Monday, March 30, 2015

Chat with 2015 Conference Presenter Rachel Anderson

Sweat Hard, Feel the Burn, Win the Race Indie Writing and Publishing Conference brings to you the first in a series of interviews with our expert presenters who will help you cross that finish line. Today we're chatting with bestselling USA author Rachael Anderson.

 

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Q: What is your profession and how are you connected to the writing.
A: I'm a mom first and a writer second. I write happy, hopefully-uplifting, fun romances—three of which I had published traditionally and seven I've indie published.

Q: How did you get started?
A: I attended a writer's conference that opened my eyes to indie publishing, then I read, asked questions, and learned as much as I could. It's a steep learning curve, and I would have loved to attend an indie conference when I first began, but sadly, there weren't any. Thank goodness that's not the case anymore. I love that so many people are willing to take time out of their busy lives to share what they've learned with others.
 
Q: What subject will you be teaching at the Indie Author Hub Writing and Publishing Conference?
A: How to turn your word document into an ebook and how to typeset a book for paperback using Word. It's stuff that took me many painful hours to learn, so hopefully I can simplify the learning curve for others.
 
Q: What is your expertise for this subject?
A: Been there, done that. Over and over and over again.

Q: Why is this important for indie authors to know?
A: (1) It gives you control, (2) You don't have to wait on someone else's timeline to get your books formatted, (3) Saves you money.

Q: What is your top writing-related goal for 2015?
A: I don't have a lot of time for writing, and I try my best to always put my family first, so my goal is to publish two novels a year.
 
Q: How will attending the conference help you to reach that goal? And/or why do you feel it’s beneficial for indie writers to attend conferences.
A: Every conference I've attended has been such a blessing to my writing life. I've met people who have become wonderful friends and supporters, learned so many important and useful things (things that are so much easier to learn at a conference), and always come away feeling motivated and excited. But I think the most important thing I've learned from other writers is that this isn't a competition, and if we work together great things can happen.
 
Q: What is something many people don’t know about you?
A: I'm terrified of heights. My husband talked me into going parasailing with him once, and while he was enjoying the view, I was praying (with my eyes clamped shut) that we'd survive. I still have nightmares about it. That was a been there, done that, NEVER again thing for me.
 
Q: What best advice do you have for beginning indie authors?
A: Learn all that you can, connect with other authors, and don't give up!
 

We hope to see you all at the IAH Writing and Publishing Conference in June!

 

1 comment:

Weaver said...

I never would have gone parasailing. You are amazingly supportive.