Nancy Christie is a professional writer, whose credits include both fiction and non-fiction. In addition to her fiction collection, Traveling Left Of Center, and two short story e-books, Annabelle and Alice In Wonderland (all published by Pixel Hall Press), her short stories and essays can be found in print publications and online.

She is also the author of Rut-Busting Book For Writers (Mill City Press) and the inspirational book, The Gifts Of Change (Atria/Beyond Words), which has been translated into several foreign languages.

A full-time writer and editorial consultant, Christie’s work include corporate writing projects and magazine articles. She also hosts the monthly Monday Night Writers group in Canfield, OH and teaches writing workshops at conferences and for small groups. (For more information about her workshops, go to http://www.nancychristie.com/workshops/writing-workshops-and-courses/.)

Christie is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), Florida Writers Association (FWA) and Short Fiction Writers Guild (SFWG), and is the founder of “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day.

Rut-Busting Book Talk

Let’s start with the “elevator speech” for your latest book, Rut-Busting Book for Writers, to which I was happy to contribute.

Yes, and thanks so much!

Short and sweet: Rut-Busting Book for Writers provides insights and suggestions from more than 50 writers and industry experts on how to get out of writing ruts and engage in a more productive and fruitful writing life.

What brought about the idea for your book?

I’ve been hosting “Rut-Busting” Workshop for Writers for the past several years, and even though I had handouts, attendees wanted something more expansive. So doing the book had been on my To-Do list.

But I got a little sidetracked—first with the writing and publication of my literary short fiction collection, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories in 2014, and then with edits to a second novel (the first still unpublished) and a second short story collection, Peripheral Visions and Other Stories.

Once I finished the second collection and started pitching it to small presses, I started working on this book in April. By mid-June, all the edits were done, thanks to my editor Ann Henry, and I signed a contract with Mill City Press to bring Rut-Busting Book for Writers out this fall.

You decided to self-publish this book. What was your reason?

I wanted to bring the book out this year and didn’t want the publisher hunt to slow it down. I had also been looking for an opportunity to test out self-publishing and decided this book would be the right one for that.

So far I’ve been pleased with the process, although I have to admit that having been traditionally published first, I was more prepared for all the marketing. Not that there wasn’t a learning curve! There are a number of decisions I had to make that with previous books were handled by my publishers. But Mill City Press is great to work with and I would consider self-pubbing again!

For those who are thinking about self-publishing, do your homework when you are looking for a company to handle it, understand that this is a business and that you have to be prepared to do the most you can to promote your book. Then commit to putting out the best possible product and learn everything you can about marketing because, without that commitment and the knowledge, you are just wasting your time and money.

Your cover features several blurbs. How did you go about getting them and why did you ask for them?

I had cover blurbs with my first book, The Gifts of Change, and pre-pub endorsements for my fiction collection, although I didn’t include any blurbs on the cover for that book. I decided to include cover blurbs for this one because I wanted writers who were checking out the book to read the positive comments from other industry experts. Sometimes that can make the difference between buying and not buying!

As for how I got them, I researched those who either wrote books on writing or offered consultation services to writers and authors, reached out to them with a brief explanation of the book, and, if they expressed a willingness, forwarded a pdf version of the working manuscript.

Once the sales links are active on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and I have the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) version, I’ll connect with others on my list for pre-pub reviews. Then, when it’s out, I’ll keep soliciting reviews from readers as well as industry experts. It’s all about getting endorsements and reviews—that can make such a difference when it comes to sales!

What else are you doing to promote the book?

I did my first blog tour—as a matter of fact, you are my final stop on my Launch Tour!—plus I scheduled signings in northeast Ohio (where I live) and Florida (where I have family). Those are so much fun—not just because I love meeting people but because a long time ago I developed a philosophy about in-person events that it isn’t about the number of books that I sell but about the number of people I talk with. Sometimes we talk writing, sometimes we talk life, but whatever we talk about, it is always interesting. And anything else that occurs—like a book sale—is a bonus.

Once I signed the contract with Mill City, I added a web page for it on my site with a downloadable press kit. Of course, I’ll promote this book as well as my other ones on social media and in my blogs and newsletters.

This time, I am also encouraging people to sign up for my Rut-Busting Street Team so they can be updated about the book: giveaways and special sales and the like. I didn’t do that with my last book so we’ll see how it turns out. And of course, I’d love to have people follow me on social media and sign up for my newsletters—and stop by to see me if my book event is in their area! My list of events is here.

Connect with Nancy: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Rut-Busting page | Make a Change | Writers Place | One on One | Focus on Fiction

Click here to read A Rut-Busting Interview with Nancy Christie.

Rut-Busting Book For Writers offers insights, information, and tips for those who are pursuing the writing life, whether as a profession or for personal satisfaction, yet find themselves struggling to get out of creative or professional ruts.

The book provides strategies, inspiring words and proactive suggestions from the author and more than 50 other industry professionals who have “been there and done that” and are now willing to share their knowledge about the creative and practical aspects of being a writer.

Purchase on Amazon: Trade Paperback $14.99 ISBN: 9781545611005 | EBook $3.99 ISBN: 9781545611012
Publisher: Mill City Press, 2017
Category: Writing
Available online and in bookstores. Distribution through Ingram.

Special Offer: order the paperback or digital version of RUT-BUSTING BOOK FOR WRITERS through the My Book Orders web page and use the code RBBW02, you will receive a 15% discount off the price.

See below for more books by Nancy Christie.