There are several successful authors in the world of e-publishing. Today I chose to interview Jana Richards. Here is her brief bio.

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby. Unless it’s forty degrees below zero, of course! When it’s that cold outside you can find her in front of the fireplace!

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, along with two university aged daughters and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. You can reach her through herwebsite.

Here is the interview with this much-published author:

Q. What kind of editing and marketing support did you get from various e-publishers you have worked with?

A. I work with three different e-book publishers. All of them provide information on different forms of marketing and promotion. Sometimes that comes in the form of discussion on the publisher Yahoo loop. Sometimes it comes in the form of marketing handouts, or information on classes and webinars about marketing. One of my publishers sets up regular dates at different Yahoo loops for promotional opportunities. Occasionally, writers from these different publishers will get together to create their own marketing opportunities.  For instance in September/October 2011 I will be participating in a group blog tour with about 9 other authors from Awe-Struck Ebooks. Watch my website/blog for more information on that.

As far as editorial support, I’ve been really lucky to have worked with some terrific editors. It really helps to have a knowledgeable and experienced editor look at your work with fresh eyes. I’ve found that the suggestions from my editors have truly made my work better.

Q. Does an author who is e-published need to work with a number of e-presses rather than get all books published by one press? What are the advantages of working with a number of presses?

A. At one time, when e-publishing was in its infancy, it was a good idea for a writer to be published with more than one e-publisher because you never knew when one of them might go out of business and leave you high and dry. With e-publishing now more established and the business more stable, it’s not as much of a worry. However, I’ve found it to be advantageous to have more than one publisher. If you write in more than one genre you may need a second publishing house. One publisher may have special programs that they may invite you to write for that isn’t available at another publisher. I’ve also found that writing for more than one publisher gives me the opportunity to meet many other writers and work with several editors, which is a great learning experience.

Q. How do you market your books?

A. I try to keep my website reasonably up to date and full of information. I also maintain my ownblog and I try to guest blog as much as possible. When I guest blog at other writers’ blogs, the blogs of review sites, and occasionally at the blog of one of my publishers, I hope to reach a whole new group of readers. I participate as much as I can when one of my publishers has a promotion day on one of the Yahoo loops. I also have a Facebook page and a My Space page. But I know I have a lot more to do to promote and market my books.

Q. What is your opinion on self-publishing? Should a new writer self-publish or wait for a contract from an e-press or print press?

A. I’ve never considered self-publishing because marketing and promoting is not my forte. I want a publisher backing me. I also think I benefit greatly from the services of a professional editor. But for a writer who has the time and the energy and the desire to sell their own books, I think they should go for it. However, I believe anyone who self-publishes should consider hiring an editor to look over their work before it goes to market.

Q. You have won awards from Eppie Awards in 2008. Does entering and winning awards help an author’s sales?

A. Thanks for saying I won, but actually I was only a finalist. J In 2008 I finaled in the Romantic Suspense category of the Eppies (now known as the EPIC E-book Award Competition) with my novel “Seeing Things” from Uncial Press. I probably got a small bump in sales because my book made it to the finals. More importantly to me, making it to the finals was a huge confidence booster and a special honor. Entries in the EPIC E-book Award Competition are judged by fellow published authors so I was pleased that my peers thought highly enough of “Seeing Things” to vote it in. For published authors, contests may provide a boost in sales, and they definitely provide some bragging rights!

For unpublished writers, contests are a great way to get feedback on their writing. Many contests have editors as final judges, so it’s also a great way to get your writing noticed. My writing group, The Saskatchewan Romance Writers, formerly held a writing contest which I coordinated for several years. The Harlequin editors who acted as our final judges often requested full manuscripts from our finalists and I know some of them were eventually published. Even if a partial manuscript didn’t make it to the finals in our contest, we felt we gave good feedback. Each manuscript received three critiques. I recommend that when entering a contest you look for ones judged by the editors you’re interested in. Contests that offer some form of feedback, pointing out weak areas as well as strong points, are also useful.

Q. Tell us a bit about your e-books?

A. My newest release is “Flawless”, a romantic suspense set against the backdrop of occupied France during World War Two. Here’s a blurb:

Flawless

France, 1942.  The world is at war. The Nazis have stolen the infamous blue diamond, Le Coeur Bleu, intending to barter it for weapons that will destroy the Allies. Jewel thief Hunter Smith is given a choice; help the French Resistance steal back the diamond and avenge the death of his best friend, or stay locked up in an English prison. He chooses revenge.

Resistance fighter Madeleine Bertrand’s husband died when he was betrayed by Hunter Smith. How can she now pretend to be married to the arrogant American? How can she betray Jean Philippe’s memory by her passionate response to Hunter’s kisses? Neither is prepared for the maelstrom of attraction that erupts between them. To survive they must uncover the mysteries of the past and conquer the dangers of the present. But first Madeleine must decide if her loyalties lie with her dead husband and the Resistance or with the greatest love of her life.

“Flawless” is available from The Wild Rose Press.

I’m excited to announce that my novella “The Girl Most Likely” is to be released on November 30, 2011. Yay! It’s part of the “Class of ’85 Series, about the 25^th high school reunion of the fictitious Summerville High School. Here’s a blurb from my story:

Cara McLeod, the girl most likely to have the perfect marriage, is now divorced and, in her own words, “fat, frumpy, and over forty.” The thought of facing former classmates—and the ex-husband who dumped her—at her high school reunion terrifies her. Cajoled into attending by her kids and her best friend, Cara enlists help at the gym to lose weight and look great for the reunion. Personal Trainer Finn Cooper is more than willing to help—but does he have to be so to-die-for gorgeous?

Finn thinks Cara is perfect just the way she is. She’s everything he wants in a woman, except for one thing—she can’t get past the fact that he’s eight years younger. To Finn, age and weight are just numbers. But can he convince Cara the numbers she worries about add up to only one thing for him—love?

Thanks for inviting me Sabine!

Sabine’s Note: Jana has been writing for many years, and she kindly answered my questions with the purpose of guiding new writers. If you liked this interview, do go and check her books. And also you can subscribe to this blog by using RSS feed or through google reader.