In the month of January, I'm doing a Twitter Interview (Twitterview) of many of the participants of the #BookMarket chat. These are people who come and generously share their wisdom week after week. The Twitterviews give them a chance to shine.
Today, I had the chance to chat with Tak of @FriesenPress. Friesen Press is a full service group which helps authors self publish their work. They have a real pulse on the self publishing world and particularly what authors need to do to create successful books.
My take on the interview:
One of the most interesting parts of this interview, to me, was the conversation with Tak about who should and who shouldn't self publish. When we talk about self publishing, we talk about is as a rule : you should or shouldn't self publish. However, after talking to Tak, it's clear that the decision to self publish is better based in who the author is and what they are capable of doing.
Here's the transcript:
ClaudiaC Q.1 - What 5 words would you use to describe your publishing company? #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress oo. That's a tough one. From my view, I would say Exciting, Cutting-edge, adventurous, honest and fun? #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC Oooh I have to ask... Q.1b - How is a publishing company 'fun'?? #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress We're always trying new things, new ideas, new designs - no author is the same, so it's always changing. #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC So... what makes any of that fun?? #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress We're not tied by corporate interests, but the ambitions of our authors - they take us places we never expect = fun! #bookmarket
ClaudiaC Ah... that makes sense! Q.2 - What is your favorite thing about the publishing world today? #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress It feels more like a big thinktank full of creative types, instead of a publishing company I guess? #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC If you'd like to follow along, you can search #bookmarket - we are using both tags
ClaudiaC Love this! RT @friesenpress: "a big thinktank full of creative types"#bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress That it's constantly changing - every week there's a new avenue, a new way to market etc. #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC I'm not sure if this fits u,Q.3 - do u choose to help authors w a certain purpose/mission?or anyone? #twitterview #bookmarket
FriesenPress We help anyone, within reason. Our blog/podcast is out there for everyone for free too. #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC Let's move on to the BIG topic of selfpublishing #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC For whatever reason, self pub is a controversial topic. Q.4 -Why would an author self-publish? #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress More control & more freedom - but also more responsibility. If you're a go-getter, it's an ideal place. #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress We have nothing against trad pubs tho - both can and should exist. #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC Q.4b -Because status is a major issue in self-pub, are there reasons to self-pub that overcome that? #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress The stigma of self-pub comes from quality control - many authors forgo that aspect, unfortunately. #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress Self-pub also doesn't mean doing it all alone - it means finding your own team you trust. #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC Indeed. And there's also a diff. standard.There's lots of junk pub'd by big houses, copy errors, etc #bookmarket #twiterview
FriesenPress If you produce quality work, it doesn't matter where & how it's published. Content is always king #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC Q.4c - Who shouldn't self publish? #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress Authors with enthusiasm, who believe themselves, who treat their book like a business. Authors with a plan! #bookmarket
FriesenPress The great thing about self-pub is that we work with the author's schedule and strengths. #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress Any author with a great product, who is willing to commit to a long term plan can be successful. #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC Like a lot of ppl, I panic at the "p" (plan) word.Out of curiosity, do you help ppl create a plan? #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress We do indeed! We do a five year plan that goes down to daily goals. #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress Once you break down a big goal into daily increments, it's quite surprising how do-able it seems. #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress Oo.. A team. It doesn't have to be a permanent one, but you need to surround yourself with support. #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC In your experience, what's the most over looked support a self-pub author needs? #twitterview #bookmarket
FriesenPress You need someone to bounce ideas off of, to keep you on track, to edit, to tell you when you're wrong etc.. #bookmarket
FriesenPress For example, many authors say "I want to have X"...but don't have a clue how to get to that goal. Or when. #bookmarket
FriesenPress Someone to keep them on track after the initial high of the 1st 3 months after a book launch. #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC Ok, one last question: Q.5 - Everyone has a super secret ninja skill. What's yours? #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress honestly? #bookmarket chat is my secret ninja tip. :D Other than that... (cont) #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC Love this! :) Thx RT @friesenpress: @ClaudiaC honestly? #bookmarket chat is my secret ninja tip. :D #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress "Hacking" the facebook photo wall. That's a fun trick to use, so that it keeps a consistent theme. #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC I don't even know what you mean! Sounds... fascinating! #bookmarket #twitterview
FriesenPress On our facebook page ow.ly/8jDim you'll see the top row of photos is actually a list of our services #bookmarket
ClaudiaC That's neat! :) RT @FriesenPress I don't even know what you mean! Sounds... fascinating! #bookmarket #twitterview
ClaudiaC I want to give you a few minutes b/f #bookmarket! Thanks again for sharing your time and wisdom! :)
ClaudiaC Thank you for your awesome #twitterview! *applause* *applause* #bookmarket
FriesenPress You're welcome! Always fun to participate. Looking forward to the guest for today. #bookmarket
Tomorrow, I'm speaking with historical fiction author Carol Buchannan @CarolBuchannanMT at 2p ET
Previous #twitterviews:
Eco-fantasy and @Harmonygirlit
Serial fiction, Moody vampires, and other fun with @TechTigger
Publishing with Kate from @CandlemarkGleam
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