Author Interview: Emma Meade
The interview series with members of my Twitter community continues with author Emma Meade. Enjoy!
Blog: emmameade.com
Twitter: @emmameade83
Facebook: Author Page
Book Trailer: Night Sighs
Q: What is your genre? Why did you choose it?
EM: Paranormal. I grew up devouring/reading Point Horror back in the 90s. As a young teenager I moved onto Stephen King’s The Stand and that was it for me. Supernatural, paranormal and horror is what I focus on now.
Q: How many books have you published? Legacy published, self-published, or a combination?
EM: In November I self-published my first ebook called Night Sighs. It’s an adult short story collection (approx 16,000 words) following the relationship and adventures of Tristan and Alex (I call them star-crossed lovers of the supernatural variety
).
Q: Tell us more about NIGHT SIGHS! How did this story come about?
EM: Night Sighs started off as a lone short story called The Dead Beats. It came about directly from me watching a Bruce Springsteen video on youtube. It was a live performance of Because the Night in Paris in 1985. The opening notes of the piano were so haunting that I got chills down my spine. Tristan,the rockstar vampire in the story was born from me watching that 5 minute video and I wrote The Dead Beats over a couple of nights. I put myself in Alex's shoes as a young woman falling in love with the music and artistic talent of a musician who also happens to be a vampire. I later decided that I’d like to find out what Alex and Tristan had been up to since then, and ended up with another 4 short stories about them that together became Night Sighs.
Q: Do you sell copies of your novel, or other works, directly from your website?
EM: No. I sell from Smashwords and Amazon and this is working out fine so far.
Q: How much time do you spend on Twitter each week? Do you have a Facebook Fan Page?
EM: I only came to Twitter in September this year and now can be found on it daily I’m afraid! Yes I have a fan page (Emma's Ramblings on supernatural fiction) that I neglect in favour of Twitter.
Q: Do you blog? How often? Strictly professional or a blend of all things?
EM: Yes I have a blog emmameade.com I started this blog, Emma’s Ramblings on supernatural fiction in March 2011 as a review site for books, films and tv shows. I post twice a week.
Q: Do you have a motto or favorite quote you turn to on tough writing days?
EM: I really should have a quote but no, I just turn to music if I’m having a bad day, and that can change whatever mood I’m in instantly.
Q: Have you outsourced editing, cover design, formatting, web design, marketing, etc?
EM: I had Night Sighs edited and proof-read by a professional before I self-published, and my cover design was done by Kit Foster. He does excellent covers and you can find him online at www.kitfosterdesign.com/. My blog is a simple wordpress.com site that I work on myself. My marketing consists mainly of interacting with readers and writers on social networking sites and sending free copies to book bloggers for review.
Q: Do you work with a writing group?
EM: Not yet but I am looking into joining a local group in the new year.
Q: When did you first decide to self-publish? How much time did it take to get from an idea to an ebook on Amazon?
EM: I spent 2011 going back and forth between the pros and cons of self-publishing. I had been down the road of sending a young adult novel (my baby) off to literary agents with very little feedback. I wasn’t ready to send that particular story out into the self-published world yet so I worked on editing and revising the short stories in Night Sighs instead. I received a positive critique back from a publishing house on this but they were honest in saying that it didn’t meet their romance guidelines. A few weeks later I went ahead and uploaded it to Smashwords and Amazon Kindle myself for $0.99.
Q: Have you published any of your work for free? Why or why not?
EM: A couple of short stories are available from my blog. That’s it so far but I hope to post a few more in the coming months. Posting a free short story online allows people to view your writing style before they commit to buying your work.
Q: What tips or advice would you offer to writers who are about to join the self-published community?
EM: Do your homework first. Self-publishing shouldn’t be a spur of the moment decision. If your dream is to see your work taken on by a traditional publisher than think carefully before releasing it out into the world as you are unlikely to have it published by a traditional house in the future.
Q: Is there another writer (or two) in the Twitterverse that you would recommend newbies follow?
EM: Emerald Barnes, Suzanne Korb, Mark Souza, Michelle Brooks, Willie Meikle, Catherine Ryan Howard, Michelle Hughes and Rainy Kaye.
Q: What is coming up for you in the next few months?
EM: Lots and lots of reading; my to-read list never seems to get any shorter. Depending on the future success and interest in Night Sighs, I may release a second short story collection again featuring the characters Alex and Tristan called Night Whispers. Preparing my young adult novels for publishing is a big priority for me in 2012.
Q: Do you have (or are planning) any audio books?
EM: I’ve never given audio books much thought but who knows? Maybe I can convince Bruce Springsteen to be the narrator of Night Sighs! I'm going to see him in Dublin next summer so I could try to get on stage during the concert...
Q: Have you done a blog tour? Any advice or cautions?
EM: No blog tours yet. I think I got a tad lazy towards the end of the year but this is something I wish to explore in 2012.
Q: Do you create an outline before beginning a new book?
EM: My books usually begin with a character and they influence the plot and the direction the story takes. I can’t recall ever sticking completely to an outline.
Q: Do you work on more than one manuscript at a time?
EM: Yes. I dive between different projects all the time.
Q: Do you use specialty software?
EM: No
Q: Tell us about some of the hurdles you've cleared on the path to becoming an author. Did you have any idea at the start what the process really entailed?
EM: I’m not sure I’ve cleared many hurdles yet. Though I’ve been writing for fun since I was a kid it’s only in the past year that I’ve put serious effort into getting my work out there for others to see. Starting a blog and getting to know other writers was the first challenge/hurdle and I’m still working on these skills today. Finding an audience who are familiar with me and what I write is only starting to happen now and it’s not coming easily, something I’m guessing the vast majority of self-published writers can relate to.
My dream is to be picked up by a traditional publisher and I’m not giving up on this. I had no delusions about becoming the next self-publishing success story. For every Amanda Hocking and John Locke (not the guy from Lost) there are 100,000 others lucky to sell a handful of their books a month. I spent hours online researching self-publishing and bought Catherine Ryan Howard's book Self-Printed: The Sane Person's Guide to Self-Publishing which was a big help.
Q: What is the best comment/compliment you have received about your work?
EM: When someone finishes the last page and asks “when is the next one out?”
Q: Let's flip things around for a moment. As a reader, which of the following do you take into consideration when deciding whether or not to purchase a book?
EM: Book cover: 1
Word-of-mouth: 3
Book summary: 2
Author's Facebook, Twitter, and other social media: 3
The first thing I notice is the cover. If the cover or title doesn’t grab my interest then I tend to move on. Since joining Twitter I’ve found myself buying what other people are discussing. For an ebook I wouldn’t pay more than 5 dollars unless it’s an exceptional piece of work receiving genuine praise. I can go into a second-hand book store and pick up a print book for this much so I don’t understand the idea behind charging more than that for an ebook. I would like to offer Night Sighs in print but at approx 16,000 words it’s too short. If I ever self-publish a novel I’ll also release it in print.
So the cover, word-of-mouth reviews (including social media), and the blurb are what will convince me to buy.
Q: Thanks for being with us today, Emma. We wish you continued success and hope you'll come back and give us an update in the spring!
Blog: emmameade.com
Twitter: @emmameade83 Facebook: Author PageBook Trailer: Night Sighs
Q: What is your genre? Why did you choose it?
EM: Paranormal. I grew up devouring/reading Point Horror back in the 90s. As a young teenager I moved onto Stephen King’s The Stand and that was it for me. Supernatural, paranormal and horror is what I focus on now.
Q: How many books have you published? Legacy published, self-published, or a combination?
EM: In November I self-published my first ebook called Night Sighs. It’s an adult short story collection (approx 16,000 words) following the relationship and adventures of Tristan and Alex (I call them star-crossed lovers of the supernatural variety
).Q: Tell us more about NIGHT SIGHS! How did this story come about?
EM: Night Sighs started off as a lone short story called The Dead Beats. It came about directly from me watching a Bruce Springsteen video on youtube. It was a live performance of Because the Night in Paris in 1985. The opening notes of the piano were so haunting that I got chills down my spine. Tristan,the rockstar vampire in the story was born from me watching that 5 minute video and I wrote The Dead Beats over a couple of nights. I put myself in Alex's shoes as a young woman falling in love with the music and artistic talent of a musician who also happens to be a vampire. I later decided that I’d like to find out what Alex and Tristan had been up to since then, and ended up with another 4 short stories about them that together became Night Sighs.
Q: Do you sell copies of your novel, or other works, directly from your website?
EM: No. I sell from Smashwords and Amazon and this is working out fine so far.
Q: How much time do you spend on Twitter each week? Do you have a Facebook Fan Page?
EM: I only came to Twitter in September this year and now can be found on it daily I’m afraid! Yes I have a fan page (Emma's Ramblings on supernatural fiction) that I neglect in favour of Twitter.
Q: Do you blog? How often? Strictly professional or a blend of all things?
EM: Yes I have a blog emmameade.com I started this blog, Emma’s Ramblings on supernatural fiction in March 2011 as a review site for books, films and tv shows. I post twice a week.
Q: Do you have a motto or favorite quote you turn to on tough writing days?
EM: I really should have a quote but no, I just turn to music if I’m having a bad day, and that can change whatever mood I’m in instantly.
Q: Have you outsourced editing, cover design, formatting, web design, marketing, etc?
EM: I had Night Sighs edited and proof-read by a professional before I self-published, and my cover design was done by Kit Foster. He does excellent covers and you can find him online at www.kitfosterdesign.com/. My blog is a simple wordpress.com site that I work on myself. My marketing consists mainly of interacting with readers and writers on social networking sites and sending free copies to book bloggers for review.
Q: Do you work with a writing group?
EM: Not yet but I am looking into joining a local group in the new year.
Q: When did you first decide to self-publish? How much time did it take to get from an idea to an ebook on Amazon?
EM: I spent 2011 going back and forth between the pros and cons of self-publishing. I had been down the road of sending a young adult novel (my baby) off to literary agents with very little feedback. I wasn’t ready to send that particular story out into the self-published world yet so I worked on editing and revising the short stories in Night Sighs instead. I received a positive critique back from a publishing house on this but they were honest in saying that it didn’t meet their romance guidelines. A few weeks later I went ahead and uploaded it to Smashwords and Amazon Kindle myself for $0.99.
Q: Have you published any of your work for free? Why or why not?
EM: A couple of short stories are available from my blog. That’s it so far but I hope to post a few more in the coming months. Posting a free short story online allows people to view your writing style before they commit to buying your work.
Q: What tips or advice would you offer to writers who are about to join the self-published community?
EM: Do your homework first. Self-publishing shouldn’t be a spur of the moment decision. If your dream is to see your work taken on by a traditional publisher than think carefully before releasing it out into the world as you are unlikely to have it published by a traditional house in the future.
Q: Is there another writer (or two) in the Twitterverse that you would recommend newbies follow?
EM: Emerald Barnes, Suzanne Korb, Mark Souza, Michelle Brooks, Willie Meikle, Catherine Ryan Howard, Michelle Hughes and Rainy Kaye.
Q: What is coming up for you in the next few months?
EM: Lots and lots of reading; my to-read list never seems to get any shorter. Depending on the future success and interest in Night Sighs, I may release a second short story collection again featuring the characters Alex and Tristan called Night Whispers. Preparing my young adult novels for publishing is a big priority for me in 2012.
Q: Do you have (or are planning) any audio books?
EM: I’ve never given audio books much thought but who knows? Maybe I can convince Bruce Springsteen to be the narrator of Night Sighs! I'm going to see him in Dublin next summer so I could try to get on stage during the concert...
Q: Have you done a blog tour? Any advice or cautions?
EM: No blog tours yet. I think I got a tad lazy towards the end of the year but this is something I wish to explore in 2012.
Q: Do you create an outline before beginning a new book?
EM: My books usually begin with a character and they influence the plot and the direction the story takes. I can’t recall ever sticking completely to an outline.
Q: Do you work on more than one manuscript at a time?
EM: Yes. I dive between different projects all the time.
Q: Do you use specialty software?
EM: No
Q: Tell us about some of the hurdles you've cleared on the path to becoming an author. Did you have any idea at the start what the process really entailed?
EM: I’m not sure I’ve cleared many hurdles yet. Though I’ve been writing for fun since I was a kid it’s only in the past year that I’ve put serious effort into getting my work out there for others to see. Starting a blog and getting to know other writers was the first challenge/hurdle and I’m still working on these skills today. Finding an audience who are familiar with me and what I write is only starting to happen now and it’s not coming easily, something I’m guessing the vast majority of self-published writers can relate to.
My dream is to be picked up by a traditional publisher and I’m not giving up on this. I had no delusions about becoming the next self-publishing success story. For every Amanda Hocking and John Locke (not the guy from Lost) there are 100,000 others lucky to sell a handful of their books a month. I spent hours online researching self-publishing and bought Catherine Ryan Howard's book Self-Printed: The Sane Person's Guide to Self-Publishing which was a big help.
Q: What is the best comment/compliment you have received about your work?
EM: When someone finishes the last page and asks “when is the next one out?”
Q: Let's flip things around for a moment. As a reader, which of the following do you take into consideration when deciding whether or not to purchase a book?
EM: Book cover: 1
Word-of-mouth: 3
Book summary: 2
Author's Facebook, Twitter, and other social media: 3
The first thing I notice is the cover. If the cover or title doesn’t grab my interest then I tend to move on. Since joining Twitter I’ve found myself buying what other people are discussing. For an ebook I wouldn’t pay more than 5 dollars unless it’s an exceptional piece of work receiving genuine praise. I can go into a second-hand book store and pick up a print book for this much so I don’t understand the idea behind charging more than that for an ebook. I would like to offer Night Sighs in print but at approx 16,000 words it’s too short. If I ever self-publish a novel I’ll also release it in print.
So the cover, word-of-mouth reviews (including social media), and the blurb are what will convince me to buy.
Q: Thanks for being with us today, Emma. We wish you continued success and hope you'll come back and give us an update in the spring!
Posted by A Priya In Washington at 12/19/2011 11:14 AM 
Categories: Author Interviews
Tags: Emma Meade @EmmaMeade83 Paranormal Stephen King The Stnad Supernatural Horror Night Sighs Bruce Springsteen Because the Night Smashwords Amazon Twitter Emma's Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction emmameade.com Kit Foster Emerald Barnes Suzanne Korb Mark Souza Michelle Brooks Willie Meikle Catherine Ryan Howard Michelle Hughes Rainy Kaye Amanda Hocking John Locke Selfpublishing Ashley Barron dcPriya eBook Marketing social media Newbie Writer
Categories: Author Interviews
Tags: Emma Meade @EmmaMeade83 Paranormal Stephen King The Stnad Supernatural Horror Night Sighs Bruce Springsteen Because the Night Smashwords Amazon Twitter Emma's Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction emmameade.com Kit Foster Emerald Barnes Suzanne Korb Mark Souza Michelle Brooks Willie Meikle Catherine Ryan Howard Michelle Hughes Rainy Kaye Amanda Hocking John Locke Selfpublishing Ashley Barron dcPriya eBook Marketing social media Newbie Writer
Thanks for the mention! Great interview as well!
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