An Interview with Christian Fiction Author Sydney Molare’

Mississippi native, Sydney Molare’, is a veterinarian who got “bitten” by the writing bug a few years ago. An avid reader (4 – 5 books/week), her aim is to create works she’d like to read herself. Her book collection is as eclectic as she is. This cross-genred author has published books in the short story, mystery/suspense, romance/erotica and young adult/mainstream realms with more to come. Please visit her online at www.sydneymolare.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Sydney! Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

I am a published author with five works of my own and appearing in five anthologies with my next anthology to be published January 2008 by Kensington. It’s entitled, Satisfy Me Again. I have been blessed to be published traditionally, self as well as ebooks. Audio is the only frontier I haven’t mastered yet….but it’s coming!

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

Somewhere In America, a collection of short stories, was my first foray into the writing world. But like many others, I have my rejection story. I’d polished (boy, was I naïve as to what polished meant back then) up my stories after friends encouraged me to have them published, sent them off to a big name publisher in New York City and just knew they’d be beating down the door, offering me a six-figure contract in no time. Well…it didn’t happen quite that way. Instead, I got a nice letter back informing me that short stories as a debut were a no, no for an unknown author. Gasp! My best bet was to write a novel then submit it via agent, of course, and even then I might not make the cut. Was I bummed out or what?

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

Well, the story didn’t end with that rejection letter. I’d been reading (probably too much) on the Web about how to publish your own book. The more I read, the more I liked what I read. So, I spent $600 of my hard earned dollars and went with an outfit that sounded like it had its stuff together—First Books.

Please get up off the floor.

It’s funny now but back then, I believed in them; thought they held the keys to book superstardom. Yeah, right.

Anywho, I mailed off the $600 certified fund dollars and after much wrangling about the cover, the errors they inserted plus additional fees to change the cover to some semblance of what my book was actually about, I had a proof. Yes, 1 book. Was I happy? A little, but the proof had some errors and issues that of course, took more money to correct before it was ready for purchase. I sold ~ 100 through First Books.

I finally wised up, learned the game completely and reissued it under my press: Fishbowl International, Inc.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

As an overachiever, I am NOT used to rejection. Things tend to come easily so reading this letter definitely took my confidence down a notch or two. I mean, could all my friends and family be lying? Was I really a poor writer?

So I took things back to the drawing board. I got the manuscript edited by eyes other than my own, paid more money for a glossy cover, found a publisher that didn’t ask for my left kidney up front and set up shop. It was a wonderful decision, especially whenever I sell a ton of books at a book fair.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

As you read before, I was a willing victim of First Books. The ads were polished in an area that was relatively new to all and I was drawn in and willingly consented to any and everything. Never again, though.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I felt “accomplished;” like I was truly a writer. I remember calling my mother and taking the book over for her to look at. She “oohed and aahed” then baked me a coconut cake, my favorite.

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

The first thing I did was place some expensive ads in a number of print magazines. I wanted to get the word out and placing ads was a suggestion given. I don’t think I sold a book from the two thousand I spent. Since then, I’ve learned to use the internet effectively. Placing ads on sites that cater to the book I’m pushing at much more reasonable cost. As we live, we learn.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

Sure. I would have created my company and published from the door. The greatest profit I’ve earned has come from my self-published books. Of course, distribution can be a pain, but the payoff is very nice in the end.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

I’ve been published traditionally as well as in e-book format since that time. I’ve grown tremendously as an author. I’ve learned networking is the key, rudeness should never be part of an author’s life especially on tour and no one, and I do mean no one, can sell a book you truly believe in more effectively than you could.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

I inundated myself with so many opinions (many conflicting) that instead of sifting through the mass of information, I hoped on the bus with the loudest horn. Which, as is usually true, isn’t always the best fit. I believe that if I had researched the industry thoroughly, found an agent that understood my quirky mind, I may have been a traditionally published author from the door.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

I won the 2006 Mississippi Best Author Award in Fiction. It was voted on by the public so of course I was honored and beaming as I accepted.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I don’t believe I need any more professions. I’ll tell anyone, I already have four jobs—veterinarian, real estate professional (yes, I have licenses in that also), writer and a mother. I’m booked solid…until.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I’m dog-paddling and at times, gulping gallons of water, but I’m combining all the worlds.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

I plan to be on top of the writing game, traveling all over meeting new fans and enjoying being primarily an author.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

This is Sydney’s Writer Trinity: patience, persistence and pushing. Patience because timing is everything, as I learned; persistence because like the squeaky wheel gets the oil, the name that is seen often, often gets bought; and pushing because if you don’t take the initiative in your writing career…no one else will. Not a publicist, not an agent, not publisher. In the end, the buck will stop with you so learn it early and act accordingly.