Blog Ring of Power Presents: Beth Barany

Blog Ring of Power time! 

Whoot
Here she is, Beth Barany!

 Welcome Beth, have a seat right here and we will get Part 5 rolling.
An author and speaker, Beth is the award-winning author of HENRIETTA THE DRAGON SLAYER, a young adult fantasy novel, and book 1 of the Five Kingdom series. Book 2 is coming in Spring 2013.
A certified Creativity Coach, Beth Barany is also the bestselling author ofThe Writer’s Adventure Guide: 12 Stages to Writing Your Book, and Overcome Writer’s Block. She’s recently released Twitter For Authors: Social Media Book Marketing Strategies for Shy Writers, the subject of her national and international talks.
She’s been a columnist and editor at “The National Networker,” and a contributing author to several anthologies, including “Writing Romance,” a bestseller, and “Creativity Coaching Success Stories.”
She was the editor of “When I Was There,” the bestselling anthology of stories about life at UC Berkeley, 1960-2010, and is also the editor for the bestseller, “Honest Medicine: Effective, Time-Tested, Inexpensive Treatments for Life-Threatening Diseases” by Julia Schopick.
Beth Barany is now the editor and publisher of the “Author Entrepreneurship Magazine,” to help authors build and maintain successful careers.
Beth speaks to groups and conferences all over the San Francisco Bay Area, across the United States, and internationally. Typically who she works with are authors who ready to get their books completed and out into the world.



Section #5: Words of Wisdom
BRoP:  Tell us about your route to success – how/when did you decide to self-publish? Did you query an agent first? How did you handle the editing, proofreading, cover design, etc.

Beth:  In January 2011, I decided to self-publish Henrietta The Dragon Slayer after several years of sending out about 50 agent and editor queries and only getting nibbles, and after seeing some of my romance writing friends, and Amanda Hocking, do well as self-published authors. I handle editing with my critique groups and beta readers. I hired a proofreader, and my husband did the cover design. I did hire a cover designer to also help with some of the tech aspects my husband didn’t know how to do at the time that book came out.

BRoP:  What are the most important elements of good writing?

Beth:  Good story telling, a strong compelling voice and characters, good writing craft, and heart.

BRoP:  What tools are must-haves for writers?

Beth:  Besides a good space to write, and the best writing implement a girl could have — a laptop — writers need strong network of people who know the biz and can give you honest feedback on your writing, your cover, and your book blurb. In lieu of the traditional gatekeepers (agents, editors, book buyers), we self-published authors have to act as gatekeepers for each other. Other must-haves: a sense of humor, a thick skin, and the ability to have perspective, oh, and self-discipline.

BRoP:  Do you have any advice for other writers?

Beth:  Yes, 3 things. #1: Write. #2: Write. And #3: Keep writing. Okay, I borrowed that from someone, I’m sure. Writers needs perseverance, a strong support network, and plenty of things to feed the creative soul. And write what you love, whether you love writing for the market, against the market, or ignoring the market; that’s up to you.


BRoP:  What do you feel is the key to your success?

Beth:  Well, that depends on how you define success. Success for me has been to write a compelling delicious novel that people want more of. I feel I have finally reached that based on the reviews of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer and the Grand Prize I received in 2012 from the California Indie Fiction Challenge. The key to success for me has been committing to the story above all, above my precious words, and trusting my intuition to know what the story is I want to tell, then working hard to make sure I offer a compelling delicious experience. You could say that my touchstone to create the success I desire is imagining that experience of sinking into the story and forgetting yourself and the whole world so that you can be a new person for a little while. I know what this is like as an avid reader; I want to give that experience to my readers. That is what drives me to write in the first place.

BRoP:  Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Beth:  I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy writing them!

BRoP:  What are your current / future project(s)?

Beth:  I’m drafting book 3 of my YA fantasy series; and I’m planning on completing my YA paranormal novel by the end of the year. I have a paranormal romance novella coming out in an anthology soon, and I’m working on a paranormal romance series involving modern day knights and the women they’re sworn to protect.

BRoP:  Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Beth:  Here's how you can get in touch with me and learn more about my books.

Contact Information: Beth Barany, Email: beth@bethbarany.com
Blog: http://author.bethbarany.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HenriettaTheDragonSlayer
Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4169630.Beth_Barany
Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/beth_barany
Amazon: http://bit.ly/Henrietta-DragonSlayer-Kindle
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/46068

Is your book in print, ebook or both? Both!

 Don't forget to check out the rest of the Blog Ring of Power interview with my fellowship. 
Part 1 - Monday, March 11th @ Sandra Ulbrich Almazon - http://ulbrichalmazan.blogspot.com/2013/03/blog-ring-of-power-beth-barany.html
Part 4 - Thursday, March 14th @ T.W. Fendley - http://twfendley.com/?p=3185

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