Leigh: I got to talking to Anny Cook recently. She was so chock-full of information, I decided I had to publish this fascinating conversation as an interview.

What's interesting about Anny's viewpoint is that she considers herself to be a reader first and a writer second. I think we could all learn a lot from her.

With that, let me let Anny introduce herself:

Anny: I submitted my first book to Ellora's Cave last September and was offered my first contract in November. My first book--Chrysanthemum--was released on May 23rd from Ellora's Cave. Since then I have been offered a total of six contracts for books with Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen Press.

Anny: A mix of cross-genre depending on the series.

• My Flowers of Camelot series is humorous fantasy with a small dash of shapeshifter.
• My Mystic Valley series is Fantasy/Paranormal.
• My current WIP is the first in a new series of shapeshifter/suspense.

Anny: I have a total of six contracted at the moment:

• Chrysanthemum (Flowers of Camelot 1) 5/23 from EC
• Dancer's Delight (Mystic Valley 1) 7/12 from CP
• Traveller's Refuge (Mystic Valley 2) 8/10 from EC
• Everything Lovers Can Know (Mystic Valley Prequel) 9/26 from EC
• Cherished Destinies (Mystic Valley 3) 11/09 from EC
• Honeysuckle (Flowers of Camelot 2) early 2008 from EC

Anny: At the moment, I have three series in progress and I plan to continue with those. In addition, I have a couple of series ideas niggling around in the back of my mind. Series seem to be very popular.

Readers like the familiarity of characters and settings.

Anny: Actually, I don't believe I write in a particular genre--except romance. I simply write the story that's screaming to get out and then try to figure out what genres the book would belong to. The story is the important thing. Fewer and fewer books are fitting in just one category.

Anny: Hmm. I learned to read at five and never looked back. I read everything from the fine print on the back of cereal boxes to the Bible (fine print, too!) In my library--seven bookcases, double stacked--I have romance, classics, westerns, action-adventure, mystery, non-fiction, biographies, history, how-to, and short stories.

My children say that I have the original "inquiring mind with a need to know." My husband counts himself lucky if we get out of a bookstore for under fifty dollars.

Anny: Depends on the book. Non-fiction is generally based on the table of contents and blurb. Fiction is based on blurb and excerpt. If the book is paper, I also leaf through it and read a random section. It that doesn't hold my interest then I don't buy it. If the excerpt is poorly written and uninteresting then I don't buy it.

Titles frequently have nothing to do with the book or the title is soooo obscure that the reader never makes the connection. And most authors have very little input or control over their covers. So title and cover don't necessarily convey much information about the book.

There is one exception. And that is when a series has a distinctive set of covers that provide a ready recognition factor, such as the J.D.Robb series.

Anny: Since I'm a total newbie author, only for a few months.

However, as a reader I've been observing the e-market for several years, making notes on both good and bad strategies.

I know what I found helpful and exciting and what turned me off.

Anny: That's difficult to assess because pure numbers don't really tell the story. I have a regular core of readers that check it everyday. I have sporadic readers who check in maybe twice a month and catch up on what they've missed. And like all bloggers I have one-shot visitors. I had two hundred "hits" last month. There's no way to know how many of those were repeaters.

Anny:

• First decide what your goal is. If you want a dialogue, then a blog is not the correct vehicle. Consider starting your own chat group. If you simply want to disseminate information, a blog isn't the best vehicle for that either. Consider using a weekly bulletin or a monthly newsletter. A blog is primarily a vehicle to showcase your thought processes and writing skills. I rarely get comments on my blog--at least at that site, though I will often have people comment elsewhere about something they read on my blog.

• Decide if you have time to write a blog EVERY day. If you don't, then don't start one--or do one with a group. It's nearly impossible to build up a readership if you only blog sporadically.

  Readers get tired of checking back only to find nothing new. After a while they don't bother.

• A blog should NEVER be used to rant about personal problems, i.e., spouse or significant other, in-laws, children, bosses, etc. Never ever forget that a blog is a public venue and your readers will be turned off by too much private information.

  A blog should always reflect your public professional persona.

Anny: Somewhere around ten. If a loop remains inactive too long, then I unsubscribe and find another more active loop to replace it.

Anny: Chatting with readers and other writers combined with interesting excerpts...particularly on a slow day. Posting excerpts on a very busy day is fairly useless because interaction with readers is nearly impossible.

The interaction is the important part. And I'm referring to real conversation here, not just a series of "Wow! That was hot!" comments. What does that mean, anyway?

Anny: All right, here is my number one pet peeve...what is with the exclamation points? What is with the non-comments?

What is with the desperate pleading to "buy my book"?

None of that is professional. Exclamation points should be reserved for truly astounding news. In general, I'm not impressed with a flood of reviews, either. Probably, I'm from the old school where you didn't "brag" on yourself, but mostly a long string of reviews just turns me off. I don't object to the occasional one or two line excerpt, but paragraph after paragraph? Ewww.

And comments on other author's excerpts should be intelligent and well thought out. There should be an indication that the reader actually read the excerpt. If the subject line says "adult", then any moron can figure out that the excerpt is hot.

And finally, desperate pleas for readers to buy a book just tell me that it's not all that good. Whether it actually is or not is irrelevant. That's the perception.

DO NOT discuss your private sex life on the internet. There is nothing professional about that. And just because the internet is anonymous, doesn't mean it's okay to discuss other personal issues either.

Every single time an author types something for internet consumption, they should be in their public persona. Every time. Just as you physically wouldn't go to a book signing dressed in your underwear, you never go to a chat loop "undressed".

Anny:

• excellence in storytelling.
• continual improvement in writing skills.
• consistent product.
• frequent new releases.

• Without a good story, you have nothing. Make it interesting. Make it different. Tell it well.
• Continually strive to improve your writing skills. Be open to constructive criticism. Be willing to try new ideas and techniques.
• Try to have a consistent product. Stick with one story "style". Find your voice--the one that's the most natural for you and use it. Everything else will sound false.
• Frequent new releases keep your name fresh and in front of the reader. If you only write a book every year or so, your readers will probably have to be reintroduced to your product.

Every successful writer wrote what the readers were willing to read.

They had to make a living! It makes you wonder what Dickens or Poe would be writing in this day and age.

Have realistic expectations. Depending on how much time elapses between releases, it may take a year or two before you see long term results. With the exception of blockbusters like a Harry Potter, first novels, regardless of genre are not generally overnight successes. Neither are the second, third, fourth... If you need to eat, don't quit your day job.

I don't know of any career that you can just walk in the door, toss your hair back and say, "Ta-da! I'm here!" and be an instant success. Everyone has to pay their dues. Everyone. Even a Nora Roberts.

More on Zebulon:

• Why did Abigail fall in love with Zeb?
• Character interview on Zeb
• Read an excerpt
• Interview by Wanda Richards
• Click and listen to the podcast (.mp3)
• Watch the book trailer
• Get the e-book