An Interview with Mike Brennan of MITechNews.com

Today we’re talking to self-published author Mike Brennan, who has been covering cyber security news for more than a decade at his news portal site, MITechNews.Com. This is what he had to say:


Tell us about your self-published book and where it is available.

"Cyber Styletto" is the first in a series of novellas that takes an insider’s look at the security threats on the Internet today. The story – developed by a technology journalist, a cyber security expert and an award-winning novelist - focuses on super hacker Yvonne Tran, part of a secret government agency called CyberCom, who is brought in to investigate a malicious network attack that kills eight innocent people in California. She and her team follow the trail to Hong Kong and Afghanistan, where they must pinpoint the cause before the next attack, which could kill thousands more people in the United States.

The book is available now at www.cyberstyletto.com, www.lulu.com, www.smashwords.com, Barnes & Noble.com and iTunes. Soon it we will be available at Amazon.com, Schuler Books in West Michigan and on jexbo.com.

Why did you decide to self-publish?

We are breaking new ground in fiction, creating a new genre about cyber crime, and we didn’t think a traditional publisher would see the big picture until we sold a few thousand books on our own. We also wanted to get the book out quickly, since many of the facts in it are ripped from today’s headlines. We wanted to make more money and get paid faster than if we went the traditional publishing route, too.

What was your biggest challenge to overcome in self-publishing your book and why?

Marketing the book, getting the word out to the target audience worldwide. We’re still figuring out that part of the book publishing business. But we plan to have Cyber Styletto translated into German, French, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. I’m sure there are a lot of folks who would be interested in reading "Cyber Styletto" that are non-English readers.

What has been the best part about self-publishing your book and why?

Total control over distribution and sales. We also earn a much higher profit than if we went the traditional publishing route.

What advice do you have for other writers who are self-publishing their book?

Make sure you connect with veterans of the book self-publishing industry who can help you learn the ins and outs. We had Gian DeTorre, our novelist, who handled this part for the team.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Follow your dream. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. You can. You can achieve anything you believe.

Your book sounds very exciting Mike! Thanks for sharing your information, and good luck with book sales!