traditional vs. self-publishing: my experience

For the past 35 years I’ve been a professional writer and have published more than two-dozen middle-grade and young adult novels for traditional houses: Harcourt, Scholastic and Holiday House. And as of last November, I’m also a self-published author. From big signings and national tours to now managing the whole thing myself, I can say there are joys and stresses to both routes:

Time: With several books I’ve waited at least two years between acceptance and seeing them in print, and often have already turned in the final manuscript before receiving the contract. With self-publishing you just click a button. It’s instantly gratifying to publish right away, but the time it takes with a traditional house isn’t for naught (points below:).

Support: Editorial, sales and marketing is a huge plus with regular publishers as is Production. This is the cover design, copyediting, formatting, and adding the title to their catalogue. It’s a team effort getting a book out to libraries, schools and stores. When you’re on your own, all this is up to you.

Economics: Okay, here’s the money part. An advance with traditional publishers is actually a loan against your future earnings, which may or may not blast out of the park like J.K. Rowling. If your works don’t sell, the advance is it, probably gone by Christmas, and it’s time to start the process of submitting and waiting—and waiting—all over again. Publishing with, say, Amazon Kindle, there’s no up-front money but you’re guaranteed 70% of sales if your title is priced at $2.99 or above.

Royalty statements: Traditional publishers send these in the Spring and Fall, reflecting earnings from the prior nine months. I spent two years writing and editing my recent novel, STALKED, then my artist son did the cover. I published it on Amazon Kindle in November and have already received a check! Monthly royalties, wow!

Trends: Success with traditional houses often depends on fads and inflated expectations for profits. I was invited to create two paperback series for young readers, which the publisher initially loved but soon cancelled. The reason? Despite mountains of fan mail from kids, parents and teachers, sales weren’t as brisk as hoped for. Now out on my own, I can directly reach my readers with new adventures.

All this to say, there are benefits to both approaches. I’m deeply grateful to my former editors and publishers. They put my stories into the hands of so many children, many of whom are now adults reading to their own kids—and many of these kids have e-readers! What a great time in history to be an author.

at a tavern where Abe Lincoln slept

Abe Lincoln was 'here': New Salem, Illinois

Happy Birthday to Abe Lincoln!

When I visited Illinois for a library talk in Champaign, friends drove me on a side-trip to New Salem. They knew I'd love this reconstructed village where Lincoln spent his early adulthood and earned his living doing odd jobs: boatman, rail-splitter, shopkeeper, surveyor, and post master. For a while he owned a general store, but apparently not his own home, so at night he slept in this store or in a tavern. For meals, he boarded with families in the village.

My friends were right. I loved wandering through these shops and houses, taking in the humble beginnings of our 16th president.

fun interview with Kindle Mystery Authors!

An interview with Kristiana Gregory, author of Stalked


KMA: Welcome, Kristiana. Stalked has something to do with Ellis Island, I understand. Can you explain to our readers the significance of Ellis Island?

Kristiana Gregory: From 1892-1954 it was the busiest inspection port for millions of immigrants coming to America, including my Danish ancestors.

KMA: Why did you set the book in the past rather than the present day?

Kristiana Gregory: Stalked is inspired by my great-grandmother Maren Kristine Sorensen who sailed from Denmark in 1893. I made several trips to Ellis Island and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, fascinated by what it must have been like to arrive in this new country not knowing a soul or speaking the language. I imagine that the stress, fear and excitement is similar to what modern immigrants and refugees must experience.

KMA: How did you go about creating an interesting cast of characters?

Kristiana Gregory: One family story is that my great-grandmother worked in the royal palace in Copenhagen. While doing research with my cousin however, we learned a different story, a true one: Maren Kristine married a Dane who ended up spending much of his life in a Wisconsin insane asylum and dying in his bed there of an infected carbuncle. This filled me with so many questions! How did a young man full of hope and dreams go crazy? If he’d been unstable during immigration, how did he pass the strict medical inspectors at Ellis Island? It made me wonder about psychopaths and sociopaths. Since they can be such good actors, how can a 6-minute exam weed them out? This is a good question for today as well.

KMA: Will any of these characters return in a future story?

Kristiana Gregory: I would love to continue Rikke’s story. The turn of the 20^th Century was such a fascinating era, especially for a 15-year old girl.

KMA: Whom do you see as your ideal reader?

Kristiana Gregory: Ages 10 and up, but I get a lot of letters from adults who appreciate my stories because they’re easy to read. Gosh, I hope that’s a compliment!

KMA: When you’re not writing, what would we find you reading?

Kristiana Gregory: Usually non-fiction & biographies, news articles. This might sound weird, but as a child I spent hours & hours reading our family’s World Book Encyclopedias, and National Geographic when I could find copies. I love Ray Bradbury and Mark Twain.

KMA: What did you learn from writing this story?

Kristiana Gregory: I was surprised to learn that many immigrants were found “unsuitable” on Ellis Island and returned to their countries, usually at the expense of their original ship captain. Also I learned that summer heat in the tenements was unbearable, driving many to the rooftops at night. Sometimes a poor soul would roll of the edge in his sleep, to his death.

KMA: Who has been your biggest supporter?

Kristiana Gregory: Definitely my husband and our two adult sons. Since the boys were little they have read every manuscript and aren’t afraid to give an honest opinion. There is nothing like a child to tell you your story is tooooo long, for an author to make some swift edits! And my mother has been my cheerleader since I first was learning to put a sentence on paper.

KMA: How are you promoting your work?

Kristiana Gregory: Since Stalked is my first venture with self-publishing on Kindle, I’m trying to figure this out as we ‘speak’. I’m on Twitter [@kgregorybooks], Goodreads, have a fan page on Facebook, a website [www.kgregorybooks.com]; also I write a blog, Notes From the Sunroom, A Writer’s Journey[http://notesfromthesunroom.blogspot.com/]. And I’m grateful to be talking to you!

KMA: Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Kristiana Gregory: 1) Write your heart’s desire and don’t give up. 2) Don’t read reviews of your books: if they’re negative they hurt your feelings, and if they’re positive they give you a big floaty head. It’s better to just keep going forward.

KMA: As you know, our website is centered around Kindle novels. Can you tell us why you chose to publish your book for the Kindle, or give other authors advice about the process?

Kristiana Gregory: I have 30 children’s books with traditional publishers – Harcourt, Scholastic, Holiday House – and thought it would be fun to try something different, though I really miss the friendship and support of my editors. Stalked took two years to write and edit then my artist son, Cody Rutty, did the cover. Instead of waiting another year for a contract and publishing schedule, it was exhilarating to upload my manuscript in a matter of minutes and have it available to e-readers in a snap. Wow, it was a thrill! I’m still learning how all this works.

KMA: Where can our readers find a copy of the book?

Kristiana Gregory: It’s on kindle, here.

KMA: And finally, as an author, do you have any quirks or habits that help you write the story?

Kristiana Gregory: Quiet mornings and strong coffee then I’m ready to go! Actually, I’m fastidious about freshly sharpened pencils—long ones, no stubbies—and before I start a story I’ve GOT to have a title.

KMA: Thanks for talking to us. We wish you the best of luck with your writing.

Kristiana Gregory: Thank you so much. I’m really happy to be part of Kindle Mystery Authors.

good dogs help with kids' letters: answering fan mail Part 2

Poppy & Daisy help with the fan mail

This afternoon I'm on the floor in our sunroom with my good buddies Poppy & Daisy. They're golden retrievers and are excellent help when it comes to answering fan mail. By that I mean, they position themselves in the center of things and settle into a long nap until I've put a stamp on the last envelope.

As usual, the letters are charming. A boy in Arkansas wrote that he loves the Cabin Creek Mysteries because the young characters bring along their dogs to help to solve clues. I can't wait to tell him about my two helpers here.

two octogenarian ski buddies

Mt. Baldy, Idaho w/ Mom & Louise(in sassy red hat) 2010

Last week my mother saved her friend's life.

They were staying in the Sun Valley Lodge on their annual ski trip together, when Louise collapsed in their room. Mom didn't realize that her buddy had had what the neurosurgeon later said was a "very severe stroke, the kind where most people die." Somehow my mother, 88, set aside her panic and did everything right, got help, and soon Louise was life-flighted down to Boise. 

Friends and family have flown here to be with Louise until she's well enough to return to California. Day by day she's able to say another word and move a little bit more. When I visited this afternoon, she nodded hello then started whistling! Oh, I hope to be that spirited at 82!!

this writer's first love: short stories

2 short stories, each w/ author note

As a 15-year-old, I stumbled on "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, my first exposure to the short story. Though the plot was bittersweet, I was enchanted by how the author waited until the end to surprise the reader.

Thus began my love affair with short fiction: trying to craft a story in as few words as possible, with a twist at the end. It's a lot of fun!

So in between publishing children's books, I have tinkered and toiled with my Curiously Odd Stories and am excited to share them! I've added an author note for each, with a brief background on the creative idea. Volume 1 is now available on Amazon Kindle for $2.99. Cover illustration is by my son, Cody Rutty.

I hope you enjoy ... there are more to come!

kids in strollers at the Mac store

at our Mac store

Recently, my friend Jessica consoled me about my frustrations with technology. "It's like learning a second language," she said. "If you start as a baby, you don't even have to think about it. It's intuitive."

Intuitive. That word makes me feel like a Conestoga wagon on the freeway. Just when I think I've figured out my computer, I bump the wrong key and everything zaps into a mess. For instance, as I was typing this blog the lettering suddenly switched from red to black. What's that about? It'll take an hour to read the Help Forum, so I'm going to leave it as is.

Last week my husband and I trekked to the Mac store in the mall for help with my gizmo. We sat at the "Genius Bar" (oh, if that's not intimidating). The young tech clickety-clacked over my keyboard like those guys in the movies saving the world at the last second. As he explained things with an air of nonchalance, I glanced at the table behind us. It was made for toddlers: low to the ground with tiny beanbag chairs and two Apple computers, the screens twirling with colorful games. I watched a little girl exit her pink stroller [PHOTO, above] and like nobody's business begin her own clickety-clacking.

Intuitive from the stroller. Lucky kid!