Author Interview with Indie BookSpot

Today I'm honoured to be interviewed about Run to Me by the wonderful people over at Indie BookSpot.com. My very first author interview. Very exciting!

Indie BookSpot is a fantastic site for indie authors - they offer news, reviews and features of interest to writers.

Check out Indie BookSpot and my interview

My FeedARead Experience

I thought I’d write a post about my experience of publishing with FeedARead because it might be helpful for any other new indie authors out there.

FeedARead is an independent publisher funded by the UK Arts Council. They provide a great service to self-publishers – it is free to set up your book for publishing. FeedARead uses Lightning Source to print the books (LS are one of the world’s largest printers) so they guarantee a “bookstore quality paperback”. I have to say – when my proof copy arrived I was very, very impressed with it! It certainly does look like any paperback you’d find in a store.

I found the set up process easy. Once I had formatted my manuscript and cover images to FeedARead’s specifications – I wanted a 5inches x 8 inches book – I simply uploaded them to the website. They were then both approved by FeedARead within two days. FeedARead provide very detailed instructions on formatting and their cover creator will automatically resize your images for you. One thing to note: the cover needs to be three separate jpeg images – front, spine and back. An ISBN is also provided free of charge (this does mean FeedARead are named as the imprint on record).

Once I had double checked the manuscript PDF and cover (note: FeedARead rely on the author to proof their own work and if you find mistakes after publication they do charge you to make revisions), I then had to choose a price for the book. FeedARead sets a minimum price, based on the number of pages in the book and how much it costs to print. Mine was ₤7.99 and as I was happy with that price (and the royalty I will receive after printing costs) I agreed to this. I then went ahead and clicked that wonderful ‘publish’ button. This is where the waiting began as Lightning Source take ten working days to approve the files for printing. I’m not sure why it takes so long, but I suppose they’re pretty busy! :-) All I know is the two weeks felt the longest of my life.

After the ten working days I was able to order a proof copy at a discounted price. I ordered the book on a Thursday morning and was holding it in my hands on the following Tuesday. Very happy! The book looks great; the cover colours are just right and the inside paper is textured cream – just like you’d find in a traditionally published book! I can’t recommend Lightning Source highly enough. They’re excellent printers.

As for FeedARead – I highly recommend them too! I’ve had such an easy run with them; as opposed to another print-on-demand publisher & printer that I started with who managed to post my proof copy to the wrong address, and once it did arrive I wasn’t overly impressed with the book’s quality. The FeedARead and Lightning Source book is far superior.

So my novel Run to Me is available to buy directly from the FeedARead site. I also chose to invest in their distribution package which means the paperback will soon be available through all online bookstores – Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble etc. Lightning Source has a global network that means books printed by them are available through major wholesalers such as Ingram in the US and Gardners & Nielsen in the UK. This takes 3-6 weeks to set up so another waiting game! Distribution even means bricks-and-mortar bookshops can order and stock the book. But as far as I know self-published books aren’t usually ordered by the big shops.  

For now you can find my book on the FeedARead site - 'Run to Me'  

FeedARead will post to most countries, and Lightning Source has branches in the US, UK and Australia - so if you're ordering from any of these countries you should be able to get a book sent from their local branch. 

If you'd prefer to buy the paperback through other online bookstores then, sorry, you'll need to wait the same 3-6 weeks as I am. What fun! :-) 

All in all, a great experience with FeedARead. Sales and distribution success remain to be seen, but I know one thing for sure - holding my book in my hands (the whole reason I started this self-publishing journey in the first place!) has brought me a lot of joy.

The long road to self-publication

The idea for my first novel Run to Me was rolling around in my head for two years before I finally got the confidence and motivation to start writing it all down. I wrote the first few drafts of the novel in 2007 and 2008. After that it was time to get some feedback and start the long process of edits and rewrites.

Then I did what most writers do next – I started submitting my cover letter, synopsis and opening chapters to agents and publishers. I remember being excited, and hopeful. With my submissions out there in the world, I duly sat down and began writing a second novel. I was serious about this writing thing, after all. :-)

Over time I got my share of rejections, and some small bites of interest. But no contract. Run to Me sat on my hard drive, and I focussed on other things. It was always there though, in the back of my mind. I wanted Run to Me to have a life outside of my computer. I may not have written something publishers were desperate to sell, but I knew my story wasn’t the worst thing ever written. I wanted to honour the time and energy I had put into getting that story out of my imagination and onto the page. A part of me is forever embedded in Run to Me, simply because I was the one who created it. And I knew that part of me deserved to be heard.

So what’s a writer to do? Take matters into her own hands, of course!

Late last year I decided the time had come to self-publish my novel. I’ve spent many hours researching the many companies that offer self-publishing services, and many more hours editing and formatting the manuscript. My sister has worked hard on creating my cover for me. So finally the novel was ready and so was I! I order the proof copy and sat back to wait for the delivery. Again I was excited and hopeful. I couldn’t wait to hold my book in my hands, to see it as a finished product rather than just a Word document. Here was the moment of completion. A moment that had taken me five years to reach.

Then the book got lost in the mail.

I still have yet to hold my book in my hands. But everything happens for a reason, and the time will come. As soon as that replacement proof copy arrives…

No time like the present, though, to launch the e-book version of Run to Me. The good people over at Amazon offer unknown writers like myself a real chance at finding an audience and seeing their work out there in the world. It’s a wonderful opportunity and just goes to show how much publishing is shifting these days. We no longer have to leave our fate up to others. I’m so grateful.

So as of yesterday, the Kindle version of my novel is available to purchase on Amazon! If you fancy buying it and supporting me in my creative work you can do so here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Run-to-Me-ebook/dp/B007R3SA6Y/healscri-21

(This is the link to Amazon UK, but you can also buy the book on any Amazon site. Just go to your country-specific Amazon and search for my name in the Kindle Store.)

To read the book you need a Kindle, or the Kindle App for iPad or iPhone, or you can download (for free) Kindle for PC or Mac and read it on your computer.

If you’d prefer to wait for the print version, I promise you it will see the light of day soon. Stay tuned…

Valentine's Day Love Creations

Happy Valentine's Day!

I can't think of a better day to sit down and make some new Love Creations, so that's exactly what I've done.

Wall Hanging Love -



Mini Canvas & Easel Love -

Look! Even the shadow in the photo above is shaped like a love heart! :-)

Love Creations

I'm still busy making Love Creations. Here are some more:

Felt Love Heart -


Cross Stitch Puppy Love -


Watercolour Love -


Sticker Garden of Love -


Felt Love -


Origami Tulip and Horse - (I love tulips and horses!)

Wise words from Steve Jobs

"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Gotta love the Dalai Lama!