Interview with Self-Published Author Monique Roy

 

 

In our series of self-publishing interviews, we are talking to Monique Roy's passion for writing began as a young girl while penning stories in a journal. Now she looks forward to deepening her passion by creating many unique stories that do nothing less than intrigue her readers. Monique holds a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and is the author of a middle-grade book Once Upon a Time in Venice, historical fiction novel Across Great Divides, and historical fiction novel A Savage Kultur. She was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and her grandparents were European Jews who fled their home as Hitler rose to power. It’s their story that inspired her to write Across Great Divides, her first historical novel.

You self-published your latest book, A Savage Kultur. Would you please tell us why you chose the self-publishing route? 

I chose to self-publish my novel because it provides many benefits. Self-publishing offers a more creative outlet and you get to control the price of your book. You also gain more financial reward as self-publishing offers greater royalties.

Take us through the process. You had an idea for your book, you wrote it, then you decided to find a publisher. What were your experiences with that? Or did you decide to self-publish without looking any farther?

I did spend some time looking for an agent and a publisher, but in the end, I decided self-publishing was the best route. It is more lucrative and allows me to keep more control of the process.

What different online stores carry your book?

Many different online stores carry my book, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Copia, Scribd, and more.

Authors who go the traditional route have an edge over self-published authors in regards to distribution to bookstores. How did you handle that as a self-published author? 

On the other hand, self-published authors have the edge over traditional books in the regards that the author has all the control. I’d like to begin with your cover. Did you make it or did you have someone else design it? If you had someone else, can you tell us who it is?

My cover was designed by Brandi Doan McCann. I highly recommend her! She did a great job and was easy to work with. 

https://www.ebook-coverdesigns.com/

So where do you see self-published authors making the biggest mistakes overall?

The content of the book needs to be reviewed and edited. I see this as the biggest mistake self-published authors make. They are more prone to putting an unedited book out there. Take the time to review your work and have it edited. There are many freelance editors willing to do so.

What do you believe the biggest advantages are when self-publishing?

-         More control over the creative process – look and feel, book cover, formatting

-         More control over pricing

-         Higher royalty rate

-         Freedom to promote how you want

Did you get someone to format your book for you or did you do that?

BookBaby is the publisher and formatted the book.

What steps are you taking to promote it?

I use social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), as well as signed up for this great virtual book tour. I have to get the word out by telling my friends and family about it. Sending out emails to friends and family, as well as doing ebook promotions.

Do you have any advice you’d like to share with other self-published authors?

Create an online presence: Content is king! Authors need to create a unique online platform to generate buzz, show off their work, and gain new readers. Many ways exist to engage with the online community. Build a great website that showcases who you are, your writing and how it is unique, where your book is available, and any other cool or interesting things about you. Be sure to add social media share buttons to your website so fans can connect to you. Blogs are a great way to share your expertise and thoughts with the online world. Social media is where a lot of chit-chat/buzz is happening. You don't need to be on every site, just choose one or two, like Facebook and Twitter, to engage in conversations and get your work known.

Get solid book reviews: Book reviews, well, good book reviews, are like gold! Reviews are essential for growing book sales and expanding readership. Readers rely on reviews to select their next great read. Ask your friends and family to read your book and post a review. Reach out to bloggers and see if they would kindly and honestly review your book.

Enter writing contests: Be brave and showcase your mad writing skills by entering into writing contests. Once published, you can submit your book as a way to gain added exposure.

Promote your work: Contact bloggers for book reviews and to be hosted on their sites. For a not much money, you can buy online book promotions. Do a virtual online book tour to gain extra exposure and readers. Promote your book on social media channels. Sign up to do a Goodreads book giveaway. This is a great way to give free copies of your book to willing readers. Tell the world about your book – family, friends, and anyone you meet.

Keep writing and don't stop: Continue to hone your craft and set aside even 20 minutes a day to write blog posts or even your next book. Another great idea is to write a short story or just free write whatever is on your mind.

If you would like to find out more about Monique Roy and her books, take a look at her website and follow her on Twitter or Facebook.