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Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published. Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an
author and pen this book?
Andra: Someone once said if there’s a book we want to read, but it isn’t
written, then we need to write it. I’ve always been fascinated with history.
I’d
close every biography with the thought, “What would this person do if
he/she
had more time?” I wrote my book to give explorer Meriwether Lewis more
time,
to answer that question for myself.
Is this your first book?
Andra: I would never let anyone read my first book. Ha. This is the first
one I’ve been willing to share with the world.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small
press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Andra: Word Hermit Press published my novel. When the last agent in the traditional publishing world told me I needed to gut my book and take
Meriwether Lewis out because readers wouldn’t buy him in the role I
created, I threw up my hands and said, “Enough!” I turned to hybrid publication, and
I’m happy with Word Hermit Press.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey? The pros and
cons?
Andra: My story isn’t unique or different from the journey of any other
author.
Almost 100 rejections. Countless pieces of advice to change the book so
someone could sell it. Numerous examples of the most unprofessional
behavior
I’ve ever encountered in a twenty-plus year career in the business world.
Here’s what I say to any author: Believe in yourself. Believe in your
story.
Believe in your characters. If you don’t believe in yourself, don’t
expect
anyone else to believe in you. Take that belief, and make your story
live. Other
people will believe, because you believed in yourself first.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing
journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Andra: I think this story sums up the publishing industry today.
I was at a conference. A couple of traditional publishing types were
talking
over in the corner. One of them said, “I just got this book in, and it’s
dreadful.
I mean, really, REALLY bad.”
“Why are you considering it?”
“Well, because the author won a big literary award for a short story, and
ten other agents are going after it, and I feel like I need to try for it to
stay relevant. But, let me say again, the book is just DREADFUL.”
I always hoped I would be a fit for traditional publishing. Now I realize
that I
never could’ve made the book I did within that framework. Because of the
way
I approached publication, my book is exactly what I dreamed it would be.
I
want to write many, many more of them.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Andra: Absolutely. Believe in yourself and make it happen.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Andra: Write the best book you can. Spend money on an excellent editor.
Listen to him or her. Rewrite the best book you can. Assemble excellent
people
who know more than you do about whatever role they’re playing on your
team.
Listen to those people. Work your ass off to be accessible to your
readers.
Never, ever stop believing in yourself and the story you were put here to
tell.
You can visit her website at www.andrawatkins.com or follow her on Google+,Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Goodreads.
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