As part of her virtual book tour for Go Publish Yourself, Katie Salidas is stopping by at Books Are Cool today, at least virtually! (And today is Katie’s daughter’s birthday too – happy birthday!) I asked Katie some questions about her book, her writing and herself.
1. What inspired you to write Go Publish Yourself?
It started as a collection of blog posts. I spent about 6 months writing on topics about self-editing, self-publishing, and marketing. The posts were very popular and the feedback I received was wonderful. It was then that my editor suggested I put everything together in a nice easy-to-read format. That’s when Go Publish Yourself took shape. It’s a handy dandy quick reference guide for all levels of self-publishers.
2. Why did you feel there was a need for your take on the issue of self-publishing?
Through my own process of trial and error, I found that there was so much that I didn’t know. I wished that I had a book like this when I started. The books I had purchased were a little out dated and focused more on the print side of things. I thought that if I could touch on every subject in a quick and informative format it would be helpful. A nice quick reference guide that authors can turn to for answers rather than wading through big thick books or searching for hours on the internet.
3. Go Publish Yourself has a great cover. Did you design it yourself?
No, I cannot take credit for that, but what I can take credit for is finding an awesome cover artist. He’s also listed in the book! Willsin Rowe of Coverage is my go to man for all things covers. He’s done not only this book, but many of my other covers as well.
4. You also write paranormal fiction. Why that genre?
Oh I love vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters, and all other things that go bump in the night. Well, almost all things. I don’t do zombies. They really creep me out! I know it sounds silly but they do. I can’t even write about them without getting night mares.
5. Which character from your paranormal books are you most like?
I like to think there is a little of me in all of the characters I write. They are embellishments, exaggerations of traits I know or have. Nicholas has my snarky attitude, of course, he says the things I won’t say out loud. Alyssa has the naivety I had in youth. Rozaline had (RIP) my motherly nature. I could go on.
6. I bet Halloween is fun at your house! Am I right?
Oh I love Halloween. It’s my favorite night of the year. Halloween is the one night of the year where you can be something different. You get to play dress up again! I love it. And of course my kids have fun too. LoL!!
7. Which authors or books are you reading at the moment?
I hate to say it, but since my baby boy was born I have not had a chance to read. By the time I get a few free moments of peace, I’m passed out and snoring. LoL. Hopefully when my baby boy is a little bigger and sleeps better I’ll be able to get a few moments to pick up my reading. I have so much to catch up on.
8. When did you first realize you wanted to be an author, indie or otherwise?
I’ve been writing since I was a little girl. At the age of 14 I had written my first full-length novel, a novel that was subsequently lost during my move from Texas to Nevada. But that didn’t stop me for long.
I primarily work in Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, but it was my experience in learning how to self-publish that really helped me to understand the behind the scenes business.
9. What’s the one snippet of advice you would give anyone considering self-publishing?
If you’re going to self-publish, you need to take the time to do it right. One of the biggest reasons that self-publishing had a bad name to begin with is quality. Back before it became more mainstream, self-publishing was super expensive. Editing for example could cost thousands. Many authors couldn’t afford to do it right and self-publishing became synonymous with poor quality. It left a bad taste in many reader’s mouths. Today it is cheaper and much easier to do, but quality is still key. So if you’re interested in self-publishing, take your time, do your research, and put out the best quality product you can.
10. What’s the one best thing and the one worst thing about self-publishing, in your experience?
The best thing is the freedom. I control every aspect of the process. I don’t have anyone else telling me what I can and cannot do. The down side is, I am accountable for the quality of my book. Not that I ever want to put out a bad quality book, but when a reader complains about it, I feel terrible because I could have done better.
11. OK, enough of the serious stuff. What are your three favourite foods?
Oooh, I love food! I make a mean Beef and Broccoli! But I also love some BBQ ribs. Oooh and Gyros! I love those too. I could do this all day. I love love love food. It’s a reason I haven’t quite dropped all of the baby weight yet. Ha!
12. And finally, please describe your perfect day away from the computer and writing!
Oh that’s a fun one. I think a perfect day would be one in which I take a real vacation with my family. I’d love to do a Disney theme park! Spend the day in the sun, riding rides, eating good food, taking goofy pictures with my kids, etc.. Yep, that would be perfect!
Finally, my opinion of Katie’s book?
It’s a very thorough and realistic look at the self-publishing process. Katie makes certain you realise that it’s a tough thing to do, that you’re very unlikely to become rich as an indie author and that writing is only half the battle. Marketing is the most difficult and most crucial part. As a freelance editor, I was glad to see her stance in support of getting your indie book properly edited! Katie emphasises the importance of quality in your finished product in terms of its presentation, and she’s quite right.
Katie shares her experience and common sense throughout the whole book. I love her attitude, and her ‘Quick and dirty tips’ that crop up regularly in the text. This is a very well written and helpful book and will benefit everyone who reads it. There was a need for a non-sensational, warts-and-all yet still encouraging book on the subject of self-publishing, and this is definitely it.
Visit Katie’s website at www.katiesalidas.com.