MFRW author Kathleen Rowland shares what she knows about the publishing industry.Book Buyers Best finalist Kathleen Rowland is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes suspense with a sizzling love story sure to melt their hearts. Kathleen used to write computer programs but now writes novels. She grew up in Iowa where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and raced her sailboat on Lake Okoboji. Now she wears flip-flops and sails with her husband, Gerry, on Newport Harbor but wishes there were lightning bugs in California.
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Author-to-Author Tips... Sharing what I know about the publishing industry
Action sells! Books that have an action sequence within the first 25 pages sell better. Readers of romantic suspense look for fast paced. Plotting is critical to build a cohesive, multilayered storyline.
Should an author publish traditionally or self-publish? It’s okay to ride two horses at the same time. It does take longer for a novel to go from proofing to publication, but often self-pubbed books rush through edits. I submit longer books, over 40,000 words, to my publisher but self-publish novelettas (10,000 and under).
Is paperback coming back as opposed to paperless eBooks? My publisher focuses first on eBook sales. If the eBook doesn’t sell, neither will a print book. That is true, but the readership of romantic suspense is 60% eBook and 40% paperback. In other genres print books took an upswing. Some readers like both print and e-readers.
What’s good about being a writer? In our own lives, even a bit of negativity is usable. Were you ever involved with an alcoholic? That experience can help shape a character. How about being a single parent and providing for children while making ends meet? In my current work-in-progress, Vivienne Rourke takes tentative steps toward a new life after losing her husband. Her cousin is missing, and she works as a detective, always hoping to locate her. Another wonderful part of being a writer is hearing from fans. I learned on the reservation that the ancient, sacred charge of the storyteller is to beguile the time. I’m thrilled when I hear that someone has used my books to get through some particularly difficult illness either as a patient or as they sit on the sidelines while someone they love is terribly ill. It gratifies me to know that by immersing themselves in my stories, people are able to set their own lives aside and live and walk in someone else’s shoes. It tells me I’m doing a good job at the best job in the world.
Is bringing something new to the table with research or breaking news better than following trends relevant to your genre? I write romantic suspense, and the most popular contemporary romance subgenre is action/adventure. I feel a smart-selling author needs to have awareness of requirements within a sub-genre. Romantic suspense requires DANGER. Allow me to expand. Suspense incorporates a sense of tension throughout the book with heart-pounding action, adrenaline-inducing chase, edge of your seat thrills, life-threatening situations, and dangerous criminals. These are common elements. ROMANCE. There’s a central love story. Our lovers have to traverse nail-biting adventures before they become acquainted with each other and fall in love. As an author I weave both romance and mystery.
No Backstory Not none, but weave backstory in with mercifully short dialogue. The biggest error is over-writing and manufacturing emotions. Characters must react in the present, be honest and real. They react to their situation and to each other. Their issues are background. Life is messy. The thrill ride is dangerous, authentic, eye-widening, and passionate.Kathleen's newest book is Deadly Alliance, an Erotic Romantic Suspense.
Finn doesn't trust Amy. Dog that he is, they're after the same shiny bone-- his missing cash. Some alliances have dangerous consequences. Chilling adrenalin rush when Amy witnesses a fight between an Irish gang and domestic terrorists, is caught in the crosshairs, and needs Finn's protection. Finn doesn't trust Amy. Dog that he is, they're after the same bone. Some alliances have dangerous consequences. BUY LINK
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