Meet YA author, Lindsay Below

I’m pleased to welcome young adult author of “Head Over Hand-Bought Heels,” Lindsay Below. Lindsay lives in Iqualuit, Canada, whether she writes young adult and middle grade fiction. Under L. K. Below, she publishes adult romance and speculative fiction.

Katie: Can you please share with us a short synopsis of “Head Over Hand-Bought Heels?”

Lindsay: When Katie meets Courtney, everything starts to change… When I marched into Vivian’s Boutique for my first shift, I didn’t expect to walk into a screaming match — or to make three new fiercely loyal friends just for comforting Courtney after her breakup. But I did, and now they’re set on coaxing me out of my temple of nerdery and onto their fashion-forward roller coaster of social interaction. And now, after all the time we’ve been spending together, I think I might be falling for Courtney...

Katie: This is a young adult book, which will be published in ebook format in December by Etopia Press. What inspired you to write this young adult novel?

Lindsay: I woke up one morning from a dream, in which Katie and the gang were vividly imprinted on my mind. This was a few days before my first National Novel Month. Since it was so close, I decided to give my characters free reign. I’m definitely glad I did because they led me on one crazy journey of friendship and self-discovery.

Katie: You write under a couple of different names. Why did you choose to do so?

Lindsay: Let me start by saying that I love to read. Pretty much anything. That love for stories eventually bled over into my writing. Because I write for both adults and young adults, I felt that I needed to keep those separate by writing under different names.

Katie: Do you find it difficult to write in different genres?

Lindsay: Not at all. I find it more liberating to do so. If something seems drawn-out or stiff, I can easily switch to something so completely different that it helps to unclog my writing mojo.

Katie: How many writing projects to you have going at a time, and how do you juggle them so you get to work on them all?

Lindsay: I have too many. My main problem is that I get so many ideas, all the time. If I’m not at least a quarter of the way through a novel,

Katie: You have said this is an ebook coming out in a few days. Why did you choose to write an ebook as opposed to trying for a traditional publisher in print form?

Lindsay: A lot of people say that ebooks are the future, and I both agree and disagree with that statement. There is definitely something to be said for being able to shop for them at home, any time, and receive them instantly. The new e-readers coming out just keep getting better and better. While I do love the feel of a paper book in my hands, I can zip through a novel quickly in ebook form. It’s a cost-efficient way to read great books, in my opinion.

Katie: How many books do you have out in ebook format, and would you consider publishing this way again?

Lindsay: This will be my debut novel, but I have several others under contract with epublishers. I especially love epublishing because of the freedom it offers. With print, a lot of my shorter works might have been passed up. But with ebooks, I can publish short stories, novellas, or even full-length novels like “Head Over Hand-Bought Heels”.

Katie: What three things appeal to you about writing an ebook and why?

Lindsay: Writing an ebook isn’t essentially any different than writing for print, with a fewe exceptions. First, epublishers are more willing to take a chance on manuscripts that are just a little different from those currently peppering the market. Seeing as I love to experiment, that versatility is definitely an asset.

Second, as I mentioned before, the length. I can publish shorter works, which gives me an outlet for shorter stories which might normally have sat gathering dust.

And finally, third, these shorter stories are even cheaper than longer works. While I love to get caught up in a new novel, short stories offer a taste of the way I write. More people can afford to buy a short work, and hopefully will like me enough to invest in some of my longer pieces too (or at least hang around my blog for a bit). I know I’ve found a couple great authors that way.

Katie: What two pieces of advice would you give to another author interested in publishing an ebook?

Lindsay: 1) Research your market. You need to know a) if an epublisher publishes in your genre, b) if your story will fit with the others they’ve published, and c) if choosing them is a good idea for your career. Check out sites like www.pred-ed.com or email authors currently or previously signed with that publishing company to ask. (Though this is not specific to epublishing).

2) Don’t become discouraged. Sometimes, a manuscript can receive more rejections than it has pages! But even if it isn’t right for one company, it might be perfect for another. Find the person who gets just as excited about your book as you do. For “Head Over Hand-Bought Heels” both the publisher, Annie Melton, and my editor, Tere Michaels, were over the roof about my book. Yes, it wasn’t for some other people. But the way they exalted every word did wonders for my ego. Trust me when I say that you want to find that person!

Katie: Thanks for being my guest today, Lindsay. Find out more about Lindsay and her work at her website, www.lbelow.net, follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LBelowtheauthor, and order her book through Etopia Press at www.etopiapress.com.