Indie Interview with @StacyJuba, author of Twenty-Five Years Ago Today
Conversations with authors and writers from the self-publishing world.
Meet Stacy Juba
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Best Known for: Twenty-Five Years Ago Today
She is also the author of the young adult paranormal thriller DARK BEFORE DAWN, the young adult family hockey novel FACE-OFF, the patriotic children's picture book THE FLAG KEEPER, the TEDDY BEAR TOWN CHILDREN'S BUNDLE, and the YOUNG LADIES OF MYSTERY BOXED SET. She is the editor of 25 YEARS IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR: 52 AUTHORS LOOK BACK.
Today I’m very happy
to have Stacy Juba join us for another exciting Indie Interview.
Stacy has been writing for almost her whole life and has received
awards and recognition of her prowess. She has also published both
traditionally and independently and has some interesting thoughts to
share on the topic.
Welcome Stacy and thank you for joining
us!
How long have you been writing and
how did you get started?
I wrote my first mystery story in third
grade, and by fifth grade, I was writing my own mystery series about
an amateur sleuth named Cathy Summers. I loved to read as a child so
writing was a natural progression for me. I was also very introverted
and writing was a way for me to express myself. Once my teachers
discovered that I had the writing bug, they went out of their way to
encourage me.
Your book Twenty Five Years Ago
Today is doing exceptionally well, was this your first books? If not,
what was your first published book and did it do well?
My first book was actually my young
adult family hockey novel Face-Off, published when I was 18 years old
in the early 1990s. It won a contest for teen writers and received a
publishing contract, which was incredibly exciting. It’s the story
of twin brothers who battle on and off the ice and it did quite well.
I think it was so successful as it was a book written by a teen for
teens, and it rang true. I wrote it in high school study halls. I
received a lot of fan mail over the years and the book was included
in Best Books for Young Teen Readers:
Grades 7-10 and it was also included on the recommended reading list
of the Hockey Hall of Fame Junior Education Program. I recently
re-issued a new edition, available in paperback and as an e-book, and
it’s also available as a new audiobook. It was really exciting to
have a new generation of readers discover the book as it was out of
print for several years.
Tell us a little bit about Twenty
Five Years Ago Today…
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today is about
Kris Langley, an obit writer and editorial assistant for a small
daily newspaper. While researching her 25 Years Ago Today column on
the microfilm, she stumbles across the unsolved murder of Diana
Ferguson. Kris becomes obsessed with Diana, a young artist
influenced by Greek mythology. While investigating, she falls for
Diana’s nephew, Eric Soares. I once worked as an editorial
assistant myself and had the task of compiling the 25 Years Ago Today
column from the microfilm, so that is where I got the idea for the
book.
How does this book differ from other
mystery novels?
It is a blend of cozy mystery, romance,
and literary mystery which I think makes it unique. If readers are
looking for a page-turning beach read with a puzzle and some romance,
then the book is an entertaining distraction. But if they’re
looking for something deeper to share with a book club, Twenty-Five
Years Ago Today has a lot of underlying message and some interesting
discussion points.
I have a Reader’s Guide on the Twenty-Five Years
Ago Today page of my website, at the bottom past the review snippets.
The Greek mythology subplot is unusual and the book is known for its
big twist at the end. Although there are other mysteries about
newspaper reporters, Twenty-Five Years Ago Today blends the
journalism, mythology, romance and mystery into an original story.
You have achieved what many indie
authors dream of- how did your success come about?
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today hit #5 in
the entire Nook Store and #30 on Kindle, nearly three years after its
release, and made some bestseller lists. This was the result of a
sale, aggressive advertising campaign, blogging campaign, and Twitter
campaign called the #WhoKilledFerguson campaign. In between a series
of ads, I ran blog posts about the murder victim, Diana Ferguson, and
many tweets pointing out different aspects about Diana. I think that
got people interested in finding out who killed her, so they
downloaded it and read it quickly, leading to many new customer
reviews. It took off in March and is still doing really well, with
new reviews springing up every day or two.
I still post the
#WhoKilledDianaFerguson tweets from time to time. I also published a
companion book 25 Years in the Rearview Mirror: 52 Authors Look
Back, which is available free at many retailers. It contains a bonus
scene about the last day of Diana’s life, as well as essays from 52
authors looking back 25 years into their own pasts and the pasts of
their characters. It’s an original, feel-good book and having it
free helps new readers to learn about Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.
Do you have any special tips that
you’d like to share with other authors, regarding writing,
marketing or publishing?
First of all, believe in your books and
don’t give up. I recommend having a website that you can maintain
yourself, on a platform such as Wordpress; having a blog and using
Triberr to syndicate your content; being an active Twitter user; and
participating on author forums to discover new marketing leads and
the latest development s in the publishing industry. I also recommend
having critique partners and developing your editing skills, and if
you’re indie publishing, don’t publish the book until you’re
100 percent certain it’s ready.
Is there anything you’d like to
say to your readers?
I’m so grateful to readers who give
my books a chance and then take the time to write a positive review.
If readers can tell their friends about my books and help spread the
word on online retail sites and reader sites, word of mouth is much
appreciated. Readers can also sign up for my newsletter and follow
me on Facebook and Twitter to get updates. I have a few freebies on
my website, including the companion book to Twenty-Five Years Ago
Today, 25 Years in the Rearview Mirror: 52 Authors Look Back, as
well as free short story called Laundry Day, which is available in
e-book and audiobook formats. I hope readers will stop by to check it
out.
Why did you choose to write in the
mystery genre?
I grew up reading Trixie Belden, Nancy
Drew and the Hardy Boys. It is fun to create a puzzle for readers and
to leave clues and red herrings. My two adult mysteries are
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Sink or Swim, and I have another one
in progress which was a recipient of the Malice Domestic Grant
awarded annually at the Agatha Awards banquet. My young adult book
Dark Before Dawn is a suspenseful thriller. My latest book, which
should be out this year, isn’t a mystery, though. It is a romantic
comedy and that’s a new genre that I will be focusing on for a
while. Lately I’ve felt drawn to writing something more playful
without a dead body in it!
Do you also read? What sort of
books?
I love to read, mainly mysteries,
romantic suspense, sweet romance, romantic comedy, and chick lit. I
also enjoy reading inspirational and motivational books from time to
time. My to-read pile is huge.
How did you learn to write?
In Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, Diana’s
sister Cheryl owns a used bookstore. This is based on a real
bookstore that I used to visit as a child. It was huge, in this big
mill building, and there were shelves and shelves of books. That
bookstore had a huge impact on me as I could spend hours browsing the
shelves and no matter how often I visited, I would always find
something new. At age 9 or 10, I bought college textbooks on writing
and did all the exercises in the books. That taught me how to write,
and so did reading fiction books as I was able to see concrete
examples of the descriptive writing that the textbooks mentioned. I
also bought my first book on Greek mythology at that bookstore, which
I referred to when describing Diana’s paintings in Twenty-Five
Years Ago Today.
What are your thoughts on
self-publishing vs. traditional publishing?
I think self-publishing provides an
amazing opportunity to writers and that there is no better time to be
an author. I’ve been traditionally published by a New York
publisher and by a small press, and have also self-published. All
three have different pros and cons. Right now, I’m very happy with
indie publishing as I don’t want to hold up a project for a year or
two waiting for agents and editors to decide whether to take it on,
not when books are selling so well on Kindle, Nook, and other
retailers, and now ACX has fascinating opportunities to get your book
turned into an Audible audiobook. The advantage of going with a big
publisher is they will send your book out to major reviewers and can
get it into bookstores and libraries. But indie publishing has the
advantage of immediacy. You can get in on it right now and get your
book out directly to readers.
You do need to learn the ropes and
learn how to make your own luck, and even if you work hard, some
books will sell better than others. Putting out a lot of books is
important as it increases your odds of getting discovered. You do
need to make sure your book is edited and professionally done, and
that your cover is professionally done, so that it is strong as those
published by large houses. Readers don’t really notice who the
publisher is so that’s not as much of an issue as it was in the
past. They look at the cover, product description, price and reviews.
Do you have any more books being
released soon?
I am finishing up a romantic
comedy/sweet romance revolving around the Cinderella theme, and I
hope it will be out by Christmas. If not, definitely by early 2014.
Is there anything else you’d like
to tell us about yourself or your books?
I have also published books for young
adults and children, including my YA hockey novel Face-Off, my YA
psychic thriller Dark Before Dawn, and my picture books The Flag
Keeper and the Teddy Bear Town Bundle. I call my website Stacy
Juba’s One Stop Reading as there are books for the whole family.
Readers are always welcome to stop by and check it out, and while
you’re there, feel free to say hi and comment on my blog or on my
Facebook wall. Thank you for the opportunity to connect with new
readers!
Thanks for being here today, Stacy!
