We have a winner! Susan Furlong-Bollinger’s name was drawn from a hat and she will receive a copy of Mixed Message; lucky gal! (9/2/12)

Here I am popping the cork on a champagne bottle!
I love it when I come across an author who has just published that first book in a new mystery series. It’s such an exciting moment. Help me congratulate Patricia Gligor on the publication of Mixed Messages.  I asked Patricia to tell us, in five steps, what she’s learned about publishing. Welcome, Patricia, to Small Press Friday.

Five Things I’ve Learned About The World of Publishing
1.     The importance of developing an online presence, which includes creating your own blog or website, as early as possible in your writing career. Most, if not all, publishers will Google your name and, if they come up with zilch, your chances of them reading, much less accepting, your manuscript just got reduced to, well, zilch.
2.     If you’re shy, you’d better get over it – fast. Self-promotion is the name of the game and, although most of us were raised with the idea that “tooting your own horn” was unacceptable, that’s not true in the writing/publishing business. Most publishers expect you to promote your book/s online as well as offline. In order to do that effectively, you have to be self-confident and assertive.
3.     It isn’t all about you. No, I’m not contradicting what I just stated. In order for your book to succeed, you will need the support of family, friends, other writers and, of course, readers. Word of mouth is a powerful tool! But, it’s a two-way street. If you buy books by other authors, comment on their blogs and invite them to be guests on your site, many will do the same for you. Remember that it takes a village to raise a child and it takes lots of support from other people to promote a book. You can’t do it alone!
4.     If you haven’t already done so, join a critique group or, if that’s not possible, find another writer or an avid reader in your genre. Another set (or several sets) of eyes, reading your work and highlighting both the strengths and the weaknesses is crucial. Writing may be a solitary pursuit but editing and rewriting shouldn’t be.
5.     Not all of the advice you get will be good advice – at least not good for you. People, including writers, are all different. Each of us has our own opinions about what constitutes good writing and effective marketing. Pay attention to what other successful writers are saying and doing. Listen to everyone but always trust your own instincts. If your gut tells you the advice doesn’t seem right for you, it probably isn’t.
     
      Patricia Gligor lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, touring and photographing old houses and traveling. She has worked as an administrative assistant, the sole proprietor of a resume writing service and the manager of a sporting goods department for a local retail chain but her passion has always been writing fiction. Mixed Messages, the first novel in her Malone Mystery Series, was published in April 2012. She has just sent the sequel, Unfinished Business, to her publisher.
Patricia is giving away a copy of Mixed Messages. Just leave a comment to be eligible for the giveaway.
Link to oder book: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Patricia+Gligor
Link to book trailer for Mixed Messages