Interview with William R. Potter, Author of Lighting the Dark Side - Page 4

From the beginning I didn’t expect a traditional publisher to take on a short story collection from an unknown and unpublished author. After several rejections I decided to go the self-publishing route. Working with the Xlibris Corporation was my first publishing experience, and I found the consultants to be very understanding of my lack of industry knowledge. The journey went, for the most part, smoothly despite the fact that the staff copy editor missed over 120 simple spelling and grammar mistakes in my manuscript. This added an extra month of frustrating work in the galley stage.

Do you blog?  If so, what can you tell my readers about the advantages of blogging as a useful tool in book promotion? 

Yes, I have two blogs and post as much as time allows. Every post shows up in Google searches so it really helps to get noticed. It’s very easy. Write a 200-word blurb about a book signing, for example, and post to your blog in two minutes. Many readers prefer the blog format over websites and will visit your blog daily to see what you’re up to, so it’s a promotional tool that should not be overlooked.

Do you have a website?  Do you manage it yourself or do you have someone run it for you? 

Yes, I have two do-it-yourself websites that I run myself and one my publisher manages for me.

What’s next for you? 

I’m currently in the rewrite stage of a sequel to the short story “Prominent Couple Slain” from Lighting the Dark Side called Dead of Knight: A Jack Staal Mystery. It will be available by Christmas 2009. I enjoy Detective Jack Staal and his world and already have two sequels outlined.
 
Another completed novel manuscript is about an average family man and how he and his wife deal with his depression and addiction following the sudden tragic loss of his eyesight. Falling Down The Hole is my 2010 project, and I daydream about it becoming my first book published by a traditional publisher.

Thank you for this interview, William! Do you have any final words you’d like to share with my readers? 

Thanks again for having me here. I appreciate the opportunity. I would also like to thank the readers for their interest in Lighting the Dark Side and I invite all to stop by www.lightingthedarkside.com for more information about me and my work. 

Article Author: Dorothy Thompson

Dorothy Thompson is CEO/Founder of Pump Up Your Book Promotion, an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book promotion for authors.

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