A digital publishing company did a virtual interview with me a few years ago when I started publishing some of my kids books there. And it was sort of a get-to-know you kind of thing. Since you might not know some of these things, and I know your inner curiosity cat wants to find out, here it is. I’ll put the questions in bold font…
What do you read for pleasure?
I love the fiction of writers such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I also thoroughly enjoy reading creation science material.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Currently I use my iPhone and MacBook with reading apps for almost all my e-reading.
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
Word-of-mouth is still the most effective tool. Of course, word-of-mouth has a much farther reach thanks to social media.
Describe your desk
My desk serves two functions…my word writing and my music production. So, I have three laptops with multiple back-up hard drives, and a WiFi printer. Then I have my micro studio mixer attached to two raised studio monitors via a breakout cable. In addition my studio mic is on a boom, there’s a turntable and old cassette player (just in case), my WiFi hub, and oh yeah…my Bamboo drawing tablet for all my digital illustration. (much of that is updated now)
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
My parents split up when I was a small boy, so my younger brother and I spent 9 months a year in Texas during school. And we spent 3 months a year in Kansas during summer vacation. I think this instilled a sense of travel adventure in me, and this has always been an influence on my writing. Also…I’m sure it influenced my conservative worldview.
When did you first start writing?
When I was about 16, I found that my ability to write “poems on demand” got me attention from girls that was normally reserved for the sports guys. I couldn’t play sports in school because of my yearly split schedule between Texas and Kansas. But that didn’t stop me from writing year ’round. And, of course, once I found out girls loved poetry, well what else could I do but take up writing?!
What’s the story behind your latest book?
I can’t say what the story behind my latest book is because I’m still prepping it for publishing. But my next-to-the-latest book is an imaginary adventure that takes place in one night. Some animals and the wind find themselves in a position to save the world from being stuck in “tween”. Twin girls apparently have the power over day and night, and they prefer time to stand still.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
The time and effort required of an author to just maybe get the attention of a traditional publisher is much better spent actually publishing. When you consider that only a fraction of traditionally published authors receive the actual support and backing of the publishers, it only makes sense to cut out the “middle man”.
Also, since you have to do your own marketing either way…again, cut out the “middle man”. With self-publishing I can choose when the book is ready and put it out there. I pick myself instead of waiting for a traditional publisher who’s typically wrong about 95% of the time.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Smashwords has given me the extra distribution power I need without me having to personally figure out and implement multiple formatting models. They make it easy to publish once and distribute virtually everywhere.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Word pictures. Simple as that. Words paint a completely different picture for every reader. It’s fun dipping into the grammar palette.
What do your fans mean to you?
I’m always humbled by someone finding my work interesting enough to pay for it. I’ll never take that for granted. Without anyone else to read my writing it’s just words I dumped out of my brain to make room for the next. Nothing grows. Nothing blooms.
Well, there you go. If you read this far, I owe you a refreshing beverage. And you can put it on my running tab.
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