Q and A with Indie Author Rich Weatherly ~ The Sequel

Back in August 2012, I was fortunate enough to have a Q & A with Indie author, Rich Weatherly after he released his début novella ~ “Closed Doors, A Trilogy”. Rich is an extremely talented writer who has an amazing ability to create interesting characters and craft compelling plots, while maintaining a high standard of writing which is in my opinion, the mark of a true storyteller. I always enjoy chatting with Rich, as he is always such an inspiring and interesting person. I  recently spoke with Rich about his experience with Indie Publishing and asked if he would mind doing a quick follow-up to share his thoughts on the process, and, being the generous person that he is, he agreed. 🙂

Belinda, thank you for asking me back to talk about my writing and publishing projects. It has been an amazing  journey. I appreciate the opportunity to give you this update.

It’s been a while since we did our first interview. Closed Doors, A Trilogy has been out for a while and at one point was an Amazon bestseller ~ Congratulations! Tell us a little about the journey so far, was it all that you expected?

Closed Doors, A Trilogy has been an amazing critical success. All but one review has received a 5-Star rating and it was a 4-Star rating. The most common request has been, give us more. I plan to do that in the sequel novel. After release in e-book formats in July, I published the print version in late September. I’ve been honored to participate in author gatherings from far west Texas to a St. Jude charity event in Texarkana on the Arkansas state line.

What is happening next for you with regards to Closed Doors?

For the time being, Closed Doors in ebook is being marketed exclusively with Amazon KDP Select. The print version, published through Createspace, has broad distribution and should be available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble website and other channels.

What are some important lessons you have learned becoming a published author? Is there anything you would do differently?

I think the most important thing to take away from this experience is the realization that if readers like your work, they’re going to want more. There is a huge responsibility placed on the author to deliver more. In order to deliver, the author must develop good writing habits where writing is the focus and one must avoid getting caught up in lower priority activities. The main thing I’ve learned is, the more I write the easier it becomes. This year I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), an event that happens every November. It was a demanding process but I happily managed to meet the 50-thousand word goal for the month.

Any advice for those who want to become an indie author?

If you’re an aspiring author with a story to tell, learn as much as possible by studying the craft. Hook up with other writers, let people know you are interested in readers and people to critique your work and request honest, candid reviews and feedback. Develop good writing habits by setting aside a block of time to write each day… then do it. Most important, stick to your guns and don’t give up.

What’s next in terms of your writing, will we see a sequel to Closed Doors?

Glad you asked, Belinda. I am nearly finished with the draft of my sequel, Closed Doors: Operation Pandemonium. This will be a full length novel. I believe it will meet the expectations of people who have read Closed Doors, A Trilogy. I hope to release it sometime in mid-2013.

In addition to the sequel, I have an historical novel that I hope to complete in the not too distant future.

I hope that answers your questions. Once again, thank you for this opportunity!

Are you involved in any upcoming events you would like to share?

I will be a part of A Readers Special Promotional Event featuring 10 authors and 12 books  which will run Dec 21st – 22nd check  http://wp.me/p1EYQD-qb . More details will become available as we approach the start of the promotion.

Where can we find your work?

You can find much of my work on my blog: http://RichWeathelry.WordPress.com

Closed Doors, A Trilogy can be found at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008O8M7MO

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rich for taking the time to share his views with us. I reviewed Rich’s Novella and loved it; my review can be found here: www.BelindaWitzenhausen.com