Blog Ring of Power Interview with Christine Fonseca

This week's Blog Ring of Power interview is Christine Fonseca.  You can read part one on Sandra Ulbrich Almazan: Speculative Fiction Author  blog. 

Today Christine Fonseca is a guest here on The Write Time.  She is talking about life as a writer.  So Christine, welcome to The Write Time.  Lets get down to the questions shall we?

What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine? Do you use pen and paper or computer? Work at home or at the library/Starbucks, etc. 

I follow a somewhat regular writing routine that typically consists of doing the business end of writing first thing in the morning before I head out to my day job, and immediately after work in between taxiing kids around. The evenings and weekends are dedicated to whatever project I have going on at the time (and right now there are a TON). I write on my laptop, mostly. Though, with a recent career change and less time for drafting, I have discovered that I can draft in 15 minute increments (one scene, or part of one scene) on my iPad. So I am doing a lot more of that now, trying to squeeze in any available time for drafting (which is my least favorite part of the process, can I just say). As for where I work…anywhere and everywhere I can. At home, in my car, at the library, and yes, in my writing cave at Starbucks. I will say that my writing cave (aka Starbucks—any Starbucks with an available plug) is probably my fav. Not sure why, but it is. Especially on a Friday or Saturday night.

How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life? 

This is a constant challenge/battle for me. I have a very demanding day job, two very active kids, and a fabulously supportive husband. I have learned that I need to get in a 20 minute walk as often as possible, as well as 30-60 minutes of meditation, just to stay balanced and on top of everything. The only way it all fits is to establish routines, and be diligent about following them. I do try to take mini vacations from both writing and the marketing end of things periodically—just for my sanity. Remembering to do this really helps keep me in balance.

When do you write?  

Ha! Anytime I can!!! No seriously, I used to be a 9pm writer. But the day job got more and more hectic and I found that I just didn’t have the energy to write at night like I used to. Then I tried 4:30 am, but yea. Nope. Now I draft whenever I can. 15 minutes in between meetings, 15 – 20 minutes morning and night. 15 minutes waiting for the Teen to get out of a swim meet. Literally any time I can. And, the faster I draft, the sooner I can move on to edits (which is my favorite part of the process). When I am under deadline, I will write immediately after work and early in the morning on the weekends. Fortunately, I have a husband and kids that totally understand the time I need to get things done. They are more than supportive when deadlines are approaching.

How much time per day do you spend on your writing? 

It really varies, based on my deadlines. For the last two months I have been in promotion mode, so all my “writing” time has been spent blogging, writing up interviews, etc. Times like that usually equates to a couple of hours a day, 5 days a week or so. Next week I need to start drafting a short story AND book 2. That will mean increasing the writing time to 2 hours (minimum) daily during the week, and 4-5 hours daily on the weekend until it is done. And over Spring Break I will probably write/draft/edit 4 or 5 hours a day, with one or two days off to play at the beach! 

Other than your family, what has been your greatest source of support?  

My writerly BFFs have been a HUGE source of support throughout my writing career. From listening to me whine, to talking me off the ledge, to brainstorming with me, I know that I would be nothing in this business without them!

Media Sheet for Lacrimosa

Short Blurb for LACRIMOSA

As if casting out demons isn’t hard enough, five-hundred-year-old Nesy has to masquerade as a teenage girl to do it. Nesy is the best of the warrior angels called Sentinals. She never makes mistakes, never hesitates, never gets emotionally involved. Until she meets Aydan.  

He is evil incarnate; a fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate.  But she can’t, because he’s also the love of her former life as a human girl—a life that ended too soon, tying her to emotions she was never supposed to feel.

Now Nesy must choose between doing her duty—damning Aydan to the fiery depths of hell—or saving him, and condemning herself. 

Author Endorcement(s):

“LACRIMOSA reaches out, grabs readers by the heart, and takes them on an emotional journey from the first page to the last. The last novel you’ll need to read to understand true sacrifice.”

~Elana Johnson, Author of POSSESSION

Availability:

Publisher: COMPASS PRESS

ISBN: 0984786368 (ISBN 13: 9780984786367)

Hardback and Digital formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and fine retailers.

Hardcopy buy link, Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Lacrimosa-Christine-Fonseca/dp/0984786368/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

Hardcopy buy link, Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lacrimosa-christine-fonseca/1109329729?ean=9780984786367

Kindle buy link– http://www.amazon.com/Lacrimosa-Requiem-Series-ebook/dp/B007HEVTS4

Nook buy link -  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lacrimosa-christine-fonseca/1109329729?ean=2940013923256

Additional Titles in the series include DIES IRAE (a Requiem Novella), LIBERA ME (Oct 2012) and REQUIEM (March 2013).

Jpeg cover URL – http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g433/Christine_Fonseca/LacrimosaNesysmall.jpg

Jpeg headshot URL - http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g433/Christine_Fonseca/ColorAuthorpic-med.jpg

The book trailer can be seen by linking to YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwTQoOFKEZg

About Christine Fonseca

School psychologist by day, critically acclaimed YA and nonfiction author by night, Christine Fonseca believes that writing is a great way to explore humanity. Her debut YA Gothic series, The Requiem Series, including DIES IRAE and LACRIMOSA, examines the role of redemption, sacrifice and love. Her nonfiction titles include 101 SUCCESS SECRETS FOR GIFTED KIDS and EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS.

When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can be sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter. Catch her daily thoughts about writing and life on her blog.

For more information about Christine Fonseca or the series, visit her website – http://christinefonseca.com or her blog http://christinefonseca.blogspot.com. 

Okay, here's the schedule for Christine - this was the old questinnaire so it will be another slice and dice job:

Part 3: The Creative Process - Wednesday, May 2nd @ Terri
Part 4: The Technical Aspects - Thursday, May 3rd @ Teresa
Part 5: About Your Current Work and The Business Aspects - Friday, May 4th @ Emily

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Publishing Interveiw with Terri Bruce Part V

Today we conclude with Terri's five part interview on the world of Publishing with a small press.  Also stop by E. M. LaBonte's The Realms of a Fantastical Mind.  Part V of our two pronged interview wraps up on her blog as well.

You can read the start of this interview here at Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

Don't forget to check out Terri's interview over on Em's Blog


Thanks for talking and helping us all understand the ins and outs of a Small Press Terri!

You mentioned distribution—what distribution channels does Eternal Press use? I've seen complaints from authors who say they never sold any books while they were with Eternal Press, which proves that Eternal Press doesn't have the right type of distribution connections.

There are a lot of factors that determine whether or not a book sells, distribution is just one. The amount of marketing an author does is another. One of the reasons that I chose EP was for their distribution, which is quite large for a small press: they use Lightning Source as their distributor, which puts their books into the Baker and Taylor and Ingram catalogs and they accept bookstore returns, which makes their books available to libraries and bookstores.

By and large you aren’t going to find huge differences between publishing offers that result in a “good” and a “bad” offer. Instead you’ll find different shades of “good.” Of the three publishers interested in my work, one paid the standard “large publisher” sliding scale royalty rate that starts at 15% and sells a lot of books in my genre. However, this publisher didn’t accept bookstore returns and didn’t offer an advance. The other two had expanded distribution channels, offered much higher royalty rates, accepted bookstore returns, and one of them offered small (mostly token) advances, but neither specializes in my genre. All three offers were good and each had its particular merits. I gave each one careful consideration and chose the one I thought was best for me and my book, but, honestly, any one of the three would have been a good deal and I would have been happy to accept any of them.

I’ll talk about some other factors to consider that can be the telltale sign of a downright bad offer or bad company to work with. (This can all be found on Em's Blog.)

Biography:

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats. Her first novel, HEREAFTER—a contemporary fantasy about a woman’s search for redemption in the afterlife—will be released by Eternal Press later this year. Visit her on the web at www.terribruce.net.

Connect with Terri:

Website/Blog: http://www.terribruce.net

Goodreads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8244272-terri-bruce

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100003716022408

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Terri-Bruce-Fan-Page/325830544139030

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@_TerriBruce

RSS Feed: http://www.feeds.feedburner.com/Terribrucenet

HEREAFTER

Coming August 1, 2012 from Eternal Press

Thirty-six year old Irene Dunphy didn't plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night of bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on Earth as a ghost, where food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the only person who can see her is a fourteen year old boy-genius who can see dead people, thanks to a book he found in his school library. This sounds suspiciously like hell to Irene, so she prepares to strike out for the Great Beyond. The problem is, while this side has exorcism, ghost repellents, and soul devouring demons, the other side has three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment. If only there was a third option…

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Publishing Interview with Terri Bruce part IV

What started on Monday is now rolling right along to Part IV here on Thursday.  Thursday's Time Tip will return next week.  Now for the next question in our five part interview series with Terri Bruce

E. M. LaBonte has Part IV of her section of the interview on her blog The Realms of a Fantastical Mind.

You can read the start of this interview here at Part I
Part II
Part III

I am thrilled to be here today to talk about navigating the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of publishing. Many, many wonderful people helped me on my road to publication—sharing information, resources, and their experience—and I jumped at the chance to do the same when Emily and Dean offered me the opportunity.

With so many indie presses, conflicting information, and scam artists out there, Dean and Emily asked me to stop by and talk about what I learned while I was searching for a publisher and why I made the decision to work with a small press with a questionable (internet) reputation.

Why would someone work with a small press instead of just self-publishing? You'd earn a higher royalty rate and have full editorial control.

Again, when comparing different publishing opportunities, one has to look at each opportunity individually (and by that I don’t mean “indie press” as a single option, but ABC press versus XYZ press, regardless of each publisher’s size) and then contrast the pros and cons. When considering different publishing options, there are several factors to look at, which I’ve detailed below. When thinking about self-publishing, consider yourself the publishing house and ask yourself about your capacity in these different areas.

Royalty Rate: this is the amount you make on each book sold. There is plenty of good information on the internet about the various industry standards, which vary by publisher size and by book format (e-book royalty rates tend to be higher than print royalty rates) and authors should familiarize themselves with all of this information. But keep this in mind—the amount of money you actually make from your book(s) depends on a lot of factors—sale price and number of copies sold being the biggest two. A self-publisher may make 75% of the sale price on each copy sold, but only have the marketing and distribution support to sell 100 copies, versus making 15% on each book but having the supports to sell 10,000 copies with a large publisher.

Advance: there’s a lot of misunderstanding about advances—they are basically a salary advance or loan that you don’t have to pay back (though sometimes you do have to pay it back). That is, this is an amount of money paid against future royalty earnings, and you don’t get paid any more money (royalties) until your book has “earned out” the advance. So here’s the thing about advances: they aren’t additional money you make on your book; it’s simply like taking the lump sum lottery payout versus opting for the monthly or yearly distribution. An advance is good for the author in that it ensures that you get paid something for your work. That is, if your book never sells a single copy, then you still got something for it (except in those cases where publishers have demanded the advance back, which have happened). But, if your book has the ability to be a good seller, then you’ll still make the same amount of money through royalties, even if you don’t get an advance. The ability to earn out an advance is usually the critical deciding factor in whether or not a publisher will publish future works by an author and can be a great source of stress.

Distribution: Libraries mostly only order books that are available through two distributor’s catalogs: Baker & Taylor and Ingram. Bookstores mostly only order books that are a) returnable to the distributor and b) are recommended to them by the publisher’s sales rep, which means a self-published book has almost no chance to end up in either place unless the author a) pays for the extended distribution offered through CreateSpace and other such publishers and/or b) contacts bookstores directly and ask them to carry the book on a consignment basis (which means the author buys the books, gives them to the bookstore, and then the bookstore and author split any sales money). Many small presses use Print on Demand services to print books, which means their books are not returnable—which means limited to no bookstore placement. Notice I said “many,” not all. Some small presses do take returns, even if they use Print on Demand. Eternal Press, for instance, does accept returns. Library placement depends on both placement in the Baker & Taylor or Ingram catalog and reviews. Libraries tend to stock books that are “hot titles”—they’re popular and frequently requested/widely read.

Now, having said that, here’s another secret of the publishing industry: for most small press and self-published authors, sales of print books are a very small percent of their overall sales. Small presses and self-published authors are rockin’ the e-book market and traditional publishers have been slow to follow. So the lack of print book distribution is not necessarily the death knell for a book. If you know how to connect with e-book readers and market your book online, then you stand a very good chance of having robust e-book sales to rival or outstrip many print books’ sales.

Cover Art: Look at the publisher’s cover art—do you like the look and feel of it? If you are considering self-publishing, do you have the capacity to produce an eye-catching cover or the funds to hire someone to do it? The truth is, covers sell books and whichever publishing option you choose, you want to be sure you get a great cover.

Editing: Does the publishing house (and, if self-publishing, this means YOU) produce a good quality, error-free product? Do their books look and feel professional and attractive/eye-catching? Even books produced by large publishers can contain errors—in this day and age of trying to reduce costs, editors at big houses are working on multiple books and are being forced to complete the editing process in less and less time. In terms of book quality and craftsmanship, this is an area where many small presses excel—they take the time to produce craftsman quality books, because these are people who genuinely love books. Use the “look inside” feature on Amazon to read a sample excerpt of different publishers’ books to get a feel for quality.

Fit: Publishing houses tend to focus on particular genres—Tor is known for its Science Fiction and Fantasy. Harlequin is known for Romance. Sometimes an editor falls in love with a book that isn’t quite the company’s usual type of material and accepts it for publication anyway. But this can be a problem—romance readers are, by and large, very different from epic fantasy readers, which means the publisher won’t be able to tap into their existing market to sell your book if they stray from their core audience. A small publisher with strong roots in the Sci Fi community is going to have better luck marketing your space opera than Harlequin, despite the fact that Harlequin is much larger.

As you can see, there are so many things to consider—a small press may not pay an advance but will give you more than the six weeks that is standard to make your book a success. One small press may produce so-so covers but may provide the opportunity to sell your books at twelve genre-specific conventions per year (a GREAT marketing/distribution opportunity). A small press may not accept bookstore returns like a large publisher, but using PoD printing ensures your book will never go out of print. A large publisher might insist on having the right of first refusal on future works and a small press may be interested in securing the rights for just this one book. There are pros and cons to ever deal and this is why each one should be evaluated on its own merits, rather than looked at as part of some stereotypical standard. 

Biography:

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats. Her first novel, HEREAFTER—a contemporary fantasy about a woman’s search for redemption in the afterlife—will be released by Eternal Press later this year. Visit her on the web at www.terribruce.net.

Connect with Terri:

Website/Blog: http://www.terribruce.net

Goodreads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8244272-terri-bruce

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100003716022408

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Terri-Bruce-Fan-Page/325830544139030

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@_TerriBruce

RSS Feed: http://www.feeds.feedburner.com/Terribrucenet

HEREAFTER

Coming August 1, 2012 from Eternal Press

Thirty-six year old Irene Dunphy didn't plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night of bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on Earth as a ghost, where food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the only person who can see her is a fourteen year old boy-genius who can see dead people, thanks to a book he found in his school library. This sounds suspiciously like hell to Irene, so she prepares to strike out for the Great Beyond. The problem is, while this side has exorcism, ghost repellents, and soul devouring demons, the other side has three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment. If only there was a third option…

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Publishing Interview with Terri Bruce Part III

Monday started a five part interview on the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Publishing with Terri.
Part II of the interview is here.
Today is Part III
E. M. LaBonte's Realms of a Fantastical Mind has more on publishers today in Part 3 of Terri's fantastic interview.

More from Terri:

I am thrilled to be here today to talk about navigating the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of publishing. Many, many wonderful people helped me on my road to publication—sharing information, resources, and their experience—and I jumped at the chance to do the same when Emily and Dean offered me the opportunity.

With so many indie presses, conflicting information, and scam artists out there, Dean and Emily asked me to stop by and talk about what I learned while I was searching for a publisher and why I made the decision to work with a small press with a questionable (internet) reputation.

I've heard that small presses don't give marketing support/that authors have to do all their own marketing. Is that true?

It’s impossible to make sweeping statements about “traditional publishing” or “self-publishing” as a whole—“traditional publishing means book store placement” or “small presses don’t pay advances.” Publishing houses—and when you self-publish YOU, the author, are the publishing house and need to think of yourself as such—are all as different as individual people. Just as you can’t say “all Asian people” or “all Italian cuisine,” you can’t make broad, stereotypical statements about different publishing models. Evaluate every opportunity—every agent, every publisher—individually.

Now, having said that, it’s time for some painful truths about the publishing world. A contract with a large publishing house doesn’t guarantee your book will ever end up in print and definitely doesn’t guarantee that it’ll end up on bookstore shelves (for two (of many) such tales of woe check out here and here). Publishers evaluate the books and authors in their lists as individually as authors should be evaluating publishing houses. Or, to say it another way: not every book is going to be a breakaway best seller. And until you reach Stephen King or J.K. Rowling status, you aren’t going to have the undivided attention of a big publishing house’s publicist—the publicist will be working on multiple authors’ books at any given time—and, unless the publisher thinks your book is the next big thing, you are only going to get some minimal marketing support. Lissa Warren’s “The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Marketing” provides a fabulous insider’s view of how marketing and publicity work at large publishers. I suggest that every author read that book before they send out a single query letter to ensure realistic expectations.

The truth of the matter is that regardless of publisher’s size, the author will have to do some degree of marketing his- or herself. This is where knowing your goals, your values, and being able to evaluate individual opportunities is critical. Know up front what you are and are not willing to do to promote your book. There’s a pretty standard list of things to be done to promote a book—interviews, blog tours, press releases, giveaways; look at the list and for every publishing opportunity you are considering figure out which of the items they will cover and which you will be expected to cover. And then decide if that’s a good deal for you or not.

One of the reasons I chose Eternal Press is that they do have a dedicated marketing person who writes press releases, submits books for reviews, monitors social media for mentions of EP’s books, and helps coordinates interviews and blog tours. Does that mean I won’t have to do any of those things? Absolutely not! But the same would hold true for a large publishing house as well.

Biography:

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats. Her first novel, HEREAFTER—a contemporary fantasy about a woman’s search for redemption in the afterlife—will be released by Eternal Press later this year. Visit her on the web at www.terribruce.net.

Connect with Terri:

Website/Blog: http://www.terribruce.net

Goodreads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8244272-terri-bruce

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100003716022408

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Terri-Bruce-Fan-Page/325830544139030

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@_TerriBruce

RSS Feed: http://www.feeds.feedburner.com/Terribrucenet

HEREAFTER

Coming August 1, 2012 from Eternal Press

Thirty-six year old Irene Dunphy didn't plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night of bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on Earth as a ghost, where food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the only person who can see her is a fourteen year old boy-genius who can see dead people, thanks to a book he found in his school library. This sounds suspiciously like hell to Irene, so she prepares to strike out for the Great Beyond. The problem is, while this side has exorcism, ghost repellents, and soul devouring demons, the other side has three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment. If only there was a third option…

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Publishing Interview with Terri Bruce Part II

Yesterday Part I of a five part interview with Terri on publishing started here on the Write Time.  Today is Part II of the five part interview.

Em has more on this over at The Realms of a Fantastical Mind.

I am thrilled to be here today to talk about navigating the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of publishing. Many, many wonderful people helped me on my road to publication—sharing information, resources, and their experience—and I jumped at the chance to do the same when Emily and Dean offered me the opportunity.

With so many indie presses, conflicting information, and scam artists out there, Dean and Emily asked me to stop by and talk about what I learned while I was searching for a publisher and why I made the decision to work with a small press with a questionable (internet) reputation.

Why did you decide to work with Eternal Press specifically?

I see many new authors become completely wrapped up in and stressed out believing there is only one right publisher/super awesome publishing deal, and that accepting anything else would be a monumental failure. The truth, however, is that unless you only plan to write one book, you will probably work with many different publishers during your career (see this story about John Grisham for an example). Your work will appear in magazines, anthologies, novellas, novels, and possibly even graphic novels. You may start out with one agent or publisher and then outgrow him/her. The publisher may not want everything you write or some of what you write might be a better fit for another publisher. Your career goals and values may change over time. The world will change and things like self-publishing and e-books will be invented and change the game.

There’s a saying: don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. I had three (smaller) publishers, including Eternal Press, interested in my book and I was starting to get nibbles from agents. I could have held out for that “perfect” offer, but when I looked at what EP was offering, it was a good deal. I think it’s critically important that authors have a set of goals in mind when they begin searching for a publisher and to refer back to that list of goals frequently so they don’t become sidetracked. What is it you really want: is it to make money from your book—if so, how much money and in what time frame? Is it prestige, critical acclaim, validation, peer recognition, to cross an item off your bucket list? All of these things will make a difference as to what a “good” offer will mean to you. And, remember, that list of items might vary by story. I believe that the novel I just sold, “Hereafter,” has commercial potential—it’s a fun beach read. And so I wanted a commercially viable publisher for it (with or without an agent). I also have a future noir in a drawer that I know will never be a commercial success, but I do believe it’s a work of literary merit—when it comes time to seek publication for that, I’m not going to bother looking for an agent. I’m heading straight to micro-presses that specialize in quirky, “thinky” and experimental fiction. 

Continued on Part III

Biography:

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats. Her first novel, HEREAFTER—a contemporary fantasy about a woman’s search for redemption in the afterlife—will be released by Eternal Press later this year. Visit her on the web at www.terribruce.net.

Connect with Terri:

Website/Blog: http://www.terribruce.net

Goodreads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8244272-terri-bruce

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100003716022408

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Terri-Bruce-Fan-Page/325830544139030

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@_TerriBruce

RSS Feed: http://www.feeds.feedburner.com/Terribrucenet

HEREAFTER

Coming August 1, 2012 from Eternal Press

Thirty-six year old Irene Dunphy didn't plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night of bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on Earth as a ghost, where food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the only person who can see her is a fourteen year old boy-genius who can see dead people, thanks to a book he found in his school library. This sounds suspiciously like hell to Irene, so she prepares to strike out for the Great Beyond. The problem is, while this side has exorcism, ghost repellents, and soul devouring demons, the other side has three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment. If only there was a third option…

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Publishing Interview with Terri Bruce Part I

This week will be different on The Write Time.  Terri Bruce is my guest for the entire week.  That is correct, Terri is doing a five part interview, here, and is also on E. M. LaBonte's Realms of a Fantastical Mind, her blog talking about Publishers.  Terri will be talking about the small press.

March 6, 2012 I got an e-mail from Terri:

"OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG....got home tonight and there was an email from Eternal Press: they want to publish my book. I'm...stunned and shocked and thrilled and dazed and confused....I don't know if I'm up or down. My novel is going to make it print (and five digital formats apparently!)!

And after all the drama of 8  months of rejections - I'm home alone tonight, my husband is traveling. No one is picking up the phone...there's no one to tell, no one to celebrate with....well, this is just....boring!!! LOL!" 

 

I can't wait to be in that position.  I'm still chipping away at my ms, and editing and cutting etc.  So I am thrilled to see Terri about to be published.

Terri has proven to know so much and so we talked about her journey and why she went with Eternal Press.  So here is Part One of our five part interview.

I am thrilled to be here today to talk about navigating the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of publishing. Many, many wonderful people helped me on my road to publication—sharing information, resources, and their experience—and I jumped at the chance to do the same when Emily and Dean offered me the opportunity.

With so many indie presses, conflicting information, and scam artists out there, Dean and Emily asked me to stop by and talk about what I learned while I was searching for a publisher and why I made the decision to work with a small press with a questionable (internet) reputation.

Why did you decide to go with an indie press/small publisher?

The three main terms people like to throw around are “traditional publisher,” “indie publisher,” and “self-publishing.” Psst…here’s the first thing you should know: they’re really all versions of the same thing. A bodega and a giant chain grocery store are both grocery stores. Sure, there are key differences from an operations stand point and there are also some key differences from the consumer’s perspective—such as price and selection, but at the end of the day, they’re both grocery stores. People tend to make sharp distinctions between the three publishing models and rather than thinking of them all as, say, cats, people speak as though they are a cat, a dog, and an elephant. When you, the author, do that, you start muddying the water for yourself. It makes it very hard to do an “apples to apples” comparison of publishing opportunities if you’re looking at one of the items as an apple and the other as a sofa.

When I hear authors say they only want to pursue one type of publishing model, to me, that feels like they are saying “I only buy groceries at the grocery store”—which means they never, ever buy any type of grocery item at a place like Sam’s Club or B.J.’s, a convenience store or drug store, or Wal-Mart. Which is ridiculous—of course they do. We all do. You buy your grocery items at whatever place offers the best combination of price, product availability, and convenience. If I need a gallon of milk, I’m going to stop at the convenience store I’m driving past on my way home, rather than drive five extra miles out of my way to go to the big chain grocery store. On the other hand, I’m not going to buy a full week’s worth of grocery items for a family of four at the drug store—first of all, they don’t carry everything I would need, like meat or fresh vegetables, the price would be prohibitively expensive, and they aren’t equipped to check out and bag a large grocery order (can you imagine the look on the other customers’ faces as I wheel my overflowing cart up to the checkout counter?).

So…why did I choose an indie publisher over a traditional publisher or self-publishing? I didn’t. I submitted my manuscript to a variety of agents and publishers (of all sizes) and accepted the first good offer that would best help me meet my goals for this novel—in my case I was lucky because I actually had three interested publishers to pick from. But, at the end of the day, it really came down to picking the best of three perfectly good offers.

Come back tomorrow for Part II.

Pop over to Em's blog to see what Terri has to say about Publishers.

Biography: 

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats. Her first novel, HEREAFTER—a contemporary fantasy about a woman’s search for redemption in the afterlife—will be released by Eternal Press later this year. Visit her on the web at www.terribruce.net.

Connect with Terri:

Website/Blog: http://www.terribruce.net

Goodreads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8244272-terri-bruce

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100003716022408

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Terri-Bruce-Fan-Page/325830544139030

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@_TerriBruce

RSS Feed: http://www.feeds.feedburner.com/Terribrucenet

HEREAFTER

Coming August 1, 2012 from Eternal Press

Thirty-six year old Irene Dunphy didn't plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night of bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on Earth as a ghost, where food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the only person who can see her is a fourteen year old boy-genius who can see dead people, thanks to a book he found in his school library. This sounds suspiciously like hell to Irene, so she prepares to strike out for the Great Beyond. The problem is, while this side has exorcism, ghost repellents, and soul devouring demons, the other side has three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment. If only there was a third option…

Envision Your Vision

Everything that has ever been built has a set of blueprints.  An idea, a dream.

The idea takes shape, a plan is made.

Then with effort, work, and desire the idea slowly evolves into reality.

Set backs come, but that is part of the challenge.  Making a dream come true does not happen overnight.  It takes work, it takes tenacity.  Step by step things take shape until one day the vision becomes a reality.

I've talked with writers who want to publish their books.  I've even published several interviews with writers, and I've joined with several other writer/bloggers in our Blog Ring of Power and done extensive author interviews.  The thing they all have in common is wanting to see their work in print.  They learned their trade. Worked alone, crafted their stories, edited, queried, sent out letters. Waited. Waited.  Waited some more.

 Then success a publisher/agent was interested in their story. 

More editing, more work, but eventually their dream became a reality.

Sticking to the task.  Working when they really didn't want to work.  Just a little more.  Eventally the hard work paid off.  A lot of times the concept and reality don't match up.  But if the dream wasn't envisioned then it would never have become a reality.

So go ahead and dream, but dream big.  Don't be afraid to have big dreams.  If they are to come true the work needed to make them a reality may be hard, but if the dream is worth it, the work needed will be worth it as well.

Everything is created twice.  Once in the mind, and then again in reality.

Follow up on the dreams, learn what it will take to make it come true.  If it is you passion, and you have the drive and if it is something worth pursuing then the dream will be a reality.

Don't quit, never give up.  Stick to it.  Set those goals, put time aside to work on it.  Eventually you will succeed.  Dreams have power.  Use that power to succeed.