After querying and marketing my own book, I’ve become such a publishing industry nerd.
The slush piles. The editing process. The cover design strategies. I want to know the mysteries behind all these things.
Today, I’m chatting with a former librarian, a former copy & ghost writer, a former publishing house intern, and a book cover designer—all who later authored their own books.
I’m so intrigued to hear the insights these authors have gained from their bookish backgrounds, and how those insights translate into their self-publishing efforts, so let’s dive in!
Jenifer Cyphers: A Librarian’s Take on the Publishing Industry
(And How a Librarian Would Handle the Corpse Apocalypse)
Amy: So, Jennifer, You’re a Librarian, and Dixie’s Wild West Shitshow is about a librarian who takes charge during the apocalypse, am I right?
Jennifer: Yes. DWWS is a satirical, dark comedy about the roles within the traditional publishing industry and the ubiquitous use of A.I. as a tool of human complacency.
The former librarian, Dixie, is the good guy. The various characters who are assigned publishing industry titles are the bad guys.
Amy: That’s so intriguing. With character titles like The Author, I have to wonder—Is this a commentary on the world of publishing?
Jennifer: Most definitely. I find the traditional publishing industry’s goals are too aligned with profit over art.
In DWWS, The Author, The Publisher and The Editor-in-Chief no longer recognize creativity as a valuable human contribution born of the consciousness of the individual. They destroy consciousness as part of their master plan.
Amy: Sounds like you’ve come to know the dark side of the industry up close and personal.
Jennifer: I have realized that publishing companies are utilizing the psychology of the FOMO, along with vast sums of money, to market and promote books that have very little to offer. The stories don’t challenge the reader. Happily-ever-afters, redeemed villains, busty women, and male characters who claim ownership over supposedly enlightened women, are in vogue.
Amy: Any advice for other creatives who want to dive in despite the pitfalls of the industry?
Jennifer: Ignore the noise and focus on being your creative self. The for-profit industries surrounding literature are not your partner. Writing is an art. You are an artist. Just write.
The more you know about the publishing industry, you realize you have two choices. You can bend your art to the machine, or you can understand how valuable your authentic contribution is to the creative art you’re engaging in.
Chase trends and your work will fall out of favor quickly. Follow where the art leads you, and you will discover uncharted paths within your own creativity. That’s not a trend. That’s creative and artistic growth.
Amy: For those dying to know how librarian Dixie takes charge in a corpse apocalypse, where’s the best place to get a copy of DWWS?
Jennifer: Amazon is the place. Here’s the link.
Jessie Kwak: “Boring” Ghostwriting by Day, Space Pirates and Thrillers by Night
Amy: Jessie, you write novels featuring wildly exciting tropes such as space mafia and space pirates. But I understand you worked in “boring” copywriting jobs before self-publishing.
Jessie: I started out as a catalog copywriter working for a children’s clothing company.
From there, I went freelance and did a lot of blogging for software companies. I learned pretty early on, if you want to make money as a copywriter, you should look for boring topics no one else wants to write about.
From there, I eventually transitioned into ghostwriting nonfiction (self help, memoir, and business books). That’s where I make the bulk of my day job money today.
Amy: Did your work as a copywriter and ghostwriter influence you as an author?
Jessie: The biggest thing I learned was that writing is a discipline, and there’s rarely any time to wait for the muse. I’ve gotten really good at hitting deadlines, whether I “feel like” writing or not.
I also learned to be really clear about details, because most of my work as a copywriter required me to be concise and get to the point. Fortunately, I like to write fast-paced crime novels—so economy of language is a good skill to have there.
Amy: Any advice for people working in bookish-adjacent careers who want to get started publishing their own novels?
Jessie: I started self-publishing because I was already running a writing business, and so I had most of the infrastructure in place. If you like having control of the business aspect of things, then self-publishing can be a really great option. Just take your time and think about building up your knowledge slowly. You don’t have to learn it all at once. Pick one thing, figure it out, and then pick the next thing.
Amy: For those interested in your novels, where is the best place to start?
Jessie: If you like sci-fi, I’d recommend starting with either Ghost Pirate Gambit (book 1 of the Nanshe Chronicles; space pirates) or Double Edged (book 1 of the Bulari Saga; sci-fi mafia noir). If you’re curious about my new thriller series, I have a free novella up on my website, Smoke Screen.
Rachel Nova: A Publishing Intern Goes Rogue for Romance
Amy: So, Rachel, I’ve known you for a while and never knew you’d worked as an intern at a publishing company! Can you say where you worked and what sort of tasks you did as a publishing intern?
Rachel: Yep! I interned at the Doug Grad Literary Agency in New York City. I read and responded to query letters, provided editorial feedback on author manuscripts, and worked on some other administrative projects for the agency.
Amy: And you also worked as an English teacher, what was that like?
Rachel: I taught middle school English. It turned out, I don’t have the patience required for middle schoolers, but it was a lot of fun and a great learning experience. We got to read great books together, and I really enjoyed watching students learn to love reading.
Amy: With all these writing-adjacent jobs, you must have always had a career as a writer in the back of your mind.
Rachel: I did! Although I originally thought I was going to be an editor.
Amy: Did working as a publishing intern that influenced your thoughts about a future writing career?
Rachel: It definitely influenced my perspective on the publishing industry as a whole. I have lots of thoughts on traditional publishing and the whole apparatus compared to indie pub. I spent several years writing a very different genre (YA Fantasy) with the intention of traditionally publishing, but it never came to pass.
Amy: What kind of books do you write, now?
Rachel: I write sci-fi romance with lots of weird aliens and the humans who tolerate them. I would say The Strongest Gravity is probably the best place to start if you want to read my work!
Emilie Hendryx: From Visual Arts to writing Visually.
Amy: I understand you worked as a cover designer before becoming an author.
Emilie: I’ve been a cover designer for about eight years now and have worked on all kinds of covers. It’s a blast to take book concepts and translate them into something that’s eye catching to a reader. The best compliments I get are “your covers make readers pick up my book”. That’s a win for me!
Amy: It’s obvious you love books, so, this might be a chicken or egg question, but which did you know first–that you wanted to be a cover designer or that you wanted to be an author?
Emilie: I’ve wanted to be an author since I was young (maybe like 10?) and I did ghostwriting for a while too, but I finally found a true career as a cover designer, which then gave me time to write books for me (instead of for clients).
I never would have guessed I’d design book covers, but here I am!
Amy: Has working on book cover designs influenced your writing?
Emilie: I’m a visual person, so design (and my interest in photography) have always helped me write more descriptively!
It’s also been interesting to see the “behind the scenes” of publishing from a design persepctive. It helped me make my own cover design choices based on what would market the best. My covers are not exactly my own preference (I don’t usually like people on my covers) but…oh well!
Amy: Your covers are so beautiful. In fact, I’m sure some readers are sold right now based on these covers alone! Where’s the best place for them to get a hold of your work?
Emilie: I’ve got a super fun short story I describe as “Jane Austen meets Cinderella in space” for anyone who signs up for my newsletter.
My newest project is on kickstarter. It’s a series of YA Science Fiction retellings by multiple authors. I designed all the covers. There are all kinds of backer reward options including gorgeous special editions. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leafandlanternbooks/classics-rebooted
My website, eahcreative.com, is a great place to connect with me, my books, and my design!
