Book Publishing Secrets: A Conversation with Alana Terry

We’re talking to authors from all walks of life about their experiences in publishing their book.  Some have smooth paths, some rocky, but they all share a common goal – to see their name on the cover of their creation.  It’s interesting to read what path they decided to take to get there and my guest today is here to tell everyone what he/she did in order to make it all happen so that other writers will learn a little something from the experience.

Today we are talking to Alana Terry, author of the inspirational suspense novel, The Beloved Daughter.

Alana Terry is a homeschooling mother of three. “The Beloved Daughter” is her debut Christian novel and won second place in the Women of Faith writing contest. Alana is also the author of “A Boy Named Silas,” the story of her son’s complicated medical history and “What, No Sushi?” a children’s chapter book about the Japanese-American internment.

Visit her website at www.alanaterry.com or connect with her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aboynamedsilas.

Thank you for your time in answering our questions, Alana.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to write a book?

I’ve always had a lot of empathy towards victims of religious persecution, particularly in North Korea. I wrote The Beloved Daughter to help raise awareness about the so-called Hermit Kingdom.

Is this your first book?

The Beloved Daughter is my first full-length novel. I have also published a memoir about raising a special-needs son, and a chapter book series for kids published by Do Life Right.

Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?

I’ve have experience with both self-publishing and traditional publishing. My new time travel series for kids, My Solar-Powered History¸is published by Do Life Right. The Beloved Daughter was self-published after it won the Women of Faith writing contest. I decided once it won that I wanted to share my story without waiting to jump through all the traditional publishing hurdles, and I’m happy with that decision.

What lessons do you feel you learned about the publishing industry?

I’ve learned that a writer’s success often has as much to do with his or her marketing skills and random luck than the quality of their writing. That’s not pointing fingers or finding fault anywhere; that’s just the way it seems to be.

If you had the chance to change something regarding how you got published, what would you change?

I have another novel almost ready to be published. I may have waited and published them both closer together. After reading The Beloved Daughter, lots of readers are eager for more.

Did you credit any person or organization with helping you get published?

Winning second place in the Women of Faith writing contest definitely gave me the confidence I was waiting for to go ahead and get published.

What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

If you’re going to self-publish, make sure you manuscript is perfectly polished. Don’t just write a rough draft and sell it on kindle. No one else is marketing for you, so you’ve got to work extra hard to make sure people want to keep on reading what you write.

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