Patricia Gragg – Facebook and Twitter Relationships Led to Bestseller Status
Patricia Gragg is one of those writers who has achieved the enviable status of having a book on the Amazon bestseller list. In this interview she spoke about how she achieved this wonderful success as well as the process involved in self publishing your own ebooks.
Darrell - How did you become a writer?
Patricia - Like most writers, I started early. In the 2nd or 3rd grade, I wrote plays and made my brother and the neighbourhood kids perform them in our garage. I wrote short stories and even began novels in grade school. After school, I worked at a variety of jobs in public relations and submitted poems and stories to The Atlantic and The New Yorker. I even received some encouraging replies (which I've saved). I decided to go back to school and enrolled at Wichita State University which has a creative writing department, and that became my home. I finished my BA and two years of graduate school. I worked with Hilma Wolitzer and Doris Betts, among others, and James Lee Burke was my adviser. Those were wonderful years.
Afterward, I worked as a technical writer and wrote several novels which I submitted to the top publishers without any results. I was always in a writing group. Then came ebooks!
Darrell - Can you describe a typical day of writing?
Patricia - I think about what I need to do on my story while I have coffee and breakfast. When I'm finally at my computer, I go back and read the last three or four chapters I've written. This leads to editing and making little fixes. I just gradually slip into continuing the story. Eventually I take a break and take care of my email plus go to Facebook and Twitter to see what's going on.
In the evening, after I've taken care of other responsibilities, I may go back and start the whole process over. I also run the story through my mind at night, before I go to sleep. Or when I'm driving, or waiting in the doctor's office, or watching a TV show.
Darrell - Many people who are about to self publish their own ebook are curious about the process you go through to do this. Can you describe how this works with Smashwords and Kindle and the other online retailers?
Patricia - Basically, I logged on to the Smashwords site and followed the link to their directions for self publishing. I had to reformat my manuscript and then upload it to their 'Meatgrinder,' a program which formats the manuscript for several different outlets. Then I previewed it, went back and made a few changes in the formatting, and uploaded it again.
Amazon is much the same except a little more complicated. The formatting in the finished product looks pretty good. Like Smashwords, you can preview and make changes until you're satisfied. And there you are, a published author with your words available to the world!
I haven't uploaded to other online retailers although I wish I had. The royalties would be higher.
Darrell - Your book, The Rose Killer, is one of the bestselling ebooks on Kindle. How did you achieve this amazing feat?
Patricia - I've been asked this question by several of my author friends. I wish I had the answer. Basically, I developed a lot of friendships on Facebook and Twitter, which included readers and other authors. I did some self promotion and tried to help other writers. I was active on Goodreads and uploaded my book there. I also met some interesting people.
I created a website, which didn't see many visitors until recently. I did not create a blog. In short, I did what most aspiring writers do. I'd really love to say that my book made the top 100 because it's so great. Of course, I think it's good, but I'm pretty sure that something (appearance on a list, perhaps) made the book visible to the public.
I'm still amazed.
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