Guest Post by Janice Hardy

Hello Bloggy Friends!! ^_^

I know it's been a while since I posted last.  It's been a while since I've had any extra time!  But at long last I'm here to post again.  And today is special, because today marks the P&P's first Guest Post! :)

My guest today is Janice Hardy, author of "The Healing Wars" trilogy. You can read my review of her first book, "The Shifter" here: http://theravenquill.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-day-feels-untitled.html

Janice also runs a blog that is very informative as far as the writing process goes.  I often find her posts very inspiring.

So without further delay, I give you Janice Hardy!! :D

Going Both Ways: Outlines for Plot, Pantser for Character

I realized something recently. I’m an outliner all the way when it comes to crafting the plots in my stories. But for my character arcs, I’m a total pantser. I always know where my characters are going, but rarely how they’ll get there.

To me, this is the best of both worlds, especially since I write science fiction and fantasy, which tends to be fairly plot-focused. I can devote as much time as I need prepping my story framework, then turn my characters loose and see what happens. Not only does it allow me to spend more time developing those characters as I write, it keeps the story fresh for me. I never know how things are going to unfold.

Sometimes this does get me into trouble, but that’s half the fun. In my recent teen fantasy, Darkfall, I knew my heroine Nya had to somehow become the leader of a rebellion. The problem? It just didn’t seem plausible for a 15-year-old-girl to find herself in such a position of power and authority. Being part of a rebellion, sure, but leading it? How could I make that plausible?

The plot needed this, so I took a hard look at Nya and tried to figure out what she would do in this situation. The answer was pretty easy—I told her what to do and turned her loose. She’d figure out how to get there.

For three books, Nya has always done what she felt was right to protect those she loves. She’s also quick to jump into trouble, and has one or two hot-button issues that steal all reason right out of her head. So…

Nya’s loved ones in trouble + hot-button issue = Nya acting without thinking.

If she had to end up leading a rebellion, she just had to find herself in a situation that made her act without thinking to save those she loves. I had to put the pressure on her and see how long it took her to crack and try to take over. Because she would do that eventually. That’s just who she is. She’s learned to rely on no one but herself.

Naturally, I finagled a little with the meaning of “leader” to fit the story better and still fulfill my plot vision. Nya as a general in an army didn’t work, but she could very easily be the driving force behind a rebellion, or be the inspiration for one. And considering how much Nya hates to be the center of attention, putting her in the spotlight made for a lot of writing fun for me.

If you’re an outlining panster, (or think you might be) here are some tips on crafting a story with the best of both worlds:

1. Outliner: Pick a few goals for your characters that set the direction you want the story to go in. That’ll give you a framework in which to write.

Pantser: Think about the motives or emotional states of your characters and why they might go after those goals. How a character feels about something will determine how they approach a problem or how they might go about getting what they want.

2. Outliner: Look for the big turning points in the story. Where do your characters need to be when those moments happen? Where do they need to be going forward after that?

Pantser: Look at where your character has come from, who they are at that point in the story, and who they might become in the near future? How might their past affect how they act? What past fears might be affected (or affect) what’s to come in the plot?

3. Outliner: What are the major surprises in the story? The big reveals or secrets? When are they revealed?

Pantser: How blindsided might your characters be? Do they spot the hints or do they miss them? How do they react to the surprises that surprise you? Is there anything in their past that can shake things up even further?

For the pantser half, most of these things you probably won’t know until you get there, but they’re fun things to think about as you write or after you’ve gotten that first rough draft down on paper.  And one last extra outliner/panster tip:

4. Keep asking yourself how your character feels about what’s going on. Where are they at emotionally and mental when they start a scene? Where are they during the scene? Where do they end up at the end of the scene, and how does that affect their choices moving on? You might be following the plot, but it’ll help you develop rich characters to go with that plot.

If you like a little structure to keep you on track, but relish the discovery of an unfolding story, a combo outline/pantser style might be for you.

What’s your style? Why does that style appeal to you? Is there anything about it you’d like to change?

Janice Hardy always wondered about the darker side of healing. For her fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, BLUE FIRE, and DARKFALL from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins.  You can visit her online at www.janicehardy.com or chat with her about writing on her blog, The Other Side of the Story. blog.janicehardy.com.

About Darkfall

War has come.

Nya’s the one who brought it. And the people love her for it.

With Baseer in shambles and Geveg now an impenetrable military stronghold, Nya and the Underground have fled to a safer location—without Tali. Nya is guilt-ridden over leaving her sister behind and vows to find her, but with the rebellion in full swing and refugees flooding the Three Territories, she fears she never will.

The Duke, desperate to reclaim the throne as his own, has rallied his powerful army. And they are on the move, destroying anyone who gets in the way.

To save her sister, her family, and her people, Nya needs to stay ahead of the Duke’s army and find a way to build one of her own. Past hurts must be healed, past wrongs must be righted, and Nya must decide: Is she merely a pawn in the rebellion, a symbol of hope—or is she ready to be a hero?

Interview with Rachel Starr Thompson :D

Today please welcome author Rachel Starr Thompson to the blog.  Thank you for coming Rachel. :D

NW:   So how did reading impact your life as a young child and then into adulthood?

RST:  My dad read to us kids when we were small (Narnia and A.A. Milne poetry, among other things), so reading was always a big part of my life. I read way ahead of my grade level all through the “school” years. Reading was a great way to escape, learn, and fuel my imagination, which was always pretty active! And it still is.

NW:   Did you always love to write?  When you were younger did you always know you were going to be an author – and a published one at that?

RST:  I wrote picture books as a really young kid, and I wrote my first novel when I was 13 or 14 and dallied with the idea of being a writer. I fantasized about being published and famous. But I had a lot of other things I wanted to do too—be a singer, be a missionary, be a scientist. I wasn’t one of those writers who just “knew” this was what I would be doing.

NW:  What are some of your favorite books, Christian or not?  Who are your favorite authors?

RST:   My favourite current authors are probably Jeffrey Overstreet, George Bryan Polivka, and Marc Schooley, who are all amazing with words. Stephen Lawhead was very influential to me as well. I love Annie Dillard, Charlotte Bronte, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Lloyd Alexander, A.A. Milne, George MacDonald, and a lot of old English poets. And of course the Bible, which I really do love as a book and not just as the foundation of my faith, if that makes sense. I’m sure I haven’t named half. I read pretty eclectically.

NW:   When did you decide to write Christian Fantasy rather than any other genre, and what made you decide that?

RST:  Most of the stories going through my head were and always have been fantasy. But I do write other things—I write a lot of devotional nonfiction and essays, and I like more formal kinds of nonfiction as well. Even so, most of the stories that really grab my attention and want me to write them are fantasy. I think I’m attracted to the wonder, the beauty, and the “otherness” possible in such stories.

NW:      Yeah, there's this sense of possibility that is really tantalizing that type of writing.  I love it!

      As you know, different writers have different ideas about how the writing process should work.  Some people like to outline the entire story before they ever start writing, and others prefer sitting down and writing whatever comes to them first right off the top of their heads.  Still other writers like to mix those two different approaches when they decide to write their books.  How do you approach the writing process, and why do you approach it that way?

RST:   I used to do it all by the seat of my pants, but that’s gotten really inefficient, so now I do something in between. I usually have an idea of the beginning and the end, plus a few touchpoints along the way. I write a few chapters to get a feel for the story and then outline the remainder of the book.

NW:      I've started to outline a little bit as well; you're right.  It really does help.

       I haven’t read all of your first book yet – *sheepish smile* -- but I’m enjoying it so far.  I was curious, though, about how this idea came to you and why you chose the characters you did.  Are the names of your characters significant in any way, to you or to your story? Could you tell us a little bit about that?

RST:   The names aren’t significant—names tend to jump into my head fully formed, along with some idea of the characters they belong to, so I just use them as they come. As for the story, it’s a composite of many stories I’ve been telling myself since I was a child. The story idea that eventually became Worlds Unseen was sparked when I was reading about the early Christian reformer John Huss and wondered how the Reformation might have played out in another world or time. But the story went pretty far afield from that original idea.

NW:  You’re cover art is amazing, and I hear that it is the work of your sister.  How awesome is that?!  I was just curious; do you possess similar artistic abilities with a paint brush? And if so, would you ever want to paint your own cover for any of your future books?

RST:   It is pretty awesome; and nope, I don’t. I’ll sketch sometimes just for fun but I have absolutely no talent at it. I do sing.

NW:   Ms. Thompson, you are a published author who writes Christian Speculative Fiction.  I understand you decided to create your own publishing company through which to publish your books, and that the company is called “Little Dozen Press”.  Are there any specific reasons you chose to publish your books this way over publishing them through a traditional house?  Did you ever try to publish your books traditionally before you decided to publish them yourself?

RST:   First, I just wanted to experiment with publishing; and second, I thought putting some of my own work out would be a good way to start building readership. I have many, many manuscripts, and I couldn’t shop them all to traditional publishers at once, so I figured I would independently publish a few. I still intend to pursue trade publishing for other manuscripts.

And no, I never tried to get the trilogy published traditionally. By the time I was really interested in writing more seriously, Worlds Unseen was already close to ten years old.

NW:      Is there a traditional publishing house you prefer to read from over any of the others?

RST:   Well, I am pretty impressed with the speculative fiction being put out by Marcher Lord Press, WaterBrook, and Living Ink (AMG).

NW:  Well, they have some good stuff coming out recently.  Would you ever try to publish one of your books through a traditional house in the future? Why or why not?

RST:   Yes, as I said above. And I would do it because I think I could benefit, as a writer, from the partnership. It would also be easier for me to reach readers in some ways—not that I would expect my publisher to “do all the work for me,” but that they could get books into places I can’t (or at least, I can’t without jumping through some pretty serious hoops).

NW:  So if you could choose, which publishing house would be your preference  for your books and why?

RST:   I don’t think I could name a particular one. I would want a publishing house that really believed in my writing and was willing to work with me to get it out there. And I would like one with some reach outside of the Christian market as well.

NW:   I think I know what you mean.  All important things to consider. 

      

    So, this might be a hard question (it would be if I had to answer it.  :D), but I was wondering about your outlook on the great publishing debate – self publishing vs. Traditional Publishing.  How do you think Self Publishing and e-publishing effect the traditional market for Christian Speculative Fiction, and why do you think that?

RST:   That is a big question. Indie and e-publishing are affecting everything right now—in different ways. Many Christian spec fic readers are online, so indie publishers have unprecedented ability to reach them. On the other hand, traditional publishers still demand a level of excellence from writers and command a level of trust from readers that self-publishers don’t necessarily have.

NW:   How good do you think the chances are for a new CSF writer to self publish and “make it” in today’s market?

RST:   You would have to define “make it.” Can you self-publish your work and make a few hundred dollars a year, or even a few thousand? Yes; I’m doing it. Can you self-publish your work, quit your job, and retire to Hawaii? Probably not. But it depends on how hard you work and how savvy you are at the business end of things.

NW:   It seems to me that it can be difficult to find good Christian Speculative Fiction books in today’s traditional book market.  Many people already know that traditional publishing houses are struggling against the economy, along with this new demand for e-books and digital downloading, not to mention the rise of POD publishing and self-publishing.  And of course there is online shopping with Amazon, B&N, and the e-book store “Smashwords”.  Just out of curiosity, what do you think is going to happen with Traditional Publishing houses in the near future?  Will they make a comeback, or fall to the ease of POD?

RST:   It’s actually a misnomer to pit “POD” against “traditional publishing houses.” POD, or Print-On-Demand, is a technology, and many publishers—even major ones—already use it. (Marcher Lord Press, which I mentioned earlier, is able to exist as a small, extremely specialized press for Christian spec fic only precisely because they use POD technology and untraditional methods of distribution.) Likewise, e-publishing is not a threat to them; rather, it’s another way for them to put out their titles and reach readers. I think there is going to be a lot of change, but I don’t think the “traditional publisher” will disappear. The lack of quality control among self/subsidy-publishers is one of the reasons for this. Readers and reviewers, for good reason, trust big publishers.

NW:  Hmmm.... very true.   What is your outlook on e-books?  What do you think will happen to the paper book trade in the near future?

RST:   I don’t think paper books will go away. Even if most people switch to e-reading (which could happen), POD makes it possible to keep paper books cheaply available for those who want them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get more expensive over time. And yes, I think we’ll see a lot more people e-reading in the next few years.

NW:   I’ve heard different views on Self Publishing Vs. Traditional Publishing.  One common myth around the writing world is that it’s a bad idea to self publish because an author would be starting at the very beginning without a way to build a following.  I’ve seen strong evidence against such a claim and your books easily suggest such evidence, but I was curious about your point of view on the matter?

RST:   Actually, if you put out good work (and plenty of it), I think self-publishing is an excellent way to start building a following. As I’ve already said, that was one of my key reasons for publishing my trilogy. I can find readers and get my work into the world this way. However, self-publishing WELL requires business savvy and commitment. Mind you, those things will be really helpful to a traditionally published author as well.

NW:   If it’s not too bold to ask, how are your books doing in today’s market?

RST:  Not too bad :). But it depends on what your expectations are. I certainly don’t sell in anything like major numbers. But I make a bit of money, connect with readers, and get good reviews, so I think they’re doing well. Sales and readership have steadily picked up each year.

NW:   I know that marketing is an important part of publishing a book, and it’s especially important if you decide to self publish because then you are almost solely responsible for marketing and publicizing, not to mention editing, formatting, and deciding on cover art before the book even goes to print.    While this amount of responsibility may seem daunting to some writers, there is certainly an alluring sense of freedom and control that can also come with such responsibilities.  Is there any advice you can give writers contemplating self publishing that would help them in these areas of the publishing process?

RST:   Yes: Do Your Research. And if you can’t do something well, hire someone to do it. Your book is your business card. It’s your public face. Make it something you wouldn’t be ashamed to have a major publisher look at.

NW:   Is there anything you did while publishing your books that you regret?

RST:   Well, when I first got started, I didn’t do my homework! So I wasted a bunch of time (and a little bit of money) because I didn’t know what I was doing. Education is always worth the time it takes.

NW:   Is there anything you did while publishing your books that you ended up being proud of or surprised by?

RST:   I requested endorsements for my book on the Lord’s prayer and got a really good one from Michael Phillips, who is a pretty well-known Christian author. He said “This book is not merely a job well done, though it is that, it is truly a significant contribution to the devotional literature on the Lord’s Prayer. I thought it was one of the best things on the Lord’s Prayer I have read–not a study or an exposition, but a true devotional experience based on Jesus’ prayer.” So that was pretty cool.

NW:  That is cool... and that's a truly epic review!  :D  Is there anything you feel able to talk about that you are planning to do in the future to further your books in the publishing market?

RST:   As I’ve said, I’d like to get into trade publishing at some point. Right now, I’m concentrating on getting the trilogy out to more readers via online marketing and relationship-building.

NW:   What is your outlook on social networking and blogging in furthering the market for your books?  How does it affect your following?  If you could start from the very beginning again, would you do anything differently than you are now?

RST:   In the Internet age, “marketing” is just a fancy word for “building relationships.” And social media makes it really easy to do that. If I could start over again, I would concentrate on my Facebook PAGE, a separate entity from my personal profile, much sooner. And I would find the right stride for my blog—I still don’t feel like I’ve hit that.

NW:   Right now the publishing world is precariously teetering between digital and Pod publishing, and the traditional venues.  Which way do you think the dice will fall?  Why?

RST:  I think I’ve pretty much expressed all I have to say on this one already—I think trade publishers will get more savvy about technology, and quite possibly the decades-old distribution and pricing models will change. I don’t think trade publishers will disappear completely. I DO think smart, hard-working indie authors will be able to get a lot further than they could in the past.

NW:  Last question, I promise. :D  Is there any advice concerning writing that you can give other aspiring authors out there?  Is there any other advice concerning publishing that you feel you can share with us?

RST:   If you want to write, read and write as much as you can. Pay attention to what you read and apply it in your writing. If you want to publish, read industry news and blogs and learn about the world you’re entering before you enter it.

Thanks you Rachel for doing this interview!

You can find out more about Rachel Starr Thompson, her books, and her publishing company at http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/

Self Publishing VS. Traditional Publishing: Interview with Scott Appleton

Today please welcome Scott Appleton, author of The Sword of the Dragon series and owner of Flaming Pen Press.  Scott, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview!  

NW:    First and foremost, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?

SA:  I was homeschooled by my parents. They chose to do that for religious reasons, wanting to keep me out of the secular public school system and the peer pressure that inhibits so many young peoples’ chances of success. I always loved to read and write. I told stories and wrote them down for my siblings. The wilder the tale, the more imaginative—or crazy—the more they loved it. I read a lot of history books, more than fiction, and never fantasy. When I was 18, I started putting together a fantasy story. I found it was the greatest outlet for my creativity. Since then I have spent six years pursuing a contract with a large Christian publishing house. I ended up self-publishing my first novel, but I built my own publishing company to do so. I hired a pro fiction editor, cover designer, artists, etc. and produced a product that sold 3,000-copies in one year. My wife and I traveled to 13 states, I spoke to thousands of students, and attracted the attention of AMG Publishers. Last year I signed a three-book-contract with AMG for my series The Sword of the Dragon. Book one is coming out mid-February, book two will release on July 15, 2011.

NW:  How did reading effect your childhood and then your life on into adulthood?

SA:  I read, and always have read, a large number of books. But the vast majority are non-fiction. I find non-fiction roots me in reality and makes me aspire to follow the heroes and successes down through history. I’m a collector of antique books, particularly volumes from the mid-1800’s. It is amazing how history has been muddled by the modern author trying to be politically correct. The old history books are untainted and provide me with hours of reading pleasure and education on facts that have been lost to modern society.

NW:  Did you always love to write, or was that something that you grew to love over the course of time?

SA:  I always loved both. I filled pages with stories, followed my mother to every library sale… I owned over a thousand of my own books by my twelfth birthday.

NW:  Wow... that's a really impressive amount of books!  So what is the writing process like for you?  I guess what I’m really asking here is, how do you get into that writing “groove”?

SA:  I generally sit at my laptop, put on my headphones, and listen to some epic soundtracks. The music helps me focus, zone out, and generally keeps my attention on the story so that if someone walks into the room I can work on, undistracted.

NW:  Tell us a little bit about your book Swords of the Six, and the new one coming out this year, Offspring.

 

SA:  Swords of the Six is a prelude novel, setting the stage for the big events in the Sword of the Dragon series. The story begins when a dragon prophet is betrayed by his choice warriors. He takes the traitors’ swords and gives them to human daughters, whom he hatches from eggs. The sisters set out to find the first traitor who escaped justice, with an offer of pardon from the dragon.

In Offspring The offspring of the dragon, born out of ultimate sacrifice, grows into a young woman. Unknown to those around her, the beloved warrior, Specter, keeps guard over her. But the enemy has grown strong and draws near to destroy the hope she symbolizes.

NW:  I know that Specter was my favorite character in SOTS.  I'll look forward to reading more about him in Offspring.  So what is the main story behind your entire book series, Sword of the Dragon?  I mean, SOTS is really good, and I’m sure Offspring will be even better… but what really ties all of the books together?

SA:  That is a tricky question, not because the story thread isn’t apparent to me, but because there are elements in each book that gradually reveal the mystery as it unfolds. The series’ story arc is the dragon’s plan to bring Letrias to justice for his betrayal and his crimes. Letrias has grown powerful as a wizard unto himself, and among those who work to deliver his downfall is the captain he once thought dead. The dragon prophet has been prohibited by God from directly dealing with Letrias, so he sets events in motion to accomplish that end by means of his agents.

NW:  I’m excited to hear that your book Sword of the Six will now be published through AMG.  You must be totally stoked!  As an author, how do you feel about this big step in publishing?

SA:  I am totally stoked! This is a dream come true, quite fully and literally. Signing with AMG gives my books greater clout in the publishing world, including more opportunities to sell in venues previously unavailable to me, such as wholesale stores. It also means that I can focus on selling, doing the leg work, while someone else deals with the tedious financial end of things.

NW:  Scott, you are a writer in a very unique position; not many people can rise up to take their book and themselves from relatively “unknown” to “known” by publishing the book themselves.  Still fewer dare make the decision to create their own company in the process.  Can you tell us what that process was like for you?  How did you make that decision?

SA:  I was working back and forth with AMG a few years ago. At the time, Dan Penwell was their acquisitions editor. He believed in my book and in me. Although he pushed for them to publish it, things fell through. But during the entire process I had been reading up on all aspects of publishing. I learned that six out of ten novels never sell over a thousand copies, and that when a book does sell past a thousand it can catch a publisher’s eye. I was an experienced salesman and had worked in retail for several years. I felt confident publishing my book was what God wanted me to do and that if I worked hard and persevered, He would reward my efforts.

I don’t believe there are many chance successes. I believe if you want to be successful you have to step out and do it, and close yourself off from anyone who discourages you.

My wife and I toured 13 states, selling many books at schools. It was by hitting the road that I saw real success.

Failure in this was never an option for me, so I had to make it a success.

NW:  It sounds like you really knew what you were doing; I mean, selling 3,000 copies is intimidating... even more so when you've sold that many books in one year!

So I know you’ve recently published through Flaming Pen Press an anthology of some of your short stories.  I’m sure you have ideas for future novels too; novels that aren’t part of The Sword of the Dragon series.  Looking at your past accomplishments, would you plan to publish such future novels through Flaming Pen Press first, or would you try to go straight to the bigger houses?

SA:  There are many other projects on my table. I plan to do most of my books through other publishing houses, mostly because it would be a challenge and very satisfying. I am presently working on a science-fiction political thriller that I may or may not publish myself. One of the chief factors in this consideration is I want stellar artwork, which many publishers are unwilling to look into. But I also have a YA fantasy trilogy titled Earth Passage, and I will shop that to a larger publisher.

NW:  How do you know when your writing is good enough for you to publish it on your own without a publisher’s help?

SA:  I don’t. For Swords of the Six I relied on peer criticism (authors published by large houses) and the professional fiction editor, Rebecca Miller (she worked on Bryan Davis’s series Dragons In Our Midst). As to my anthology By Sword By Right, many of the stories contained in that collection had already been published by magazines, and the rest fit into the book’s intended purpose: to show the reader my progression as a writer.

NW:   What do you consider the benefit of self publishing in a world where many people look down on such authors and consider them “half-baked” even when they are not?

SA:  The benefit of self-publishing? If an author has truly studied the market, sought professional advice, and read up on the details of publishing, they can produce an effective product and market it to their target audience with greater profit on each book sold than they would by going with a large publishing house.

However, I know of no one else who has gone about publishing their book in the manner I did. Unfortunately most authors go into self-publishing blind, and as a last resort or desperate, frustrated move. And most authors get sucked into the Print-On-Demand service providers (believing those places to be publishers, even though they are not).

NW:    How do you think Self Publishing and e-publishing effect the traditional market for Christian Speculative Fiction?

SA:  That’s a hard and long question. I’m not sure how to answer this except to say that e-publishing is an exciting venue. It can be very lucrative for the author. The market is swamped with Print On Demand authors of this genre, however few of them stand out because they have not truly researched. Patience is the key to success in this career; patience and who you make connections with.

NW:   Is there anything you did while publishing your books that you regret?

SA:  No, not that I can think of. I am a very deliberate person. I researched my options and then made my selections. The product I produced is beautiful, even enviable.

NW:   Is there anything you did while publishing your books that you ended up being proud of or surprised by?

SA:   I was surprised by the audience I attracted. I had not expected so many middle schoolers to go crazy over my first novel. That age group is still my most loyal following.

And I was very proud of the re-written prelude to my novel. The editor suggestion I make alterations but instead I revamped it. It is the first piece of writing that people think of when they talk of Swords of the Six.

NW:   Cool!  I enjoyed reading your prelude the first time, but now I want to know how you rewrote it.  The one I read was definitely exciting: it really makes the entire book.

Is there anything you feel able to talk about that you are planning to do in the future to further your books in the publishing market?

SA:   I am going to push my books in the wholesale clubs and hopefully in Walmart and Target. I am good at selling my product. All I need is a line of customers and those stores offer that opportunity… but first I have to get the In with them.

NW:   What is your outlook on social networking and blogging in furthering the market for your books?  How does it affect your following?  If you could start from the very beginning again, would you do anything differently than you are now?

SA:  Online marketing is tricky for me. I have found it too easy to spend too much time online, and my writing suffers as a result. On the other hand, most of my fans keep in touch online and I love the interaction. If I started from the beginning again I probably would have started with a professional website. I have one now at www.theSwordoftheDragon.com and it has proved invaluable.

NW:   I've looked at your site.  It really is well done.  I can't seem to get the hang of website-building myself... but maybe someday.  It's one of those things that take practice. :)

Right now I feel like the publishing world is precariously teetering between digital and Pod publishing, and the traditional venues.  Which way do you think the dice will fall?  Why?

SA:   All three will survive. Each serves a different purpose, meets a different need. POD answers the need for niche books, but the cost per unit is too high for selling thousands of copies. Traditional venues are shifting, but not going away. I think chain bookstores will gradually give way to the large retail stores that sell books. People will be going into Walmart and Target more often, where they can buy the books at a similar price to Amazon. Last year several hundred bookstores closed, nationwide. But folks still want to feel the book in their hand, not simply look at it online.

Digital publishing is a great opportunity to put books in the hands of more readers. But book lovers everywhere will continue to buy the print book as well as their Kindle copy (I have seen this evidenced in the sales of my books; never has the Kindle sales hurt the physical sales).

In closing, I don’t think the market is teetering. We are looking at a decade of new gizmos; gadgets that the consumer wants in order to keep up with the Jones’s. Some of these fads will fade, but physical books will remain. After all, I don’t think we can deny that if everything we did required batteries we would soon tire of it. The digital books are part of our fast-paced world; a hurried world that many readers are trying to escape when they pick up a book.

NW:    I can agree with you there.  

What are some of the biggest differences you can mark between Flaming Pen Press and other houses?

SA:   We deal with YA fantasy fiction, primarily. The most similar house to ours would be Marcher Lord Press, but they don’t look at YA. But unlike Marcher Lord Press, we put some of our titles into stores. We are unique.

NW:    What are some of the differences between self publishing through your own company and publishing through AMG that have affected you the most?

SA:   I feel freed up to write, which is awesome. I’ve been too busy with the business side of publishing; writing is my passion.

  

NW:    Flaming Pen Press released the book Kestrel’s Midnight Song last year which, if I understand correctly, was nominated for and awarded a Children’s Moonbeam award.  I am personally in awe of Jacob Parker’s ability to write a novel and get it noticed at such a young age.  And the story itself is amazing too.  Can you tell us what made you, as a publisher, take a second look at this book and decide to publish it?

SA:   I read the prelude on his blog and was impressed. He was web-savvy and understood the commitment needed to market the book. I found his manuscript spiritually compelling. The rest was history, as Jacob would say. He has now sold over 2,000 books, phenomenal!

NW:    It is indeed!


Tell us a little bit about the story of Kestrel’s Midnight Song (as I’m sure many readers out there have not read it yet.)

SA:   This would be better to direct at the author. I’m sure he’d be thrilled to do an interview here, too (-:

NW:   I'll be sure to ask him!  


As a Publisher, Editor, and Reader, what is your company looking for in a manuscript and author?

SA:   Originality is the first and primary key to success with me. I don’t like knock-offs. Don’t send me anything with elves in it, or tell me it’s the next Harry Potter. I look for a teachable author, or one that has educated themselves on the industry. It is very important that they be inventive and aggressive in their marketing, as FPP is a small company.

NW:    As an author who saw a literary need, and then created your own publishing company to fill said need, what would you tell others who might consider taking on such an endeavor as starting their own company to fill a niche market?

SA:   Research, research, research. Don’t wing it, educate yourself so that you know what you’re getting into. There are plenty of surprises along the way without adding a lack of knowledge to your worries.

NW:    What would you tell young authors out there who are considering self publishing?

SA:   Don’t jump into it. Do your homework. And don’t publish your manuscript: get it professionally critiqued and edited by a known fiction editor. Spend the money required to get it done right; first impressions are everything.

NW:     Is there anything else you would like to say to other readers and writers out there?

SA:   Check out my books and my website!

NW:  Will do!

Thank you so much Scott for talking with us!  It really was an enlightening and enjoyable experience.

For those of you who would like to find out more about Scott Appleton, you can visit him at his author website at www.theswordofthedragon.com or you can check out his publishing company at http://www.wix.com/scottappleton/flamingpenpress