A View from the Crossroads: an interview with Ricardo Fayet of Reedsy

This week, we meet Ricardo Fayet, co-founder of Reedsy, the curated marketplace of freelance editors, proofreaders, designers and illustrators..

Hi Ricardo. Can you start by telling us something about your background and how you became involved in Reedsy? What had you been doing before that?

Hi Catriona. Before starting Reedsy I was a business school student in France, as was my co-founder Emmanuel. It was fuelled by the fact both of us were avid readers and eager early-adopters of the digital formats (Emmanuel imported his first Kindle from across the pond). At the same time, we were really passionate about tech.

As an anecdote, right before Reedsy I had been working for 6 months at Hermès in the marketing and communication department. I quit when I couldn’t handle sacrificing my nights for Reedsy anymore (and because they were still refusing to grant me discounts on their ties…)

What is the first book you remember falling in love with?

I think it would be George R.R. Martin’s first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I read it in 2006 or so (before it was “cool,” if you like) and got incredibly hooked in to it. It was very frustrating though - at that time George hadn’t published that many books in the series yet, so when I was coming close to the end of what was out there (and read that he wasn’t even close to finishing writing the next one), I had to compel myself to read slower, putting down the book at the end of each chapter, etc.

Although, if I was allowed to call it a tie with a second book, it would be The Red and The Black, by Stendhal. It’s a book I first started as I started any “school book”: with this mixture of hope and reluctance. I’ve read it thrice since. I just think the characters are perfect: they’re all incredibly different, with almost opposite, extreme values and personalities, and still I was able to connect to each one, understand them and feel their emotions.

What excites you most about the world of author publishing?

As I said, I’ve always been torn between the worlds of tech/entrepreneurship and publishing. Author publishing is really at a crossroads: indies ‘get’ startups because they have similar challenges. Also, author-publishers seem to be the only ones to have fully realised what the rise of eBooks means. It’s not an ‘option,’ or ‘something to keep in mind;’ it’s what will be the norm in a very near future (in my opinion)…

Another exciting thing is that I think there is a desperate need for tech in publishing, and indies are more receptive to it. The problem is that this ‘need’ has been identified by way too many people who think they can do tech, but can’t. Or by people who can do tech but who push their products before even consulting indie authors’ needs. Striving to not fall into either of those categories is what keeps me going every day, and the thought of what could become possible if someone figures out how to do it right.

Plus, let’s be honest. I haven’t met an indie author yet who wasn’t incredibly nice and an inherently good person. It’s a blessing to be working with this community.


Tell us about the basic idea behind Reedsy. When and why was it set up?

Emmanuel and Ricardo

The broad vision behind Reedsy is to invent a publishing model that combines the quality of traditional publishing while keeping the freedom and business model of self-publishing.

Reedsy started with Emmanuel and I around a year and a half ago. For a year we spent our evenings and weekends scheduling interviews and chats with authors, agents, publishers, journalists, etc. just to get to gather knowledge about the industry.

Once we had a clear vision for Reedsy (the one outlined above) and a good idea of how to get there, we dropped our respective jobs to start building it (around June this year).

What we’ve built so far is a tightly-curated marketplace of freelance editors, proofreaders, designers and illustrators. Authors can search it according to their need and genre, and choose up to 5 individuals to ask for a quote (and sample, in the case of editing). On top of that, we’re building project management tools so both authors and freelancers can keep all their workflow, files, payments and contracts, perfectly organised, in one place.

We have many other plans in the pipeline. Our goal is to make sure everything we do brings value to not just authors, but editors and designers and other freelancers too -- and we always question whether we’re doing is achieving that or not.


How many service providers do you have signed up with you now? What categories of service providers do you cover?

We have started with providers who fulfill an author’s most basic (and vital) needs: editing and cover design. Since September, we’ve received over 3,000 applications from freelancers. They’ve created intelligent, intuitive profiles where you can check their work experience, portfolio, awards, etc. In a word, we’ve created sort of a Linkedin specialised for freelance book professionals.

Out of these applications, we’ve hand-picked the best ones and are now featuring around 200 of them. We will soon be adding freelance publicists (PR specialists) to the marketplace -- and this segment will be even more heavily curated (you won’t get the “I’ll write you a press release for $5” kind of guy).

I am an editor / cover designer / other service professional.

• How do I go about signing up to Reedsy?

Through our landing page, indicating during the signup process that you’re registering as a freelancer.

• Once I’m accepted, how do I go about offering my services to authors?

You wait to be contacted by one. Once you are, you get to see the brief, containing all the details you need about the book, and offer a quote, explaining what you’ll do, for what price and deadline. You can also attach a sample.

• Do Reedsy get involved in the contractual arrangements between author and service provider? Do they take a cut?

The only thing Reedsy does is provide an easy interface for receiving the brief/offering a quote, negotiating, and agreeing on specific terms. We do not decide the terms nor influence anyone in any way. However, we do then take a 10% cut on the payment.

I am an author looking for editor / cover designer / other service professional.

• How do I go about signing up to Reedsy?

Through the landing page. The onboarding process is really quick as most information we ask for is optional. But it’s worth taking the time to fill out everything - as we’re working on author profiles (you’ll love them), if you fill it we’ll keep it saved for then.

• How do I know that I will get a good service from any of your listed providers?

In the first place, on Reedsy, we filter the marketplace so that we only display freelancers we know are talented and professional (because they’ve proved it in the past). This guarantee is part of what makes Reedsy the best place to come find a provider (we would lose all credibility if it turned out this was not the case).

• What will it cost me?

Reedsy is free for the author - we take a 10% commision from the freelancer. It’s important to remember that most of our editors and designers come from a traditional publishing background, and have a great reputation in their field because they’re so talented. You’re getting someone at the top of their game on Reedsy, and the saying ‘you get what you pay for’ holds true. Now, they’re all working already with indie authors, so they’re not unreasonable either.

Tell us some of your success stories. What are you particularly proud of?

I think what we’ve achieved with Reedsy in under 6 months has certainly been the most rewarding thing in my life so far. Launching the site in September, having hundreds of book professionals take the time to fill out profiles and share them… There’s nothing like creating something out of nothing and having people enjoy it. It’s just what an author feels when getting their first reviews, I imagine!

What do you think is the future for author publishers? How can those who are approaching it professionally (using editors and cover designers etc) best distinguish themselves from the much derided ‘finish-the-first-draft-and-upload-it’ view of self-publishers?

I think for writers it can be really hard to show to a potential reader what you have to offer, especially online -- you don’t so much get that crucial moment where a reader flips through a few pages of a book to see how they feel. This is important because of this challenge you’re highlighting that authors have, how they need to distinguish themselves from authors who are more ‘amateur’ than ‘indie.’ But it’s not impossible.

This is where having a great book cover is important. Obviously, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but you can afford to be at least a little prejudiced! If an author has cut corners on the way their book is presented, it’s unfortunately reasonable for a reader to worry about whether that happened in the editing of the book itself. Much like in life, looking professional helps when you’re a self-published author.

Another way of distinguishing yourself is showing your potential readers what your work is like more directly by making excerpts and sample chapters available easily. There’s a little debate right now about the return you get from giving away material, but there’s something intuitive to the idea that the best way to show a curious reader that you’re a good writer is by showing them your writing.

And finally, what was your stand-out book of 2014, and why?

For me, it was Uncommon Stock: Version 1.0 by Eliot Peper. It’s a very personal choice, powered by the fact that this book had a deep personal impact on me at a moment when I needed one. Eliot has created a new genre, really: “startup thriller”, and he balances both sides in it perfectly well. There’s this sentence he gave me when we first interviewed him: “I think the human mind is wired to understand complex problems through stories. It’s boring to read a complex problem that isn’t part of narrative.”

A startup is definitely a very complex problem, or rather a constant blend of several of those. Using fiction to “teach” entrepreneurs about how to handle the tough moments is something that Eliot has done very well. Or at least it has really worked for me!

Thank you, Ricardo!
https://reedsy.com/

Self-Publishing with Matador.

Today we are delighted to welcome Sarah Taylor from Matador to the Triskele blog. Sarah is Marketing Manager at Troubador Publishing, and editor of the Self-Publishing Magazine.

Hello, Sarah. Can you tell us when and why was Matador set up? What is the relationship with Troubador?

Troubador Publishing Ltd, established in the 1980s, is a traditional publishing house and the parent company of Matador, our self-publishing imprint. Matador was launched in 1999 as a response to the wealth of authors approaching us to publish the sort of books a mainstream publisher never would – like biographies, niche non-fiction titles and local interest titles. Matador established itself from the start as high-quality self-publishing, combining the freedom of self-publishing with the quality and distribution of traditional publishing.

In the 15 years that Matador has been running, we’ve grown to a 16-staff-member imprint, offering a full range of publishing, marketing and distribution services, printing over 300 books a year. Not only do we still help the authors we used to – those with the niche, smaller interest titles – but we also help authors who want to print larger amounts of their book and have their books stocked by bookshops across the country. Self-publishing is not a one-size-fits-all process, and the variety of methods we offer can be tailored to an author’s specific self-publishing goal.

What specifically does Matador offer authors?

Matador is all about ‘serious self-publishing’ – we have always placed a great deal of emphasis on quality, and on producing books that wouldn’t look out of place next to books published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, etc. We’re also a bespoke self-publishing services provider – we can do as little or as much as an author wants us to: we don’t have packages or regimented offerings. Editorial work, typesetting, cover design, ebook conversion, marketing, distribution – it all depends on what the author wants for their book. Most of our books have longer print runs that are printed upfront (i.e. 300-500 copies), but we publish Print On Demand books as well. We also offer ebook publishing, either on its own or alongside a physical book – which is a really popular option.

Who is it suitable for and how is it different from going it alone?

Our services are suitable for anyone who wants to self-publish their book and wants a company who can undertake some, most, or all of the different processes involved! Going it alone requires an author to outsource all of the many components involved in self-publishing and bring them all together. Not only can this be very time-consuming, but some of the processes are very difficult to do on your own – for example, distribution is tricky to outsource well, but it’s a vital part of publishing a book if you want to sell your book to the trade.

Typically, what does it cost to publish a book through Matador?

There isn’t a typical cost, as we don’t offer packages, and because it’s all based on the specific book, size and pagination. We also price-check with the different printers that we use so that we can offer the best costs for an author. That’s why we always ask authors to send us a manuscript upfront, so that we can provide an obligation-free quotation. Some authors want to opt for all of the services we offer, and some select specific ones, so prices vary.

Do you have any editorial input in the books you publish?

We turn down about a quarter of the manuscripts that are submitted to us – generally where we feel that the book isn't ready for publication, for example if it needs more work than an copy edit would cover, or if we feel that there would be legal issues with it. If we don’t feel that a book is ready for publication, we’ll give the author feedback – and often these authors go off and work on their book and come back with a manuscript that we can accept for publication. We don't gate keep in terms of content, but we do have a quality control in place!

Who has the final say on design?

As it’s self-publishing, the final say lands with the author. We’ll always provide advice and guidance where we can, and let an author know if we think something isn’t right for their book or genre, but at the end of the day it is up to the author. Our production team take a great deal of pride in their book design and work hard to ensure that our titles are bookshop quality.

Do you link your authors up with editors and designers?

Yes, as well as offering our own editorial and design services in-house, we also provide link-ups to external editors and cover designers – for example, illustrators, map creators and graphic designers.

What if they want to use their own cover?

As long as the specifications fit, it’s high-resolution enough and there are no copyright issues, they are free to do so! Some authors supply their own cover; some use their own front cover and we do the spine and back; some just supply an image for the front cover; and most authors ask us to design their full cover from scratch! The production team can provide feedback and advice on all aspects of cover design, including whether an author-supplied cover is of suitable quality.

Do your authors own their own ISBNs or does Matador provide them? Who owns the rights? Who is the publisher of record?

We own all of the Matador ISBNs, but not in terms of copyright to the work – we’re simply recognised as the publisher/owner of that ISBN. If an author wants to use their own ISBN they can do, but they then need to handle setting up the data with Nielsen and ensuring that the data is disseminating correctly. If we use our ISBN, then we handle all of the bibliographic data management for a title – but again, it doesn’t mean that we own the rights to that book. We do however subscribe to Nielsen’s enhanced data service, which gives our records more prominence when viewed by book buyers.

How easy is it to make changes to ebooks and pbooks post-publication?

If an author wants to make changes to their paperback or ebook, they’re welcome to do so. They can make changes to their existing paperback book – like using revised text or a new cover – and then do a reprint. With ebooks, it’s easier to make changes because we can simply upload new files – it’s also easier to change the pricing of an ebook, whereas printed books usually have the price printed on the back.

How does the payment of authors work?

Royalties are paid quarterly and are sent via BACs, along with a full statement that includes how many books have been sold in that quarter, what channel the books have been sold through and how many copies the author has left.

What distribution channels are Matador books hooked into?

We have accounts with Orca Book Services (part of Marston), who distribute a large amount of our books – and we are on direct supply via Orca to Waterstones. We place a number of our titles each month with Star Book Sales, an established book repping company, who in turn promote titles to retailers nationwide. They work on a national level with big buyers, including Waterstones and WHSmiths, who they present forthcoming titles in that month to, and they also have reps working across the UK, who present titles to bookshops in each region.

We also have accounts with Gardners and Bertrams, the two biggest UK book wholesalers, and we can fulfil orders from our warehouse, ensuring that we can supply bookshops across the UK. We also offer a Print On Demand overseas distribution service to the US, Canada, Brazil, South Africa and Australia. In addition, we offer a full ebook distribution service, distributing industry-standard, DRM-protected ePub and mobi files to hundreds of major retailers and libraries worldwide, including Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Google, Nook and Scrib’d.

What sort of marketing do you give your authors?

We have a full range of services for authors that they can take according to their needs – including paperback marketing, which involves us marketing our authors’ books to the trade, to increase book sales, and to the media, to generate media coverage and in turn boost sales. We also offer ebook marketing and use an ebook review site called NetGalley that allows NetGalley members (nearly 200,000, spanning a variety of reviewers, booksellers, librarians, media professionals and educators) to download a DRM-protected free copy of the ebook and then review it and share feedback. We also offer social media marketing, which involves us getting authors set up on Twitter and Facebook, and a full range of marketing materials – including postcards, bookmarks, posters – plus book trailers, inclusion in our IPR License scheme and much more! We’re always on the lookout for new marketing opportunities that we can offer our authors and are often launching new services and improving our existing ones.

Do Matador authors support one another – with practical issues, say, or with marketing?

A lot of our authors are in contact with each other, yes – both on Twitter and in real life! We find that they help each other a lot by providing advice on various aspects of self-publishing, giving valuable feedback and assisting each other with marketing and promotion. They even buy each others’ books!

Lots of our authors meet and network at the industry events that we hold, like The Self-Publishing Conference and our Self-Publishing Experience Days. We’re passionate about providing unbiased advice to self-publishing authors, which is why we hold these events, and also why we publish the quarterly Self Publishing Magazine.

Tell me about the Matador author conferences.

We hold the annual Self-Publishing Conference in Leicester, which is a full-day event packed full of informative sessions on a variety of topics. Self-publishing authors can pick and choose which seminars to attend, allowing them to tailor the day to their own project, and in the breaks they can mingle with other delegates and the self-publishing speakers. Many experts in the industry come and hold session – last year our Keynote Speaker was Alysoun Owen, the editor of the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, and we also had representatives from Nielsen and Kobo. Our third annual Conference is in May 2015 and booking opens later this year: http://www.selfpublishingconference.org.uk/
We’ve moved the Conference to a Saturday this year to allow attendees to network at a post-Conference drinks party!

We also hold Self-Publishing Experience Days across the year at printers across the country. Around 10-15 delegates come along and members from the printer and Matador talk about various aspects of printing and publishing, and advise authors how best to go about the various processes themselves – the authors then get to look around the printing firm so they can see how their book will be produced and ask any questions about their specific self-publishing project.

What happens if an author wants to leave?

An author who publishes with Matador owns the copyright to their work, so if they choose to they can withdraw the edition they have with us or let it go out of print. Authors aren’t tied into lengthy contracts.

Tell us some of your success stories? What are you particularly proud of?

Success comes in many guises for our authors, because our authors have varying self-publishing goals and therefore different definitions of success. We’ve had a lot of authors being signed up to mainstream publishers – including Gollancz, Headline, HarperCollins, Palgrave Macmillan and Transworld – plus authors who have won book prizes (we’ve had two category winners at the British Sports Book Awards, and at The People’s Book Prize), as well as authors who have sold out their print runs. We also have authors who appear in national papers and magazines and on TV and radio, plus authors who have signed film/TV rights with external companies. We’re proud of all of our authors – and we’re proud that we help them to achieve their self-publishing dreams.

You can learn more about our authors in our Media Centre – plus via our Twitter feed @matadorbooks, which is a great place to catch up with new developments and author news!


Thank you, Sarah!

Sarah Taylor is the Marketing Manager at Troubador Publishing, where she has worked for over four years. She is also the Editor of The Self Publishing Magazine. She studied at English and Journalism at De Montfort University, Leicester, and has over seven years of publishing experience. Sarah works with self-publishing authors daily to help them market their books and has given numerous speeches at industry events on a variety of self-publishing topics.

Do You Need Assistance?

Helen Hart from SilverWood Books talks to Triskele Books about assisted self-publishing

Hi, Helen. Thank you for joining us on the Triskele blog. Can we start by asking how would you define assisted self-publishing?

For us at SilverWood, assisted self-publishing means working in partnership with a small professional team who can support a writer with the tools to produce a book to the same standard as those produced by traditional publishers. Rather than engaging a separate cover designer, editor, typesetter and other freelancers, our authors work with one publishing assistant who oversees the entire project from submission of the final manuscript through to book delivery and beyond (supporting the development of an author platform). This ensures good continuity, a coherent end result, delivered on time, with an author who is educated and knowledgeable about what they need to do to then sell books.

Who is it suitable for and how is it different from going it alone?

Many of our authors are writers who just want to write, and have no interest in learning how to run a publishing project. Some are busy professionals who feel they don't have the time to undertake the project themselves. Others are writers who have health issues, or aren't technologically inclined, and who simply want to hand over their manuscript and get a fantastic book delivered back to them. Most care deeply about their book, are immensely engaged with the process and enjoy seeing their project develop, but they don't want to learn how to do that themselves (or risk making costly mistakes due to their own lack of experience and know-how).


When and why did you decide to set up SilverWood?

I set up SilverWood in March 2007 with the aim of providing self-publishers with an alternative to what I perceived as the unscrupulous business practices, expensive publishing packages, and poor quality books offered by so-called 'author solutions' companies. I could see from a friend's bad experience with one such that there was a need for someone to offer something that had integrity and placed the self-publisher and their needs (and their aims for their book) at the heart of the project. My aim was - and still is - to offer a close, supportive working relationship and therefore a similar experience to that which the writer might have if they were signed to a mainstream publishing house. The only difference is that they're underwriting the costs.

What is your own background?

I’ve been a published author since the late 1990s. Writing under a variety of pseudonyms, I’ve been published by Scholastic, HarperCollins, Oxford University Press, and several non-UK publishing houses. My books have been translated into many different languages including Swedish, Danish, Greek and Japanese. I’ve also worked as a commercial copywriter for SilverWood’s sister company Redwing. My writing background means that I have a deep understanding of the writing process and how important each book is to its writer. I also know from my own experience how much heart and soul has gone into the creation of a book, and how important the relationship is between a writer and their publisher/editor.

What specifically does SilverWood offer authors? How does it differ from other assisted publishing services?

Our authors work in partnership with a small, friendly, supportive team who care about the book and the writer, and who have the professional skills and expertise to offer impartial guidance. I think what makes us different is that we do genuinely enjoy what we do, and care about the people we work with - and that makes us generous with our advice and support. Most of our authors come to us through word-of-mouth recommendation, or they are repeat customers who were pleased with the experience of producing their previous book with us. Our preference is to work with a writer through their career rather than on a one-off book, and many authors return to work with us for a number of books. Some of our most successful and proactive authors are working on books 6, 7 or 8 of a series (Harvey Black, Anna Belfrage, Helen Hollick).


The way we differ from some other services is that we work in a very cooperative way with our authors - all decisions are explained and discussed, proofs shown for approval, and authors kept up-to-date with progress. We take inordinate care over the design and layout process and go to great lengths to make sure the books are the best they can be before publication. We add value to any publication, with expert design, typesetting, and general understanding of how books are produced and how they get into the marketplace. And finally we're reliable long term partners who are here for the long-haul, not just a quick turnaround and then on with the next writer/book/hard-sell.


Typically, what does it cost to publish a book through SilverWood?

That's a tough question because there's no such thing as a typical book. Usually we look at each project and establish what's needed, whether it's fiction or non-fiction, if it's ready for publication, and if so where/how the author wishes to publish: UK-only, certain territories, worldwide, in print, ebook-only, hardback edition, are there images to be included - photographs, illustrations, charts, tables…? Are they to be positioned within the text or together in a plate section? Does the text need a copy-edit or proofread… Are there footnotes, endnotes, an index, additional prelims or endmatter…There's a lot of variation and all these elements will affect the economics of book production.


However, if we were to take a 264-page novel with simple chapter headings, standard prelims and no endmatter then Stage 1 pre-press might start at around £740 plus vat which would include: ISBN allocation and registration, professional page layout and typesetting, book cover design and layout (or use of the author's design and images), PDF proofs and one round of proof revisions, bibliographic data listing, barcode, legal deposit compliance, project management and quality control, high resolution cover images for marketing, access to a range of helpful factsheets on a range of topics, access to our closed Facebook group where we continue to keep authors up to date on new developments in the publishing and book promotion industry, as well as encourage them to share information and support each other.


Do you have any editorial input in the books you publish?

We approach each project on an individual basis so if a writer has an existing relationship with an editor, copy-editor or proofreader then we simply work with the final draft manuscript. Sometimes we spot things that aren't as polished as they could be, and might recommend a final proofread. On the other hand, if an author hasn't worked with an editor or copy-editor but we can see the work does need that extra professional input then we always recommend it and will suggest one of our reliable copy-editors. We also offer a range of additional editorial options at different stages, from a simple Reader's Report to a full manuscript appraisal.


Who has final say on design?

Ultimately it's the author, but as I mentioned before we are generous with our advice and if we think the wrong decision is being made or a design isn't going to meet readers' expectations or sit well in the current marketplace then we do talk that through with the author, as they could be jeopardising their own chance of commercial success. However some of our authors aren't looking for commercial success, but a sense of personal and creative fulfilment, or a book that's just for family and friends - and in that case we simply help them make it the best it can be.

Who owns rights?

The author.

What's the royalties cut?

We don't operate a royalty-based system because they tend to be a bit opaque and are usually calculated on net receipts (which can be a movable feast). We prefer to have a clear policy that all books are owned by the author. We then operate a trade discount system, so we sell our authors' books on a sale-or-return basis and keep 15% of the cover price for each book sold through our trading accounts. We find this is much simpler, and authors know where they stand.

Who is the publisher of record?

That would depend on whether an author is using one of our ISBNs or their own. This decision is usually part of the early conversations we have with a writer before we start working together. The majority of writers who choose to work with us prefer to use our ISBNs and want us to be the publisher of record - this is always an interesting part of the dialogue for me, as reasons can vary widely.


What sort of marketing support do you give your authors?

Included in our pre-press packages is a level of marketing support - partly educational (we encourage authors to keep their costs down by doing as much as possible themselves), and partly practical (distribution is always set up for authors who need it, we help set up the initial 'author platform', and also offer a wide range of tools and services that authors can opt in to if they wish; many are free of charge while others will naturally attract an additional fee to cover the time and work involved).


Tell us about your relationship with Foyles.

We have a good relationship with many bookshops who stock our titles because of the quality of production and the author commitment behind that. Foyles Cabot Circus in Bristol is especially supportive and stock most of our commercial titles. They also host a number of our events through the year. It's a genuine pleasure working with their team.

Do SilverWood authors support one another – with practical issues, say, or with marketing?

Yes, and that's one of the things that's quite special about SilverWood authors - they're very generous with each other and give a lot of support. Some of them buddy up to do events together, such as the forthcoming Chalke Valley History Festival.

What happens if an author wants to leave?

Fortunately it doesn't happen very often but on the rare occasion that authors have decided to leave - usually to follow a more "self" publishing route using skills they've learned by working in partnership with us - then they simply give us notice, we take their book out of production so they can set it up independently, and we package up their cover and interior files and send them over to them.

Tell us some of your success stories? What are you particularly proud of?

That would be immensely hard because I'm proud of so many of our authors and books, and the things we've done over the years. I don't think I could pick out individual moments without writing reams and reams here! I'd hate to leave anyone or anything out…

Thank you, Helen!

Interviewing – The Dos and Don'ts

Cross-promotion is a big word for us at Triskele Books. Not only does it offer mutual benefit to both parties involved, it can result in real ‘hallelujah’ moments in our own writing.

Listen to advice from any of the self-help manuals out there, and they will agree about the importance of cross-promotion in the world of indie-publishing. See David Gaughran and Joanna Penn’s advice how offering an author any form of promotion in return for their time is for us indies much like the wheels of industry. It keeps everything moving and offers more benefits than any other form of self-marketing out there.

Words with Jam

But we’ve discovered another benefit to cross-promotion. Often established authors are more than willing to talk about their passion for writing or pass on advice and experiences. Every interview offers something to an upcoming writer that they can take away and use for their own benefit.

Over the past few years, two Triskele members, JJ Marsh and Gillian Hamer have, via their work for Words with Jam magazine, interviewed both some of the biggest names and the newest ground-breakers in the literary world.


Here, they impart a little of what they’ve learned about the art of interviewing, and discuss some of their most poignant moments.

If you had one top tip for interviewing techniques, what would it be?

(GH) Do your research. Even the most media-weary writer won’t be able to able to resist if you hit on one of their ‘hot spots’. I remember asking crime writer, Peter May, about an element of his book, The Blackhouse, where he infiltrated the shady world of hunting gannet chicks. It was obviously one of his proudest achievements as I had to edit down his response. Writers love to know that you’ve read their work, especially if you clearly appreciate it, and are always more than happy to discuss what really gets their juices flowing.

(JJ) Agreed. Knowing the work well is paramount, even the less obvious pieces. As is finding the points where you and the interviewee have a common sympathy, eg Jane Fallon’s cat, Malcolm Pryce’s beer, Joey Goebel’s music, Jessica Mann’s politics, Jane Goldman’s dogs and Tom Weldon’s holidays. This stuff rarely makes it into the interview, but if it’s genuine, it establishes a connection and sets a warm tone. Let’s hope I never have to interview Jeremy Clarkson.

In terms of cross-promotion for newer authors, how do you think interviews help?

(GH) I think it’s something of a snowball effect. The more writers you have on your blog, the more readers of their work are attracted to your blog and consequently hopefully your own writing. Their readers may become your readers, and so on and so on. Including links to other’s work, even in non-fiction articles, may attract just one person to like the sound of a book, click the link and buy it. And of course, it works both ways. You get the offer to appear on someone else’s blog, and their readers like what they read, click onto your website and hopefully buy a book!

(JJ) I suspect it takes a while to establish trust with readers, who, like shy deer, will gradually come and graze on your offerings if the work is consistently good. Where that leads ... I don’t know. I’m a ravenous reader but books I’ve bought on the strength of columns and blogs barely stretch into double figures.

What can help turn an okay interview into a successful result?

(GH) I find being natural as the interviewer is a big help, building a rapport with the other writer, maybe via email beforehand. Inject a little humour or humility. Be human and be yourself.

(JJ) Being respectful, remembering that they see you as a journalist (ie, cloven-hoofed with bloodied fangs), an awareness of the production-line interview regime writers on tour have to endure, listening and appreciating what the interviewee has to say rather than imposing an agenda.

Best interview?

War Horse

(GH) That’s so difficult to choose one! If you twist my arm, then I think I would have to say Michael Morpurgo (author of War Horse among many novels) because his passion for writing and his passion for his charitable work cut through his words like a sunbeam. Plus he was openly honest about rumours about War Horse, his memoirs of his work with disadvantaged children and how he believes writing helps children find themselves. His words really touched a nerve with me. A lovely, lovely talented man. Someone I would love to entertain as a dinner guest!

(JJ) Helen Fitzgerald was a terrific discovery, not only as a writer, but as a funny, open and potty-mouthed interviewee. David Mitchell and JK Rowling are fascinating people and I thoroughly enjoyed our discussions. But I was already a massive fan of both, so didn’t need much convincing. Whereas I had only just started reading Christos Tsiolkas. His work is far from easy, but forced me to think. When I met him, his intelligence and articulate expression of ideas, over breakfast on a Sunday morning, sent my synapses into overdrive. I was so scared of him, but to date, he’s the only author to demand a hug at the end of our interview.

And without naming names (unless you will!) – what about the worst?

(GH) For me, it’s not so much a bad interview because I think I can honestly say I’ve never had one. What is most disappointing is the non-starters, or the difficulty often faced in by-passing the barriers of PR and Marketing executives that surround some of the biggest names. Once you connect with the writers themselves they are generally lovely people. I’ve had a couple of writers who I’ve tried to connect with in every way I can try – and still get ignored or turned down. That’s disappointing both from a personal and professional perspective as I’m sure they have experiences we could all learn from.

(JJ) Two, but no names as one of them is definitely a witch. Author A. We gave her a platform to promote her excellent but unrecognised work and she rubbished the magazine with breathtaking arrogance. Needless to say, she never made it to print. Author B’s ‘handler’ sat like a hawk in the corner, tutting and sighing and glancing at the clock, finally cutting off his enthusiastic responses. After the author left, his handler accused me of ‘manipulating the writer by talking about his interests’. Dang! How could I have been so stupid?

You’ve mentioned getting to interview some big literary names, how do you get their agreement?

Novel by PD James

(GH) I’ve very recently had the privilege of interviewing PD James. She does so little media now that I never really held much hope of getting her. It was really just persistence, building up a relationship with her publicist at Faber & Faber. I wrote quarterly for a year, just a short, polite email to ask if Ms James was currently doing promotion. Eventually, Nicole got back to me and said if I sent through some questions she would pass them onto the author, and gave me an idea when they’d be completed. I’m really proud to have got the interview and it’s a real coup for Words with Jam.

(JJ) Ask nicely.

Who would you most like to have interviewed but know you never will?

(GH) Easy. Agatha Christie. For obvious reasons.

(JJ) JM Coetzee. I love everything that man stands for but where publicity’s concerned, he’s a cantankerous old goat.

And turning the tables, what are your thoughts about being a good interviewee?

(GH) Echoing what I’ve said previously, my best advice is be yourself. Answer the questions fully and honestly. Chances are if you’re passionate about a subject that will come across in your responses, and it won’t be a hardship to discuss your writing. If you find something you particularly like to discuss – maybe settings of your novel for example – try to angle the interview so that you spend time on your biggest selling points. Without being blatant, try to get in a mention of your novel or your previous novels. Remember selling books is the bottom line. And if it’s an email interview, always make sure to include links to your books, website, blog etc.

(JJ) Think about the audience and be honest. That latter refers to both mundane detail and big ideas. Tell the truth about the crap bits and how you procrastinate by cleaning the garden furniture in November. Or if you think conceptually, say so. People seem almost apologetic about thinking deeply these days.

And on a personal basis, what are the most memorable things you’ve taken away from an interview – and why?

(GH) Again, it’s hard to choose! I found a lot of the advice Joanne Harris gave about structure of story-telling and her thoughts about e-publishing and new technology really interesting. But I think it was PD James's response to my question about her biggest achievement that stays with me because it puts her on a level with every writer out there. Remembering she’s a Baroness, with multiple novels, films, television series and awards to her name, she listed her proudest career moment to be the telephone call she received from her agent to say that Faber & Faber had accepted her first novel. It kind of puts everything into perspective.

Paulo Coelho

(JJ) I collected a delightful selection of interviews for my blog - The Interviews. But I still think one of my favourites was a question rather than answer.

Paulo Coelho: Writing is a socially acceptable form of getting naked in public. Are you taking off your clothes?

NOTTING HILL PRESS - AUTHOR COLLECTIVES II

Founded by a small group of traditionally published writers from Prospera, Penguin, Random House, Harper Collins and Hodder, Notting Hill press is a dynamic imprint representing professional writers in the UK and US. 

They agreed to answer a few questions from one collective to another.

http://www.nottinghillpress.co.uk/NHP/HOME.html

What brought you together?

Talli and Michele have known each other for a few years, and met Belinda when she put together her Sunlounger summer anthology. When Belinda mentioned that she wanted to start independently publishing her books in the US, the time seemed right to combine our resources.

Most of you have previously been traditionally published. So what were the factors that triggered the decision to go indie?

Michele began independently publishing in the US where she didn’t have a publishing deal. It seemed to make sense for her debut, Single in the City, which was about an American woman who moves to London. That book was successful in the US so when it came time to publish the sequel, she and her agent decided to publish that independently too.

Specifically with the Sunlounger summer anthology (which was very much inspired by Michele's community spirit) Belinda felt that it was the only way to go. There was a size factor - the collection runs well over 200,000 words, which would make for a hefty doorstop of a paperback - but more significantly our independent status is what freed so many authors (44 in total) to contribute with their publisher's blessing. (No rivalry between houses, just benefit for all!) In fact Belinda’s traditional publisher, Hodder, even put her next novel (The Travelling Tea Shop) on hold to accommodate this project, so the two modes really can work in harmony. (And as we type, Sunlounger is #19 in the Amazon Kindle Chart, which is thrilling for us all.) 

And Talli decided to self-publish after having two novels traditionally published by a small press. With 99 per cent of her sales in e-books due to limited print distribution, she figured it made sense to pay a one-off fee to a professional cover design and editor, and keep the remaining profit for herself.

 
Like Triskele, you each retain the rights to your own books, pay the costs of publication and receive the full royalties. What elements are done collectively?

The main benefit of being part of Notting Hill Press is the sharing of expertise. For example, one of the authors has an excellent paperback printer in the UK that some of us have looked into. Others are experienced publicists, so have been able to write the PR for our launch. Then there are the million little details around marketing and promotion where we share our knowledge. If something has or hasn’t worked for one author, the rest of us learn from that. 

What do you see as the key benefits of being in a collective?

It’s definitely in the sharing of expertise and resources.

Do you share a designer? Do you try and go for a shared look and feel?

We don’t share a single designer, or try for a consistent look, but some of the authors use the same designer. Because they’re vetted by people we trust (each other), it saves a lot of time and energy to use them. The same is true for our copy editors, content editors and formatters.

You say you consider yourselves hybrid authors. Is this a matter of chronology, or do you have other books you are choosing to publish traditionally? If so, what drives the different choices?

We have other books that we choose to publish traditionally. Michele, for instance, will put a manuscript out to UK publishers within a month but will publish her Christmas novella independently. Talli has just signed with Amazon for her most recent book, The Pollyanna Plan, and her upcoming manuscript. There are other deals in the pipeline between some of the other authors and traditional publishers. And some of our authors, like Lucy Robinson, doesn’t consider herself a hybrid; she just publishes her books in the US independently.

Each of us makes our own decision about publishing independently versus traditionally, and in which geographies. That’s based on many factors including our relationships with our traditional publishers and whether we think a book will be well-suited to their business model. For instance, some books may be considered too niche for a traditional publisher, who might want to appeal to the widest possible audience. In that case, independent publishing makes more sense.

The publication schedules of traditional publishers also means that it might make sense to independently publish, as is the case with Michele’s Christmas novella (which she’s writing now for publication in October – a traditional publisher would struggle with such a short publication timeline). 

According to Jonny Geller of Curtis Brown, commercial women’s fiction, or chick-lit,  is having a tough time of it. Given your USP, would you say that’s true?

Definitely not. We’re all best-sellers and see no signs that our readership is tiring of the genre.

How do you know if a writer will ‘fit’ NHP? What factors do you consider?

Two things are critical. We have to love their writing and want to work with them. This means someone who is cooperative, supportive and happy to pitch in. After all, it’s a collective, so it’s only as strong as its members.

And of course their books have to be chick lit/romantic comedy. 

What are your plans for 2014?

We’ll run two big promotions a year, one in summertime and one near the end of the year. We’re not open to submissions so may not expand in 2014, and don’t have any plans to expand into other genres. We’ll probably put out a dozen books or more in the year. It’s a fairly new venture so we’re still feeling our way around a bit! 

How do you see the future of publishing generally?

We think more collectives like NHP and Triskele will emerge, and more “traditional” authors will look to publish independently. The trend for self-publishing will continue and lots of new authors will try their luck, but readers are getting tired of poorly designed, edited and written books, and the role of book blogs will become even more important as readers look for recommendations they trust.

The traditional publishers will continue to be the main distributors of paperbacks in the UK and will get increasingly savvy on the eBook front. We already see some nice initiatives around pricing responsiveness from some of the publishers, but still too many high-priced eBooks, especially in the US.

The Hard Sell

In a pop-up blog, Jo Furniss presents her MA thesis on social media and fiction.
Featuring video and audio interviews with Kate Harrison, Nick Harkaway, Liz Fenwick, Triskele's own JJ Marsh and members of the Romantic Novelists Association, Jo asks ...

Do tweets sell books?

The short answer is: no. But well-known, well-liked writers do. That much, at least, has not changed.

Schmoozing with newspaper reviewers, touring the country for signings, promoting their wares to book clubs and literary festivals: writers have always networked socially. The select few, anyway.

But social networking online has opened up the field. Now every author – from self-published to traditionally-published, fiction to non-fiction, pulp to literary - has to play the game.

My name is Jo Furniss, I'm a journalist, writer and student. This mini-blog comprises an Industry Analysis for my MA Professional Writing at University College Falmouth. I set out to ask: what can traditionally-published writers learn from self-published authors when it comes to social media marketing of fiction - or are we all in it together?

Read what Jo discovered about authors, social media and sales in:

The Hard Sell

Jo has worked as a journalist, writer and editor in radio, TV, online, magazines and books. I spent nine years with the BBC and also freelanced for Monocle, the UN and a variety of magazines. I’m on the home straight of a two-year Professional Writing MA programme.

@jo_furniss
https://www.facebook.com/JoFurnissMedia
http://jofurnissmedia.wordpress.com.