During a recent local author event, I enjoyed an author talk where we chatted about our writing styles and answered questions from those who attended. That’s a rare treat for me. While I have spoken at several events and been interviewed individually for podcasts and web shows, I’ve only had a few opportunities to join a panel discussion with fellow authors.
It’s always fascinating to compare notes with other authors and hear their responses to the questions that commonly come up at these events. The other local authors in attendance were J. Denison Reed, Austin Shirey, and B.C. Lienesch. Local author Jeanne Hull Godfroy was scheduled to join us but unfortunately could not attend.
Check out their websites and follow them on social media to learn more about their novels and other writing projects! And whenever you’re in Ashburn, be sure to stop by Blend Coffee Bar. It’s a great, locally owned coffee shop that also offers spirits and light fare. They frequently host events like trivia nights, fairs, and open mic nights.
Common Questions
Whether it’s a solo event or a group author talk, a lot of the same questions come up. Here are a few (paraphrased):
Q: How do organize and plan your books?
A: This led to the classic discussion of authors either being “plotters” or “pantsers.” Plotters use outlines, spreadsheets, and so on to plan out their stories before writing. Pantsers write by the seat of their pants, meaning they make it up as they go along. At our panel, we had a mix of pantsers and plotters. Personally, I’m somewhere in between. Probably more plotter because I do plan out my plot in advance, but I’m also comfortable with making big changes to my plan if the writing takes me in a different direction.
Q: Where do you stand with audiobooks?
A: We all agreed that this is one of the biggest questions we are asked! We also agreed that we love the idea of offering audiobooks, but there are many challenges. Namely cost and/or time. It’s very expensive to hire a good narrator and produce a quality audiobook.
The DIY route is also daunting. Narrating your own book saves money, but takes an excessive amount of time and effort. Plus, we’re writers, but we may not be skilled narrators or not have the voice we’d like for our books.
Most of us are still figuring out our audiobook situation. Yet B.C. Leinesch shared that one of his books, The Woodsman, was selected through a contest to have its audiobook produced. (Congrats!!) Follow B.C. Leinesch on Amazon to see when The Woodsman audiobook will be available.
Q: What is the hardest part of the writing process?
A: Selling our books! Hands down, we all agreed that the real pain begins once the book is finished. As an indie author, marketing books is an incredible challenge. We don’t have the big budgets or resources of traditional publishers. Many of the strategies we try don’t get a lot of traction. More than anything, we need good reviews by readers. Reviews help books be noticed by other readers and by the algorithms that show books to shoppers.
That’s not to say writing a novel is easy. There can be tricky moments in pulling together a plot or making characters feel like real people, but those problems are fun to overcome. They are the puzzles that make finishing the final draft so satisfying.
Support Indie and Small Press Authors
Our author talk had two common themes: the joy of writing and the struggle of reaching more readers. If you would like to support any of the authors from this event, here is some more information about their work:
J. Denison Reed
Author of the Clifford’s War series, action adventure thrillers
Website: JDenisonReed.com
Austin Shirey
Author of strange and fantastic fiction, including City of Spores
Website: AustinShirey.com
B.C. Lienesch
Author of the Jackson Clay and Bear Beauchamp series, crime thrillers
Website: BCLNovels.com
Susan Quilty
Me! Author of novels grounded in reality but with a sci-fi, fantasy, or psychological twist
Website: You’re already here! Learn more about My Books
Local author events let you meet creators in your community. If you love to read, check out your local authors. You may discover a lesser known talent who can really use your support!