Author of the Week: Diane Wylie

Welcome to Grit for the Oyster, Diane!

Can you give us a little bit of information about your publishing history?

I finished my first manuscript after two years of writing and began to look for a publisher. I started with the big New York publishers, having had no idea there were smaller publishers available. After many rejections I wrote a second manuscript, this one a historical romance. By that time I had joined several online chat groups about books. When I started to look for a publisher this time, someone told me about ebook publishers. So my first book was published as an ebook and Print on Demand. I learned a lot about publishers in the years that followed and along the way, I found Vintage Romance Publishing, who has now published two of my books, SECRETS AND SACRIFICES and JENNY’S PASSION, with a third, LILA’S VOW, due out in March 2009.

What has been the best part about being published?

The best part is meeting all kinds of people, both in person and through the internet, and, of course, hearing how much they enjoy my books.

Will you share with us how you come up with ideas for your books?

A large part of my ideas occur to me as I am researching the history and background information. One little tidbit of information will lead to a new idea. For instance, while I was researching JENNY’S PASSION I read about the infamous Civil War prison in Andersonville, Georgia. I knew I had to include it in the story. It worked well!

Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

My characters tend to take the lead and carry the story, no matter how hard I try to plan it.

What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your book?

I would like them to remember that age-old saying, “Love conquers all” and believe it!

What are your dreams for your writing?

If I could dream the impossible dream…I would love to see one of my books made into a movie. One of my readers already picked out the actors for one of my books. If you go to my website, http://www.dianeywlie.com, you can see who Mary picked on the Letters page.

What do you wish you had known when you first started out as a writer for publication?

I wish that I had known how common it was to get rejected. I took each one personally for so long, until I realized that it was not personal, it was all business.

Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing?

I’ve had my share of rejections along with way, but on the whole, it has been a great experience.

For this particular book, how long did it take from the time you signed the contract to its release?

For JENNY’S PASSION it has been 15 months since I signed the contract to its release in November 2008.

If money was no object, what would be the first thing you would invest in to promote your book?

A television commercial. I think an ad would reach the largest audience through TV.

How important do you think self-promotion is and in what ways have you been promoting your book offline and online?

Self-promotion is very important, especially since no one else will do it for those of us who are not big name authors. I promote my books through my website (http://www.dianewylie.com), blog, newsletter, MySpace, YouTube, Bebo, LinkedIn, and various Yahoo chat groups. Every little bit helps. In addition I purchased an ad in the United Daughters of the Confederacy magazine. I am hoping that will be a good place to find readers of Civil War romance.

Where can readers find a copy of your book?

You can find JENNY’S PASSION and SECRETS AND SACRIFICES by Diane Wylie on Amazon.com , BarnesandNoble.com, BooksaMillion.com, Target.com, or by ordering a copy through your local bookstore. Thank you very much for having me at Grit for the Oyster.

Thank you very much for stopping by our blog. We wish you great success!

You can find Diane on line by clicking here.