Here’s Laura–and please make sure to leave her some love:)

Why did you choose to go with a small press over self-publishing or the traditional route of an agent?

I didn’t so much choose my route as that’s just the way it unfolded. After I finished my first book, Forever Freed, I queried the manuscript to dozens of agents. I got a lot of requests for partials and fulls, but it has unique features (1^st person from the male POV, for example), and no one signed it. Then, the first epublisher I queried bought it. I’m not considering self-publishing at all at this time (maybe when I have a larger backlist and established readership I will). To me, there doesn’t need to be any distinction at all between these options – an author can traditionally publish, go with an epublisher and self-publish a title too.

As you’ve moved further down the publishing road, what’s been the biggest benefit of being with a small press publisher? 

Small presses offer lots of benefits. Some of the top ones would be quick time from contract to release, a great way to establish a fan-base, and ability to write outside the boxes traditional publishers typically consider to be marketable.

You’ve got got five books out now with different presses, and you recently announced your Hearts of the Anemoi series sparked the interest of Barnes and Noble. They’ll be putting the series on the shelf this summer in mass market format. First off, congratulations! How did you react when you heard the news? What do you think was the biggest contributing factor in B&N decision, and how much part did your publisher play in it?

I was so excited! It is definitely one of my dreams to be able to walk into a bookstore and see my books shelved there! That’s still my reaction, just complete thrill to know I’ll get to do that just a few short months from now. Certainly, Entangled Publishing played a huge role in getting my Anemoi series shelved beginning this summer—they’ve created a tremendous presence in the industry in a short time, and the incredible deals they’ve negotiated, like this one, show that. B&N was particularly attracted by the books’ genres, covers, and the social media platform of the authors. That latter was a nice bit of validation of all the time I put into social media…

Given your experience, do you believe a small press is a good way to get your foot in the door with an agent, or is it a better way to learn the business, or both?

There are many ways to get your foot in the door with an agent. Unless your book sells very well, being published with a small press is only useful to the extent it shows writing credits. It’s a great way to learn the business though, there’s no doubt about that. The best way to get an agent is to keep writing great manuscripts that ultimately hook one!

Did you work with an “editor for hire” prior to submitting to your small press? If so, why and how did you choose from the multitude of people offering editorial services?

I never did this, and probably never would. Then again, I have access to a wonderful critique group of other authors pursuing writing and publication professionally. That’s what I would recommend people use to ready their manuscripts for publication.

How much marketing assistance, including guidance and advice, not just money spent, can an author expect from a small press?

It varies a lot from publisher to publisher. I have two presses that bust their butts to help authors promote their work, and one that doesn’t do much at all. So there’s no generalizing. Prospective authors should talk to current authors if they want insights into this question specific to a certain publisher they’re considering.

With all the different social media platforms, what’s been your single best marketing tool, and how do you use it?

Hmm…I don’t think I can pick just one. Social media success, in my opinion, is about the way you integrate your brand and presence and engagement across multiple platforms. Take Twitter and Facebook, for example. I have a lot of overlap in who follows me in both, but the types of friendships I’ve made and interactions I have tend to differ on those two sites. So I value them both, greatly.

Given your success with a small press, would you still consider going with an agent and seeking out the Big 6?

100% yes. At some point, I would like to gain the greatest possible exposure for my books, and the best chance of that is with big 6 publishers.

Finally, you’re putting out quality books at a strong pace. How do you manage your writing time with social media and a family?

It’s a challenge, to be sure. Time is the single commodity I need the most and have the least of! I think that’s true for all writers. I do write fast, and that helps, and I also write clean, which means my first drafts are in pretty decent shape and don’t need rounds and rounds of revision to get ready for publication (that’s not to say they’re perfect at all!). I also have cut out other activities I used to spend a lot of time on, liking watching TV and sleeping, LOL. So, it’s a trade-off. There’s only so many hours in the day, how do you want to use them?

Thanks so much to Laura for taking the time to stop by and sharing her experiences. Don’t forget to stop by her website and check out her books!

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About Laura Kaye

Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is the bestselling and award-winning author of a half-dozen books. Hearts in Darkness is a finalist for the EPIC eBook Award for Best Novella, Forever Freed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and North of Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was named GraveTells’ Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and won Sizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Hi, everyone! I wanted to check in and let you know of some very cool things coming up here at Turning The Page.

Author Interviews: I’ve got several great authors lined up for the next couple of months, including Jen Talty, Bob Mayer, Heather Haven, and Pat Dale for a special Thriller Thursday. Romance author Laura Kaye will be interviewed on Monday, so make sure you don’t miss it.

After taking Melissa Foster’s marketing class via World Literary Cafe, I’ve taken her advice and decided to start a newsletter. It will feature Thriller Thursday extras, information regarding my books, writing news, and other fun stuff including contests, book deals, and reviews. You can sign up for Twisted Minds and Dark Places (my new tagline – look for a new design and all new website soon) here.

Finally, here are some must read links for the week:

Can You Self-Publish Your Way To A Big Deal? By Lindsay Buroker

Branding For Writers: An Essential Step To Building Your Author Platform. By Joanna Penn

Zombies and Fear by Catie Rhodes

Blog Tours – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly via Writers In The Storm.

Writers, Time, and Social Networking by Jill Kemerer

My Love of Steampunk Began as an Accidental Affair by Lena Corazon via Nicole Basaraba’s Uni-ver-city