Joseph Nassise, a veteran of both traditional publishing and digital self-publishing has seen success in both worlds. Through a combination of keeping an open mind, engaging in experimentation, and above all, adapting and persevering, he has been able to not only navigate the digital publishing world, but also help others on their journey.
Joseph knows how to successfully format, package and sell a self-published book, and will be teaching a virtual class on exactly that topic via LitReactor starting November 26th.
Joseph was a beta user for Kobo Writing Life and also recently provided fifteen days of Horrifying Hallowe’en Reads (See lucky Day Thirteen here)
We recently asked Joseph a few questions about his own journey as a writer.
Tell us how you first discovered your love of writing.
I fell into writing by accident, actually, as the result of a dare in college over a case of beer. I’ve always loved reading though so it wasn’t a great surprise when I discovered that I had some interest in writing. When Pocket Books bought my first novel right out of the gate, I made the decision to give the business a try. Here I am, eleven years and seventeen novels later, still going strong.
Do you believe in Writer’s Block?
To some extent, yes. I think most writer’s block is caused by one of two things – a lack of understanding with respect to your storyline or the interruption of your normal writing flow due to external issues (stress, personal problems, etc.)
I’ve suffered from both and find the former easier to fix than the latter. You can always sit down and analyze your story, searching for the true vision amidst all the distractions. Getting rid of the unexpected intrusions in life isn’t always so easy.
Where do you usually write?
In my office. Sometimes at the local coffee shop.
What made you decide to self-publish?
Simon & Schuster reverted the rights to my first two novels back in 2010 and they were just lying around gathering dust. That seemed like a creative waste to me (never mind the fact that I was leaving income on the table) so I took it upon myself to learn how to format and publish ebooks in order to put those novels back into circulation.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received as a writer?
Writers write so if you want to be a writer, you need to put your butt in the chair and write. It really is that simple, actually. If you’ve got some innate talent and you nurture that talent through daily practice, you will inevitably see improvement in your work. It is like any other trade or craft – it improves through consistent practice. Put in the hours, put in the practice, and your writing will get better. I write every day and my writing is better for it.
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Joseph Nassise is the author of more than a dozen novels, including the internationally bestselling Templar Chronicles series, the Great Undead War series, and the Jeremiah Hunt trilogy. He is a former president of the Horror Writers Association, the world’s largest organization of professional horror writers, and a multiple Bram Stoker Award and International Horror Guild Award nominee.
You can find him online at Shades of Reality.
Check out the LitReactor class Joe is teaching entitled: How to Format, Package & Self-Publishing Your eBook (Nov 26, 2012)
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