Jan is Jan Fields, moderator of this interview/workshop, and Web Editor of the ICL Web Site. Green shows names or usernames of people and the questions they asked of our speaker.

Jan: Feb 21: Welcome to tonight's guest chat with Author Shirley Webb. We'll be talking with Shirley about all she's learned from promoting both a series and a short story collection. Welcome Shirley! It's so nice to have you with us tonight.

Shirley: Thank you Jan - happy to be here

Jan: Now, Shirley presently has a three-part series out, plus a short story collection, is that right?

Shirley: Yes - I am currently working on my fourth novel, Echo of a Dream.

Jan: That's connected to the series, right? Can you tell us about these books?

Shirley: They are all about the Howell women and their struggles to have love and their independence beginning with the Civil War.

Shirley: My book for children containes 10 stories told to me by my Cherokee grandmother.

Jan: Does each of the Howell women books feature a different woman? Or they all about the families as a group?

Shirley: It a family saga.

Jan: So, your children's book of stories...that's really great, are they folktale type stories?

Shirley: yes - very popular with children.

Jan: I'd imagine and you didn't just write these stories, you tell them too, right? I know the audience is seeing a gorgeous photo of you in native dress.

Shirley: Yes - I am not a storyteller like my grandmother. I am a story writer - lot of difference. I have a 30 minute program for children.

Jan: What do you do as part of that program?

Shirley: I dress in Native American Regalia and take them on a imaginary journey using their five senses and imagination, then we walk thru the forest to my great great grandmother's Indian village. This prepares the student for the story I will read to them from my book.

Jan: Ahhh, I bet that goes over big.

Shirley: They love it.

Jan: Ahh, What age group do you find most receptive to the stories?

Shirley: from K through 8 are the grades I read to mostly END

Jan: Wow, big age range, do you read to mixed groups or change the approach slightly for the younger end?

Shirley: I read different stories to different age groups. I prefer no more than 50 in one story session.

Shirley: Hi Marys - it's a tough market to break into and I have been rejected by many Indian groups.

Jan: Oh really, do you get much criticism?

Shirley: Not really - but it's difficult - I tend to approach school who love to study other cultures.

Shirley: No not them - After I had children I flew her to CT and recorded her stories and played them to my childen. Then had them published after I retired.

Jan: Oh, wow, that's very interesting...did you do any research beyond her telling or are they pretty much just as she said them?

Shirley: I went strictly as she told them - although I changed them slightly - she never gave the characters names so I gave each one a name.

Shirley: Because I had schools asking for me to come and I didn't want to go without a book to sell. This was my first choice and I didn't approach a traditional publisher.

Jan: Are school visits and public presentations your primary sales venues? Do they generate a lot of sales after the event...a more long term market opportunity?

Shirley: Yes they are - I have read to over 5,000 children in the last four years and plan to read to many more this year. I give the school order forms for the students to take home - then they send me the list of student who wish to buy books.

Shirley: perhaps - but I feel I am making money this way

Jan: So how much stock do you have on hand?

Shirley: I keep 50 of my novel and about 200 of my children's book in my office.

Shirley: I get my books at half price. A nice profit plus the school pays me a fee for the author presentation.

Jan: Now, we know some of these answers...mostly you sell directly to the reader through book sales, right? Do you try to put any in bookstores?

Shirley: Yes - I still do book signing at bookstores - Borders here in CT has had me twice and I sold 45 books at one signing for them. I also did my regular author presentation.

Shirley: I subject my family to a practice session - at least when I first started now it isn't necessary to go over it since I read one story 8 times in one day at a session - or one school. But you must practice it must be perfect and you must be confident in yourself.

Shirley: Generally $400 to $500 depending on the choice of package the pub offers.

Shirley: It takes a few years to see a profit - you must promote yourself and your books. I can give you some venues for doing that if you want.

Jan: Yes, totally, we'd like to hear about that.

Shirley: Favorable targets as an author for talks or author sessions. Here are a few: Home town Schools and Libraries - go home and read to the children that now go to the schools where you were a student - very rewarding. Also Local Schools and Libraries, Home Schooling Groups in your area, Scout Groups and summer camps. TV and local newspapers, radio, museums, writer's groups are always look for speakers. And last but not least SCBWI conferences - do a workshop for them.

Shirley: Thank you dolly - Dolly was there and encouraged me before I was ever published - It feels like old home week. All the student here were very encouraging to me as I wrote and sweated with my books.

Jan: Always nice to come back where you're loved.

Shirley: Get your manuscript as clean as you can - then get a critique partner (not family) to give their opinion of it. Then submit - if a traditional publisher you will wait and get any rejections - but with Print on Demand you are in control, they print and send you the books.

Shirley: My first story, "Nokomis and the Enchanted Lake," was first published by Piqua Press on CD for interaction in the classroom - I didn't make any money on it - so gave that up.

Shirley: I am very pleased with print on demand which is different from self-publishing. In Self publishing you must submit the work and find a printer - they print whatever you want them to print. Then you have to buy the books from them - they do not put you books on Barnes & Noble.com or other internet sellers.

Shirley: Print on Demand is a publisher that will give your book a strict editorial review before printing. Then you can make the changes or not. They will also do the book cover if you want. I chose to find my own artist. Then you can purchase the books from them at a discount. You will still get a percent of the sales that they create much like any publisher.

Shirley: I like iUniverse. They are fair and easy to work with.

Shirley: I haven't found that - I even do book signings at Barnes & Noble and take my own books. Then I must give them a percentage of the sales. I prefer not to do these - the pay isn't that good and it takes hours.

Shirley: Each state is different. When I was asked to attend a conference for writers in West Virgjnia they sent me a tax form and then after the conference I paid them a percentage of each books sold - It's an honor thing.

Shirley: First I received Editor's Choice Award from the pub when they read my manuscript - they liked the story and then when I had sold a large number of books (not ones that I purchased) then they gave my book Reader's Choice Award because of the large number of sales.

Shirley: Author talks - I don't make much on the sale of the books. It's the schools that pay me a generous fee.

Jan: Just thought I'd throw an audience plug in there :-)

Shirley: Thank you CC - that means a lot coming from you since you are such a talented writer.

Shirley: Yes - or someone that likes to read - anyone but family LOL - for obvious reasons. As you all know I have a co-author for my novels - this is the best of both worlds since we critique each other.

Shirley: I was a writer in my other life - I was a TV ad writer and in high school was feature edtior of the school newspaper and yes, I have attended many writing conferences. I took a summer course in writing at my college before I started to write my books.

Shirley: Write an attractive proposal letter with your book cover displayed. Then carefully tell them why the students would love your presentation. I think it a good idea to give your presentation a name. If you keep writing and if you letter is well written eventually they will ask you to come.

Jan: Did you start off doing any free presentations or were you paid right from the start?

Shirley: Yes - I did my local library for free - that is how I discovered what I needed to do to make my presentation better.

Shirley: A website is VITAL - A story in my children's book, Little Rain Cloud, is now being made into a movie by someone finding it on my website and asking me for permission to proceed. I'm excited about this.

Shirley: If you have friends that have websites ask them to link to your website - "You rub my back and I'll rub yours" kind of thing. Put your website on your business cards and post cards - they are very important. Schools look at your website before they invite you to come to talk to their students.

Shirley: Yes - I have many sales on Amazon.com

Jan: Uh oh...our guestspeaker got dumped by the chat, but I'll give that one a shot. Books that are not handsold by the author were sold from the IUniverse website, by the Amazon website, or at bookstores during book signings. Often at booksignings, the author doesn't bring her own book, they are bought from the publisher by the store.

Jan: While we wait for Shirley to make it back in, let's see if there are some of these that I know the answer to...

Jan: With any POD publisher, you pay for each new manuscript that is published as a book. So, yes, she had to pay for futher publishing...each one came with a cost. It's possible the rate could change if you do a lot of books with a company or if they are a hot seller...but each different book has a fee for publication.

Jan: Ahhh, mollybee wants to know about books bought from the publisher by someone other than the author. At that point, the book is already "published" and all the set up fees were paid some time ago, so by then so the author doesn't pay anythings for folks ordering -- the author will get royalties on the sale. So if you order from the publisher, the author makes money -- it doesn't cost the author money. Most of the time, an author makes more money by buying book and reselling than by royalities.

Shirley: Yes I did two teacher's conference in Las Vegas - lots of fun.

Jan: Let's talk rank...what do you consider the number one most important promo thing you've ever done?

Shirley: The most important was going to the schools - My program encourages the child to read. That's to me is vital.

Jan: And as a school visit author...what do you consider the most important prep things to do -- you mentioned a website. And some kind of written presentation of you program. Giving it a name. What else...any other tips?

Shirley: Get your program down to 30 minutes - students fade after that amount of time . If you are speaking to older students then over an hour is good - I have a program for them about the craft of writing called "The Muse + the Mouse = the Magic." That is my most popular program for middle grade and high schools.

Shirley: None really. If you go through a traditional publisher you will still have to market yourself and your book unless you sell thousands of books the traditional pub will not do your promotions for you - you must do them yourself. It takes a lot of will power to be a writer - but the reward are endless.

Jan: I know one self-published author who feels she really makes more money from selling books herself than through royalties...since most sales are the result of school visits. When someone buys a book from a publisher or bookstore, you get royalities -- and with trade publishing, school visits also make only royalties because often the school buys the book...but you take the books with you, so you get more money if you buy and resell, right?

Shirley: Yes That is true - I sold over 90 books at my last school - but I did the whole school in two days and there were 630 students.

Shirley: Just take I know how to market myself and I "put my foot int he door" I don't take no for an answer. I can always find a good reason that the school needs to hear my stories.

Shirley: I assume Julie that you already have a book published. Then do to your local library and offer to read for a school session. They may not pay you but you will begin to get your name out there.

Shirley: I have never been approached by anyone saying that my book is overpriced. The pub sets the price and so far I have been pleased with the price they put on my books. My chidren's book is ten dollars and there are ten stories in this book. I think the price is fair.

Shirley: Sure they do. But there are some that will take on a self-published author if the story is really, really good.

Jan: That's one I've asked editors about -- editors say they don't really care, though you'll get the same attention as an unpublished author. They don't want a book that has already been published, but they don't look at an unpublished book by you differently than any other unpublished writer. So, you don't get "branded" as self-published..shun shun...but most of the time, they aren't interested in picking up an already published book. And it doesn't gain you any "cred" with the publisher.

Shirley: They would look at my manuscript when they learn how successfully I market my books - why wouldn't they do that. But I have not done that so far. I have been looking for an agent for my new novel.

Jan: Right, if they find out you had great sales on POD books...then they know you're a promo queen.

Shirley: Well, I not sure about that. But sales speaks well of an author. And the fact that you speak well in public.

Jan: So, do you still look for new ideas for promoting...new ways to get the book out there, or are you pretty set...happy with what's working right now?

Shirley: Yes - but I am looking at new ways to market. One new way is Disney Cruse Lines - they would love to have an author come that had a program for children. I just had a 20 minutes interview with Disney Radio a couple of weeks ago. They are concerned (if you can believe this) that children are watching too much TV.

Jan: I see...or maybe too much tv that isn't disney :-) Someday Disney will own the world...muwahahaha!

Shirley: Well, they are the TV Disney but just the radio part of it. I bought new furniture the other day and gave the salesman my business card - he happened to home school his children. So guess what ....I have a session in a library on the Monday with a group of 70 home schooled students and their parents. Market, market, market

Jan: Hey, very cool...you never know when a new opportunity will pop up. Actually that's great about the cruiseline...so are you thinking of doing it?

Shirley: Well, I'm going to write them. And I get a free cruse out of it. Why not?

Jan: Right...sunshine...water...a little author talk. Sounds good to me. Do let me know how it works out. We can do a chat called "I was a cruise ship honey."

Shirley: I like that. Anywhere there are children, I'm ready to read my story.

Shirley: No - been too busy - but I am considering it.

Shirley: The publisher sells the books and sends you a royalty just like a tradtiional pub would do. They don't promote much. But that's okay I do my own promotions.

Jan: They gave you awards though...always nice. Would be even better if they sent chocolate...I'm always looking for chocolate awards.

Shirley: Yes - they appreciate an author that sells books - that's their business.

Shirley: Good gothic writer, now you must promote yourself - good luck!

Shirley: It depends on what they are offering at that time. Usually 20 or 30 I think. But I purchase them 200 at a time. I get a big discount and make money when I sell them.

Jan: So, do you feel that having more than one book in print at a time helps you promote...or not really?

Shirley: Sure - When I do my session for children, I always have a large poster with a picture of my books for Young Adults showing there for them to see. That shows them I'm a serious writer.

Jan: Is your story collection your big seller? Does it outflank the novels by a lot or just a smidge?

Shirley: My children's book is my largest seller. Its more difficult to get in the high schools. But they are selling.

Jan: Tell me about the co-authoring process, did it take some getting used to...writing as a team?

Shirley: Well it is absolutely devine. I have a co-author, Jan Moreland, and we get along great. Often she says no and I listen often I say no and she listens. We respect each other's work and take it to heart - I'm never offended when she corrects my work - nor is she offended when I don't like an idea she has. It's a great relationship and she has become is my best friend. I feel she makes me a better writer.

Jan: So, you the two of you have different writing strengths? What do you consider your strongest skill as a writer?

Shirley: Well, I'm good at dreaming up the story line and she is super at the spelling and other necessities.

Shirley: A story teller is someone who tells other writer's story. A story writer (which I am) reads their own story. Which I think is better. I like having a book to show the children that I have written. And they asked such good questions.

Shirley: I was blessed in that regard. My co-author Janet, and I just got on the internet (after we saw the cover that iUniverse did for my chidren's book which we did not like) and found a Native American artist. She was thrilled to have me use her art on my book cover. And guess what she wanted.....ten copies of the book. Amazing and she is doing something now for my fourth novel, Echo fo a Dream.

Jan: Sounds like a lovely lady to be so giving.

Shirley: She is lovely and lives in Germany. I met her in Las Vegas a few years ago.

Jan: So, have you and your co-author had a chance to meet...I know y'all don't exactly live across the street.

Shirley: She comes here to visit and attend a writer's conference when she can. My husband and I go to Las Vegas whenever we can and then she and I work on our work in progress. It's such fun. But we do a lot of it by phone and the internet.

Jan: Now that you're on your fourth book in the young adult series, how do you see that you've grown as a writer through the series?

Shirley: Yes, I think I have grown as a writer. Every writer's meeting I attend. And I belong to many...I always learn someting new and something that can help me. I really get involved when I'm writing a novel. I live with my characters until the book is finished. I dream of them and plan their lives at night before I got to sleep.

Jan: Do you feel like the characters are becoming more "real people" for you over time? You've had a lot of time developing the family.

Shirley: Most certainly. I love them and I love this family. Having a hard time letting go so I just keep writing and some characters must die to make way for new ones being born. But that's life. They begin with the civil war and go to WW2. Echo is up to 1970 now.

Jan: Do you have to keep a lot of notes so that your continuity is always right? I would worry about forgetting what I named someone or when they did something that I needed to refer to in a later book.

Shirley: I make a character list and how they look and what they wear - I even know what kind of food they like. I refer to it constantly to see what color their eyes are, etc.

Shirley: Yes to a point. When I begin I never know how it will end, but I have a basic idea and then just fill in the story line.

Shirley: Three published books: Cherokee Love, Dance In The Rain and Song of Love. The one I am working on now is Echo of a Dream.

Jan: Since you're up to the 1970s, obviously the number of books is going to be self-limiting (unless you switch to sci-fi), are you going to miss the series when it wraps up?

Shirley: We will see....but I can continue on forever. Families never die. There are just a little paranormal that makes them interesting to Young Adults.

Jan: Oh, tell us more about that...do the women have "the sight" or do you have ghosts?

Shirley: Well, there is someone who appears to the women and men in my book and he is a handsome brave named Hawk. He is on the cover of Song of Love. Handsome dude.

Jan: Ahhh...do you ever "cast" your books as you write...picturing who would play the parts in the movies?

Shirley: Sure - my books would make a great movie. Classic and moving. One thing about Hawk that is good wonderful was when Victoria saw him dancing the Sun Dance in a Native American ceremony. She fell in love with him then. Kids like love stories too. There is a new genre out there Young Adult Romance, have you heard of it?

Jan: Oh yeah, romance is huge for teens. And paranormal romance especially. So, there's a love story of sorts in each book too?

Shirley: But my books are so called "Soft Love" Yes I have friend that write that genre. Very interesting.

Shirley: Yes he directs the family after he dies.

Shirley: Yes - I often write while playing flute music. But I also can write in a busy shopping center of coffee shop. I play flute music as a background to my children's story.

Jan: Ahhh...soothing music...might help calm the wiggles, too.

Shirley: When they first come into the room, I have loud drums playing then switch to soft music of flutes while I read my story. Its very captivating.

Shirley: The music is timed to where the scary part of my story is and then the music changes, they love it.

Shirley: Oh yes. I never go ten minutes without thinking of them.

Jan: So...are there any other things you wished you'd been asked ...stuff you prepared to share with us. I want to make sure we wring all the good out of you...I mean...allow you freedom to share :-)

Shirley: The only thing that I can tell these great student of ICL is to get ready to promote. Put together a great promo package and go out there and sell it. It's works. I would have never thought I could do this. But I did.

Jan: So were you totally terrified the first time or cool as a cucumber?

Shirley: Scared to DEATH....but when I found out how good I was, it gave me confidence. Now its like washing or folding the laundry.

Jan: So...how many presentations did it take to move from scared to laundry?

Shirley: You have to believe in yourself. I think that after the first couple of sessions I knew I had something that nobody else had so I enlarged on it and made it better, until I got it down right. The teachers love it, the students love it and the janitor loves it.

Jan: Always important to have janitor love...since they have to clean up after you :-)

Shirley: And they help you take the props to the car afterward. LOL

Shirley: Keep reading to them. Then find books they like to read....its not impossible to get them interested in reading. Let them see you reading. Its like a family habit. They will catch on.

Jan: I want to thank you a bizillion times over for chatting with us tonight...you've answered a lot of questions and you were a trouper. Remind everyone of your website so they can rush over and pick a book to buy :-)

Shirley: It was sooo much fun. I love this chat room. I have so many good memories of the days when we all were not published we laughed and shared problems. Good times with good friends.

Shirley: www.shirleygwebb.com/home.html but if you plug in shirleygwebb it will come up. END

Jan: I hope you have tremendous good luck with your series...and the hunky Hawk :-)

Shirley: Jan, one more thing -- Any time someone want to ask me a question have then e-mail me at authorswebb@aol.comI will answer I promise.

Jan: Awww...that's so nice. I know folks always appreciate that. Thanks again on behalf of all of us.

Shirley: God bless everyone.