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[Virtual Book Tour continues! See Lonnie's interview with me on Cruse'n with Lonnie.]

Lonnie owns her own publishing company, NaDaC Publishing, and agreed to talk with me about it.

Cheryl: Tell me what prompted the decision to form the company. It seems like a pretty savvy move to me.

Lonnie: Savvy? I hope so. Mostly it was desperation. I was with a small publishing company that found itself sinking in early 2006. The third book in my Metropolis Mystery Series, MARRIED IN METROPOLIS had been edited by them and the cover was done, in other words it was ready to go to press, but it was obvious they weren’t going to be able to do it. They released all my rights and so there I was, book due out, readers asking when it would be out, and no publisher in sight. I had to make a decision: shop it around and know that it would be 1-2 years before it saw the light of day, or publish it myself. I decided to form NaDaC Publishing and publish it myself.

I got the book into print in about a month with the help of a wonderful cover artist, Erica Well, and my rep at Lightning Source. LS has been terrific to work with as the printers of my books. They produce quality books. I’d never done anything like this and had NO clue, but they guided me through the process and still help me out when I get into a mess, which is fairly often. I’ve brought my first two books back into print with new covers, and just recently released book #4, MALICE IN METROPOLIS through them. It’s been hard work, but well worth it.

Cheryl: Is there any advice you would give to someone considering doing the same thing?

Lonnie: Yes, do your homework. Get someone who knows how to edit the book for you, because authors have a hard time finding their mistakes. We know what it’s supposed to say! Find a good cover artist. Study HOW to self-publish. Then, if you’ve exhausted all other venues to get your book published, go for it.

And you don’t always have to form your own company. Lightning Source has a list of publishers who will do the “grunt work” for you. Books will cost you a bit more, but it will save tearing out your hair. I would have done that, but I’d already purchased the ISBN’s and they can’t be transfered, so I had no choice but to more forward. Turned out to be a good move, and I’ve learned a lot. But self-publishing that way, forming your own company, is NOT for the faint of heart.

Cheryl: Is it easier now that you have four books under the imprint?

Lonnie: No, it’s harder. Harder because I no longer have the publisher’s editor that I trusted with my life (not to mention my books) or other perks like that. BUT I have total control over when a book comes out, how fast I get copies, etc. So that part is better.

And it’s hard to keep a series alive since I’m now writing two. My other series, the Fifty-Seven series (about a baby boomer couple with a trophy winning ‘57 Chevy) is coming out in December and I’m hard at work on the second in that series. Keeping two series going, (one self-published, the other, Five Star Mystery line is releasing the first book in the new series in December,) keeps me really busy, PLUS promoting the current series every chance I get. And then there’s real life.

Cheryl: Had you ever considered publishing someone else’s work? It seems that lots of small companies start out that way.

Lonnie: No. Wish I could. I have been asked but I really can’t. I’m short of time now to work on both series. Then I’d have the bookkeeping headaches as well. As it is, I keep up with everything for tax purposes, including paying sales tax on all the books I sell during the year. If I published any other authors, I’d have to make sure their books were ready to publish, upload them, order copies for the authors, and ship them, keep up with royalties, and pay them.

It would be a huge job. I admire publishers who do have multiple authors.

Cheryl: What’s the best part of having your own company?

Lonnie: Total control.

Cheryl: What are the nightmares?

Lonnie: Total control, snicker. Meaning the responsibility of a good product is pretty much all on me. Sink or swim time. A bit scary. But I do like having final say on what the cover looks like, when the book is released, content, etc. And the books sell well, because while authors, editors, agents, and publishers often have a problem with self-published books, readers don’t, unless the content is poor. That’s why having a good editor is key.

Cheryl: Thanks for all that, Lonnie!

Lonnie: Thanks Cheryl, I enjoyed our chat!

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Visit Lonnie Cruse’s website and her blog, Cruse’n with Lonnie.