Q&A with Nicole Williams discussion

I wanted to start a discussion where anyone can feel free to stop by and ask questions about my writing journey. The entire spectrum, from novel infancy to the release, and everything that falls in between.

I'd love to share what knowledge my publishing experience has provided me to anyone out there looking to do the same, or those who are just curious.

That said, ask away!

What be your best advice to someone who would love (and I do mean love) to have a book published someday?

Did you try conventional publishing first? What made you decide to self-publish? I'm currently debating both options.

Shannel wrote: "What be your best advice to someone who would love (and I do mean love) to have a book published someday?"

Hey Shannel! Thanks for the great question and first off, I think you've got the number one thing it takes to get published. A love and passion for it!

This might go without saying, but it’s critical to read if you want to be a good writer. Read what you like, what inspires you, what catches your eye, but make sure you're reading in the genre you want to write. I write YA because that's what I love to read, and I feel like every YA book I've read has made me a better writer.

In addition to reading a lot of YA fiction, I’ve read a few dozen writing mechanics book. I didn't have a formal education in literature, and why I thought I knew a lot about how to write, I didn't realize how little I did until I began reading "writing how-to" books. Everything from plot and character development, to pacing, to sentence structure. There are a ton of great ones out there. I really like the Writer's Digest collection and Noah Lukeman has a couple of great books I really found some inspiration from, too. Also, if you’re looking for a great grammar/punctuation book, The Grammar Girl is my go-to.


Next, write (yes, I hear you thinking, ‘Hello Mrs. Obvious!). Write everyday, or at least make that your goal, I'll admit I don't write every day, but *most* every day. There are days where I feel like I'm the worst writer in the world, but I push on and write until I can't take it anymore, and you know what, the next day I punch out five thousand words that I'm proud of. Ride the writing roller coaster!

Finally, if you want to go the traditional route of getting published, craft a killer query letter (there are how-to books on the query itself!) and agonize over each word until it's as close to perfect as it gets.

These are just a few nitty-gritty basics (I feel like I could write an entire novel on this subject!), but feel free to ask more questions if you’d like more clarification.

Amber wrote: "Did you try conventional publishing first? What made you decide to self-publish? I'm currently debating both options."

Hey Amber! I did try the traditional publishing route first. I finished Eternal Eden over two years ago, and that's when I started the query process. This was before the e-reader and e-book phenomenon took off and other than "vanity" publishing, this was the only option if I wanted to get my book out in the public. I painfully selected three agents to query, sent off my letters, and waited.

And waited.

I heard back from one in the form of a generic rejection letter, and never heard back from the other two. It was devastating, so much so, I put Eternal Eden aside and went on with my life.

Fast forward another year. Time had given me what I needed to separate myself from Eternal Eden and not take it so personally if it got rejected. I sent out about seventy query letters, keeping a spreadsheet so I could document responses and keep track of all the agents. I heard back from two agents who requested to see partials, but neither offered representation. I was disappointed, but had gotten to a point in life that I knew I loved writing so much, published or not, I'd never stop.

Six months later, I got a Kindle for Christmas and a light bulb went off. I read a few Indie books and they were good. They were REALLY good. Sure there were some editing flaws and the covers weren't quite as pretty as the traditionally published ones, but the writing was solid. I'm not saying every Indie book out there is amazing, but the majority I've read are.

I did some research on how to publish an ebook and it was surprisingly easy (other than the formatting which turned out to be a rare form of torture I never would have made it through save for my tech-savvy husband!). I didn't really know what to expect, but I did know I'd forever regret it if I didn't put Eternal Eden out there. I published in late March, and after a few weeks of modest numbers, sales took off. E-publishing has far exceeded my expectations. On almost a daily basis, I have to remind myself this is really happening.

The publishing industry is not what it once was, it's evolving and changing everyday. I am so thankful for the change, because it's allowed a lot of writers like me to get their work out there. This is truly the wild west of the new publishing frontier, and I'm thankful to be a part of it.

If you have any other questions, let me know. I'm happy to share.

Not a question, so much as a comment. I'm a huge indie book fan and what I have found is that the cover art is so much better than the traditional publishing companies. I love your Eternal Eden cover, it is what initially drew me to your book, and so often you find the most beautiful covers on indie books. They also seem to better reflect what's inside. Thanks for taking the time to do this Q&A. I don't have a lot of questions, but love to read what others are saying and what you are thinking of the Indie process and Goodreads.

Blaise wrote: "Not a question, so much as a comment. I'm a huge indie book fan and what I have found is that the cover art is so much better than the traditional publishing companies. I love your Eternal Eden c..."

Hey Blaise! Thanks for stopping by and I'm so glad you love the cover of Eternal Eden. I'm also impressed by the amazing indie covers out there!

Blaise wrote: "Not a question, so much as a comment. I'm a huge indie book fan and what I have found is that the cover art is so much better than the traditional publishing companies. I love your Eternal Eden c..."


I couldn't agree more with you. The art on Eternal Eden grabbed me, its exquisite. I think its one of my all-time favorite covers. LOVE IT.