Interview with Patricia Pierson--self-published author of "Portland Oregon's Most Eligible Bachelor"

1. Please tell us about yourself. Full time writer? What type of writing?
~~I am a retired fashion designer. (Patricia Green Couture) and wife of a retired Portland fire-fighter captain. If writing for fifteen minutes a day for going on fifteen years qualifies as 'full time' I am a full time writer. As far as publishing credits go, I have a letter in Deborah Berger's book, 'Dear Mom, Women's Letter's of Love, Lose and Longing'. Other than that, a few newspaper articles on fashion and a couple of guidebooks for The American College of Switzerland and London. Not much to brag about; I am admittedly a 'Publishing virgin'.


2. I understand you've just published your first book on Kindle. Can you tell us how this was accomplished?
~~I just self-published my novel, 'Portland Oregon's Most Eligible Bachelor' on Kindle. I have tried the agent/publisher route and would always get so far, then fail to meet the requirements. Finally I decided, if mainstream publishing requires me to force what I want to say into someone else's restrictive formula, plus, do the work of agent, editor, and sales-person for almost no money, why not just do it myself, keep control of my work and receive 70% of the selling price?
~Having said that, I admit I am a rank amateur wading into murky waters. Who knows what will happen? The exciting thing is, anyone can try! Things are changing. E-book publishers like Kindle have not only opened doors for first time novelists, they have made self-publlishing acceptable. It is a good thing.


3. Tell us your marketing plan--is this hard? easy?
~~Now that my novel is available to read, I need readers. Marketing is crucial. Getting on an E-book site is just the start; my novel is one of four hundred thousand books on Kindle. How does on stand out from that pack? More venues would be open to me if I had published first in paperback but I have chosen the E-book route because, frankly, it can be done for virtually no cost and the profit sharing is amazing. 
~As for my personal marketing plan, my experience in the marketplace is too new to know if it will be hard or easy. Your blog is my first step. I am exploring other on line resources like writers blogs and websites; they are not only informative, most are supportive of new writers.


4. Has your cost outlay been reasonable? What kind of return do you expect?
~~My cost outlay has been negligible. As for monetary return, I just don't know. I think, honestly, I am more interested in my work being judged by the people who actually read my novel; they are the ultimate critics. Success or failure for me as a writer will be based on the acceptance or rejection of the readers. Who knows, 'this could be the start of something big'...or not.


5. Would you recommend Kindle to others seeking publishing?
~~I definitely recommend Kindle to all writers. Over-all, it has been an easy project.