Have you ever wondered how authors get their start?
How do they get agents?
How do they get published?
Is it luck? Talent? Drive?
This segment is an attempt to satisfy my immense curiosity...to answer the one question I'm dying to ask every author out there:
How did your book become a book?
Enjoy.
K.T. Hanna
THE DOMINO PROJECT
Did you do everything yourself (such as cover design, formatting, etc.) or did you hire out?
Which platform (such as Createspace) do you self-publish through?
Have
you researched or considered getting a hardcover printed of your book? What
about audio?
What do you like about self-publishing?
The control. I do get it content edited, and copy edited. I also have several beta readers. Eventually it gets to the point where I’m happy with the book. But every decision has been mine. No one gives me a MUST change anything. The cover is completely up to me, the formatting – everything. It’s an amazing sensation.
What
do you dislike about self-publishing?
That it’s hard to get publicity unless you pay through the nose. Or know someone in the industry who can either blurb or recommend you to their own audience. It’s a hard slog and while the quality is important, you have to realize that in self-publishing it ends up being quantity that will get your books and name out there more.
Looking back would you do anything differently?
Can you provide any names and/or contacts?
After Sai's newly awoken psionic power accidentally destroys her apartment complex, she’s thrown into an intensive training program. The only grades are pass or die.
Surviving means proving her continued existence isn't a mistake--a task her new mentor, Bastian, takes personally. Her abilities place her in the GNW Enforcer division, which partners her with Domino 12, who is eerily human for an alien-parasite and psionic hybrid. When her assassination duties are revealed, Sai understands the real reason for her training.
On a mission to dispatch a dangerous Exiled scientist, she uncovers truths she never thought possible. Sai is unsure who to trust as her next mission might be her last, and a double agent seems to be manipulating both sides.
AGENTS
Do you have an agent?
I’ve
actually had two agents, but am currently without one.
How many queries did you send?
For
my first agent I believe it was ten, and my second agent was basically through
referral from the first who left the business and secured eight full requests
before she left for me.
If you
don’t have an agent, is it by choice?
If represented, how long did it take to get your agent?
Currently,
it’s mostly by choice. I wanted to put this trilogy out there, and so chose to
do this myself. It would have been my course of action if I had gained a new
agent or not.
If represented, how long did it take to get your agent?
The
first one took about thirty days between my first query and my offer. The
second time the offer came within eight days.
PUBLISHING
What
made you decide to self pub?
I was told by a few editors that there was no market for Chameleon. It didn’t come down to story or writing but to publisher’s marketability. I love this trilogy, the world and its characters. So, I bit the bullet and here we are haha!
I was told by a few editors that there was no market for Chameleon. It didn’t come down to story or writing but to publisher’s marketability. I love this trilogy, the world and its characters. So, I bit the bullet and here we are haha!
Did you do everything yourself (such as cover design, formatting, etc.) or did you hire out?
Oh
no way! I hired an amazing cover artist – S.P. McConnell, my longstanding
critique partner Jami Nord did my content edits for me, I hired Becca Weston to
do my copy edits, and Caitlin Greer formatted my books beautifully.
Which platform (such as Createspace) do you self-publish through?
Originally
I used all of the platforms, but after a little while and some feedback from
fellow self-published authors, I switched to Kindle Unlimited. I get far more revenue
through reads than I was getting through the other channels. But I think that
depends on your genre and reach too. It’s probably something I’d recommend
testing out for yourself as your mileage may vary.
I’ve
looked at both. I had arranged for an audio book at one stage, but that fell
through. I may do Amazon’s audio platform at some stage (ACX), but I’m just not
there yet.
What do you like about self-publishing?
The control. I do get it content edited, and copy edited. I also have several beta readers. Eventually it gets to the point where I’m happy with the book. But every decision has been mine. No one gives me a MUST change anything. The cover is completely up to me, the formatting – everything. It’s an amazing sensation.
That it’s hard to get publicity unless you pay through the nose. Or know someone in the industry who can either blurb or recommend you to their own audience. It’s a hard slog and while the quality is important, you have to realize that in self-publishing it ends up being quantity that will get your books and name out there more.
Looking back would you do anything differently?
I
think I would have considered my original agent choices a lot differently.
However, once I decided to do self publishing, the only thing I think I should
have done differently is get my Kirkus Review immediately.
I would have made different choices on my agenting path. But
over all I met some amazing people and I wouldn’t really want to change that.
Otherwise, I would probably order less SWAG. That stuff is addictive haha.
I adore my covers, but next time I won’t go for a full wrap.
Don’t get me wrong, I feel these books needed the full wrap cover because of
the world the books are set in. But next time I might scale it back to just the
front and spine.
MARKETING
What marketing tactics worked for you?
ADVICE
That’s
a tough one. I believe as far as marketing works, blog tours aren’t very
effective. So I’m probably better at telling you what didn’t work for me. Blog
tours are very time intensive for little return. A blitz it far easier. A
couple of options for posts, throw in some links and voila.
What has been good is setting up sales of my books. Lowering
the price on the first book to promote the release of the next one. I’m about
to do that with my third book – so I’m kind of nervous to see how well it goes this
time.
Otherwise, just reach out to your local retailers – talk to
local libraries, schools etc. Do all the legwork you can to get your name out
there. If someone offers you an interview – never say no. If someone offers you
a feature, never say no. Any person you can reach who you wouldn’t have been
able to on your own, is one more person that might buy your book, or even pass
on your name to another friend.
Word of mouth is your aim. But it requires a lot of effort.
What lessons have you learned? Any advice for those about to go down your path?
I’ve
learned to always allow yourself an extra week or two in your timetable. Things
will pop up that need you to deal with them, or that will take more time, and
it’s best to have some padding there so you’re not stressing yourself to
sickness.
Can you provide any names and/or contacts?
Agent:
Publisher:
Audiobook:
Hardcover printer:
Thank
you so much for having me! This was a lot of fun!
 |
| GOODREADS |
Surviving means proving her continued existence isn't a mistake--a task her new mentor, Bastian, takes personally. Her abilities place her in the GNW Enforcer division, which partners her with Domino 12, who is eerily human for an alien-parasite and psionic hybrid. When her assassination duties are revealed, Sai understands the real reason for her training.
On a mission to dispatch a dangerous Exiled scientist, she uncovers truths she never thought possible. Sai is unsure who to trust as her next mission might be her last, and a double agent seems to be manipulating both sides.
0 comments:
Post a Comment