TAB 009: Taking Back Control of Your Publishing Life, with Author Deborah Coonts |

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Author Deborah Coonts is the guest in Session #9 of The Author Biz.

Deborah Coonts

Deb is the author of the Lucky O’Toole romantic mystery series. The fifth full-length novel in her series, LUCKY CATCH, is coming out tomorrow, August 25th.

I met Deb at a book signing at the Murder on the Beach bookstore about a year and a half ago, while she was touring for Lucky Bastard, the 4th book in her series. Well . . . as you’ll hear in this interview, a great deal has changed for Deb since then. She felt as though she’d lost control of series brand and wasn’t happy with the way her books were being priced or marketed by her publisher who happened to be an imprint of MacMillan, one of the big five.

Most of us believe that landing a contract with a big-five publisher is THE path to huge success as an author, but there are plenty of times where that isn’t the case.

Deb tried to convince her publisher to make some changes to the way her books were being sold, but she didn’t feel as though she was successful. So, she took the unusual step of fighting to get the rights back to her series, and to LUCKY CATCH, which was already under contract with them.

In this wide-ranging interview we start out discussing Deb’s new book, LUCKY CATCH, then move on to discuss how she took back control of her publishing life. I’ve noted some interview highlights below for people looking for information on specific topics. (The number in parentheses is the time in the interview where the specific discussion begins.)

An overview of Deb’s new book, LUCKY CATCH. (4:17)

How Deb grabbed the brass ring by launching her publishing career as a Big 5 published author. (15:41)

The challenges of selling hardcover books in today’s market. (19:45)

Taking back control of the way her books are published by moving away from traditional publishing, and going back to being a business person. (25:21)

The renewed joy gained from being back in control of her career. (27:29)

Dealing with the difficulties that come from walking away from traditional publishing. (32:11)

The many benefits of digital books and how those benefits play into the launch of a new book. (35:08)

How Deb got the rights back to her old books, as well as to LUCKY CATCH, which was still under contract. (39.43)

The important advice Deb heard from an author friend that lead to her new understanding of how different genres sell. (43:41)

Getting off the Crazy Train and re-taking control of the Lucky O’Toole series. (49:55)

The importance of the entrepreneurial spirit in authors, and the numerous hats she wears each day. (58:36)

The value of a team, and how finding hers helped Deb to focus on what she does best. (100:36)

Deb refers to Cool Gus Publishing, her new publisher, as a collegial consortium. She discusses cover re-design process and the re-branding of the series as Heart Felt Mysteries. (1:02:50)

Taking advantage of her new freedom Deb is working on a series in a new genre, while continuing to work with the Lucky Series. (1:05:38)