Katie has done it again! Even with a new baby, though he's getting big, she's released another book. Stepping out of the Urban Fantasy Realm, Katie is here to help you, Go PublishYourself!
Welcome Katie!
BK: Tell us a little bit
about your new release...
KS: Go Publish Yourself!
will help you avoid the common stumbling blocks and get you on the
road to successful self-publishing. This handy dandy guide is filled
with insider’s tips and tricks, and it will unscramble the world of
self-publishing into simple, easy-to-follow steps.
BK: You have written the
Immortalis Series, an Urban Fantasy, how different was it to write
this book compared to the series?
KS: Writing non-fiction
is a totally different experience. With fiction, you can make up
worlds and design characters. Non-fiction (now this is going to sound
boring, but it’s not) is very straight forward. You lay out the
facts and make them clear for the reader. It’s less imaginary and
more technical. Trying to do it without it reading like stereo
instructions is the where you can add a bit of flair.
BK: Katie also just
released the 4th installment in the Immortalis series, Soulstone,
congratulations Katie :).
KS: Thanks! I’m
thrilled to have that one out! I can’t wait to see what readers
think of it.
BK: What inspired Go
Publish Yourself?
KS: It started as a
collection of blog posts. I spent about 6 months writing on topics
about self-editing, self-publishing, and marketing. The posts were
very popular and the feedback I received was wonderful. It was then
that my editor suggested I put everything together in a nice
easy-to-read format. That’s when Go Publish Yourself took shape.
It’s a handy dandy quick reference guide for all levels of
self-publishers.
BK: What, in your
opinion is the first thing a new author should do before
Self-Publishing?
KS: Well, before
considering self-publishing, you must have a complete manuscript. I
know that sounds a little “Duh,” but it’s a serious step.
Before you even think of sharing your work with the world for profit,
you better be sure it’s ready. It needs to be complete: have a
beginning, middle, and end, as well as be beta tested so-to-speak.
You should have that complete manuscript worked over by a critiquing
group or partner to ensure the story is good and the plot isn’t
full of holes. Self-publishing should only be considered when you
know you have a product to publish first. In other words, don’t
think “Hey, I’m going to write and publish a book,” before
you’ve written the first words.
BK: What is the most
common mistake you see authors do when Self-Publishing?
KS: In my opinion, it’s
forgetting to take that first important step. Having your work looked
at by another person. I can’t stress enough how important it is to
have your work critiqued. Yes, it takes time out of your production
schedule, but having a separate pair of eyes (from a person not
invested in the story or the author… no letting your mom critique
your work) does wonders for your work. A critiquer will spot the plot
holes, the inconsistent characters, and the unbelievable scenarios in
your work that could lead to a bad review. Once they spot them you
can fix them and make the story really shine. Next comes editing and
that is the second biggest mistake I see in self-publishing.
Critiquing and editing are not the same thing but new authors often
treat them as the same. You must have a qualified editor look at your
work after it has been through the critiquing phase. And as you’ll
see in my book, I have a few very reasonably priced editors listed.
It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to produce a good
book.
BK: How often should an
author be marketing their work in a 24 hour period?
KS: I don’t think
it’s a question of actual time spent. It’s more about how you
approach marketing. There are different types of marketing. You have
active marketing. For example, tweeting about your book. That’s the
kind of marketing that should be done sparingly. Just a couple of
times a day (and when I say a couple, I mean 2) It is necessary to
make your work available and link it far and wide, but people tend to
tune that stuff out. Do it too much and it becomes spam and then you
piss off potential readers and they stop following your forever. Then
there is passive marketing. Let’s say I am active on a message
board. In my signature I have a link to my amazon.com page. Every
time I make a post on this particular message board, my signature is
visible. If people like what I say, they may want to check out my
work. They might click the link. That’s the kind of marketing that
people should be focusing on. Connecting with readers on a personal
level and gaining their trust and interest. This blog post is also a
form of passive marketing. I hope that you’ll find it interesting
and informative, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll want to learn more.
=)
BK: Where do you
recommend an author go to publish their work?
KS: That’s really
dependent on what formats they want to be published in. But, for
arguments sake, I’d suggest starting with ebooks and Kindle. Kindle
is one of the easiest to setup and the most widely known of the ebook
devices and Amazon is the biggest etailer out there.
BK: What is one thing
you learned through writing Go Publish Yourself?
KS: That the learning
process never ends. While having my work beta tested, I was able to
see the advice I was giving put into practice. My readers came back
and told me what worked and didn’t. That let me go back and revise
prior to production of the book.
BK: You've recently had
a new baby, Hunter, how do you fit your writing in while juggling
everyday life?
KS: In short – I don’t.
Sadly, I haven’t written anything new since Hunter was born 4
months ago. That’s not to say I won’t get anything written soon,
I just haven’t figured out how to juggle my schedule.
BK: How are you liking
being a Mom all over again?
KS: The jump from one kid
to two has been interesting. I’m a lot more relaxed about having a
newborn in the house than I was when my daughter was little, but
learning to split my attention between two kids has been hard. They
always want my 100% attention to themselves. LoL. But it’s great,
and I love both of my kids.
BK: Please tell us where
readers can connect with you and purchase your works...
KS: You can always find
me on Facebook. I practically live there.
And on my personal
website
or on my publishing site
BK: Katie, as always it's
been a pleasure having you with us. Is there any upcoming projects or
events you'd like to share before we let you get back to your life?
KS: BK thank you again
for having me! I love popping by to chat with you! And I hope to be
back soon with more exciting news. For now, the focus is on Go
Publish Yourself! and Soulstone, but as soon as I have something new
in the works, you’ll be the first to know!
Thank you so much for
taking time out of your busy life to chat with us today Katie. Good
luck in the future and we will continue to look forward to your work.
Self-Publishing
made simple. Get your polished novel ready for Kindle, Nook, or Print
in thirty days or less.
Avoid
the common stumbling blocks and get on the road to successful
self-publishing. This handy dandy guide, filled with insider’s tips
and tricks, will unscramble the world of self-publishing into simple,
easy-to-follow steps.
What’s
in the book?
Common
Misconceptions
The
Business of Self-Publishing
Basic
Costs & Budgeting
Publishing
Formats: Epub, Kindle, Smashwords, & Print
Cover
Art
Interior
Layout
Pricing
Printing
and Distribution
Marketing
Basics: Platform Building, Book Signings, Blog Tours, etc.
And
much more!
Don’t
make rookie mistakes. Learn from an insider!
Katie
Salidas is an author with several successful self-published titles.
Each of her titles was created in the DIY (Do It Yourself) style,
without the aid of author service companies. Through trial and error
she has gained the knowhow to successfully publish print and ebooks.
Go Publish Yourself! has that knowledge assembled into an easy-to-use
format, packed with no-nonsense tips and quick and dirty tricks, so
you can take your novel to the next level.
So,
what are you waiting for? Go Publish Yourself!
I
am Super Mom!
Endowed
with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, I
can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts,
and swim lessons. I can put hot food on the table for dinner while
assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, I still find time
to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). I can do all of this
and still have time to write my novels.
Sorry…
I can’t even write that with a straight face.
Lies
all lies.
Here’s
the reality. I’m a sleep-deprived, overworked, mom who just doesn’t
know the meaning of the word balance. I try so hard to do it all, (be
super mom, wife, & author) and at the end of the day I fall face
forward into the couch.
Yes,
you read that right, I tend to sleep on the couch. It’s a point of
frustration for my hubby and a thing of comedy for my daughter.
Imagine waking up to your little child yelling, “Mom slept on the
couch again!!!”
Because
being supermom (or trying to) means a lot of time devoted to family,
writing is often done when said family is peacefully snoozing away. I
can’t tell you how many times I’ve fallen asleep with my laptop,
on the couch. It just happens. Then, bright and early at 7am either
my hubby (on his way to work) or my daughter (getting ready for
school) wakes me up.
Writing
is my passion. It’s a part of me. More than just a hobby, it’s a
compulsion. I have to do it. If I don’t do at least one writing
related thing each day I get cranky.
Hopefully,
my passion can be your entertainment!
Over
the last two years I have written and published (via my publishing
company, Rising
Sign Books)
