Interview with Nonfiction Author Abe F. March

Abe March was a self-made businessman for the better part of his career. Whether promoting consumer products or doing consultant work across the globe, he took the risks necessary to succeed and weathered many ups and downs in his career. His business ventures led him from Pennsylvania, via Canada, Greece and Germany, to Lebanon and the Middle East 1973-1977. His book describes these business and personal experiences and other entrepreneurial pursuits. The book, To Beirut and Back, was written to inform. It was intended to provide a western perspective to a continuing struggle for peace and security.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Abe. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published?

I am a first time author with other books in process.

Can you give us the title of your book?

“To Beirut and Back – an American in the Middle East.”

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

My very first book was a children’s book. I tried to get it published and after many rejections, I just filed it away. Just this past year, my daughter suggested I try again. And, I’m pleased to announce that after 30 years I now have an Agent for this book and there is a publisher interested in it.

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?

That is a good question. I had written my manuscript and worked on it over the years, and decided to just keep it as a family journal. My daughter asked to read it, and then asked if she could show it to someone else. The response was that I should seek publication. So I got on the Internet and saw where a publisher was open to submissions, and sent a synopsis. I got an email back asking for the entire manuscript. Two weeks later, I was informed that they would publish my work. I was shocked. I never expected it to be published but to be rejected. I had heard all those stories about rejections and that was the reason I was so surprised. Of course there was much work to be done in editing to make it ready for publication.

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

My first book was published by Publish America. I knew nothing about them, either positive or negative. As I mentioned before, I saw their name on the I-Net and sent in the synopsis per their guidelines.

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

I was naturally elated. I shared this with my family and friends who were thrilled for me.

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

I made a list of those who I wanted to be notified about my book. Secondly, I notified my hometown newspaper about it and they were sent a Press Release about my book.

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

Yes. I think I would have done more investigation about prospective publishers and their reputation. On the other hand, if I had experienced too many rejections, perhaps I may have given up the pursuit. The fact that the door was opened for me re-awakened the desire in me to write.

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

I have co-authored an historical romance novel and that is being handled by my co-author. I have just completed another book and now seek an agent or publisher for my work. I know what I have written is a good story and it needs to be published. I therefore will be persistent until I succeed. I think timing is important as well as finding the right agent or publisher that is interested in the genre of the book.

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 think that I would have made a plan just as one would approach a business project. It is the same thing. Of course, like most people who have no knowledge of the business or the pitfalls, trial and error is usually the way most people go. With a bit of knowledge about the business and learning from others who have paved the way, one can save a lot of time and costly errors.

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

I have received recognition in the international arena for my work. My name is now recorded for posterity and can also be found in Wikipedia.

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

I would have gone into the teaching profession. I love history and that would have been my main subject.

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

I have combined the best of both worlds. I have done much research into my genealogical background and that took me back 800 years. Lots of history involved that I can now write about.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years I hope to enjoy my retirement.

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

Yes. When I was a small child, I dreamed of writing a book. It was a childhood dream. Realizing that dream meant that I had to start somewhere and begin to write. Seeing words come alive on the page became exciting. In those early days, it was using a pencil on paper. Later a manual typewriter. Still later an electric typewriter but there was still the problem of errors and much re-writing. Today, with word processing on PC’s, one can write and edit with ease. It is a writer’s dream. My suggestion is to find something you know much about to begin writing. Later you can fictionalize what you wrote or use your creativity for an entirely new story. If you believe in what you have to say, and you believe in yourself, you will succeed if you are persistent.

Interview with Military Historical Fiction Author William Hay

William Hay graduated from Carleton University in 1988 with a Degree in Law and Criminology. He moved to Kingston Ontario where he has pursued a career in Law Enforcement. Through his career William has been an active amateur writer. His short story ‘A Woman Scorned’ won Best Short Story at Kingston’s Scene of the Crime Festival in 2007 and was published in ‘Kingston Life Magazine’. ‘The Originals’ is Williams’ first novel.

You can visit his website at http://www.williamhay.net/.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Bill. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

‘The Originals’ is my first published novel. This whole experience is a new, but exciting one for me.

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

As it happens the title of my first book has changed a number of times, but at present it’s called ‘The Cause of Honour’. It’s another historical fiction about Canadians in the First World War, on a similar premise and design as ‘The Originals’, but on a much larger scale.

I started ‘The Cause of Honour’ in 2002, using our family computer, scrap of paper or my work computer (during lunch hour and breaks of course!), and found it to be a frustrating experience. Vicki, my wife, detecting how disgruntled I was over this and how much I indeed wished to put my creative juices into writing, purchased a laptop for my Christmas present in 2004.

After completing the first draft of ‘The Cause of Honour’, I elected to write a shorter story, sort of a snippet of a subject I found interesting during my research about Canadians in the First World War. Hence, ‘The Originals’ was born.

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?

Before going down that long path where rejection letters await, I did research of writers like myself, just starting out. But I went beyond experiences writers offered and searched the internet for any insight agents and publishing companies themselves could offer, because many writers have a dismal look on their prospects. It was depressing to read through some of the steps I apparently needed to take and the disappointments waiting for me. One writer’s strategy was to prepare a whole smattering of submissions, and then fire them off to as many publishing companies as he could. He had a magic number of ‘50’ rejections before being accepted. Ouch!

I followed one simply strategy: I researched publishers who publish the material I’ve written. This led me to a company which specializes in historical fiction. As bizarre as it might seem, my first submission was accepted. My ego gets carried away as I’d like to think it was because of how well-written it was, but I expect the specialization of this particular company played a significant part in getting my novel published.

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

Chronicler Publishing is a Canadian-based company in Evansburg, Alberta. Charles Goulet, the company’s founder and owner, is the Editor-in-Chief and an author himself. He and his team read through the initial three chapters of the novel and the chapter-by-chapter synopsis I included, for several weeks, then decided to take on ‘The Originals’.

As I mentioned earlier, my research led me to the conclusion, it’s more beneficial to find a publisher who has shown interest in your topic previously. Having looked at what this company specializes in as well as having a quick look at the other novels they’ve published, led me to Chronicler.

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

Seeing the novel I’d toiled over for so many months in print, gave me a feeling of great accomplishment. It was a goal of mine for many years, going back to University, to become a writer of fiction. Holding a book authored by my own hands was a riveting moment. I’ve had few others that can match it.

How did I celebrate this momentous event in my life? As I recall, I rented a movie, bought a pizza and spent a quiet evening with my family; my new novel sitting at my work station like a trophy from a successful hockey tournament. That was celebration enough for me. Since then, each day I spend at my lap top writing, my novel is never far away and supplies all the encouragement and motivation I need to keep creating.

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

One word: Website. Once it was confirmed ‘The Originals’ was edited and in print, the pressure was on and anyone who had my ear, including my publisher, told me to start a website. I’m computer savvy and know my way around a key board and any Micro soft programming, but the internet? That’s another animal entirely. I found a web company; got to work and www.williamhay.net  became a reality.

Since working with my website I’ve used ‘Face book’ and ‘Google-ads’ to push the site and it seems to be working, although I’m always hoping for more activity. During a search for more ideas of promoting my novel, I came across Virtual Tours. A very enticing manner of promoting your novel during the internet age and for those of us who are unable to tour bookstores, this is a great alternative.

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

I enjoy writing, but I’m not much for marketing. As much as I know how important it is if a writer wants to get their work out into the public, it is the least-enjoyable aspect of the whole experience. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’d rather write than sell.

With that in mind, I’ve given some thought that I should have gone the route of attempting to obtain an agent before I sent my submission out directly to a publisher. That way this all important, marketing scheme would have been handled by someone who already had connections and/or expertise in the process of getting my novel sold. Unlike the United States, Canada does not have many literary agents and obtaining one is very difficult. It seems most authors have chosen to go without the help of an agent north of the border.

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

I presently have several projects on the go; one has been submitted for possible publication. The experience of having ‘The Originals’ published and going through the polishing and editing process, has taught me how to prepare my novel for submission. I know my writing is better and much cleaner because of what I learned in having ‘The Originals’ published.

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?

The number one thing I lacked early on was persistence. I still have several projects which I failed to complete. If I had persisted and finished these early projects, and had confidence in my abilities; I might have published a novel years ago.

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

Since being in high school I wanted to write, in fact, during my fathers move from our family home some years back, I came across several short stories I’d written. If I could do it all over again, I’d have become a journalist or continued further education in my favourite subject area: history.

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

What a great question! By publishing ‘The Originals’ and writing these stories, I have, in fact, combined the best of both worlds. I spend most of my spare time studying history, in particular military history. As I learn about real people and their achievements and/or failures, I often recognize the makings of a good story. Writing historical fiction has given me an outlet for all the knowledge I’ve retained over the years and I’m constantly coming up with ideas for new projects.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

I have several projects on the go as we speak and my goal is to deliver a novel for public purchase every one to two years. My hope is to be able to retire in ten years, and using the foundation I hope to lay with the string of novels I have in the works, my plan is to write full time. Being able to do what you love full time is everyone’s dream isn’t it? I love to write and am striving to get myself to that point. My mind is constantly running through plots and story lines I haven’t started writing yet; makes it hard to work at times! It will be a relief to be able to sit in my home office and let my imagination run wild!

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

Stay at it. At times that means being tough on yourself. Most of us can write, certainly, but the work necessary to complete an entire novel goes well beyond just the ability of putting a sentence and a paragraph together.
Remain focused on your goal and dedicated to your purpose. Getting that first novel completed will be one of the most satisfying moments you’ll ever have.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing you in print!

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THE ORIGINALS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘08 will officially begin on March 1, 2008 and continue all month. If you would like to follow William’s tour, visit http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/  in March. Leave a comment on his blog stops and become eligible to win a free copy at the end of his tour! One lucky winner will be announced on this blog on March 31!

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William’s virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours at http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/  and choreographed by Jean Lauzier.

Interview with Mystery Writer Tinisha Nicole Johnson

Tinisha N. Johnson is an author, writer and poet. Her newest book, Searchable Whereabouts, a mystery novel was released Feb 1, 2008. Tinisha resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two children. She writes for a local urban magazine called Denver’s Finest Underground. Tinisha’s passion for writing began at the early age of eleven. It has always been her hobby and pass-time and at the age of twenty-one, after her son was born, eight-years ago, she took her writing seriously and began pursuing it as a career.

You can learn more about Tinisha at her website: http://www.tinishanicolejohnson.com/.

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

Searchable Whereabouts is my debut novel, so yes this is the first book to be published.  

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

The name of my very first book was Chances of a Poetic Summer Life. It was the first novel I wrote, I did attempt to get it published and was faced with many rejections and didn’t pursue it after that. Searchable Whereabouts is actually my forth book, but the first to be published. 

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? 

I don’t know the exact amount of rejection letters, I lost count, but I’ll say at least 60. That makes me cringe when I think about it.  

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

Well they made me feel horrible and frustrated, but I just kept sending them out. I didn’t care what it took, I wanted to get my book published. 

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

Xpress Yourself Publishing is my publisher and they accepted my book. 

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

It’s a real joyous feeling. My husband took me out to dinner, which was really nice. 

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

I set up my website. 

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

No. 

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

I’m just taking everything in. I’m listening, I’m learning and I’m keeping myself busy trying to promote my book. 

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 don’t really know how to answer that, because I’m still learning and still asking questions. As far as mistakes, I would have gotten my book edited better and not attempted to self-publish, which was the route I went down for a couple of months before I got picked up by my publisher. 

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

Being able to meet new people, doing my first book signing which was on 1/26/2008. That was a great experience. My biggest accomplishment is seeing my book on the bookshelves. 

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

 A Journalist.  

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

No, being an author/writing is really what I want to be.  

How do you see yourself in ten years? 

A New York Times Best Selling author of a many books, CEO of my own magazine company and really enjoying life. 

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

You have to be passionate as a writer and dedicated. And you have to persevere even if the rejection letters keep pouring in. Also, there are several places you can write for free or publish articles with no pay. I say take advantage of those opportunities to make your writing better. This is creditable.

Interview with Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Author Linda K. Silva

Linda Kay Silva is the author of the lesbian cop series starring Delta Stevens. Her latest novel is due out in January of 2008 and is the beginning of a new series starring Jessie Ferguson, a young woman whose soul travels back in time.

Linda Kay was raised in the Bay Area in California, but moved to Oregon twelve years ago for a better quality of living and more writing time. Once there, she built herself the kind of library writers dream of, and works to create what she calls an enviable life.

  When Linda Kay is not writing, she teaches at a community college and for several online universities. She loves her partner, her dog, Lucy, and piddling around in her backyard where she has built several ponds for her water turtles Cleopatra and Mary Queen of Scots. Linda Kay used to be a cop, a sportwriter, a coach, a spa owner, and a troublemaker…oops…the last one she still is!

Linda Kay loves talking to anyone who will listen about writing, book, education, or nature. She loves email and has just started her own blog at http://lindakaysilva.livejournal.com/. She’d love to hear from you!

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Linda Kay.  Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published?  Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

 Across Time will be my eighth published novel, and the first time I have been published by Spinsters/Bella Books. My first six were published by small presses that folded when the independent bookstores started going under. The six novels were about Delta Stevens, a cop in Los Angeles. The titles of those are:Taken By Storm, Storm Shelter, Weathering the Storm, Storm Front, Tropical Storm, and Storm Rising.

  

And then I published the one closest to my heart, Tory’s Tuesday, about a love between two women that kept them alive when they were in Auschwitz. I think I am most proud of that one because it is in the Holocaust Museum in DC and the Wiesenthal Center in LA. When I was a kid, my mother read anything with a swastika on it. For the longest time, I wondered if she was a Nazi (because, quite frankly, she has those tendencies and I always felt like I ought to salute her when she walked by), but then I realized she just loved WWII history. When I became a history teacher, I lived in the Bay Area, where there were a lot of survivors, so over the years, I’ve had dozens come speak to my classes. Those were the best days of my teaching career…living history. I never knew how much their stories affected me until one day, I was on a ferry in Greece and I heard in my head, “I’d rather die with her than live without her.” One line. One character. When I got to Santorini, the book wrote itself in two weeks.

  

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

  

My first novel was Taken By Storm. I had written a piece I don’t recall the title of, and someone asked me why I didn’t write police stories (since I had been a cop for a brief moment). I didn’t want to write a cop story, but Delta would NOT get out of my head after that, so I wrote my first novel about her…never intending it to be a series, but she refused to leave me alone. I learned so much from that series that I have been able to apply to this new one. Since I hadn’t actually planned to write a series, I hadn’t been able to plant any seeds for future cultivation. Believe me, there are so many seeds in Across Time, this series could go on for a very long time.

  

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?

  

I got very lucky. I was rejected probably twenty-five times before Paradigm Press picked me up. They were looking for a series and I was already working on the second of the series. I will never forget that moment when I answered the phone. I was living in a converted dairy farm and my bedroom was in what had been the walk-in freezer. It was the only flat floor in the house because all the others had drains. I remember hearing her introduce herself and saying she wanted to publish Taken By Storm. I didn’t hear much after that except for my heart pounding in my ears.

  

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

  

Rejections meant (and still means) that I’m OUT THERE. Someone is opening my work and reading it. You can’t get published if you don’t play the game. As an athlete, I know that the more you shoot, the better your chances are for sinking a shot. I was a basketball player in high school and I took a lot of shots. I knew one thing early on in life: it’s not the shots you miss that win ballgames. It’s the ones you hit. I took that attitude to submitting as well. I loved getting envelopes. My manuscript has been places I never had. It got to sit on desks, under someone’s coffee mug. It got to curl up at night next to an editor or publisher. It was IN THE GAME! That’s how I handle it. Submitting is no different to me than a ballgame. We will always lose more than we win. Look at every champion. But you can’t win if you don’t play. That’s why I have no patience for those people (and there are many )who talk about writing or what they want to write, but then don’t have the guts to get in the game. Get in the game or get on the sidelines. Those are your only two choices.

  

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

  

Paradigm Publishing chose me. I went with them because we had the same vision and I had dreams of being one of the authors who helped get them off the small press list. I still have that dream. I am going to work really hard to help make Spinsters/Bella money. Now that my writer’s ego has been assuaged, (and I am older and wiser), I know that the bottom line is about money. To write is NOT enough. You must get in there and do all you can, especially if you’re not one of the big guys. You have to self-promote like mad. I want to be the big money winner at Spinsters for a lot of reasons, but mostly to thank them for believing in me and picking up Across Time. When people have the same vision as you, working together for the better good becomes a fun challenge.

  

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

  I felt like a crazy person. I couldn’t stop smiling. I was ecstatic. My goal was to be published before I turned 30 and that happened when I was 30, so it was an incredible feeling to reach that goal (do I hear a three pointer swishing at the buzzer?) Unfortunately for me, I shared the news with my fundamentalist Christian mother first and her exact words were, “When are you going to write children’s books?” You see, she could hardly share my lesbian police novels with the women at church. I suppose it just didn’t do that her daughter wrote about something that was going to make her burn in hell. I learned another valuable lesson after that: I never shared anything with her first. She’s the reason I go by my full name. When she realized I was going to be published, she said, “Why don’t you get a pen name?” So, true to the rebel in me, I went the opposite direction J I know…how mature, right? She’s also never read any of my books (that I know of), and we’ve never talked about it since.  

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

  

Hmm… I went to the ABA with my publishers and signed. That was the MOST exciting thing I have ever done (and I’ve done a lot). First of all, I got to sign in between two of my favorite authors, Jonathon Kellerman and Clive Cussler. Then I got to sit in the green room with Amy Tan and Dean Koontz and help James Earl Jones sign in. I have to say, his voice in person makes your knees weaken. Wow. One of the best moments was when I was signing and Shirley Jones (mom of the Partridge Family) came up for me to sign a book (her then-husband was there to promote a coffee table book). When I looked up and saw it was her, I froze. “Mrs. Partridge? You read my books?” To which she laughed and said, “I’ve read them all.” Heart be still. What a thrill. The ABA is a must for everyone, if for anything, all the free books you walk away with!

  

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

  

Nope. Everything has lead to everything else and I wouldn’t be who I am today, and I like who I am and where I am in this life. Of course I’d like to support myself with my writing, but what most people don’t know is only 5% make that kind of money. That 5% supports the rest of the writers trying to make it. I’d love that to happen, but when I look at my life, I know that I have created the life I want. As I write this, I am sitting on a veranda in Mexico, watching the waves crash against the rocks and spew mist into the air. I am one of the happiest, most content people I know, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

  

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

  

I have, seven more times, and I have grown so much, I am almost embarrassed by the first few books. The writing back then suffers from a lack of good editing and melodrama. You can see the comic book lover in me at times, and it’s not great. The characters are wonderful, but I am so much better now. My writing is richer, more textured, but still has so much room to grow. There’s so much I don’t know, so many ways that I can polish my characters. I am constantly learning, constantly reading in an effort to absorb, through osmosis, some of the best writers in the world. I may have published, but I have a really long way to go yet.

  

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 would have learned how to write better query letters sooner. I would have studied the market better. I would have been more selective about where I sent my work. I would learn more about the BUSINESS of writing and what is happening behind the scenes. I would have read less How-To books and more about the ins and outs of the business and what to expect. Studying the Writers Market is a must. Looking at bookshelves in bookstores, reading publishing news, acting like a professional all works in our advantage. If you treat it like a hobby, that’s all it will ever be.

  

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

  

Tory’s got a small blurb in Ms. Magazine, and I nearly crapped my pants. I was a young feminist in the 70’s, so Ms. was like my Bible. The second was when I took my fifth grade class to the Holocaust Museum in DC and they saw my book there. It wasn’t until that moment that they realized I had done something really cool.

  

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

  

A comic book writer/colorist. I colored up until I was about 35 (and still do when no one is looking). I can’t draw for beans, but I love to color. It’s one of the most relaxing things I do. My mind, for some reason, checks out when I’m coloring, and that is a rare thing for me. Like most writers, my mind is in fifth gear even when I sleep. I still love comic books. I grew up on X-Men, Hulk, Spiderman, etc. It’s funny when the twenty-year old boys in my classes start talking about Spiderman or Silver Surfer and I know more about it than they do. They don’t know whether to run, poo, or go blind. I love it.

  

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

  

I would, yes. I LOVE super heroes, and I would love to be able to write stories for them. When the series Heroes came on, I was thrilled. Finally! And look how popular it has become. We love stories about people who have to cope with being different!  My main character, Delta, is nicknamed Storm after Ororo Munroe of the X-Men. I’m a big kid at heart and really fought growing up. Don’t ask me about my GI Joes. You don’t want to know.

  

How do you see yourself in ten years?

  

Old. Lol. Growing as a writer. Writing more than teaching. Travelling all over the world and doing unexpected things people my age aren’t supposed to be doing. Making a difference, somehow, some way.

  

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

  

Yes. Go back to question #1. If you want to write, stop talking about it (no one REALLY wants to hear about it any way). Stop thinking about it. Stop daydreaming. Write. Create the time (Notice I didn’t say find. Finding something is a fluke. Creation takes an act of intent). And then rewrite. And then rewrite some more. And then read. Read good books. Emulate authors you love. Carry a notebook with you and jot down great lines. Then read about queries. Make your query better than every page you ever wrote, and when someone asks to see the rest, make sure you’ve polished it to near perfection before sending it. Act like a professional, not a desperate newbie. Learn the craft, then learn the business. I was in the airport the other day and read a great daily inspiration: One good wish changes nothing. One good decision changes everything.

  

Decide to become a published author.

  

Then pick up you pen and get going! 

Interview with Speculative Fiction Author Christopher Hoare

 

Christopher is a retired surveyor who has worked in all the oil provinces of Canada, the Canadian Arctic and the Libyan Desert . His post secondary education started as aeronautical engineering but he quickly headed out to learn from the world. As well as time in oil exploration, he worked in oil refinery and gas plant operations and surveyed on a heavy construction project, a dam, where he was a member of the tunneling survey crew and then the check surveyor for the main dam construction.

He lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada, with his wife of 37 years and two Humane Society shelter dogs.  You can visit Chris on the web at Christopher Hoare.com.

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

The Wildcat’s Victory is my second novel, the sequel to Deadly Enterprise and one of my Iskander series novels. I have a contract for the third, the prequel Arrival, due out in July. 

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

Wyrd’s Harvest, a huge historical novel that I wrote in the early 70s. It didn’t fit the market then, and I rather think today I would find it reads poorly. I have the manuscript still and haven’t the nerve to open it. 

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? 

I spent over a year trying to interest agents in Deadly Enterprise and must have collected dozens of rejections before wising up. Agents are more interested in reading queries that focus on solid business plans than promising stories. As Donald Maas says on his informative website — it’s important to have four or five novels published before one can expect a breakthrough. Added to that, I realized that living in a small community way out in the west makes me an alien to New York agents, so I approached two e-publishers and both wanted the novel. 

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

Getting used to them. Over the years I’d had two previous novels accepted and then had the publishers back out — one went broke and the other couldn’t get the grant money she wanted. I just kept on writing. 

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

When Double Dragon Publishing offered me a contract for Deadly Enterprise

I signed on because of DDP’s good reputation as well as it being the biggest in terms of list. I was welcomed into the fold by a fine group of existing authors and immediately invited to submit a story for their latest anthology. So my short, Ticket, is in Twisted Tales II, volume 2, Out of Time, edited by J Richard Jacobs,   nominated for a 2007 P&E award.  

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

I’m not sure what feeling goes along with the words, “about damned time!” Having written on and off for about forty years at the time DE was released, and junked four previous novels, I just sat down to work on the next novel. 

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

I had been blogging about the upcoming release, and then joined as many online social groups as I could handle (actually a few more than I can handle) and joined discussion groups about writing. Not sure how that promotion has worked, but I may have collected readers in different countries around the world.  

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

Sure, I’d have loved to have been discovered and started with a NYT bestseller, but being realistic I’m satisfied that the route I’m following will see a steady growth in loyal readers. 

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

The sequel, The Wildcat’s Victory, was released on January 31st. It’s available at Amazon.com. I still belong to NovelPro, the most professional of the online writers’ groups and am still working on improving my craft with the growing coterie of published writers in the group. 

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 believe trying to become published by the traditional route of agented submissions to corporate publishers is a mistake for most writers. Published credits, marketing plans, and extensive networking are needed there, and it was a mistake for me to waste time chasing those moonbeams. Far better to improve one’s writing with a competent critique group and offer it to the widening customer base for indie and e-published works available through the Internet. 

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

Perhaps ceasing to be a lone, solitary writer and leaving my shell to reach out with advice and assistance to others.  

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

This is my retirement profession. I’ve already spent almost fifty years working in other fields. I’ve been an engineering student, a soldier, a machine tool operator-setter, a refinery and gas processing plant operator, and mostly a surveyor in oil and gas exploration. 

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

I wrote half a dozen novels and a non-fiction book while I worked for a living. Although none were published, I found that having my own contract company in oil exploration gave me the most time for writing. I could have made a lot more money during the times I stayed home to write, but most of my satisfaction has come from writing. 

How do you see yourself in ten years? 

Older? I hope to keep writing and completing two novels a year for at least the next ten years. Hopefully, I will be able to offer my readers more enjoyment and other writers more help in that time. 

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

Work hard to improve your craft. Join a critique group where you can receive solid and helpful critiques of your work, and don’t make the mistake of submitting anything before it’s ready. I’ve started reviewing novels for the Muse Book Reviews, and am disappointed to find that the majority of published novels submitted should have gone through another draft or two before hitting the presses. To paraphrase a popular saying — it’s the quality, stupid.

Interview with Historical Fiction Author Catherine Delors

Catherine Delors was born and raised in France. She received her law degree from the Sorbonne and became an attorney in Paris at the age of twenty-one.

She moved to the United States and became a member of the California Bar. She worked at a few large law firms, then, after the birth of her son, set up her own practice. She now splits her time between Los Angeles and Paris.

She is also author of the historical fiction novel, Mistress of the Revolution (Dutton/Penguin, Mar. ’08). You can visit her website at www.catherinedelors.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Catherine. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

Mistress of the Revolution is my first book. I just completed my second novel, also a historical set in France. It is scheduled for publication in March 2009, one year after Mistress of the Revolution. This second novel is still untitled. Or rather it has several working titles, none quite satisfactory yet. I am terrible at finding titles for my books.

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

Mistress of the Revolution is indeed my very first book, and it is coming out!

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?

My agent, Stephanie Cabot, of The Gernert Company, sent it to ten publishers. Of those, three expressed strong interest in Mistress of the Revolution and made offers right away. This went much faster than I had anticipated. I was too thrilled to worry about the remaining publishing houses that had expressed little or no interest.

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

In my case, the rejection stage happened while I was querying agents. And did those rejection letters pour in! How did that make me feel? Let’s be honest: not great. It hurt. It was an ego-crushing experience. Sometimes I despaired of ever getting published. But I kept reminding myself that everyone was entitled to his or her opinion, even if that opinion was to dislike my book, or the concept behind my book. So I got over it and kept querying until I found an agent (actually I found two at the same time.). It feels all the more wonderful now to have positive feedback on Mistress of the Revolution.

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

Dutton, a division of Penguin, is publishing Mistress of the Revolution. I picked Dutton because they offered a two-book deal. Also I had a long, insightful conversation with Julie Doughty, who has become my editor at Dutton. My most important question to Julie was: “What changes do you suggest I make?” and I liked her response, which was: “Not much, but…”

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

It felt great, wonderful, the vindication of those long nights spent writing in bed on my laptop. My revenge over that agent who had written in response to my query that my novel was “unpublishable.” When Stephanie, my agent, called me to give me the great news, I was living with my son at my Mom’s, and both of them were as excited as I. We spent the evening talking about the future, all three of us. No champagne, no fireworks, but a sense of hope and new beginnings.

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

I flew to New York City to meet with Julie, my editor, and the other people at Dutton who would be instrumental in the success of my book. I knew that it was crucial to establish a personal connection with them. And I did! I had a great time too.

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

No, absolutely not. I was blessed to meet the right people at the right time.

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

My second book won’t come out until March 2009. It would be pretentious of me to say that I have grown as a writer, don’t you think? This second novel is also set in Paris, only a few years after the end of Mistress of the Revolution, but I did not want to write the same book twice. I write to challenge myself, not to boil the pot or to get stuck in a rut. So the tone of Book 2 is very different, somewhat darker, and it contains a lot of forensic detail, all based on the true investigation of a terrorist attack on Bonaparte. Like CSI set in 1800 Paris. My early readers tell me that they like my characters still better in the second novel. So I hope they are right in their judgment and I have grown as an author, but it is too early to tell…

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?

Actually, those “early days” are barely over a year away, so they don’t feel like ancient history. Everything happens at a slow pace in publishing, and I am not sure that I, or any other writer, can do much to speed things up. I had to learn to go with the flow, to be patient, which is not at all in my nature.

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

Coming to grips with the sense of loss that accompanied my divorce. It became final around the time I found a publisher. Also, helping my son cope with many tough changes, and adapt to our new life.

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

Actually, like many other writers, published or unpublished, I do have a day job (you know, that pesky little detail about making a living.) I am an attorney, specializing in international law and immigration.

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

I have combined the best (and worst) of both worlds. Sometimes it feels like twenty-four hours is not quite enough to be a mother, an attorney and a writer, and manage to get some sleep as well, all in the course of one day. So I cheat on the sleep side of the equation. That’s life.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Ten years! I can’t plan that long ahead, so I will just share a fantasy with you. I see myself, ten years from now, sitting on a tropical beach, maybe in Tahiti, watching the sunset, sipping a Mai Tai. I am a full time writer now. My son has completed college, and he just sent me this wonderful, warm, insightful email telling me how great his life is. Then whenever I get island fever and long for smog and other perks of city life, I just hop onto the next plane to Los Angeles or Paris. Again, this is a fantasy, not a plan, but dreaming is cheap.

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

An entire section of my website www.catherinedelors.com  is dedicated to sharing my experience with other writers on their way to finding a publisher.

In a nutshell, my fellow writers, never give up your dream. Don’t get discouraged or bitter. Don’t blame others if you are not published yet. Instead channel all of your energy in striving to write better. Be nice to people. They can, and will help you in more ways than you can imagine.