Writers Spotlight: Robin Tidwell

Red was plating some toffee granitas while Claret was making a special batch of peppermint hot chocolate. Both of them knew a little secret. Off on the patio, all the men in Tyvek suits were content with a pitcher hot dark-n-sweet, so they would be out of the way when Robin arrived. How did Red know? She had paid off the real estate agent to bring her to the M3 Coffee Shoppe.

M3: Robin, you and I go back a long way. Give the M3 Readers the book jacket version of Robin Tidwell.

RT: Robin lives in the St. Louis, Missouri area with her husband, Dennis, and their youngest son. She has a rather eclectic educational background, and finally finished her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies. She has held a plethora of jobs, appointments, and volunteer positions, and tries very hard to make it through one week at a time without a crisis.

M3: I think the first line precludes the last line. Do you have someone you want to thank before I start grilling you?

RT: Oh yes – my first English teacher, Elizabeth Mehl, for drilling spelling and grammar into us so much so that it would stick forever. My high school creative writing and English teachers, who both encouraged me: Carole Clary and Lillian Ziwot. And of course, my husband Dennis who never gave up on me!

M3: We are going to discuss the whole husband beta reading project one day. Tell the M3 Readers where you started in the publishing industry.

RT:  Wow, a tough question right off the bat – this takes me back in time! As soon as I learned to write, I started scribbling stories and making little “books”. In grade school, one of our art class projects was book binding, which I thought was interesting – but I was more concerned with what was between the covers. I did get a magazine rejection in high school, and more or less stopped writing for anyone but myself, but I’ve published a lot of non-fiction articles and dabbled in fiction a bit.

M3: Glad you’ve turned the corner. Rejections are like opinions. Let’s talk shop first. Got a bone to pick with the industry?

RT: I’ll say, and in one word, too: rudeness. Rudeness is pervasive in all areas of society, true, but in the publishing industry they’ll often tell you, “If you don’t hear back, I’m not interested.” That’s lame, IMHO, and a cop-out. It’s not that hard to tell someone, “It’s not very well-written,” or “It needs a lot of editing,” or even, “I just don’t like it very much.” Any of those are more acceptable, I think, than waiting wondering for weeks or months.

M3: What a way to tell you your time and effort on their behalf is far less important, eh? Have you had any triumphs over the rude brigade?

RT: Well, I was offered a contract from a small press. No advance, which is to be expected, but little in the way of distribution and marketing, and a lengthy release time as well – several months is rather quick in publishing, but self-publishing can be completed in a matter of weeks. Their timeline missed the holidays entirely, for example, and as a retailer I know the importance of having books on the shelves at that time of year. Plus, while 12% royalties aren’t bad, my self-sell percentage runs as high as 62%.

M3: You see what appeals to my inner accountant. Let’s talk self-publishing. Do the brick and mortars look down on it?

RT: Oh yes. It’s changing, but slowly. The main reason is that, while anyone can now produce a book, not everyone should do so. A book should be edited, and proofed, and re-read, and tested before it goes to a printer, any printer. A good cover, too, is essential. Many, even most, self-published books are lacking.

Authors are in a hurry to tell their stories. If it’s junk, it won’t sell; and a lot of booksellers can’t or won’t take the time to read through garbage, or even potential garbage. So they just won’t carry the books. Naturally, too, the publishing industry rebels against self-publishing – it could theoretically put them all out of work!

M3: I think they safe based on the last 15 books I downloaded. You seem to have worn your advice hat, I love that color by the way, so do you have any advice for the newbie authors in the audience?

RT: Yes, I’m all about the advice – I hand out quite a bit of that when I’m wearing my bookstore-owner hat! DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Don’t be a sucker, and do seek out smart, creative people to help you and to read your work. Don’t take that first offer without a lot of research into the company and the people, and learn to take criticism with grace – and learn to be objective about your own work.

M3: You realize you are saving me a publishing post, right? Since we are on the topic of hats, how do you find time with a home, family, bookstore, volunteerism, …Let’s stop there before I make more people tired this early in the morning.

RT: I’ve been asked this often over the years; seems like I’ve always had more free time than anyone I know. Guess I’m just super-organized [shrug].

M3: Perhaps, I will ask Dennis. With all this time on your hands, should the M3 Readers care about your day job?

RT: Well, I don’t know – do you? Day job may be a misnomer in my situation. My husband and I own a bookstore, which is celebrating its first-year anniversary this week. My day job consists of running the household, marketing and accounting and special events for the store – of which we have at least 7-8 per month, and display. I also run a book club at the store, and a writers’ group, and teach a marketing seminar once a month. None of these things combined take as much time as one might imagine, so I have at least 5-6 hours a day to write.

M3: Knowing the balls you have in the air, I have to ask if the economy has changed the way you perform?

RT: No, not the way I perform. The way I stress out, yes. But not much more than it has over the last decade.

M3: What about stress reduction? Do you go no hiatus?

RT: Hia-what? Oh. That. No, not really. Sometimes life gets in the way, or sometimes I’m just not, um, feelin’ it? That can last for a few days, even a week, but not usually longer. And I have plenty of other things to keep me occupied while I “percolate”.

M3: Everyone knows I fill my free time with bonbons and cognac. So, with time and no hiatus on the horizon, what is in the works?

RT: Right after I finished the first draft of REDUCED, I took a suggestion from my editor who said she wished one of the characters had turned out to be the “bad guy.” So I started the sequel, REUSED. Corny, yes, but a friend posted something online about that phrase right around the time I started, so there you go! And yes, one of the characters turns out to be the bad guy. Also, not dead. I’m planning to publish in December, I think. Depends on how it goes.

M3: That is a quick turnaround. (Throws something into the peanut gallery.) Tell me about your colleagues.

RT: I work with a lot of authors, mostly those who self-publish. I see potential in nearly all of them, of one kind or another, and I see potential in most of their work. I love to see authors trying hard to make the best book they can, and I love to sell those books too.

M3: Great hand washing scenario. Let’s talk about REDUCED. Did this genre pick you?

RT: Absolutely. Or the salsa did it. See, one night, right before bed, I was hungry. Chips and salsa sounded good to my brain, but stomach was already protesting. About 3:00 a.m., I woke up from one of the most action-packed, interesting dreams I’ve had in years. Abby (or someone, maybe me?) was kicking butt and taking names in a convenience store. There was some ominous reason for this scene, somewhere in the back of my mind. I almost got up to write it all down, then fell back to sleep – all in the space of about four minutes. Dystopian was not something I’d even considered writing before that.

M3: So, did you take the concept and run or did you outline and plot?

RT: Well, I had the dream after all. And by morning, it was still with me, clear as a bell. I started writing. I finished the first chapter and sent it off to a publisher friend of mine. Her response was, among other things, that it didn’t seem like I knew where the story was going – and I didn’t! I kept churning it out, then BAM!

I knew how it would end; I wrote the epilogue. Then The Last Chapter; The Second to Last Chapter; The Third to Last Chapter. Then I stopped that nonsense and got back on track. As I got near the end, I did do a rough, scribbled outline and check dates and ages, details like that. But mostly I just winged it.

M3: That sounds like one I have in my WIP folder now. How is this story close to your heart, other than heartburn?

RT: Well, I like to think I’m Abby – IF I were 20 years younger, IF I wasn’t such a chicken. I don’t think I’m as strong as she is, although I’ve had some of the same adventures in my younger days. Abby is me, but only as I’d like to be and not necessarily as I am.

M3: I am so glad I do not have to pick myself out of my character line ups. What makes REDUCED different from the other dystopian novels?

RT: I think the difference in comparison to anything I’ve read or heard of, at least recently, has to do with the ages of the characters. Abby is pushing 30 at the beginning of the novel, and most of the supporting characters are her age or a few years or so older. It’s not a YA book, in spite of the lack of sex and cursing. And it does touch on politics or, rather, government; some references are indeed indicative of current events.

M3: Probably because I do not think people that age read, must less write. *grins* Since you turned down the small publisher, how important is your own marketing effort for REDUCED?

RT: I’d have to say pretty darn important, since that’s the only marketing I’m using! Anything a publicist could do for me, I can do myself; there’s a lot of advertising and such that’s free and I try make the most of it. And, too, there are print companies locally and online who do fantastic work for a  relatively low cost.

M3: I know a secret or two about you. What do you think I should not tell the M3 Readers?

RT: That we’re all a bunch of frauds. Seriously. Most people ooh and ah over authors when those people are really just regular folks. You see the public persona, and you’re in awe, but every author is afraid he’s going to irritate or anger his reading public, or do or say something dumb that everyone will talk about. And they’re always worried whether the book is “good enough”. And always checking sales, and always reading reviews…and are very, very tense people!

M3: *giggles* Okay, Mrs. Good Enough, tell the M3 Readers in 15 words or less why they should buy REDUCED.

RT: Because it’s a damn good book. And there’s more to come….

M3: I look forward to interviewing you when the next one comes out, too.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
~~~~~~~~~~ 

Dearest M3 Readers,

Take some time to get to know Robin Tidwell by visiting her website and grabbing a copy of REDUCEDYou can connect with her on Twitter, Linked.In and Facebook. Enter to win a copy of REDUCED everyday between now and Tuesday.

When you tweet and +1 this post, please use the hashtags #WW, #giveaways and #authors.

Thank you for your continued support of the authors of the M3 Coffee Shoppe. You can find out more about all the authors in the Coffee Shoppe.

Red.

(c) Red Dwyer 2012
Re-Blogging of this or any other post on The M3 Blog
is expressly forbidden.
Copyright and Privacy Policy available
in The Office. 
Previous Post
Leave a comment

40 Comments

  1. [[blushing furiously in spite of the early hour]]

    Thanks, AM! Er, Red…um…yeah, I need more coffee. THANK YOU!!
    Robin Tidwell recently posted..Freshly Pressed: Editors’ Picks for September 2012My Profile

    Reply
  2. This is a great interview, Red! Robin, I was fascinated by your discussion of your writing process and your feelings toward traditional publishers. Kudos to you for turning down the small publisher and striking out on your own in self publishing! I have tired of the faceless, voiceless rejections and the rudeness you mention. I think the publishing industry will eventually morph into the author having complete control. Thanks!
    Gail Thornton recently posted..Poetry Book Review – Mantra for a Muse, by Red DwyerMy Profile

    Reply
    • Good to know I am headed for the Utopian society for authors 😉

      Reply
    • Thanks, Gail! Yes, I think that the Big Six (and literary agents) have entirely too much control, but it’s more than that: I think they’re just overwhelmed. Hundreds of queries a day might make anyone a little nuts! I know my inbox sees many fewer in a week, but it’s hard to answer some of them and still be positive. I can see the “whys,” but I still don’ like it….
      Robin Tidwell recently posted..Big Announcements!My Profile

      Reply
  3. Robin, now we know what makes you tick so happily. It is fascinating to see how the inner mind of a super-author works. GREAT interview! I really like the forthright comments–the honesty, Robin, –and you do know, of course, that you have now been interviewed by the best! Red always asks the right questions! Good luck with Reduced AND Reused!
    raymond alexander kukkee recently posted..Sleet and PotatoesMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Does it matter my bucket list was a who and not a what??
    Laurie recently posted..Flash in the Pan Playing Along StillMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Again I like the advice she gave for the new witers.
    jeremy recently posted..MEETING OF THE MINDSMy Profile

    Reply
    • She is particularly good at what she does. She has nurtured quite a few good writers to venture into the author zone. Great to see you today, Jeremy.

      Reply
    • Thanks, Jeremy! And Red, again! I do enjoy working with new writers and authors and I meet quite a few in the store every week. Some need more help than others, of course, but I make it a point to go over their work and make suggestions. Some I’ve connected with editors and we currently have half a dozen undergoing revisions. While writers do like to hear how good their work is, most are very appreciative of honesty and critique.
      Robin Tidwell recently posted..Big Announcements!My Profile

      Reply
  6. Anyone who starts a new business in this economy has our respect. We need the name of the store/location
    Bearman recently posted..Happiness is a Clean WipeMy Profile

    Reply
  7. I have enjoyed reading this one Red, actually I should backpedal a little as I have missed a lot of these Writers Spotlight postings and you do have a wonderful approach when liaising with all of these fine Authors, asking all the right questions and giving your reader base a treat in the process.

    I like Robin’s approach too as she has a most down to earth and charming manner about her, every question is answered with an elegant touch, which is always nice to see on such interviews, well I think so anyway.

    I would imagine that having a bookstore at one’s disposal is half the battle as the self published books can be marketed, produced and more importantly presented directly to the public in a way that some Authors can never even dream of and that has to be an encouraging step in the right direction.

    Thank you Robin for being a part of Red’s M3 Writers Spotlight and I wish you very well in all of your writing adventures, may you be very successful my friend…

    Androgoth

    Reply
    • I believe you may have stumbled on the major reason I want to open a bookstore. I want to feature Indies only.

      Reply
      • I think that you will be tapping into a new and incredibly important slice of the market, you know what I think about self publishing at the moment but even I can see a future in it, I just hope that the fruits of every genuine writer is born and enjoyed by all, there are some wonderful writers in our midst and every writer deserves that chance of success 🙂

        Have a lovely rest of
        day Red my great friend 🙂

        Andro xxx

        Reply
    • Thanks, Andro! And yes, having a bookstore certainly helps with marketing – one of our authors was kidding me about taking up “prime real estate” on the top shelf! As well as having the store, I also have a decent platform for online marketing via cross-posting; however, I do that a lot for other authors I know in addition to those whose books we carry.
      Robin Tidwell recently posted..Big Announcements!My Profile

      Reply
  8. Robin, you are a fiesty woman. I like your style. I agree with Androgoth regarding your bookstore as centre stage for showcasing your book. Lots of luck. Reduced, sounds ominous.

    Thanks again, Red, for masterfully teasing out the information writers are most interested in.
    Tess Kann recently posted..Grandma is a VAMP!My Profile

    Reply
    • Tess I have just noticed your last entry as being ‘Grandma is a Vamp’ and I am rather interested in Vampys so I will be calling into your Space if that is acceptable, some peeps don’t like me on their Spaces as it spooks out the regulars so to speak? 🙂

      I like these Writers Spotlight postings as it gives everyone an opportunity to add their own thoughts and feel at ease, being that we are all writers wishing to progress further, indeed we already have published Authors joining in the mix and that is always a positive move forwards? 🙂

      Have a lovely day today Tess 🙂

      Androgoth

      Reply
    • Thanks, Tess! “Fiesty” is much better than some other adjectives I’ve heard in connection with my name! And yes, REDUCED is a bit ominous – sometimes I get chills while writing, as REUSED is rather dark as well.
      Robin Tidwell recently posted..Big Announcements!My Profile

      Reply
  9. Some very informed views on marketing and preparation for self-published authors. And the book sounds like it would be quite interesting, too.
    Binky recently posted..Apology AcceptedMy Profile

    Reply
    • I agree Binky, and every snippet of information has an optimistic edge to it, so I welcome these interactions my great friend 🙂

      Androgoth

      Reply
    • Thanks, Binky! I would agree that the book is interesting, lol! And yes, a big part of why books fail is lack of preparation and marketing. Reminds me of an old saying in the MLM world: Oh, Genie of the Box, make me rich!
      Robin Tidwell recently posted..Big Announcements!My Profile

      Reply
  10. Great interview with Robin. That helps make sense of a conversation on facebook as well 🙂 I love reading about writers who take that next step into the darkness and get published (self publish). Congratulations to Robin!!!!!
    Angela Young recently posted..Put the ketchup on ‘emMy Profile

    Reply

Leave a Reply to MJ Logan Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.