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In the Spotlight--Mystery Writer and Publisher Ann Mullen

Internet Resources

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 In the Spotlight--Mystery Writer and Publisher Ann Mullen   

             Ann Mullen is a local writer who has been writing for four years. She has written and published three mystery novels, What You See, South River Incident, and A Crying Shame. I recently interviewed Ann about her publishing experience. Ann owns Afton Ridge Publishing and publishes her own books.

 Question:        Why did you start the publishing company?

 Answer:          “I tried to get published the conventional way, but was rejected, so after doing much research, I decided to self-publish.”

 Question:        Tell me about your publishing experience?

Answer:          “There was a lot to learn when I first started out. Sometimes I felt as if I was lost in a maze, but the longer I worked at it, the easier the job became and the more I learned. Most of my publishing experiences have been interesting and very educational.”

 Question:        What does a writer need to do to publish a book?

 Answer:        “Do research on publishing. Chose a name for your company, acquired a business license and then set up a business checking account. Talk to other self-publishers and draw from their experiences. Select a printer to print the books, a designer to design the jacket and one to design the inside of the book. Have or acquire the money for the job. Printers require payment before books are shipped. Designers charge by the hour and payment must be made at the time the work is done.”

 Question;        Do you have any sources or suggestions to suggest to other potential publishers to find other self publishers and how to find a printer and designer?

 Answer:         “The best way to find what one would need is to join Publishers Marketing Association (PMA). PMA is an organization that brings together a network of independent publishers, designers, printers, etc. Also, the web is another good source for information. Visit these web sites: www.pma-online.org, www.parapublishing.com, www.booksjustbooks.com, www.booksinprint.com. There are many sites on the web about the publishing industry, so keep surfing. Use key words to broaden your search.”

 Question:        What do you think the set up cost is for others who might want to publish this way?

 Answer:          “Approximately $15,000 per book.”

 Question:        How does this break down in terms of individual expenses?

 Answer:          “Printing cost for approximately 1000 hardcover books=$6000 to $7000. Graphic Artist for jacket=$2000 to $3000. Graphic designer to design text and setup=$2000 to $3000. Balance for incidentals and minimal marketing (advertising) to start. Note: Paperback books are less costly, but they sell for less.”

 Question:        Why do you recommend a 1000 print run?

 Answer:          “Any amount less than 1000 is not cost-productive. The larger the amount of books published at one time, the better the deal will be. A printer has to do the same setup whether they print 1000 or 100,000 books. Price per book goes down as the amount to be printed goes up. Also, many printers won’t print less than a 1000.”

 Question:        How do you market your books?

 Answer:          “The first thing I did was set up a web site. Since we live in such a tourist rich area, I solicited unique stores such as antique shops, specialty stores, Bed and Breakfast establishments, and others. I also chose independent bookstores to carry my books.”

 Question:        What avenues of direct marketing do you employ and which are the most fruitful for you?

 Answer:          “I have a web site, http://www.aftonridge.com, to generate revenue and I use e-mail advertising and ads sent via the postal service. There are many ways to market a book. If one way fails, I try another.

Question:        How do you target who you send your advertising to?

Answer:          “Like most companies, I use mailing lists to target readers. I started out with a small mailing list and as my reader base grew, so did my mailing list. When I wanted to send ads to libraries, I went online and Googled United States libraries and a list of just about every library in the U.S. came up. I chose a state, clicked on a library, and then searched their web site for the information I needed.”

Question;        What is one important tip you have for someone just starting out?

Answer:          “A good proofreader is a must!”

Question:        What do you advise authors to beware of in self-publishing?

Answer:          “Vanity presses (disguised as a reputable publisher) who will try to convince you they can give you the results you desire. Don’t believe them; and Make sure the people you hire to do a job can actually do the job.”

Question:        What is the difference between self-publishing and employing a vanity press to publish a book?

Answer:          “Self-publishing is being your own publisher and doing the work yourself. A vanity press publishes your book for a price (and is a real nightmare).”

Question:        Why is being your own publisher better/safer/more economical than publishing with a vanity press?

Answer:          “Self-publishing allows you to be in charge. You make all the decisions. Why pay someone to do what you can do? Also, vanity presses do not have respect in the publishing community, which in turn makes it almost impossible to get the major stores to carry books they have published. There’s a reason for that. I strongly advise against using a vanity press. You’d be better off taking a cruise instead, or send me the money and I’ll go on a shopping spree. I could use some new clothes.”

Question:        What organizations and resources do you recommend for persons thinking about starting their own publishing business?

Answer:          “Join Publisher’s Marketing Association. You can visit their website,     http://www.pma-online.org first to learn all the organization. Purchase Dan Poytner’s, The Self-Publishing Manual. This book, along with your membership in PMA, will prove to be two of your most valuable investments.”

Question:        Tell me about your next book?

Answer:          “Middle River Murders is the 4^th in my Jesse Watson Mysteries. Jesse and Billy are hired to find out the real truth behind the death of a member of the elite Stanardsville Social Club. During their investigation, other members meet similar fates. Soon, it becomes a race for time to find and stop the killer. “

Question:        When will it be published?

Answer:          “Christmas”

Question:        How can readers buy your book?

Answer:          “Via my website at: http://www.aftonridge.com.”

Question:        How important do you think research is to in writing your mysteries?

Answer:          “How much research I do depends on the subject I’m writing about. Even though I make up the tales, any information I use to enhance that tale needs to be correct. For instance: one of my main characters is a Cherokee Indian, so I did enough research on the Cherokee culture to make sure I could describe this person accurately in keeping with what is known to be true. We know that an Indian isn’t a red-headed, freckled-face, light-skinned person. Research tells us that.

If I should write that a victim died of food poisoning, or got shot in the foot with a .38 caliber handgun, any details of that person’s appearance (or wound) should be described as it would actually look in such a case. Do the lips really turn black when someone is poisoned?  Would the foot or toes be blown off, or would the bullet leave a tiny hole? How loud would the victim scream?”

Question:        Ever get ideas for your books through doing research?

Answer:          “I don’t know where my ideas come from. I sit down to write and they just show up.”

Question:        What are your favorite reference books that you use to research your novels?

Answer:          “Any research I do usually is done on the web. Web surfing is the best tool for acquiring knowledge.”

(Note, see the resources and links to an article on evaluating Internet Resources in this issue of Options).

Question:        How long does it take to make a profit in the publishing business?

Answer:          “It took me about two years but this will vary for individual publishers.”

I want to thank Ann for taking time to answer my questions and invite all of you to visit Ann Mullen’s website for more information on her books or to purchase her books. She has also graciously offered to answer any questions from others who are interested in starting their own publishing company. You’ll find her email address on her website: http://www.aftonridge.com.

Ann’s contact information is:

Ann is a local writer who lives in Greene County, Virginia. Her stories are set in this area and in the town of Stanardsville. If you want more information about Greene County here are a couple of great links to sites with all the buzz. It's a great tourist area, and some of you might want to visit the area and these links will help you plan your trip and give details about events that take place year round.

Virginia Greene magazine www.vgreene.com

Greene Lite magazine www.vgreene.com/greenelite

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Internet Resources

Ann mentioned that she does most of her research on the internet. But Ann also knows that not all internet resources are reliable, and carefully picks the information she garners from the internet. How do you quickly find resources that are reliable? If you were doing research by visiting your local library you would probably ask the librarian for help in locating resources so why not utilize the resources that librarians use to locate reliable internet resources? Listed below are several sites that will lead you to sites designed by and for librarians for this purpose and there is also a link to a great how to article that will teach you how to evaluate websites.

http://lii.org/search

Librarians' Internet Index: Websites You Can Trust. This site has resources topically arranged and each link is annotated letting you know exactly what a site offers before you go there.

http://www.digital-librarian.com/subject.html

Digital Librarian: A Librarian's Choice of the Best of the Web links to many reputable and helpful sites.

http://www.itcompany.com/inforetriever/

Internet Library for Librarians. This site was designed as a portal for librarians to find internet resources and can be used by anyone to locate reliable research resources.

http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/

Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources. An excellent How to Guide that gives advice on how to evaluate the value and reliability of websites offering information.

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