Fascinating conversation about self publishing with Tak from @FriesenPress #BookMarket

4 min read

In the month of January, I'm doing a Twitter Interview (Twitterview) of many of the participants of the #BookMarket chat. These are people who come and generously share their wisdom week after week. The Twitterviews give them a chance to shine.

Today, I had the chance to chat with Tak of @FriesenPress. Friesen Press is a full service group which helps authors self publish their work. They have a real pulse on the self publishing world and particularly what authors need to do to create successful books.

My take on the interview:

One of the most interesting parts of this interview, to me, was the conversation with Tak about who should and who shouldn't self publish. When we talk about self publishing, we talk about is as a rule : you should or shouldn't self publish. However, after talking to Tak, it's clear that the decision to self publish is better based in who the author is and what they are capable of doing.

Here's the transcript:

ClaudiaC Q.1 - What 5 words would you use to describe your publishing company? #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress oo. That's a tough one. From my view, I would say Exciting, Cutting-edge, adventurous, honest and fun? #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC Oooh I have to ask... Q.1b - How is a publishing company 'fun'?? #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress We're always trying new things, new ideas, new designs - no author is the same, so it's always changing. #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC So... what makes any of that fun?? #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress We're not tied by corporate interests, but the ambitions of our authors - they take us places we never expect = fun! #bookmarket

ClaudiaC Ah... that makes sense! Q.2 - What is your favorite thing about the publishing world today? #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress It feels more like a big thinktank full of creative types, instead of a publishing company I guess? #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC If you'd like to follow along, you can search #bookmarket - we are using both tags

ClaudiaC Love this! RT @friesenpress: "a big thinktank full of creative types"#bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress That it's constantly changing - every week there's a new avenue, a new way to market etc. #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC I'm not sure if this fits u,Q.3 - do u choose to help authors w a certain purpose/mission?or anyone? #twitterview #bookmarket

FriesenPress We help anyone, within reason. Our blog/podcast is out there for everyone for free too. #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC Let's move on to the BIG topic of selfpublishing #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC For whatever reason, self pub is a controversial topic. Q.4 -Why would an author self-publish? #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress More control & more freedom - but also more responsibility. If you're a go-getter, it's an ideal place. #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress We have nothing against trad pubs tho - both can and should exist. #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC Q.4b -Because status is a major issue in self-pub, are there reasons to self-pub that overcome that? #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress The stigma of self-pub comes from quality control - many authors forgo that aspect, unfortunately. #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress Self-pub also doesn't mean doing it all alone - it means finding your own team you trust. #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC Indeed. And there's also a diff. standard.There's lots of junk pub'd by big houses, copy errors, etc #bookmarket #twiterview

FriesenPress If you produce quality work, it doesn't matter where & how it's published. Content is always king #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC Q.4c - Who shouldn't self publish? #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress Authors with enthusiasm, who believe themselves, who treat their book like a business. Authors with a plan! #bookmarket

FriesenPress The great thing about self-pub is that we work with the author's schedule and strengths. #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress Any author with a great product, who is willing to commit to a long term plan can be successful. #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC Like a lot of ppl, I panic at the "p" (plan) word.Out of curiosity, do you help ppl create a plan? #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress We do indeed! We do a five year plan that goes down to daily goals. #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress Once you break down a big goal into daily increments, it's quite surprising how do-able it seems. #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress Oo.. A team. It doesn't have to be a permanent one, but you need to surround yourself with support. #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC In your experience, what's the most over looked support a self-pub author needs? #twitterview #bookmarket

FriesenPress You need someone to bounce ideas off of, to keep you on track, to edit, to tell you when you're wrong etc.. #bookmarket

FriesenPress For example, many authors say "I want to have X"...but don't have a clue how to get to that goal. Or when. #bookmarket

FriesenPress Someone to keep them on track after the initial high of the 1st 3 months after a book launch. #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC Ok, one last question: Q.5 - Everyone has a super secret ninja skill. What's yours? #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress honestly? #bookmarket chat is my secret ninja tip. :D Other than that... (cont) #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC Love this! :) Thx RT @friesenpress: @ClaudiaC honestly? #bookmarket chat is my secret ninja tip. :D #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress "Hacking" the facebook photo wall. That's a fun trick to use, so that it keeps a consistent theme. #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC I don't even know what you mean! Sounds... fascinating! #bookmarket #twitterview

FriesenPress On our facebook page ow.ly/8jDim you'll see the top row of photos is actually a list of our services #bookmarket

ClaudiaC That's neat! :) RT @FriesenPress I don't even know what you mean! Sounds... fascinating! #bookmarket #twitterview

ClaudiaC I want to give you a few minutes b/f #bookmarket! Thanks again for sharing your time and wisdom! :)

ClaudiaC Thank you for your awesome #twitterview! *applause* *applause* #bookmarket

FriesenPress You're welcome! Always fun to participate. Looking forward to the guest for today. #bookmarket

Tomorrow, I'm speaking with historical fiction author Carol Buchannan @CarolBuchannanMT at 2p ET

Previous #twitterviews:

Eco-fantasy and @Harmonygirlit

Serial fiction, Moody vampires, and other fun with @TechTigger

Publishing with Kate from @CandlemarkGleam

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