Photo provided by and used with full permission. Charity Parkerson retains all copyrights.
more than just writing...
In part 1, we covered a little about her background as a writer. You also found out how Charity creates / evolves her characters. We learned a little about the technical side of writing. Time to find out there is more to this best selling author than just writing...
You also have an internet radio show? Charity: I do. It's a show on iTunes. What can people expect for the show? How long have you been doing it? Charity: It showcases artist of all different types. We've had everything from NY Times bestselling authors to Award Winning movie producers along with a WWE wrestler. I've been hosting for almost two years.
I had to ask Charity about her thoughts on self vs. traditional publishing.
What are your opinions about true self-publishing vs. traditional. By this I mean, doing everything on your own vs. submitting and waiting? Charity: I think if you love to write, it doesn't matter how you go about it as long as you don't cheat readers by refusing to have your work edited by a professional. I've been traditional and self-published before going back to traditional. I just want to write and if someone wants to let me then I will. I don't think there is a right way or a wrong way and I don't think either side should rule out the other.
I know in this area there are some scams and some legitimate. What about someone who is considering paying a publishing house to do their book? In your opinion, is worth it? Especially for a first time author? Charity: Absolutely not! I feel very strongly about this. If someone is charging you they are not a real publisher. The money should always flow toward the author because that is the true creator and who has the most investment in the work. You pour, sometimes years into writing a book, and cover art/edits are not worth signing away your soul. You should not EVER have to pay a dime if you are using a publisher. If you are asked for a dime, run for your life!!
Other than the author and radio show host, are there any other arts you do? Charity: I do cover art creation on the side but my talent is in the storytelling.
A little into the personal side and balancing everything...
How do you balance having a family and being a full time writer? Charity: I have set hours and treat it as a job. It took some getting used to. I had to create a bit of accountability for myself, and put my foot down when other people try to take over my day, but I have too much to do to let it slide.
Back to the writer / author...
You mentioned earlier that you have 4 novels waiting to be released? Any teasers / preview? Charity: For contractual reasons, I can't say too much. The first book in my new series releases November 15th and it's an introduction into a new Horror Erotic for Ellora's Cave "Shivers" line. I co-authored with Regina Puckett.
A lot of authors do video trailers for their books. I have done 2. As an author, I have been curious about how important they are.
How important do you think doing a video trailer / preview for a book is? Charity: It's a fun way to promote but not a necessary one. My book trailer for The Sexy & The Undead has had almost 37,000 views on YouTube and I don't see that it's made a huge difference in sales. I will say that author Brent Weeks has one of the most amazing book trailers I've ever seen and ti made me want his book even though I don't read his genre.
This one I could not resist:
When you had a physical copy in your hand, how did it feel? Was it like "Yes! Now this is real?" Charity: It was like I had a new baby come home from the hospital. I got to hold a piece of my soul in my hands.
Time for her advice to other writers / authors:
What advice would you give to anyone considering being an author? Would you suggest writing from life experience, depending on the genre? Charity: My advice: Have a game plan, make friends ahead of time, and get ready to watch silently as the world judges you loudly. Most of all, do not give up! On the second part, I think no matter what you write, your life experience is going to seep into it, but you also shouldn't be afraid to learn something new and write about that. I've done so much pointless research that I caught myself discussing Wiccan moon phases with someone once. You never know when you might need some new info.
Thanks to Charity for taking time in her busy schedule for the interview. I hope you enjoyed both parts. :) Important Note: This is one of the exceptions to the video part of the magazine. The interview took place during a chat on Facebook.
Check out Charity / her books / radio show:https://www.facebook.com/charityparkerson
http://www.charityparkerson.com/
Interview part 1:
http://avalleyandbeyond.weebly.com/author-interview-charity-parkerson.html
Review of a sample of Wicked Sinners:
http://avalleyandbeyond.weebly.com/wicked-sinners-sample-charity-parkerson.html
I had to ask Charity about her thoughts on self vs. traditional publishing.
What are your opinions about true self-publishing vs. traditional. By this I mean, doing everything on your own vs. submitting and waiting? Charity: I think if you love to write, it doesn't matter how you go about it as long as you don't cheat readers by refusing to have your work edited by a professional. I've been traditional and self-published before going back to traditional. I just want to write and if someone wants to let me then I will. I don't think there is a right way or a wrong way and I don't think either side should rule out the other.
I know in this area there are some scams and some legitimate. What about someone who is considering paying a publishing house to do their book? In your opinion, is worth it? Especially for a first time author? Charity: Absolutely not! I feel very strongly about this. If someone is charging you they are not a real publisher. The money should always flow toward the author because that is the true creator and who has the most investment in the work. You pour, sometimes years into writing a book, and cover art/edits are not worth signing away your soul. You should not EVER have to pay a dime if you are using a publisher. If you are asked for a dime, run for your life!!
Other than the author and radio show host, are there any other arts you do? Charity: I do cover art creation on the side but my talent is in the storytelling.
A little into the personal side and balancing everything...
How do you balance having a family and being a full time writer? Charity: I have set hours and treat it as a job. It took some getting used to. I had to create a bit of accountability for myself, and put my foot down when other people try to take over my day, but I have too much to do to let it slide.
Back to the writer / author...
You mentioned earlier that you have 4 novels waiting to be released? Any teasers / preview? Charity: For contractual reasons, I can't say too much. The first book in my new series releases November 15th and it's an introduction into a new Horror Erotic for Ellora's Cave "Shivers" line. I co-authored with Regina Puckett.
A lot of authors do video trailers for their books. I have done 2. As an author, I have been curious about how important they are.
How important do you think doing a video trailer / preview for a book is? Charity: It's a fun way to promote but not a necessary one. My book trailer for The Sexy & The Undead has had almost 37,000 views on YouTube and I don't see that it's made a huge difference in sales. I will say that author Brent Weeks has one of the most amazing book trailers I've ever seen and ti made me want his book even though I don't read his genre.
This one I could not resist:
When you had a physical copy in your hand, how did it feel? Was it like "Yes! Now this is real?" Charity: It was like I had a new baby come home from the hospital. I got to hold a piece of my soul in my hands.
Time for her advice to other writers / authors:
What advice would you give to anyone considering being an author? Would you suggest writing from life experience, depending on the genre? Charity: My advice: Have a game plan, make friends ahead of time, and get ready to watch silently as the world judges you loudly. Most of all, do not give up! On the second part, I think no matter what you write, your life experience is going to seep into it, but you also shouldn't be afraid to learn something new and write about that. I've done so much pointless research that I caught myself discussing Wiccan moon phases with someone once. You never know when you might need some new info.
Thanks to Charity for taking time in her busy schedule for the interview. I hope you enjoyed both parts. :) Important Note: This is one of the exceptions to the video part of the magazine. The interview took place during a chat on Facebook.
Check out Charity / her books / radio show:https://www.facebook.com/charityparkerson
http://www.charityparkerson.com/
Interview part 1:
http://avalleyandbeyond.weebly.com/author-interview-charity-parkerson.html
Review of a sample of Wicked Sinners:
http://avalleyandbeyond.weebly.com/wicked-sinners-sample-charity-parkerson.html
