Saturday, March 29, 2014

An Interview with Our #2 Top Selling Author, Catherine Astolfo

Congratulations, Catherine, on being our #2 bestselling author. As one of our most prolific authors, we've watched you promote your books with creativity and excitement.

1. Tell us a bit about your books. What are they about?

Currently, I have five books published by Imajin Books. The first four are part of a series. The Emily Taylor Mysteries revolve around an unusual heroine - the principal of an elementary school. In her late forties, Emily Taylor becomes a reluctant sleuth through a variety of external events. Some of her decisions, however, are based on a fear of discovery, for she has a mysterious past that involves her husband. Readers do not find out the details of this past life until Book 4. My fifth book is a psychological suspense, a standalone, titled SWEET KAROLINE. This novel explores a dysfunctional relationship between two women and what happens when one of them dies violently.

2. Why do you think your books have sold so well?

I believe you must start with a good story. Readers must be caught by the characters, the plot, the setting - or, ideally, all three. After that, it’s good old fashioned hard work - marketing, promoting, networking.

3. Even though you're published by a hybrid/traditional type publisher, you've taken on the role of book promoter. What are some of the ways you've promoted your books?

For the most part, I use social media: Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, my blog, my website, as well as lots of online promotion sites, such as World Literary Cafe. I also network, through Crime Writers of Canada, local libraries, and bookstores to get my name out into the community.

4. What advice would you give to writers considering Imajin Books for their works?

Be prepared to work hard, build your Author Platform, and learn a LOT. Your rewards will be many.

Learn more about Catherine:

Catherine Astolfo's website
Catherine Astolfo on Facebook
Catherine Astolfo on Twitter

Sunday, March 16, 2014

An Interview with Our #1 Top Selling Author, Kat Flannery

Congratulations, Kat, on being our #1 bestselling author. We know you have worked very hard to get the word out about your books and to create your unique brand.

1. Tell us a bit about your books. What are they about?

I have two full-length novels and a novella out with Imajin Books and am currently working on my third full-length book. My first novel, CHASING CLOVERS is a historical western romance. A heartwarming mail order bride story of how love can heal all wounds. LAKOTA HONOR is a darker paranormal historical romance that deals with racism, discrimination and lust. HAZARDOUS UNIONS is a Civil War western romance and takes you on a trail of treason within the Confederate army.

2. Why do you think your books have sold so well?

When I signed on with Imajin Books back in 2011, I wasn’t naive to the fact that I would be responsible in marketing 90% of my work. Most authors make the mistake of expecting the publisher to do all of the marketing. It doesn’t work that way anymore. I researched the publishing industry for years before I even finished my first book. 

I wanted to be educated with the ins and outs of how publishers perceived authors and what they expected from them. Almost every publisher I looked into wanted the author to be responsible for more than half of his or her marketing. From the beginning I knew I wouldn’t be the kind of author that would let my book sell itself. I watched other authors. Cheryl Kaye Tardif was one of them. I mimicked what they were doing. I learned a lot the first year CHASING CLOVERS was out—what works and what doesn’t.

3. Even though you're published by a hybrid/traditional type publisher, you've taken on the role of book promoter. What are some of the ways you've promoted your books?

I watched or stalked certain authors. Cheryl Kaye Tardif was doing so well and she shared everything with me. It did help that she is the head of Imajin Books, but it didn’t change the fact that she worked very hard at promoting her work. I admired that and still do. I utilized every piece of information in her marketing book. 

I put myself out there. I talked to readers, reviewers and online book blogs. For the release of LAKOTA HONOR I was on 27 blogs in one week. I tweet every hour when I have a promo. I interact with my followers and friends. I blast updates on facebook and I use giveaways. On occasion I’ll pay for my advertising. There are some great book sites I’ll market on and the cost is very little. I’ve used BookBub and although expensive, I found it well worth my time and money.

4. What advice would you give to writers considering Imajin Books for their works?

The first thing I tell any aspiring author is to get their work professionally edited. There are two reasons for this; you’ve spent countless hours to write a book you want it to be the best it can be and the only way to do that is to have it edited. The other reason is you’ll have a better chance at getting a contract if your manuscript is clean and concise.

Another point I’d suggest is to be flexible. A publisher, whether it be Imajin Books or any other has their own way of doing things. Be accommodating. They know the industry. They know what sells. Yes, you need to trust them. However, the trust goes both ways the publisher has to trust that you’ll hold up your end of the contract as well. Publishing books is expensive and a publisher is taking just as big a chance on you as you them.

Do not let your ego get the best of you. All publishers know one another, as do editors. If you come across as demanding and difficult to work with you won’t publish with them again, and could potentially ruin any chance of publishing with someone else.

Imajin Books is like my second home and if you’re lucky enough to sign with them you won’t find a better publisher. I’ve met some great authors here and an amazing mentor in Cheryl Kaye Tardif. I wouldn’t be the author I am today if it wasn’t for them.

Learn more about Kat:

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Dos and Don'ts for Submitting A Manuscript to Imajin Books

As we approach our manuscript submission time (open March 15), we thought we'd share some important reminders and tips for authors planning to submit their works to us (or any publisher, for that matter).

So here are some Dos and Don'ts...

DO:

  1. …remember we read manuscripts every year, and yours must stand out and hook us immediately, so grab us with the very first sentence!
  2. …hire an editor BEFORE you submit your work to a publisher; there's too much competition not to submit your best work possible.
  3. …edit your work multiple times until you believe it's polished and ready. Then edit once more.
  4. …be sure you understand Chicago Manual of Style grammar rules—subscribe or buy the book. Refresh your memory on grammar skills often. Be sure you're using dialogue tags and beats correctly.
  5. …run your work through a spell check AFTER setting the language (US is most common, but if you're from UK and your book is set in UK, set the language to British English.)
  6. …read our guidelines, and give us what we ask for, including the genres we're looking for.
  7. …get to know the publisher, Cheryl Tardif, on Facebook and Twitter, and follow/Friend Imajin Books and Cheryl Kaye Tardif (author).
  8. …present yourself as a professional writer on your Facebook page—because we WILL check it. Same with Twitter.
  9. …include links in your first correspondence to your FB, Twitter, website and blog.
  10. …be patient, and give us at least 6 weeks to review your submission. We have a process that includes two beta readers, and this takes time. If you don't hear from us by then, feel free to email us.
DON'T:

  1. …send us anything BEFORE we're open for submissions. This includes agents. Thank you.
  2. …send us manuscripts outside of the ones we're looking for, which are listed on our submission page.
  3. …send us an unedited manuscript with poorly constructed sentences and dialog, and don't blame inadequate spelling skills on "dyslexia." The publisher at Imajin Books is dyslexic, and she knows the difference between that and poor spelling.
  4. …pitch your book to us as "perfect for anyone any age." Know WHO your target audience is and why they will read it.
  5. …send us a manuscript without a well-written 3-paragraph synopsis that reads like back cover text. Hint: READ back covers of other books in your genre, and fashion your paragraphs after them. Hint 2: Present tense!
  6. …present an unprofessional image online anywhere.
  7. …send us multiple emails pushing your book. If you've submitted it already, be patient.
  8. …expect huge 6-figure advances from us. We're a small, independent publishing company and we don't do large advances.
  9. …expect any publisher, including us, to do ALL the marketing for your book. A publisher can position your title for distribution, but authors sell books, and that's part of your responsibility. That's how you establish your brand. So be prepared to work hard and invest in your brand. It'll pay off in the end.
  10. …give up. If we turn down your book, it means it wasn't right for us. That doesn't mean it might not be right for another publishing company. If we give you any unsolicited tips or suggestions, which we might do on occasion, learn from them as they most likely will improve your work.
  11. ...tell us you aren't interested in a contract unless we accept your ready-made cover (or one you paid for) or edits by only your editor/friend/mother/aunt/teacher. And don't tell us you'll only reveal your novel plot/synopsis if we make a deal right now (on a book we haven't even read yet). This tells us you're an amateur and/or don't understand the publishing business.
  12. ...be rude or demanding to a publisher, and don't burn bridges. Not only is this unprofessional, it'll bite you in the ass. Publishers usually know other publishers, and word gets around like a bad virus if there's a nasty writer on the loose.
While the Don'ts may seem harsh, please remember why we bothered to post them here. We're looking for professional authors who conduct themselves as such and treat others with respect. Believe me, if you could see some of the emails we get--and some of the questions we're asked--you'd understand why there are Don'ts.

Focus on the Dos! :-)

You can read our submission guidelines at http://www.imajinbooks.com/submissions.

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