SHALLA CHATS with author Terry Spear

"The Low-down on Getting Published "

 

by Shalla DeGuzman

 

First off, who’s Terry?

Terry Spear, who writes as Terry Lee Wilde for young adult books, has finaled in RWA contests, has been multi-published in magazines and now has her first adult paranormal book coming out with Triskelion Publications and two young adult paranomals with Medallion Press.

Shalla: We all love to get published so what’s it like?

Let’s ask multi-pubbed author, Terry Spear. Hi Terry.

Terry: Hey, Shalla, thanks for offering to interview me! I think the most exciting thing for me was when I got the cover for KILLING THE BLOODLUST. Once that happened, I really felt like I had a book and I was able to post it to my website. But the next thing were the reviews: 5 Cups from Coffee Time Romance Reviews: KILLING THE BLOODLUST tosses Crystal Anderson and Robert Parker into a hair raising, chilling and suspenseful tale that pulls on the reader’s heartstrings and keeps them reading long past bedtime!!! Fallen Angel Reviews: Killing the Bloodlust is a fast paced original vampire/slayer story; a must read for lovers of vampire lore. Reviews like this make writing the book all the more worthwhile. The three reviews I’ve had so far have said they want to see more of the hunters from this series. It’s inspired me to write: TAMING THE BLOODLUST.

Shalla: So tell us what’s it like to see your book online and/or Walmart? (in case your book’s not at Walmart, please tell me so I can change it to Borders or wherever it is)

Terry: KILLING THE BLOODLUST is online at Triskelion Publications and will be with Fictionwise shortly. It’s pretty exciting to see the book you worked so hard to create finally out there for the world to buy. GHOSTLY LIAISONS is a young adult paranormal coming October, 2005 from Medallion Press. It will be offered in all of the major bookstores and other places such as Target and Walmart. I’m thrilled to have a print book coming out also and can’t wait to see the cover Medallion designs for it!

Shalla: When you’re pubbed is it easier to get contracts?

Terry: Yes and no. I’ve had a lot of requests from various publishers, and Medallion is currently considering an adult romantic suspense, but no guarantee that they’ll buy it. But having sold, doesn’t seem to make a lot of difference to other publishers. The same goes for agents. If I had a contract from a bigger publishing house, then this might make a difference. But with smaller publishing houses for me, I’ve found that it doesn’t. For epubs, I believe, yes. Triskelion Publications is working on edits for my HUNTRESS FOR HIRE, another vampire hunter series. And I’m sure that when I write TAMING THE BLOODLUST, they’ll buy it right away. Some publishers want to buy multiple books from an author, and you see two or three book deals sold at a time.

Shalla: How do you promote your book?

Terry: Send it out to reviewers, promote it on lists, make flyers for book signings and conferences, contests, gift baskets, write articles with a byline, interviews. :)

Shalla: What promotional materials works best for you? Why?

Terry: I love to write, so I write inspirational articles on writing on various lists. If I had more time, I’d write for all of them. :) It shows you’ll help other writers and at the same time, get your name out there with the name of the books you’re selling. Post to lists....it’s free. But I also try to help others on the lists, motivate, offer encouragement and congratulations. It’s a two-way street.

Another way to promote: maintain a website. Again, it can be free. Mine is. And it’s easy to update. I’ve had at least one young adult publisher say they looked at my site, and an agent too. It shows you are serious about your business. Go to conferences and take bookmarks and flyers on upcoming books. Write about your writing success in local newspapers and magazines to help market yourself as a local author.

Shalla: Do you go to the conferences?

Terry: Last year I went to four local RWA conferences and National as they’re all fairly close by. This year I’m going to three local RWA conferences, National, and one Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator’s retreat for published authors.

Shalla: Do you recommend any conferences for writers who want to meet and pitch to agents and/or editors?

Terry: Local conferences are wonderful. The small size of workshops and the relaxed atmosphere really put me at ease at my first conferences. I’d gone to four before I went to National, and I was so glad. At NOLA in Shreveport, they have a wonderful evening party with the editors and agents before the conference the next day. It was a nice way to meet them in a social setting beforehand. At Fort Worth, it was even smaller, and really lovely. And all of the ones I went to had book signings. Unfortunately, I won’t have a book to sign until the conferences next spring. :) But it’s another way to promote your books!

Shalla: What’s the best thing about getting published?

Terry: The validation that you’re really an author. Once you write that novel, you are an author. But it doesn’t seem like it until a publisher likes it well enough to actually buy your book. Beyond that, the best thing is being able to share your characters, the plot, the heart of a story that you struggled with for months to create with the world. No longer is it just your story to read. It’s for the world’s enjoyment now too.

Shalla: Any tips on how to handle fans?

Terry: Don’t disappoint them. Write the best books you can. We write to entertain, and that’s our contract with our fans. So keep on writing the book of our heart and share that with our fans.

Shalla: Thanks so much!

For more on Terry Spear, please visit her website http://terryspear.tripod.com/author

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Shalla DeGuzman's short stories have appeared in Poetic Diversity, the Mad Hatters Review, etc.; her articles in The Scriptorium and L.A. Freepress; her skits at the Stella Adler Theatre. Shalla, a former writer and producer of a health and fitness cable show, is currently writing a novel. She is President of The ShallaDeGuzman Writers Group where she interviews literary agents, publishers, editors, etc. News! Shalla DeGuzman gets nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize! Plus! SHALLA Magazine, which features short stories, poetry and more, is here! For more on Shalla: www.shalladeguzman.com

 

 

 

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