Tonight, after dealing with a few technical difficulties, we interviewed up-and-coming epic fantasy author Claire Frank. She got started in December, 2014, and did well enough to attract a publisher (Realm Walker Publishing), and we asked her about what it’s like for new authors getting started today. When our guest went AWOL briefly, Lindsay started talking about pre-orders and some of her notes from panels at the big RWA Con; we’ll continue discussing pre-orders, iBooks, Facebook advertising, and some of those other interesting topics in next week’s show.

Here are some of the highlights from Claire’s interview:

Finding time to write when you’re homeschooling three kids and working a part time job

Some of the perks of bouncing ideas off your Lego-loving significant other

What made Claire decide to sign on with a small press versus sticking with indie publishing

What can a small press offer, and are they more flexible with contracts than the Big 5 publishers?

Getting invited to cons and onto panels with a publisher’s help

Getting reviews as a first-time author

Finding cover art designers and how a good cover can help with everything from reviews to sales

Participating in anthologies to increase awareness of all authors under a publisher

Who should consider a small press publisher, and how do you get in touch with one if you’re interested?

Make sure to check out Claire’s books and the lego art on her website too!

Update Feb 2016: Claire sent me an email, letting me know she decided to part ways with her publisher and is going it on her own now. Best of luck to her in the future!

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