Hello everyone! Confident Reads is a feature I have here each week and is a way to open communication between readers and Indie
authors. This is to help readers feel confident in the books they
spend their money on, and for authors to feel confident in the book they
publish.
Today let's welcome Rucy Ban, author of
All My Life, which releases May 7th, 2013!
When, and how, did you come to being as an indie/self published author?
I would love to say that it was my first choice. But when I used to think about the future I always used to visualize myself being picked up by a Random House or maybe Neil Gaiman noticing my stalker behavior and applauding me for it by introducing me to his agent! As you can guess, that was a complete and total fail. Thankfully, I found out about the overstuffed world of indie authors and I immediately dressed in my favorite Sardine costume and dove right in!
Did you attempt to publish traditionally? What were your experiences?
My experiences are pretty well documented on my blog. I tried for four months for my book to be noticed in the slushpile of various leading and not-so-hot agents. In the meantime I saw authors like Jamie McGuire, Colleen Hoover, Hugh C. Howey making it big all on their own. Their journey has been a great source of inspiration for me.
If you were offered a deal with a traditional publisher, would you take it?
Much like some of the authors I mentioned above, I would never give up control of my digital works. Never evah.
What is the best part of being indie/self published, for you?
Being the master of my universe. Designing my own warships, concocting my own propellant and blasting them off towards the storm troopers.
The indie/self published scene is constantly changing. Even quite a few traditionally published authors have ventured into the world of self-publishing. What do you predict for the future? How do you think the indie scene is changing and where do you think it will go?
It’s just beginning to get interesting. With well-known, Pulitzer-winning authors (David Mamet) choosing to go the self-publishing route, the pot’s just heating up.
As an indie/self published author, what has been your biggest obstacle?
To build credibility and to make people take a chance on my book.
In the world of indie/self published not everyone goes about things the same way. Many make mistakes (and hopefully learn from them). What are the biggest mistakes that you think authors are making and how do you suggest they improve?
Poor editing. Lame cover art. Unprofessional behavior. But same could be said of many traditional publishers!
How do you approach reviewers? And what has worked best when doing so?
I think professionalism works best. Even if someone doesn't want to look at your face again and thinks your book is the ugliest thing they’ve ever seen, you need to be professional in your response.
When it comes to sales, what do you think has worked the best for you and had the biggest impact?
My book is yet to be released (on 7 May, 2013) so this is a bug I have yet to inspect and analyse.
If someone tells you they are thinking of publishing a novel themselves and they would like some advice on where to get started or some tips for success, what advice would you give?
Never give up. Keep writing. No matter what anyone says. And. Always write from your heart and edit with your mind.
We all know covers are important; can you tell us about your cover story?
I designed my own cover. I have some background in graphic design, so that helped a lot. I had great fun doing it!
Bad reviews are inevitable; most every author gets at least some. How do you handle things when you get a bad review so you don’t get hung up on it or possibly lash out which could cause more damage in the long run?
Somebody is going to hate what you’ve written. Just like not everybody in this world is going to like you. So don’t let your ego drive you. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. Just let it be.
Can you list 5-10 indie/ self-published titles that you recommend?
Wool by Hugh C. Howey
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Angefall by Susan Ee (originally self-published)
It’s your turn! Ask my readers one question that you are dying to know the answer for.
Between two books by unknown authors with great cover art, interesting blurbs and exciting excerpts, which one would you choose? The self-published one or the one published by a lesser known publishing house?
About All My Life:
Seventeen-year-old
Kari meets Neil Mars. “Neil as in Armstrong and Mars…as in Bruno.” A
boy who beats every vampire, werewolf, highlander fantasy Kari has ever
had. But she knows can’t get close to him. Not ever. Because that would
mean telling him everything. Coming clean. And Kari can’t bear the idea
of changing the way Neil looks at her. Like she’s the only girl in the
world. His reverence is something too precious to lose. Perhaps even at
the cost of losing him.
But Kari doesn't know why Neil
calls her his ‘Angel’ and when she finds out, she realizes what love is
all about. Boundless joy, unending longing and a fuckload of
heartache.
******
EXCERPTS from All My Life:
“I can take care of myself,” I tell him.
His lips twitch in response. “Oh, I’m sure you can, little shrub.”
“You
are warned!” I take my voice down a notch and point my ring at him,
“I’ll tunnel your leathery knighthood right out of this galaxy!”
Neil suddenly halts in his tracks and pins me down with eyes. “Batman vs. Green Lantern? Batman wins. Every. Single. Time.”
“Ohmygod! So not true. In the…”
He cuts me. “One word…yellow.” I stare at him with my mouth half-open.
“‘Nuff said,” he says smugly and then tugs on my hand.
******
Maybe
I’ll forget this feeling someday. Maybe it’ll just be reduced to a
memory made up of a flickering gas heater, the salty dew of his skin and
the love in his dark, inky eyes. This feeling of pure unadulterated
joy. Of reaching a high so potent that your spirit feels like it’s
soaring across the universe…and falling from that glorious peak only to
find yourself enveloped in someone’s warm caring hands. When you feel
like you’ve just died or been born, right at the same time.
It could be that I’ll forget
this feeling someday. But I’m sure it won’t be anytime soon. Maybe when
I’m a hundred and looking forward to my lunch of mashed bread. Not one
single day before.
******
Full length New Adult Contemporary Romance:
HEA ending.
******
AUTHOR PROFILE
Rucy Ban was born in 1978 and still continues to thrive. Ever since she first met Francine (the protagonist of her favorite novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn), Rucy fell in love with the written word. Rucy has a B-school degree in Marketing which she now puts to good use teaching lovable rowdy rogues and negotiating with her equally belligerent adolescent. In her previous avatar, she handled corporate communications for companies. At present, Rucy lives in Sao Paulo, travels often, speaks decent, if not quite fluent, Portuguese and really hates talking about herself in third person.
-----------
Author Pages:
