The Do's and Don'ts of Author Interviews

Whether you're a blogger interviewing an author, or an author responding to a blogger's questions, it's very important that you both provide quality and professional work when it comes to interviews. I've been interviewing authors for over a year now, (and been interviewed as well) and I've noticed a few things that both help and harm the interaction. So I'm going to divide this up between Do's and Don'ts for both authors and bloggers.

Authors

• Do

  • Provide all material requested from the blogger the first time around.

  • Edit your responses (spellcheck/use proper grammar and capitalization) so the blogger doesn't have to fix it.

  • Provide high-resolution pictures for yourself and your book covers.

  • Get your material to the blogger on time.

  • Answer all the questions (unless otherwise agreed upon) and provide interesting information. One-word responses won't engage the reader or the interviewer. 

  • Post the interview around to your social media platforms and give the blogger credit. 

• Don't
  

  • Badger the blogger about when your interview is coming out or keep requesting changes (unless you have a book coming out and need to provide a sale link). 

  • Act rudely towards the blogger. They're doing you a favor by creating the interview for you. 

  • Answer questions dishonestly 

  • Cut down other writers or bloggers in your answers. 

  • Ghost the blogger. 

Bloggers/Interviewers

• Do

  • Get questions to the authors when promised. 

  • Provide a designated day that you'll post the interview and stick to it.

  • Provide the author with a link to the posted interview so they can share it around.

  • Review the answers before you post it on your site in case of errors or controversial responses (depending on your site's dynamics). 

  • Answer any questions the author might have about the interview or provide clarification. 

  • Be honest to the author about what they can expect (are you posting the entire interview or just portions of it?) 

• Don't
  

  • Act rudely towards the author. You two are trying to work together to help one another. 

  • Post the interview late or not at all.

  • Ignore the author's concerns if something is posted incorrectly in the interview. 

  • Ghost the author. 

  • Promise a posting date until after the author has provided their material. (I've missed posting interviews because authors didn't give me their information in time). 

These are just a few ideas to keep in mind while interviewing and getting interviewed. Bloggers and authors should remember that they're working as a team. Together, they can provide exposure to each other. I've read far too often how authors have lashed out at book reviewers, bloggers, or interviewers for petty reasons. Bloggers can't post interviews without authors, but authors can't gain exposure without the help of bloggers. Work together harmoniously and you will both succeed. 

If you both find that you're on completely different pages, then it's also okay to politely agree to go your separate ways. What it comes down to is respect. We're all professionals here, and it's important to treat each other like people and not invisible faces. 

Meditation and Writing

Those of you who have followed my blog long enough know that I like to periodically spend time talking about mental health. As someone with depression and anxiety, it's important for me to find ways to relax my mind so I can heal and also focus on my writing. Most people also know that I suck at self care, and it's something I'm trying very hard to learn. 

Recently, I started attending group therapy that focuses on the mind, body, and soul. I always thought I was awful at meditation (I still struggle with it), but the more I work at it, the more I realize how much it calms me. Sometimes I use my own writing as a form of meditation, typing out a stream of consciousness without any concerns about my language or where I'm going with it. I do that when I talk about my dreams, or if I'm having an episode where I just really need to get my emotions out. I generally call that my angry poetry phase. 

But I digress. 

Meditation is a habit that I think we can all benefit from, so I'd like to share a few things I've learned, and other kinds of meditation I do to ease my stress/anxiety. 

Deep Breathing

This is probably one of the best and easiest ones to start out with. Whenever I get worked up (or wake up from nightmares like I did last night), I try to focus on deep breathing. Sit in a relaxed position and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. You want to focus on making your belly feel soft. My guide suggests that you whisper "soft" when you breathe in, and "belly" when you breathe out. Try to do this for awhile. Even 5 minutes of deep breathing meditation can really help. It certainly helps me get through a bad work day. 

Here's a guided meditation that can help. 

Music and Mindfulness 

Once you have the breathing down, try to be mindful of your body. I like to put on soft music, usually water mixed with song or music that focuses on peaceful sleep. There are also a ton of apps on your phone that you can download that have guided meditation or songs. The app Calm is a great example. 

Lie down (or sit) in a comfortable position and turn on the music. Then focus on feeling each part of your body. Your arms, your legs, your fingers and toes, your head. Loosen each muscle one at a time and focus on your breathing and relaxing your body. Guided meditation can help you focus. Make sure you think about your body and don't let your mind wander (easier said than done for us writers). If it does wander, that's okay. Just pull it back into the moment. 

Only have a few minutes? Try a quick 5 minute meditation for things like anxiety. 

Imagery Meditation 

One of my favorite forms of meditation is something I didn't exactly realize I was doing until I talked with my therapist. Imagery meditation is essentially when you create an image in your head and focus on that. It could be imagining light coming down and wrapping around you. It could be picturing water or waves crashing against rocks. Maybe you see yourself on a beach or in a forest. Or, in my case, I imagine a garden that only I can enter. Focusing on each detail gives your mind something else to think about other than stresses or anything else that's bothering you. 

Here's a guided video for example. 

Animal Meditation

Okay, so this might be something that I made up, but I think animal lovers can understand where I'm coming from. There are moments when I pet my birds or preen them where all my stress just goes away. The same thing happens when Aladdin, my sun conure, sleeps on my chest. I can feel his breath and his little heartbeat and it calms me. I find myself relaxing and focusing on them and their happiness, and it makes me happy in return. Imagine doing that with a dog or a cat. I bet you wouldn't mind spending 10 or 15 minutes doting on them. 

So what does this have to do with writing? Well, often a more peaceful mind helps with my writing. The ideas flow more freely without bundles of anxiety and depression distracting me or clouding my brain. I've been playing meditative musical tracks while writing, and I can feel my anxiety go down while I work. 

Writing can also act as a prelude to meditation. If you're upset or filled with a bunch of emotion, write it out. Say everything you'd want to say without fear that someone is going to read it and judge you. Doing so can help you clear your mind and make you feel freer. It opens you up to meditation and writing your story. 

To be honest, I usually find myself relaxing so much with the guided meditation, that I just fall asleep. As someone who struggles with sleep, I'm not going to complain about that. I'm quite new and rusty with it, but meditation has already started to help with my depression. I hope it helps you as well. 

If you have any meditative practices you'd like to share, post them below! 

Let's Talk About Fanfiction

I'm sure you're probably already squirming in your seat at the title. Fanfiction? Bleh! Who wants to read that? 

You'd be surprised.

Fanfiction, for those who don't know, is literature created by a fan of a TV show, book, movie, comic, etc. Fans like to put their own spin on the stories, create different theories that might not necessarily be canon, or even insert themselves into the show/book through a personal character. These pieces are posted on sites like Fanfiction, Wattpad, Commaful, and more. Check out more places at The Ultimate Guide to Fanfiction and Fanfiction Sites by Joanna Smith. 

So what's the problem with it? 

Well, there are many complaints about fanfiction including: "You're just taking someone else's writing and making it your own. That's not real writing." "Fanfiction writers don't know how to write." "Fanfiction writing is awful." "The stories aren't canon." "Fanfic is just loaded with Mary Sue characters." "The stories are sexist." "The stories are too gay." 

I'm not going to argue with some of these. Yes, people are indeed taking a known world and making it their own. It's true, sometimes the quality of writing isn't very good. No, often the stories aren't canon because people are coming up with their own theories. And yes, a lot of Mary Sue characters pop up randomly. 

As for there being too many gay stories...sorry, folks, but I'm totally fine with that. 

Fanfic writers are almost treated as badly as the people who like Pumpkin Spice flavored things in the fall. How DARE someone enjoy a movie/book (or flavor)! What's the problem? If someone loves or is inspired by a story so much that they want to write about it, then why not let them? Allow them to enjoy the idea that they can see themselves in the world they love, or they can shift the elements around so certain characters are paired together, or forgotten characters get more screen/page time. It's not hurting anyone. If you don't like it, then you certainly don't have to read it. 

Now, I realize there's a lot of really bad fanfiction out there (due to poor grammar, storytelling, character development, and unsavory themes). I'm not going to say every kind of fanfic is okay, especially not when it deals with things we find taboo even in books we read today (ie. graphic rape scenes, child pornography, under-aged sex stories, etc). But if you're complaining about poor plot, writing, and character development, how do you think people learn to improve? By practicing and getting critique. 

When I started out writing, I read a lot of Fanfiction and wrote some myself. Was all of it good? Oh, heck no, but the thing is, the stories other people created helped me fall in love with the world even more. I'm going to use Redwall by Brian Jacques for example. This book series was my bread and butter. When I couldn't get enough of the published stories, I went online and read as many Redwall fanfics that I could find. One time, I stayed awake all night in my parents' room because I had to find out what happened to these new beloved characters. My dad woke to get ready for work and found me staring, wide-eyed, at the screen. Did I get any sleep that night? Nope. Did I fall in love with characters, the Redwall world, and weep for fan-made characters? Oh, you better believe it. 

Fanfiction also taught me how to adjust my writing. I learned, grammatically, what was right, and what was wrong. As I wrote my own stories, people would poke at holes in my plot or offer me advice (sometimes in the form of a trolly comment), which helped me rethink what I was writing and fix my story. I got to delve into a world I already loved, with characters I created (or borrowed), and I also learned more about writing along the way! Fanfiction also helped me meet friends and other writers. 

Roleplaying through a Redwall site actually introduced me to my co-writer.

Now, there is the controversy about people writing fanfic and wanting to publish it. Actually, someone kind of did do that *coughE.L.Jamescough* but at least she changed the names and setting a bit. Personally, I don't think people should publish fanfiction independently or traditionally as it is the creation of another author. However, I see no harm in sites providing ads or "tokens" that provide a little compensation to writers courtesy of their readers. That's not too much different from someone running a patreon campaign and getting readers to pay a certain amount each month to get a sneak peak at a new fanfiction piece. 

But I know this is something that's heavily debated, so feel free to leave your opinion below. 

When it comes to my own books like The Purple Door District,...write fanfic to your heart's content. If my characters and world inspire you to create stories of your own, then you write them and share them with friends! Practice your craft. My goal as an author is to encourage others to write, even if it's in the world I created. I'm not going to lie, I have checked a couple of fanfic sites just to see if anyone has had the inclination to write something based off of my book. 

Let the fanfic writers enjoy the stories and create ones of their own. Long after the original author is gone, her legacy will still live on in her books, and in the stories that her fans created of her series. What an amazing way to be remembered. 

I say, write on, fanfiction authors. Write on! 

Tips for Attending Conventions

One of the exciting (and scary) things about being an author is promoting your book at signings and conventions. Some people thrive on it, while others find it quite daunting, depending on the size of the crowd. Whether you're eagerly awaiting your next convention or dreading it, there are a few things that you can do to make your table (and yourself) desirable to your customers and ways that you can also take care of your mental and physical health. 

Presentation

• Table display: Take time when setting up your table display. You want it to be eye catching and connected with your book in some way. Don't just scatter things about. Have a method and direct customers' attention to your most important pieces, whether that be the book, swag, newsletter, etc.

• Appearance: You want to be yourself, of course, but there are ways you can dress to help promote your work. Perhaps wear a shirt with your book's cover art or characters on it. Choose a saying from your book and proudly display that. Or just wear something that's comfortable but also appealing to the eye, something that welcomes people to your table. Whimsical can also attract attention! 

• Bookmarks/business cards: Make sure you have plenty of these with you whether you're at your table or walking around. This is a great way to make connections and also show off that you have all your ducks in a row. If they can't make it to your table, at least they have something to take with them to look at later. 

• Elevator Pitch: Have an elevator pitch prepared for your book when you present it. This should last maybe two sentences or 15 seconds, something to engage the customers but not bore them. You don't want to tell them your whole story over a five minute interval, otherwise what's the point of buying the book? Now, if they ask more questions about it, be sure to answer them and let your passion shine. 

• Greeting People: You can set up your own routine for greeting people, but make sure to be friendly, open, and honest with them. Even if you're having a down day, try to put on a smile and engage with your customers. You're more likely to attract their attention and get them interested in your book.  Consider standing, too, when you greet people. You seem more engaged that way. 

• Dealing With Time Monopolizers: It happens. Someone stops at your table and starts chatting with you about your book but then goes off onto tangents or starts rattling off conspiracy theories while you're still trying to sell. Obviously you don't want to chase a potential customer away, but there are ways to halt the conversation. If another person walks up, politely say, "Excuse me" to the monopolizer and put your full attention to the other person. It might help them realize that you still have work to do. Try to disengage by saying, "It's been great talking to you. I've enjoyed talking to you, but," and indicate you need to get back to selling. And if they still won't step back, you have to remember that this is a job. Sometimes you have to be a bit blunt and more curtly excuse yourself from the conversation. 

Saving Money

• Bring Food: When you attend conventions, quite often food prices are jacked up so you're paying an arm and a leg for it. If the convention allows it, consider bringing your own food (sandwiches, power bars, chips, pita, etc). You'll save money eating your own stuff and have plenty of it available too. Likewise, bring plenty of water too, because water bottles cost a ridiculous amount of money (and kill the environment). I typically just fill mine up at the water fountain. 

• Set a Budget: Just like the rest of the convention goers, it's hard not to get swept up in all of the amazing books and items around you. If you plan to buy a few things, set a budget for yourself so you don't spend more than what you make. 

• Purchase a Cart: You're likely going to have a lot of items to drag around with you to conventions. Instead of straining yourself, and possibly risking medical bills by breaking your back, get a cart or dolly that you can easily move around with your merchandise. It'll make loading and unloading much easier as well. 

Health

• Stay hydrated: It's easy to forget to drink something while you're busy greeting people and selling books. But it's vital to stay hydrated. You're going to be working the convention for several long hours, possibly in the heat. I've gotten sick from not drinking enough. So fill up that water bottle! 

• Eat: Same with drinking, make sure you eat something. You might want to wait until there's a lull in people walking around, but you can take 10 minutes to eat a power bar or a sandwich. It'll keep you energized and fight off the dreaded "hanger." 

• Take a Break: If at all possible, try to take a break if you feel like you're getting too overwhelmed. Maybe have a friend come with you who can cover the table while you go sit in quiet for a few minutes. Or, befriend your neighbors who can keep an eye on your things while you run to the bathroom or take a walk. It's hard to be "on" for so long. Give yourself chance a turn off. 

• Wet wipes: This was actually a great suggestion from my friend Brian K Morris. It's easy to start feeling sweaty, dirty, and just uncomfortable when you've been working your table. Have some wipes with you to clean your face, neck, and hands to help refresh you. 

• Wear comfortable shoes/clothing: I know this can be hard if you're cosplaying, but try to wear something comfortable, especially when it comes to shoes. You don't want to be hating your feet an hour into the convention. 

• Know the Ins and Outs of the Convention Place: You can save yourself a lot of stress if you know 1. where you're supposed to set up, 2. where the entrances and exits are, 3. where the bathrooms and water are located, etc before you actually attend the convention. I've gotten so busy setting up before that I just blanked out on some of these basic things. 

What about you folks? What kind of tips can you offer when attending conventions or signings? 

Pirating Books

Pirating books. You've probably seen this topic in the news over the past couple of weeks and heard the heated discussion revolving around it. In short, a website called OceanofPDF, known for hosting pirated books, was recently shut down. Publishers like Penguin, HarperCollins, and Random House issued tons of take down notices, and eventually the requests went through. You can read more about it here. 

This should be a good thing, right? A site that's allowing people to essentially steal an author's work is no longer able to distribute the pdfs. Unfortunately, there's been a lot of backlash in which authors are being called "Elitist" and selfish for wanting money for their work. Now granted, some of the people do have a good point. If they've already purchased the books and something happened to them, shouldn't there be a way to get them back? Or what if they bought a paper version and want an e-book for the road that came out later? 

First, if you lost the book, I'm sorry, but if you lost a DVD or music, you'd have to pay to get that back, too. If you want the e-copy, some authors will sell packages of e-books and the paper book, so you can just get it that way. Or just buy the e-book. Generally, e-books are priced a lot cheaper anyway. My paper book is $15, but my e-book is $3.99. I'm not asking you to pay full price for the e-book. 

Some people have argued that 1. they don't have the money for books or 2.  they can't get them from the local library. Generally if you speak with a library about wanting a book, and there are enough requests, the library can buy the book or even loan it from another location. If you get the book around the time it launches, many authors put their novels on sale. Or they'll do low sales or offer giveaways.

We're not dragons stealing your money and cackling on top of our glistening hoard. Most of the money we actually make off of our books goes towards expenses in order to bring more books to you. Spend money to make money. So to have our work put on a site without our permission and to watch hundreds and thousands of people download it without us seeing a cent from it is...how is that fair? 

I want to give you a look into how much it costs to actually publish a book. It's different for traditional and self-published authors, but we all put money into it. 

First, it starts with our time. I work a full-time job, and I spend most of my free time (what little I have), writing my novels. This is not just a casual hobby. This is something I want to turn into a profession, so I dedicate my time to it. I've taken courses in writing, storytelling, plot development, creative writing, (which costs money,) so I can create my books. It also causes a lot of emotional strain to do what I do. See Writing with Depression for clarification. 

And then there are the other expenses once I've actually written the book. I have to pay for things like: 

• an editor

• proofreaders

• sensitivity readers

• cover artist

• promotional materials

• book swag

• programs like Scrivener and Adobe DC to format the books or a designer who can do it for me

• buying the books themselves

• tables at conventions to sell my books

• hotels/gas/meals to travel and sell 

It all adds up.

Most of the money that I've made from sales have gone back into my book or is being used to take care of costs for the next one. I'm not rolling in money, so yes, every dollar does help. Some people say, "Well, I'll give you a review. That's payment enough." Look, any review is wonderful, and I'm grateful for it whether it's good or bad. But the thing is, if everyone decided that's how they were going to pay for the book, I'd have hundreds of reviews, but no revenue. 

We pay money for movies, music, theater, etc, but when it comes to art and books, suddenly it's just too expensive. I understand our economy is awful, and I'm drowning in debt as well. But it's heartbreaking to realize that something I spent months or even years on is being handed out for free. If I want to give it away for free or drop the price, that's my prerogative, and I would promote it so that people who are having trouble buying my book can get it for cheaper. Some say I get more readers if my book is given away for free. Hey, that's great. I love getting more readers. But what about all the time and effort writers put into their craft? Does that mean nothing? 

If it was just happening here and there, that would be one thing. But there are whole sites dedicated to this. I give books away. I reach out to libraries to see if I can get my books there so people who are low on cash can at least borrow the book. But that's my decision and my right to do that. 

I guess what I really want you to understand is that being a creator and doing something I love doesn't mean that I don't put a ton of work into it. I'm providing a service. Is it so bad that I would want compensation from it so I can keep creating and bring more stories to my readers? 

I'd love to hear your opinions on it.