Author Interview: Nancy Raven Smith
NANCY RAVEN SMITH grew up in Virginia where she ran horse sport events. On her farm, she rescued horses, dogs and cats and is an advocate for animal rescue. Later in California, she traded her event experience for film work. Her screenplays have won numerous major awards. Raven Smith decided to write one idea as a novel and discovered a passion for writing mysteries. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Women in Film, and Romance Writers of America. Raven Smith was thrilled when her debut nove, “Land Sharks – A Swindle in Sumatra” was chosen as an Amazon/Kindle Scout Program Selection Winner.
About the Author
NANCY RAVEN SMITH grew up in Virginia where she ran horse sport events. On her farm, she rescued horses, dogs and cats and is an advocate for animal rescue. Later in California, she traded her event experience for film work. Her screenplays have won numerous major awards. Raven Smith decided to write one idea as a novel and discovered a passion for writing mysteries. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Women in Film, and Romance Writers of America. Raven Smith was thrilled when her debut nove, “Land Sharks – A Swindle in Sumatra” was chosen as an Amazon/Kindle Scout Program Selection Winner.
What inspires you to write romance books?
Relationships and the people we love are perhaps the most important part of our lives.
Tell us about how you write:
I’m a pure pantster. I start with index cards with everything I have in my head about the story and arrange them in what I think will be a chronological order. Of course there’s not nearly enough detail, the order will change, and there are lots of big story holes at that point, but by that time I’m ready to write, so I start. I’m not sure that anyone else would like to follow my process. Characters evolve as I write.
Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I start out with preconceived ideas about my characters, but at some point they take over and talk to me. Then I have to carry a small notepad everywhere because they talk all the time.
What advice would you give other writers?
Know your genre well, even if you plan to break the rules. Get lots of feedback and be sure to get a good editor.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
My husband is a teacher and writes nonfiction about his field. He self publishes his books. We also have a joint project that was with an agent for two and a half years. Even though the agent got it in the top 5 publishers and it went to the top at two of them, my husband and I realized that even if we got a publisher immediately, it would still be a minimum of two more years before it was published. That would make a total of five and a half years from getting an agent to actual publication of the book. So we withdrew the book and are planning to self publish it in July, 2016. “Land Sharks” is a hybrid. Since it was a Kindle Scout Program Winner, I have a contract with Kindle Press for the ebook and audio book rights. I hold the print and all other rights and I’ve self published the paperback. I would advise new writers to explore all their options before making a decision. The genre you write also makes a difference. Romance writers appear to be among the best served genres by self publishing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I have no idea, but I think there’s room for all formats.
What genres do you write:: Romantic Suspense and Mystery
What formats are your books in: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Author Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
http://www.Facebook.com/NancyRavenSmithWriter
