Interview with a self-publisher
Books published by independent authors.
What follows is an interview with me, Kim Catanzarite, which Dawn Colclasure conducted for The SPARREW Newsletter, July 2022 edition.
1. What can you tell me about your experience as a writer?
Like many writers, my first desire to write occurred in childhood, but I thought people were born Shakespeare. I didn’t think it was something anyone could pursue. I took my first creative writing course at college and was immediately hooked.
2. What made you decide to write a book?
I started writing literary fiction, short stories. In my mid-twenties, I read an interview with Ann Patchett and she mentioned that she wrote her first novel because, and I’m paraphrasing from an old memory here, writers needed to write a novel if they want to get anywhere, career wise. So, even though I didn’t think I could do it, I made an attempt.
3. What circumstances brought you to the decision to self-publish your book?
At 28, I actually landed an agent for my first completed novel. But my agent didn’t sell the book, and I was more than willing to let it go, convinced my next novel would be better. It wasn’t. My agent and I parted ways after that. Over the years, I continued to write novels, but I kept to myself with the attitude that writing was something I did for myself and maybe one day I’d be good enough. I went to conferences once a year and received positive feedback from agents and editors, but nothing sparked their interest enough. When I wrote They Will Be Coming for Us, I was tired of trying to land an agent. So when the first twenty-five or so queries resulted in only one agent asking for three chapters (it was my dream agent, which was nice), I was ready to leave querying behind.
My first fifty pages had won an award in a regional contest, and in other contests, judges gave it high marks and said things like, “I wanted to keep reading!” I took the book through the editorial process, through beta readers and professional editors, and based on their feedback I truly felt it was ready. The first professional review They Will Be Coming received was a starred review from BlueInk. Kirkus liked it too. I was ready.
4. What has your experience as a self-publisher been like?
Eye-opening. Glorious. Frustrating. And everything in between. I knew it would be. About fifteen years ago, I edited a book on self-publishing (I’m a freelance editor) and when I finished, I said to myself, “There’s no way I could do this!” But technology has come a long way since then, and it’s a lot easier to self-publish than it was a decade ago.
It’s kind of like parenthood. You think you know what it’ll be like, but you have no idea until you’re living that life. It’s definitely a challenge. That said, nothing beats seeing your book in print and having complete strangers tell you they loved it.
5. How do you respond to the negative stigma attached to self-publishing and self-published books?
There’s still a stigma, no doubt about it. But enough very good writers have self-published at this point that everyone knows some self-published books are awesome. A lot of people who haven’t taken the time to put their manuscripts through a vigorous editorial process—who haven’t done their best to create a quality product—aren’t doing anything to fade the stigma, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
6. What is one very important lesson you have learned as a self-publisher?
Writing and bringing the book itself to fruition really is the easiest part! Marketing isn’t some magical thing that “just happens.”
7. What do you know now about self-publishing that you wish you knew at the beginning?
This is a long game. As a self-publisher, you’re going to have to write several books if you want to make a successful career of it. (Which is no different from what most traditionally published authors do.) You’re a writer, but you can’t just write; you have to learn how to sell. In order to continue writing those masterpieces, you’re going to have to make a concerted effort at marketing. Again, it’s not going to “just happen.”
8. A lot of authors of self-published books have reservations about promoting and marketing their book. Some even feel that it is a form of vanity or self-importance. What is your opinion about this?
It’s not a matter of vanity or self-importance. You only have to promote and market if you want many people to buy and read your book. If you don’t care about the book getting read and you don’t care about making money from the book, then you don’t have to promote or market. It’s a decision you have to make.
9. How do you promote your books and what form of book promotion has worked the best for you?
I’ve dabbled in many forms of promotion and want to dabble in many more. I’ve had some luck with FREE book promos via Kindle Select. Advertised by a quality e-newsletter—for instance, Fussy Librarian or Freebooksy—a FREE book promo helps you sell the other books you’ve written, the books in your backlist. If readers like Book 1 enough, they’ll buy Book 2 or read it on Kindle Unlimited. After doing a FREE promo, I usually get many page reads on KU. If you only have one book, FREE promos will help readers discover you and get to know your brand.
10. What are some other important things you have learned as a self-publisher?
I’ve learned that creating content is something that takes a lot of time and creative energy, so if you’re going to start a blog or vlog or podcast, you need to make sure it’s something you really want to do, and enjoy doing. Since you have to post regularly in order for your content to do the job of drawing attention to you and your books, you’ll feel like you’re doing it all the time, almost like a part-time job—one of your many part-time jobs as a self-publisher.
Another thing I learned is that once you self-publish, you actually won’t have as much time for writing. Creating content, running promotions, seeking out opportunities for in-person events, and all the other tasks you have to do will take time. So, you’ll need to block out hours for writing. Self-publishing throws you deeper into the writing/book world, but you’ll be doing things other than writing. It’s kind of a paradox.
11. Do you feel that self-publishing is a viable choice for other authors?
It’s a viable choice for anyone who is willing to learn what goes into producing a quality book. If you’re willing to take your book through a rigorous editorial process (beta reading, various phases of editing, proofreading), then do what needs to be done to turn it into a book (hire a cover designer, work out the page design, proof again), and then promote and market it, self-publishing is a viable option. If you write a book, slap any old cover on it, don’t bother to design the pages, and throw it on Amazon, that’s self-publishing too, but you may not sell any books. If you hope for your book to sell to the masses, you have to create a quality product.
12. How do you feel that self-publishing their books has helped many unknown authors finally get the recognition their books deserve?
Some extremely popular books have fallen through the traditional book-publishing cracks partly because the trads prefer to publish safe bets. They also shy away from cross-genre stories because they’re harder to market. My books fall into the cross-genre category. They are sci-fi love story thrillers, and I can attest to it being more complicated to market them (though not impossible). That said, a good, well-written story is going to sell no matter what. If a self-publisher tries hard enough, she can find her readership. She’ll have to make the extra effort, but that’s to be expected. I’m very glad there’s a self-publishing option in the world. I’ve enjoyed my publishing journey, and I have no regrets.
*This interview first appeared in The SPARREW Newsletter July 2022.
NEW BOOK RELEASE
FROM JACQUELINE BOULDEN
Her Past Can't Wait is a gripping novel of suspense about resilient women fighting back, protecting each other, and healing.
Emily Archer has been promoted to a top position at the advertising agency where she works, but her successful life starts falling apart when she is forced to take time off for slapping an important client who groped her at his company's event. She begins working with a psychotherapist who specializes in a treatment called EMDR to understand the anger and frustration that have been building up inside of her and causing flashbacks that jolt her awake in the night. Emily peels back the layers of her memory and reveals a devastating childhood trauma she'd buried deep in her subconscious.
Realizing the person who betrayed her trust may be targeting others, she sets out to prevent him from harming anyone else. But does Emily have the courage and tenacity to take down a well-known celebrity? And can she stop him before he comes after her?
JACQUELINE BOULDEN has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember. She’s wanted to write a novel ever since she stayed up all night in high school because she couldn’t sleep until she read the ending of Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy. The reality of earning a living and a love of news sent her off to Utica University where she received a B.A. in journalism and public relations. Then she made several career moves around the country covering politics in Washington, D.C., NASA and the space shuttle program in Florida, and fighting the wind for control of her hats during live shots in blizzards and hurricanes while working in Philadelphia. Following her Emmy-winning career in TV news, she worked as a writer and producer of educational, corporate, and documentary videos—adding several Telly awards to her name. She lives in upstate New York with her spouse and their rescue dog, who’s teaching them how to speak Beaglish. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9V5ZNT9
