Day 108--Author Interview With Rebecca Donovan

Rebecca Donovan, a graduate of the University of Missouri - Columbia, lives in a quiet town in Massachusetts with her son. She is an avid reader, passionate writer and overall enthusiast of life. Barely Breathing, the sequel to Reason to Breathe, will be released May 1, 2012.

Jennifer: Your debut novel, Reason to Breathe, is highly praised. Where did you learn to write so well?

Rebecca: I am thrilled with the positive responses I've received regarding my work. I've had writing aspirations most of my life, having attended the Advanced Placement English classes in high school and continuing my education at the University of Missouri - Columbia in pursuit of a degree in Journalism. I ended up changing my major to Psychology, but the love of writing never went away.

Jennifer: Please describe your reasons for self-publishing, Reason to Breathe.

Rebecca: Simply, to be read. I originally made attempts to find representation by an agent, and sent out query letters. The repeated response was that this was not what they were looking for at the time. What I found so ironic about those responses was that not one of the agents ever read it. I could have continued to pursue that line of publication in search of the agent who was looking for me, but instead, I decided to open my own door and ePublish. I recognized that the trend was about to explode and it didn't require anything to be published other than a belief in my talent.

Jennifer: Did you create your book cover and do your own editing, or hire those things out?

Order

Rebecca: I am fortunate to be surrounded by very talented people. I came up with the book cover concept, but it was executed by a friend's mother who is an artist and graphic designer. I have a team of readers to assist with content editing, and one person, Elizabeth, who has been my editor throughout the process. She is a teacher, a writer and enthusiast of all things words, so she has been the perfect partner in this venture. I brought her in late for REASON TO BREATHE, but she has been an intricate part of BARELY BREATHING from the very beginning, and it is evident in the results.

Jennifer: Your book marketing strategy has been amazingly successful yet your website mentions you are seeking an agent. Can you tell us why you are interested in traditional publishing?

Rebecca: I haven't closed the door on traditional publishing because, in the end, I'd prefer to just write. To have someone else worry about the marketing/promotional details would be a relief. I recognize the connections and sway publishing houses have with bookstores and advertising. It's been why I've hesitated putting this book into print, because then I'd be stumbling into another aspect of self-publishing I'm not as familiar with. I feel that being a part of a publishing house would provide more exposure than I currently have.

Jennifer: Indie authors rely on reviews to get their books noticed. Reason to Breathe has hundreds of reviews. Was this spontaneous? Can you give any advice on how a self-published author can encourage reviews?

Rebecca: When I released REASON TO BREATHE in May of 2011, I encouraged the first few people who emailed me with praise to write a review on Amazon. Since then I have not requested it. I feel uncomfortable asking someone to write a review, so the majority of the reviews are driven by the readers—whether they loved it, or didn't. And I am touched beyond words by the incredible reviews I've read.

Jennifer: Please tell us your top three, most successful book marketing tips.

Rebecca: I have a blog on Goodreads.com, a web site, and Facebook page and that, at this point, is the extent of my marketing. I haven't been able to invest the time I need to implement my marketing strategy, but I do have ideas that I plan to pursue soon —and this includes hiring a publicist.

Jennifer: Where can readers connect with you online?

Rebecca: I have a web site www.rebeccadonovan.com where there's a link to reach me via email becca@rebeccadonovan.com. I truly enjoy hearing from my readers. I'm also quite interactive on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/reasontobreathe. I have to admit that Facebook is my favorite social media site for sharing information and connecting with my fans.

Jennifer: Do you use Twitter? If so, what are your favorite hash tags?

Rebecca: I do have a Twitter account @BeccaDonovan, but I'm not as active on that site. I never know what to post. I don't feel that my day is all that interesting. When I try to catch up on feeds, all of a sudden an hour has passed, and I haven't even made it through the past two hours of tweets. I'm not sure if I'll ever be as interactive on Twitter as other authors.

Jennifer: Can you name the single most successful thing you've done to increase your online sales?

Rebecca: I honestly haven't done much to intentionally increase the sales of REASON TO BREATHE. Word of mouth and positive reviews have been very effective. But I did promote it for free for three days last month to generate sales for BARELY BREATHING when it's released on May 1st. I'll have to wait to see if it worked!

Jennifer: What advice would you give aspiring authors about self-publishing?

Rebecca: Write because you love it. When you put your work out there for others to read, let it go. Don't take criticism personally, as difficult as that sounds (and believe me, I know it's difficult). Not everyone is going to love it, but if you're proud of it and it's well written, then readers will come. Self-publishing is not about the money, but the sharing of your words. Oh! And connect with an amazing editor to make certain your words are exactly as they should be!

Jennifer: What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Rebecca: Experience life worthy of being written about. I am a social person with amazing friends. I love music, so I attend concerts often. I enjoy being active, particularly outside, whether it's hiking, the beach, or camping. I have a few projects in mind that I'd like to pursue based on my true life adventures.

Jennifer: Please tell us about your new book, Barely Breathing, due for release on May 1, 2012 and describe what you've done, if anything, to garner pre-release publicity.

BARELY BREATHING is a continuation of The Breathing Series, following up the controversial cliffhanger, REASON TO BREATHE. The ending of REASON TO BREATHE in itself has enticed readers to want to read the sequel. I update my readers often on my blog on Goodreads.com and have posted teasers along with a soundtrack on my Facebook page to keep fans excited about its release.

Click Image to Purchase, Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan!