Welcome to day six of Steven Neil’s “The Merest Loss” Blog Tour. Enjoy another amazing #RRBC writer.

Getting to know Steven Neil, the author of THE MEREST LOSS.

A story of love and political intrigue, set against the backdrop of the English hunting shires and the streets of Victorian London and post-revolutionary Paris.

The Publishing World

1. How did you decide how to publish your novel?

I decided early on that I would by-pass the traditional publishing route and publish independently. I decided that provided I could find a publisher who could guarantee the production of a finished book indistinguishable in typesetting, style, quality, look and feel to a mainstream publisher that this would be the way to go. I also looked at the economics of publishing and realised that if an agent, a publisher, a distributor and a retailer were all taking a cut there would be little left for the author. This way I keep a larger percentage of the book price and I still own 100% of the rights if we ever go to film!

• What was your experience with your publisher?

I was happy with the final paperback from Matador as it is professional and has high production standards. The typesetting is good and the ‘look and feel’ is what I wanted. I didn’t find them that easy to deal with and with hindsight I could have done things at lower cost. The copy editing and proof reading wasn’t very good and it was expensive. Having said that Matador have helped me to get my book and eBook out there and post production they have been better to deal with.

• What would you do differently if you publish work in future?

I would control all of the process. I would break down the component parts and source them separately and project manage things myself.

• Do you have an agent and if so, what has been your experience?

I don’t have an agent. I had some interaction with prospective agents early on and whilst it would be unfair to tar them all with the same brush, I found them to be unhelpful. This rather confirmed my view that I didn’t want one. Sorry, agents. Maybe I was unlucky.

• Where do you sell most of your books?

Independent booksellers. They give me a fair return and provided I manage the delivery of books, the publisher doesn’t take a cut. I have to sell paperbacks and eBooks through Amazon to garner reviews but they take 60-65% discount on books and basically rip authors off.

• What sells most: kindle or paperback?

Paperback outsells Kindle 5:1.

• Do you support independent bookshops?

Yes, absolutely. Independent authors should support independent booksellers and vice versa.

• What advice would you give to a new author, publishing for the first time?

Don’t even think about publishing until you have an independent development edit done. Publish independently and shop around for the services you need. Ask for testimonials from authors and speak to them before committing.

• Can you make money out of publishing a novel?

It depends how you calculate it! I have made a reasonable income from my novel but I am retired and have other sources of income. I wouldn’t want to rely on writing to support my lifestyle. If I costed all the time I have spent on researching, writing, publishing and marketing my novel at an economic rate i.e. the rate I could have earned if I had done something else, I would say I haven’t made any money and never will! Unless I sell the film rights to Netflix, of course. I am a successful (from a critical viewpoint) author, however, and that counts for a lot.

1. What would you change about the publishing world?

The dominance of Amazon is bad for authors and I would like a world in which we all sold our books through independent booksellers. Frankly, I don’t think that is going to happen.

© Steven Neil

THE MEREST LOSS is available in paperback and eBook in the UK, US, France, Canada and Australia.

Follow Steven Neil on https://twitter.com/stevenneil12 for information on how to purchase the paperback through an independent bookseller in the UK.

Book

The Merest Loss by Steven Neil ISBN: 1788039718

Blurb

‘A story of love and political intrigue, set against the backdrop of the English hunting shires and the streets of Victorian London and post-revolutionary Paris.

When Harriet Howard becomes Louis Napoleon’s mistress and financial backer and appears at his side in Paris in 1848, it is as if she has emerged from nowhere. How did the English daughter of a Norfolk boot-maker meet the future Emperor? Who is the mysterious Nicholas Sly and what is his hold over Harriet?
Can Harriet meet her obligations and return to her former life and the man she left behind? What is her involvement with British Government secret services? Can Harriet’s friend, jockey Tom Olliver, help her son Martin solve his own mystery: the identity of his father?’

Genres

Historical Fiction and Victorian Historical Romance

Bio

Steven has a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics, a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the Open University and an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford Brookes University. He has been a bookmaker’s clerk, bloodstock agent, racehorse breeder and management consultant amongst other professions in his varied career. He is married and lives in rural Northamptonshire, England. The Merest Loss is his debut novel.

Twitter

@stevenneil12

IAN author page

https://www.independentauthornetwork.com/steven-neil.html

Email

stevenneil1@aol.com

Buy links

To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the author’s tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site.  If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE.