Other Indie Authors To Look Out For

Here's the quick, fun interview I had with Ty. She is one of the indie authors I admire most. She's worked hard, and come a very long way since we met way back when. Tylor shares a few tips on Self-Publishing (and a little something, something about her latest hot whorror romance novel):

​

Self-Publishing Process:

 

What motivated you to choose self-publishing over traditional publishing?

I knew if I didn’t self publish I’d sit on the one single book for years instead of continuing to write. I wanted to write. 

​

Can you share your step-by-step process of self-publishing a book?

This is a very loaded question. To make it as simple as possible, get yourself a team. You need a cover designer, an editor, and a formatter, to start. As you grow, add in alphas, betas, ARC readers, and proofreaders. Then, once you get people reading your book you add in a street team.

​

What were the biggest challenges you faced during the self-publishing journey, and how did you overcome them?

Learning that it's not 100% about writing what you want to read. You also have to make sure the book is what others want to read as well. 

 

Building an Author Brand:

 

How did you go about establishing your author brand when starting out?

I spent 5 years working on mine, switching 3-4 different times before settling on the one that’s had success. I started with a tagline and worked from there.

 

What elements do you believe are crucial for creating a strong author brand?

Your books. They need to all have stuff that matches. Whether that’s tropes, or just the covers. 

​

How did you decide on your author persona and how has it evolved over time?

For a long time I adopted a fun persona that was completely opposite of what I am in real life. Eventually I decided to scrap all of that and simply be myself and that has been the most successful. 

 

Marketing and Promotion:

 

What marketing strategies have been most effective for you in promoting your books?

My branding and writing to market.

​

How do you leverage social media to connect with your readers and build a following?

I make sure to respond to any likes,comments, shares, and other things. 

​

Can you share any specific promotional tactics that worked well for you in the self-publishing realm?

Reaching out to social media influencers in my genre and asking them to read my book. It’s hit or miss.

 

Engaging with Readers:

 

How do you engage with your readers, both online and offline?

Online I have a facebook group, chat, discord, and am active on instagram. I always keep a positive environment and don’t respond to any negativity. 

​

What role does reader feedback play in shaping your future projects and marketing strategies?

If they like it, they tell others and my book sells. I write what sells. If the book flops, I stop writing that type of story.

​

Have you found book signings, virtual events, or other in-person engagements beneficial for your author brand?

No. Those are for when you are already established.

 

Learning from Mistakes:

 

Can you share a specific mistake or challenge you encountered in your self-publishing journey and the lessons learned?

I wrote and published stories that weren’t written to market. People would pick up the books because of the covers and blurbs, but then DNF or rate it poorly simply because the tropes were unpopular. 

​

If you could go back and change one thing about your early self-publishing efforts, what would it be?

I’d write more to market.

 

Utilizing Online Platforms:

 

How do you optimize your presence on online platforms like Amazon, Goodreads, and other book-selling websites?

I don’t. 

​

What advice do you have for utilizing book metadata and keywords to enhance discoverability?

Use them in your blurbs, and ads when you can.

 

Balancing Writing and Marketing:

 

How do you strike a balance between writing new material and actively promoting your existing work?

It’s hard. It’s a lot of work. Just try to make a pattern.

​

Are there tools or techniques you use to streamline marketing efforts and save time for writing?

Canva. I use canva for graphics and just make a bunch all at once. 

 

Adapting to Industry Changes:

 

How have you adapted to changes in the self-publishing industry over the years?

You just read, learn what you can or can not do, and work from there. It’s as simple as that. If they say to stop doing something, I stop. 

​

Are there specific trends or emerging technologies in self-publishing that you find particularly noteworthy?

Nothing of note.

 

Community and Networking:

 

How important has building a community around your work been for your success?

Very. It’s the biggest tool in my marketing campaigns.

​

What role does networking with other authors, bloggers, and influencers play in your overall strategy?

Its very important. You miss out on a lot of opportunities by not networking. 

 

Advice for Aspiring Authors:

 

What advice would you give to aspiring authors looking to self-publish and establish their author brand?

Do your own research. If you approach an established author and want them to hold your hand they won’t. You need to show that you can hold yourself up before others start to help you. 

​

Is there anything you wish you had known when you started your self-publishing journey that you can share with others?

Writing to market isn’t just a suggestion. 

 

Tell us more about your latest release (and your other books too, if you want to!):

​

Slay Less: 

 

“Come play with us, Delaney…”

Laney is my everything. Her smile became my obsession and when someone else threatened to take her from me, take her innocence, I took him out of the picture.

They separated us, in hopes that our desires would fade, but the longer we stayed apart, the stronger my obsession grew. I have one chance to show her what we could be, and if I have to slaughter everyone in my path to do so… so be it.

Stopping home for a night, Delaney sees Priest, her stepbrother, for the first time since a suspicious and horrific murder occurred five years ago. He’s sinfully handsome, and ink covers his tight muscles, tempting Delaney to touch something she’s always been told was wrong; and yet, she invites him to join her at the Vincent hotel, where they soon find themselves trapped by the weather, their own forbidden feelings, and a murderer on the loose.

Memories are resurfaced, ghosts are everywhere, and deaths are aplenty when your psycho, hot, inked, stepbrother is afoot.

Slay Less is a forbidden stepbrother m/f horror romance.

​

Get it here: https://books2read.com/u/3y9r7n

​

​

 

​