Author P.Wish dishes advice on the writer publishing world

Originally Shared by Theglobaldig.blogpot.com
I'm excited to inform readers that I will be posting interviews with authors on my blog.  This is a chance for readers to get to know up and coming writers.

 Today I'm interviewing P. Wish



P. Wish is an author of psychological thrillers and mysteries. She graduated with an honors degree in Law from the University of Manchester, UK. Her debut novel, The Doppelgänger can be found on Amazon.

And onto the interview...


Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books?

 Ans: The internet lays down a plethora of marketing options before writers. Besides

 having an author website and social media profiles, marketing begins with the

 book. I’d recommend getting a professionally designed cover (you can hire

 people on Fiverr who do an amazing job for $5 bucks), well-edited manuscript

 and good formatting. You can find cover designers and formatters on

 PeoplePerHour. You can also design your own cover using Photoshop or Canva

 (a free online software that easy to use). The book should look and feel

 professional because that’s your product. I also recommend putting in a line

 asking readers to review the book on Amazon. You can also put in links to your

 website and social media pages and an excerpt from your previous/ next book.

 These are all easy ways to market within the book without spending anything.

 People underestimate how important the book itself is in the marketing

process.

 Other than that, I’d recommend lining up reviews. The free way of doing this is

 posting about it on Goodreads forums or querying bloggers in your genre. You

 can also purchase a NetGalley promotion to get reviewers to review your book.

 Story Cartel is a cheaper version of it. Another way is to get your friends and

 family to leave reviews initially to get the momentum going.

 Those two are the basics. Other tips include building your e-mail list (as simple

 as having a sign-up box on your website), having social media profiles, and

 subscribing to free PR newsletters like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and

 Sourcebottle (Australia).

 The most important thing with marketing is consistency. You’ve got to keep

 doing it. You don’t need to do everything- just do whatever fits your genre and

 Need.

Consistency? huh?  Sort of like doin' push-ups for the big boss. Well said. I'll give it a try though.


Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying

 process?

 Ans: Hell, yes. We live in a visual culture. People do judge books by their covers.

 One of the first compliments I got as a writer was ‘Your cover looks so good.’

 I think a good cover reassures people of the quality of the book, to some

 extent. It’s definitely a huge factor, no matter if you’re a traditionally published

 author or self published.

Hell yes is right.  And your cover for your novel "The Doppelgänger" is so dope.  I love the fade effect from the subway and the black and white photography.  I'm thinking of using a black and white cover picture for my upcoming novel "Oh Brother."


 What are you currently working on and what is it about?

 Ans: I’m currently working on my next novel ‘Home’ which is a crime novel. It’s the

 story of 3 immigrants living in Queen’s, NY who become embroiled in a

 murder case. The book is expected to release later this year. Here’s the

 synopsis:

 Who are you when nobody is looking?

 Three immigrants living in Queens, NY become suspects in a high-profile

 murder case.

 Paramjeet, who works at a local supermarket comes home to find a dead man

 lying on her floor. The victim is her neighbor, Frank, who had a visitor at the

 time his body was found.

 Roberto, a construction worker who is deep in debt is first the person to find

 the body and becomes a suspect due to his connection to Frank.

 Min, a restaurant employee becomes a suspect when it is discovered that the

 victim was poisoned.

 But are these people who they say they are?

 As Detective Stubbens unravels the mystery, he discovers the secret lives of the

 three suspects.

 Told through a series of cross-cutting narratives, Home is a suspenseful tale of

 immigration, freedom, love and belonging.

I love, love love crime novels.  I just finished "Lincoln Lawyer" and wow Michael Connelly has a way to show Defense Lawyers as the biggest scums of the earth.  I remember this line from his book that went something like "guilt and shame can make even the innocent look guilty" And what a Fantastic synopsis you painted for your novel! The idea of a narrative centered around immigration, freedom, love and belonging is definitely something readers need especially in an age where these ideals are being threatened, and notably in America where new leadership has forced immigrants and non-immigrants alike to stand up for what they believe in.

 Do you ever get writer’s block, and do you have any tips for getting

 through it?

 Ans: No, I don’t get writer’s block. Much the opposite, I suffer from an

 overabundance of ideas. The only kind of block I have is procrastination. I

 think overcoming writer’s block is about taking that time to sit down to write

 everyday. The best cure for writer’s block is to write regularly and write more

 because more often than not, writer’s block is a kind of mental resistance and

 fear. The more you write, the more you loosen up and begin to get better ideas.

 Reading also helps.

 Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

 Ans: Yes, I love to read and usually read around 100-150 books a year. I must

 confess, I am a romance novel junkie. At this point, I’m pretty sure that I don’t

 read them but devour them instead (that’s how much romance I read!). My favorite

 historical romance authors are Lisa Kleypas, Judith McNaught, Barbara

 Cartland, Courtney Milan, Sarah MacLean and Lorraine Heath. In

 contemporary romance, I like Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Bella Andre, Sarah

 Morgan, Nora Roberts, and Julie James. I also like to read mysteries. Some of

 my favorite writers in the mystery genre are Keigo Higashino, Natsuo Kirino

 and Agatha Christie.

I'm right there with you as a Nora Roberts fan.  I like her J.D. Robb series.  Something about action and romance really rocks my world.

 For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard

 back books?

 Ans: I prefer ebooks. I find them more convenient and easier to get through. The

 chance of me finishing an ebook are much higher than finishing a hard copy

 book. It’s just a matter of preference (and growing up in the digital age).

 Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do

 that for you?

 Ans: I get somebody to do it from me. I do two drafts and then turn it over to my

 editor. I think having another person’s perspective helps. And I’m so worn out

 at the end of two drafts that I don’t want to ever look at the book again (or at

 least for a long time). They can spot things that you might miss.

Gosh, if I had a great editor like you seem too, I'd be kissing their feet right now.  As of yet, I have do trades with writers to get my editing done, on a site called scribophile.  I've read so many writers work last year that my head is reeling from topics I hope to never read again.  Things like unicorns and spaceships, vampires and zombies.

 Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to

 edit?

 Ans: Yes. Sometimes I let it stew for as much as six months. I think it helps my mind

 form the missing links and helps me make the second draft much better. In this

 time, usually try to read books about writing better, and works of other authors

 in my genre. That helps me find inspiration to get through my next draft.


 How are you publishing this book and why? 

 Ans: I self-published this book using Amazon. I love the process of self-publishing

 because it gives me so much creative control over my work. I’m also a

 kinesthetic learner and D-I- Y person so I like doing everything myself. The

 thing with self-publishing is that you can get the book up and selling in just 24

 hours. If you find out there’s a typo, you can correct it and re-upload it within

 seconds. I think the self-publishing is one of the biggest boons of the digital

 age.

My hat is off to a fellow self-publisher.  Anyone who can do things independently deserves a gold star in my book.

 What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-

 publishing against being published or the other way around?

 Ans: Ok, I sang the praises of self-publishing in the previous answer so I’ll talk about

 traditional publishing here. One of the biggest advantages of being published

 by a traditional publisher is the wide distribution network. Traditional

 publishers usually have a well-established distribution network and can get

 your book into all major bookstores. I think for a new author, in particular, that

 is very important. Also, for people who find working with freelance editors,

 getting covers designed and formatting stressful, traditional publishing takes

 care of those for you. They also have access to larger marketing budgets and

 the network effect and experience does play a huge role in the success of the

 book. However, the royalities are much lower compared to self-publishing and


Readers, that is all the time we have for today.  Find out more about P.Wish on her Blog www.pwish.net, facebook, twitter.  Readers let me know if you have any favorite authors in the comments below.