I thought I would get this post up quickly today. Just in case blogger decides to have another WTF moment and disappear. This week's featured Indie Author is Angeline Kace. I came across her blog by pure chance, which is how I come across most blogs. I saw her link in the sidebar of another blog, clicked and instantly knew she was a blogger I wanted to read more from. She is in the process of finishing her first book, Descended by Blood. If you'd like a sneak peek at it, then you can read the first chapter on her blog, here. She has started her own publishing agency, Accendo Press.
Here's my Q & A with Angeline:
1. What is the one thing every writer who is considering the self-publishing route should know?
Make sure that it’s what you want to do. Self publishing is not necessarily the right or wrong way to publish, but you need to make sure that it’s what you want to do.
It takes a lot of work. You are the author, editor, graphic designer, marketer, EVERYTHING. Yes, you can hire some of these things out, but it is ultimately up to you to be the gatekeeper. If you commission an ugly cover, no one is going to make you change it if you love it.
Writing is only a small portion of the self publishing process. If you are considering this route for your work, make sure that you really research the ins and outs of the business. Joe Konrath is a great place to start. And don’t think that just because you can publish the book yourself that the quality should be any less than you would expect it to be if a New York publishing agency published it. Make it the best example of your work as you can. Any less and you risk tarnishing your reputation.
2. What made you decide to start your own publishing group instead of “traditional publishing”?
I always thought that someday I would write a book. I never took it seriously though. Then, I read Twilight, and I very much wanted to create that high-- that place where your mind is set free and revels in the characters and what will happen next. I started writing a book and started to research what I had to do to get it published. I found that the chances of picking up an agent were slim, and then I found out that even WITH an agent, your book might not get picked up by a publisher. It was just so daunting to me that I quit writing and went back to reading. I started writing because it was fun, but seeing the amount of let downs and upward battles seemed like no fun at all.
In December, I read Amanda Hocking’s book, Switched.
I fell in love with this book and then checked out her blog for more information about it. That was when a whole new world opened up to me.
I fell in love with this book and then checked out her blog for more information about it. That was when a whole new world opened up to me.I could publish my books myself. With the eBook revolution, I could reach tons of readers, and maybe even make money doing it. So, I crawled the web and found any piece of information I could about self publishing. My time spent reading had been sucked away by this new world of writing, and publishing, and any time left for reading was spent on technical books. I’ve not only had to learn about self publishing and how to best ensure that I can be successful at it, but I have also had to learn about writing. Writing is a craft and most people can’t just open up a Word doc and create something that everyone is going to want to read. There is a method to the madness, and I had to find how best to steer mine. I have also had some great friends and mentors in my partners at Accendo Press, Heather Hildenbrand and Jennifer Sommersby, to help guide me along the way. Both of these ladies are very talented, so having them there to tell me what works better or where I need to change things has taken months off of my writing learning curve.
3. Is writing a series harder or easier than writing a standalone book?
I have only written this one book so far, but judging by the struggles I’ve had to go through to make sure that I’m not giving away too much information in Book 1, Descended by Blood, so that there end up being nothing to carry over to book 2, or that the information to be carried over is properly developed in this book so that book 2 is stronger, I’d say that a series is a lot more difficult. The most challenging thing for me has been the ending; how do I create enough excitement and build up to make the reader WANT the next book, but not so much so that they don’t feel like they got enough satisfaction out of Descended by Blood? I know what is going to happen, and I know how the story carries over to book 2, but the break off and the balance of information is where it gets tricky.
4. What is your current WIP?
My current project is Descended by Blood. I have been writing the final scenes this week, and it should be completely written by the time your followers read this. It is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance, because that is what I love to read the most, and it has Vampires in it too. I am a loyal vamp girl ;)
Here is a short description of what the book is about. It will be released in July or August 2011:
Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. Thrown into a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.
Thank you so much for having me Dafeenah!
Thanks, Angeline, for visiting. You can find Angeline here:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!
Accendo Press: http://www.To see all of the featured Indie Authors in the Saturday Spotlight please visit my Writer Spotlight.
If you're an Indie author and would like to appear in the Saturday Spotlight, then please contact me. I would love to have you!
If you're an Indie author and would like to appear in the Saturday Spotlight, then please contact me. I would love to have you!
