewers and get genuine reviews. Ask readers to share testimonials, too. Enable visitors to your blog/website to view the reviews/testimonials of your book, as readers would prefer to know what others say about the book, prior to purchasing it.

Meet J. J. Hebert, Author and Publisher

J. J. Hebert is the author of the bestselling books Unconventional and Weepy the Dragon. Unconventional has spent time on the Amazon.com Top 100 bestseller list and has also occupied Amazon's #1 spot on the Inspirational and Christian Fiction bestseller lists. Meanwhile, Weepy the Dragon has also found success, spending time atop the Children's Dragon Stories bestseller list at Amazon and frequenting other Amazon bestseller lists.

J.J. is also the founder of MindStir Media, a self-publishing and book marketing company. When he's not busy writing his next book, he's busy helping authors self-publish their work and offering personalized guidance along the way.

1. When it came to getting your own books published, what inspired you to publish through your own company?

I self-published Unconventional back in 2009, before the big self-publishing "boom" that we've seen today. I was originally represented by a literary agent. The agent's job, as many know, is to shop a manuscript around to major publishers and secure a deal. I had my agent for about six months and we decided to split amicably... My writer friends encouraged me to try self-publishing. At that point, I felt like self-publishing was my "last resort." After much hard work on my end, Unconventional went on to become an Amazon.com bestseller. I've sold over 100,000 copies to date. After seeing the success of that novel, I decided to go ahead and self-publish Weepy the Dragon, a children's picture book I had written many years before. I didn't bother pursuing traditional publishing this time. I went straight to self-publishing as a "first resort."

2. Do you find that most of the sales of your books have come online, or do you also sell a number of books in person at events and in brick and mortar bookstores?

I'd say over 90% of my sales have come from online retailers such as Amazon.com. As a self-publishing author, I realize that in-store/brick-and-mortar distribution is very difficult to secure. Most chain bookstores work almost exclusively with traditionally published books. Thankfully, for the self-published author, most people buy books online nowadays--so there is a very large market for selling books online.

3. Why did you decide to reach out to authors through MindStir Media?

After the initial success of Unconventional, authors actually started contacting me for help. They essentially wanted to pick my brain and understand how I had achieved that level of success. Of course, I can never guarantee a certain level of success for anyone, but the marketing tools and strategies I used on my own books are proven and have done wonders for my career. I ultimately decided to open MindStir Media to the public in order to professionally assist authors throughout their self-publishing journey.

4. In addition to actually publishing your clients' books, what are some of the services you provide for authors?

MindStir Media offers what I call assisted self-publishing. Many authors see the term "self-publishing" and think they have to do everything themselves. MindStir actually offers full-service publishing services such as book design, illustration, professional editing, printing, ebook conversion, distribution, and marketing. I also personally mentor each MindStir Media author.

5. As you touched on earlier, a lot of self-publishing authors feel they have to totally "go it alone." What are some of the reasons that you would recommend that authors collaborate with other people in getting their book on the market?

Self-publishing authors need to remember that they are competing with traditionally published titles. Those titles are professionally edited, designed, and marketed. A serious self-publishing author needs to focus on quality above all else. This means hiring an editor and designer, and even collaborating with a marketing expert/team if possible. There are instances where an author is also a professional graphic designer, and in those cases it makes sense for the author to design his/her own book, but an author should always hire a professional editor. Assisted self-publishing is perfect for authors who want the extra hand-holding and advice. There's no shame in an author assembling a team around him/her. It makes a lot of sense to surround a book with professionals. In my opinion, this gives it a better chance to succeed.

Thanks, J.J.!

Meet Sheri Meshal, Novelist

Sheri Meshal spent most of her childhood on an old farm in Iowa. A minimalist, Sheri currently lives in Chicago sans furniture with her dog, Kylee and her roommate and fellow writer, Mack Oliver. When she isn't writing, she's traveling and spending time with her nieces and nephews every chance she gets. Chokecherry is her second book.

Learn more about Chokecherry on Sheri's website, and by watching the book trailer below.

Sheri also visited this blog in December of 2012 following the release of her first book, Swallowtail.

1. I remember the story of your first book's journey to publication. What was different in your experience of seeing your second book to publication?

There's such a massive learning curve when you become an indie author, but I have to admit the second time around was easier. I felt more comfortable and confident in my marketing endeavors, along with shooting the cover and all that. It felt good, right.

2. The main character of Chokecherry is a writer: what do you have in common with your protagonist, and where do your lives diverge?

So funny you should ask! I love what I often refer to as "deliciously flawed characters." I wanted explore writing about a truly broken protagonist mending herself. Dana is about as broken and flawed as they come, so much so, some readers have a hard time relating to her. Luckily they all love Stu so much that they cut Dana some slack. Anyway, imagine my horror when readers and fellow writers began asking how much of Dana was me and telling me how they could see me in Dana--yikes! It was daunting at times writing in first-person, but Dana is a fictional character.

I said before, though, I suppose there's probably a little of me in all of my characters, even the dogs. I will admit I do write myself well, but not the way Dana does. When I can devote six or eight straight hours to a chapter, I feel my life comes back into balance. I've never spent any time in a psych ward. I do love me a good farm, though.

3. How important is setting (from Queens to rural Iowa) in your book?

I love writing about places I know well. I've never been to Queens, but Chokecherry is a real place, our old family farm from my childhood. Today it looks nothing like I remember. Sadly, it's completely unrecognizable. It was a lot of fun putting everything back the way I liked it and then some. I feel like writing about places I know well gives me so many layers to work with, which allows me to bring much more detail to the setting and really breathe life into it.

4. Do you believe that writing--and other art forms--can save us in the face of personal crisis?

I do believe writing can save us. I've written myself into a much better state of mind many times. I will say journaling doesn't always do that for me, but writing fiction does. I suppose that's where the healing element of Chokecherry began. I thought it would be so neat to have somewhere to go to reconnect with nature, art, words, animals, and music to help heal one's heart after a tragedy. Such places probably exist, but it seems like such a luxury that I could only imagine it as something magical like Chokecherry.

5. How do you balance your day job with your writing life?

I don't do a very good job of balancing my day jobs with my writing life. I worked ten hours marketing at the dental office yesterday and fourteen hours driving the limo today. I was too tired to write, even when I found little pockets of time. It's weeks like these when I worry I may never get to write full time. I'm a pretty positive person, but the indie market has become so saturated; my experience launching Chokecherry has been completely different from Swallowtail. Both were really well-received, but there are just too many books out there now. I had to laugh when another writer quoted the old Pogo cartoon, "I have been to the mountaintop and seen the enemy. It's us." It's true to a degree. Many of us became fed up with the big six publishing houses taking years to make decisions, so we took matters into our own hands... millions and millions of us. Amazon doesn't take books off the shelves like brick and mortar stores do. All those indie books--the good, the bad and the ugly--are there forever. Readers are drowning in them. I just have to keep writing. I've tried not writing. I never last very long.

I recently had a great visit with author, Beth Hoffman. She's the neatest person. We're both farm girls who'd written stories about healing farms, so we had a lot to talk about. I confided that I wish I had more patience in my writing, but I always feel I rush too much. Her response? "Don't you think that's probably because you're working two jobs while writing novels?" I had to laugh. It was like I'd been struck in the head with a bolt of lightning. I can't believe that never occurred to me. Yet I fantasize all the time about taking a month off of work just to write, so some part of me must know how much better my writing could be if I just had more time. I always say my writing is nowhere in the ballpark of where I want it to be. Then again, it might be at the hotdog stand, but I need it on the pitcher's mound before I leave this world. I'm determined to find more time to write. That's the only way it's ever going to get there.

I've got to say, my readers really keep me going. I am constantly blown away by the fantastic things readers have to say about my books. For the first year, most of my reviews brought me to tears.

Thanks, Sheri!

An Engaging Blog from Author Kim Welsman

You may recall the interview I did with Kim Welsman last month; she writes fiction and is hard at work on a series of science fiction novels. Kim has been making regular posts to her blog, a writer's path, and after revisiting her blog this week, I wanted to recommend it as an engaging and reflective blog that authors and readers alike will enjoy.

Kim gives us insight into her writing process as well as the process her work takes to publication. Recently she has been posting about the steps toward publishing Going Back, which is Book 3 in her Alien Encounters series. Her posts talk about the editorial process, including choosing cover art for the book. In fact, her latest post welcomes reader input on the cover design for her book if you'd like to weigh in!

As a writer, I'm always telling myself I need to do more work to maintain my personal blog, and Kim's blog is a great inspiration for me! I hope you'll take a moment to check out her blog.

Meet Deborah Woodard, Poet and Translator

Deborah Woodard was born in New York City and grew up in Vermont. She currently lives in Seattle, where she earned a doctorate in English at the University of Washington, writing her dissertation on American women Early Modernist poets and the romance plot. A widely published poet and translator, Deborah's most recent book is Borrowed Tales, released by Stockport Flats in 2012. Currently, she's researching the Triangle Factory Fire of 1911 for a projected new collection of poems.

1. Do you remember hearing/reading/writing poetry as a child, and can you identify a point in your life when you started to think of yourself as a poet?

I have a vague memory of my mother reading a poem by John Keats to me. It was probably "Ode to a Nightingale," or perhaps "The Eve of St. Agnes." I didn't write poetry as a child. I wrote strange little stories once a year or so. In the back of my mind, I worried that that rate of production felt like enough to me, psychically. Now, I have finally written a whole book of strange little stories, Borrowed Tales.

2. As someone who has studied with great poets such as Charles Simic and someone who has taught poetry for many years, what do you find to be some of the most effective methods of teaching the art/craft of poetry writing?

It all comes down to encouragement and stimulation. For the last several years, I've taught "writing alongside" hybrid reading and writing classes at The Richard Hugo House, a literary and performance center in Seattle. I teach authors who I want to read, or reread, myself: Emily Dickinson, William Blake, Allen Ginsberg, and so on. This winter, I offered "Reading alongside Local Poets," and that really seemed to galvanize the group. The local poets visited the class, and we used their books as texts. Although, here in Seattle, we're inundated with poetry events and "opportunities," somehow sitting down with the poets for a candid exchange in a small group made a difference. In the last class session, I had students do individual timelines--in pictures--of how they saw the next stretch of their writerly lives proceeding. The results were amazing!

3. What first inspired you to study Italian, when did you become interested in doing translations, and how did your interest evolve into publishing the work of Amelia Rosselli?

Since I never learned to speak any of the languages I studied in school, it took me a long time to end up in an Italian class, I confess. I went to Italy after college, and, as I was a poor traveler, did not get out of Italy, except for a couple of brief forays. After completing my doctorate in English at the University of Washington, I studied Italian "properly," with Giuseppe Leporace, with whom I began translating Rosselli. (As for translating poetry, I'd done a bit, here and there.) Rosselli's first book, Martial Variations, was in a bundle of books a friend of mine in Rome discarded from her library and sent to me for reading practice. I stowed the books in a sideboard, and eventually, pulled out Rosselli, translated a few poems, and got Giuseppe on board. We always intended to publish her, I think, but we worked without publishing rights for many years. Eventually, Chelsea Editions invited us to submit a manuscript, and The Dragonfly: A Selection of Poems, 1953-1981 was the result.

4. Who are some of the individuals that readers will recognize in your book, Borrowed Tales, and do the poems speak in the characters' first-person voices or...?

Hamlet, who opens the collection, and then perhaps McGuffey, who compiled the primers of the same name. I adapted his stories in poems like "Anna's Nettle" and "The Little Violet Merchant." Those poems are fun to perform, almost like little plays. Also, there is a "Deborah" section. Some characters speak in first person, and some do not.

5. In seeking publication for your work, how do you find the best publisher for each unique project?

Small steps can lead to compatible publishers. I republished my little riddle chapbook with Bear Star Press after I was a finalist in their contest. This led to a longer chapbook publication with them, and, eventually, to my first full-length collection, Plato's Bad Horse. The Rosselli translation was picked up by Alfredo de Palchi of Chelsea Editions after Giuseppe and I brought out ten poems in de Palchi's journal, Chelsea. Most recently, Borrowed Tales was picked up by Stockport Flats for their new Confluence Series after I published several poems in an anthology of theirs, American Ghost: Poets on Life after Industry. I liked the look of Stockport Flats' books, and I could visualize my long-lined borrowed tales in their format. Artist Heide Hinrichs designed the cover, basing it on an image from her "Borrowed Tails" show at the Seattle Art Museum. I was then given the better part of a year to revise my manuscript, for which I was most grateful. By the way, Heide and I had previously collaborated on a self-published chapbook, Hunter Mnemonics. One thing leads to another! (Not necessarily quickly, of course; as writers we have to be patient.)

Thanks, Deborah!

And thanks to Kayt Hoch for the photo of Deborah's books!