Nick Russell is a self published author of Big River, a kindle edition that is going great guns on Amazon. A generous man who lives in an RV in America and travels the road Nick was kind enough to participate in this short interview.
If you were ever looking for inspiration to publish on Kindle, Nick has the formula/drive/talent to follow.
What was your reason for going the Kindle route?
I have been involved in self-publishing for many years, and have several nonfiction books out in print. A number of years ago I wrote my first novel, a mystery set in the White Mountains of Arizona, called Big Lake. I sat on the book for a long time because I had no confidence in my abilities as a fiction author. In early 2011, I began researching e-publishing, and a friend and my wife both urged me to publish Big Lake on Amazon. I decided that it was a good way to test the waters and see what the reading public thought of it.
Were you computer literate before you decided to go digital?
Yes, I work at a computer every day. We publish a bimonthly RV newspaper called the Gypsy Journal, and I publish three blogs, so computers are the tools of my trade.
Do you think you need a big social network to promote your book Big Lake?
There is no question that the followers of our newspaper and my blogs played a huge role in the early success of Big Lake. When I announced that it was available in Kindle format, many of them went right to Amazon and ordered a copy.
How did you promote your work?
I started with an announcement in my daily RV blog, and announcements on Facebook and Twitter. I also mentioned the book on two or three RV and writing forums. As sales progressed, I posted updates on the blog and social media websites.
Are you pleased with sales/results of your efforts?
Sales of Big Lake have exceeded my wildest expectations. I thought that I’d sell a few copies a month, but sales grew steadily. In July, I sold 103 copies, by October I was up to 545 copies. In November, sales exploded, with 4,283 copies sold. As of today, Christmas Day, December sales are at 24,713 copies.
How long have you been writing to get to this point in your career?
I’ve always used writing to express myself, and I’ve been fortunate to have made my living with the written word for much of my life. I owned and published small town newspapers for 30 years, as well as self-publishing niche books and booklets.
Would you recommend Kindle/Amazon to budding self publishers?
I think that the Kindle program is excellent for any author, be they an experienced wordsmith, or a newbie just wanting to break in.
What one piece of advice would you give to a writer who is about to embark on Kindle publishing?
Buy and use a good style guide. Spend the time to learn the basics of punctuation. I have seen many Kindle books that have an excellent story line, but the terrible punctuation makes them hard to read, and detracts from the finished product. Do not try to proofread your own manuscript. Have your manuscript proofread by somebody with good English skills. More than one proofreader is even better.
What are your future writing plans?
I have a sequel to Big Lake, titled Big Lake Lynching almost finished, and I hope to have it available in the Kindle bookstore in the next month. There are a couple more books germinating in the back of my mind that I hope to turn into something in the next year.
What are your future publishing plans?
I believe that e-books are the future of publishing, and Amazon’s Kindle Desktop Publishing program is leading the charge. I plan to continue writing and publishing, and to be part of the e-book revolution.
Finally, where can we see/download/buy/read/chat/find Nick Russell and Big Lake.
Should we create a pen name? What are the options, what will it get you?
