Interview with Randel Quandros

Today we’re talking to author Randel Quadros about his book Necessary Evils.  This is what he has to share with us:

NECESSARY EVILS is a mystery and drama about betrayal, lies, and the dark side of people.  A young ambitious U.S. Army lieutenant in Vietnam gets court-martialed and kicked out of the military.  However, he was completely innocent of the charges.  As someone who had dreamed of a life and career in the military since he was a young boy, the incident destroys him.   

Years later, after he becomes an attorney, he inadvertently discovers that his court-martial had been rigged and that he never stood a chance of proving his innocence.  He then realizes that his psychological scars from the incident have never healed and starts investigating the matter with the hope of exorcising his demons. 

He struggles through numerous dead ends, twists, and turns in the investigation and learns that the people he trusted most during the court-martial had mercilessly betrayed him.  They had been part of a conspiracy to ensure he was found at fault in the court-martial.  When he discovers who instigated the plot against him he is horrified and outraged and swears he will bring him to justice.  However, it won’t be easy because he has dark secrets of his own that would ruin him if revealed, and his adversary knows about them.  Nonetheless, the former lieutenant doesn’t give up and devises a clever plan to ensnare his nemesis, and in an explosive and surprising ending he springs his trap.   

Presently, NECESSARY EVILS is available through Amazon’s Kindle ebooks and Barnes & Noble’s Pubit!  I also anticipate it will soon be available on jexbo’s website.    

My decision to self-publish the novel as an ebook was based on the exorbitant costs involved with traditional publishing.  Additionally, traditional publishing is a long involved crapshoot where authors compete against each other to persuade publishers that their books will outsell the next guy’s.  Realizing that new and unknown authors probably don’t farewell against the likes of established authors with proven track records, I decided that self-publishing was probably the better option.  With self-publishing no one stands in the way of getting the book published and it’s relatively fast, easy, and low cost.  

However, self-publishing has its drawbacks too.  Authors have to do everything themselves, and if they are new authors with little or no experience, publishing a book can be a daunting and confusing experience.  Unless one is knowledgeable about computer text and image formats and publishing formats accepted by the various publishers, a lot of time can be wasted re-formatting and reediting manuscripts.  Also, designing book covers and interior layouts, registering copyrights, obtaining ISBN numbers, finding book printers, etc. can be time-consuming and confusing tasks.

While numerous self-publishing companies are available on the internet to take care of these tasks for you, obviously you have to pay them.  But the internet is also littered with complaints about these companies for long delays in service delivery, failures to respond to customer complaints, and failures to answer questions or explain the status of work in progress.  

Furthermore, it seems like every company is trying to hustle you.  They want clients to buy “packages” they offer, which range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.  The problem for new or inexperienced authors is that they don’t know what’s necessary and what’s not.  They also don’t know what reasonable charges for various services are.  And finally, I seriously doubt that any self-publishing company will tell authors that their books are lousy or that there is no market for them.  The old saying, “buyers beware” is as true as ever in the self- publishing business.   

The best part of self-publishing my book was what I learned in the process.  It forced me to talk to friends and acquaintances with knowledge and experience in the publishing field.  I also read dozens of articles on the internet about self-publishing and visited numerous website of self-publishing businesses.  In the end, I found and hired my own editors, book formatters, cover designers, and interior book designers.  I also registered my book’s copyright and obtained and registered my book’s ISBNs.  Now, I’m working through the marketing and publicity phase of the process.  These experiences have given me a lot of contacts with people who have considerable knowledge and skill in the publishing and writing fields, which will make things go smoother and faster the next time around.

My advice to those considering self-publishing their book is to contact a friend or acquaintance with experience and knowledge in the publishing field and ask them to guide you through the process.  Pay them for their time if you have to.  Also, look for articles on the internet about self-publishing to learn what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and what it generally costs. 

It’s okay to hire one of the self-publishing services, but I wouldn’t go into it blindly or let them be your advisor.  A self-publishing company will make your initial experience much less stressful, but it will also be more expensive.  And remember, some of these services are hustlers.  Therefore, take your time to find sincere people who are willing and capable of helping you.  This way you’ll learn a lot and won’t get hustled out of a ton of money. 

Perhaps the least appetizing aspect of self-publishing is marketing and promoting your book.  After it’s published, your book will be in competition with all the other books of the same genre, and the books that get the most effective publicity and exposure will be the ones that sell best.  You will be alone in this aspect of the process unless you hire a publicity agent.  So, be thinking about it because it is probably the most important aspect of publishing.

Finally, be prepared for setbacks and delays, and don’t get too OCD about the publishing process.  There are many things that can delay the publication of your book that are unavoidable or inherent in the business.  Just try to relax and keep putting one foot in front of the other, and eventually everything will get done. 

Thanks for telling us about your book, as well as sharing your tips for self-publishing Randy.  Good luck with book sales!

Interview with Author Jeff Bradford

Today at jexbo we’re talking to author Jeff Bradford.  Here’s what he has to share with us: 

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

My Coyote Creek is an honest and emotional memoir told by the youngest of three children (that would be me, author Jeff Bradford) about a mother’s creative struggle to provide a normal upbringing for her children while living with an abusive sociopath of a husband.

She shields her children from the truth that is her bizarre dark reality; all the while finding imaginative ways to feed and clothe them in the poverty stricken isolation of the vast prune orchards along the banks of Coyote Creek in Santa Clara County, California.

From 1957 to 1961, the children, Sharon, 7; Dave, 5; and Jeff, 4, wallow in the majesty of this wonderland their mother has created for them while being protected from the abusive horrors she endures.

This story shows a mother’s amazing resolve to create secure bliss for her children—a childhood filled with love and creativity. Readers can expect a mind-expanding experience brimming with adventures right out of a modern-day Huck Finn scenario.

That is until the day their innocence is lost and their lives are changed forever as their idea of heaven instantly turns to a confusing and distorted view of their mother’s hell. The children witness for the first time their father’s brutality when he leaves their mother for dead on the side of the road. Without transportation or a telephone, and living in the middle of nowhere, how would they save their mother and escape to safety?

Little did they know that their mother had seen this life-threatening situation coming and had devised a plan to secretly escape in the middle of the night. With the help of relatives, the family makes the move to freedom in the small town of Morgan Hill, California–ten miles south of Coyote. Here, their lives take on new adventures as the family of four, who stuck together during the worst of times, create and build better lives.

You’ll walk with them as they emerge from the isolation of low-end poverty to become one of the founding families of Morgan Hill. You’ll cheer them on as they become known, liked, and respected members of the community giving the three children, and mother, a chance for a better life; a chance to make something for them, and make a positive contribution to society.

Although there are many struggles and failures along the way, it’s not until the end that a struggle of a different kind emerges. When the youngest son, Jeff, at the age of 50, receives a voice message from his long-forgotten tormented father while the father lies on his deathbed, the agonizing question then becomes: should Jeff return the call?

My Coyote Creek is currently available through Smashwords.com (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114205) and has just been approved (by Smashwords after checking that the formatting was done properly) for distribution to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other outlets that sell e-books. Smashwords takes care of the distribution to those outlets which makes it easier and less time consuming and frustrating for me. Any sales through Smashwords.com I receive 80-85% royalty from the sale of each book and 60-70% when sold through Amazon or Barnes & Noble, that’s what I have been told but, as of yet, I have not sold any through those other outlets as the distribution process has just begun. If things work out well I will look at going through Amazon for print-on-demand printed books if the demand for the book is strong and warrants the additional cost of re-formatting and the additional creative design for the spine and back cover.

Why did you decide to self-publish?

I originally tried to market this memoir, My Coyote Creek, to the “normal” publishing houses like Random House and others agencies that I’m sure you’d all be aware of, however, all I received back (if anything) were somewhat arrogant rejection letters. After getting input from others who were helpful in the publishing world (Colorado Independent Publishers Association) and doing my own research online I found that self-publishing would be the only way to make a go of this if I wanted by baby (My Coyote Creek) to be read and enjoyed by others. Perhaps a mother that’s in a bad relationship with an abuser can learn from the read and this will benefit the children of those relationships, and that’s been the cruxes of my determination to see this story be published and come to light. If you want to succeed, self-publish!

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

Lack of knowledge and experience of the entire process of writing and publishing was the biggest hurdle for me. My situation wasn’t that of an experienced writer who had a story, but of a powerful story that needed a writer. Everything was a roadblock of sorts, grammar, layout, spelling, thought process, publishing process and just the overwhelming task at hand was daunting, to say the least.

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

The possibilities are what I find most encouraging and continue to provide motivation, excitability and an uplifting positive drive. I’m not sitting around waiting for some letter to come in the mail or for some “form” email from a publishing house telling me a bunch of crap that I won’t believe anyway as their motivation and drive certainly isn’t me. So, I guess the answer to this question is “control” over my own success . . . not failure!

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

The best thing I ever did was to join the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA). This isn’t a paid endorsement or anything of that nature; it’s simply the honest truth. It’s what has worked for me. By joining an association of others who have the same goals as you and run up against the same roadblocks as you will make all the difference in the world with regards to enjoyment of the process and the completion of your project. I would imagine there are associations of this sort in every state that you can contact and join. Within these independent publishing associations you’ll find individuals and small companies for every aspect of the publishing world, and they want to help you as others have helped them. If you can’t locate one of these associations in your area you can check out CIPA (http://www.cipacatalog.com) and perhaps become a “distance” member or something.

Through CIPA I found Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor (http://www.theredpeneditor.com), who was so helpful and caring that I can’t find the words to describe my gratitude. I couldn’t have done this without her. I also found forums and roundtables and seminars and so many other ways to learn about the industry with this group that I can honestly say that I may not have completed my project without their concern and help. I also found through CIPA, or who found me, was Gail Nelson (http://www.e-book-design.com) who did the creative front cover work as well as the formatting and layout. If you need the help I’m sure they would be happy to assist, again this isn’t spam or a paid anything… it’s simply what and who worked and cared for me.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Yes, I’m new to all of this and I’m having difficulty understanding and utilizing Twitter. I could use some help, perhaps examples of how to send a “proper” tweet and not offend anyone or have people think I’m a spammer (I hate that too). I’m just trying to do what’s right, so if anyone can help me comprehend the protocol . . . I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jeff, and good luck with book sales!

How to Make Goals Now for the New Year Ahead

Every year, I realize how short life is and how time is flying.  Before you know it, we’ll be at the end of next year and if you haven’t set any goals, you’ll look back and think about wasted opportunities.  Now is the time to think about what you want to accomplish, and figure out how you will reach your goals so you can look back over a successful year.

I usually start by thinking about what I have to do in the next year, then I break it into workable chunks.  For instance, if you want to write a book in the next year, what do you need to do to reach that goal?  You might set weekly goals, such as write a certain number of words per week.  I lean away from setting daily writing goals, because so much can happen that disrupt a daily schedule, and it’s too easy to become discourage and give up if too many unproductive days go by.  Be careful not to set unrealistic goals.

Another thing to consider is not doing the same thing divided into twelve monthly sections but rather trying a variety of things.  For instance if you own a business and want to reach a certain number of clients in the next year, you can choose six ways to expand your business and try one each month for the first six months of the year.  Then in June you can review the past six months and see what was most successful.  You might want to continue doing the one that reached the most customers, or you might want to rotate through the six ways once more.

Take time to set goals and this time next year you’ll be looking back at a successful year!

Why You Should Write a Book

I am sure I’m not the only one who has heard, “You ought to write a book.”  The thing is, should you really? Most of the time I’d say yes, you should.

To start with, we all have something that makes us unique, and writing a book is a good way to share that with others.  We’re shaped by where we grew up, who was around us, things we learned.  All of that adds up to an interesting mix and preserving it is a way of teaching others.  Think about reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” series – she wrote what she knew and it preserved a way of life many of us would never otherwise know.

Next, this is a great time to write a book.  You can use software to help you and print it yourself or with the help of one of the many self-publishing firms.  You don’t need to find an agent, wait for an editor to read through your manuscript, or spend a fortune to get it done.

Finally, you should write a book just to have written one.  What a great feeling of accomplishment you’ll have once it’s done, and you won’t look back and say, “I wish I’d done it.”  You can do it, and this is a great time for you to write a book!

Do you have questions about writing? Please contact me here or at www.jexbo.com.

3 Tips to Figure Out What to Write About

I’m frequently asked, “I’ve written a book – what do I do next?”  The next most common question I hear is “I want to write a book but where do I start?”  Here are some of the things I suggest people do when they don’t know what to write.

First of all, write what you know.

You don’t have to write your life story, but you could use where you live or where you grew up as the setting for your story.  No need to invent a street when you can picture it in your head as you write.  You could also use an incident from your own life in the story – anything stand out as particularly great or particularly horrifying?  Has anything that happened to you that would capture a reader’s attention?

Second, you could write what you wish could be. 

Set your book in a place you invent – create a whole different world, or make everything happen in the future or past.  It’s your book – you can be as creative as you like.  Describe life the way you imagine it on a different planet, or in a different time.  Sometimes once you get started describing a place you get ideas of what could happen there.

Third, write something to teach another person. 

Every single person knows something that someone else doesn’t.  What do you know that you could teach?  Try writing it to different groups – how would you teach a group of children what you know, how would you explain it to a police officer, and so on.  Once you figure out what you want to teach, you can figure out what kind of audience you want to write to.

Do you have any tips when people ask what to write about?  I’d love to hear them below or at www.jexbo.com!