Bachman: I recently came across your YouTube channel, one of your videos really expressed something that I strongly feel many in self-publishing has gone through or are currently going through and that’s the ‘My first 'unboxing' video’. Within it you talk about going back and fixing previously published novels and how you’re learning by yourself what big publishing companies already know. Shrum: Yes, certainly, self-publishing has been a learning experience. I probably didn't have it *as bad* as most self-published authors. I worked for a small press,New Issues, for a couple of years, so I had a sense of the process required to convert a “final” (ha!) draft manuscript into a book. However, I am no wonder woman, and like most mere mortals, I was quite blind to some of my own mistakes. All of this is made worse by the fact that I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Every time someone would (kindly) point out an error, I insisted that I must fix it that very moment. Bachman: Beyond this video and your ‘Q&A with Kory Shrum, Author of Dying for a Living’ video, is there anything you'd like to share with viewers and readers that you didn't mention in these videos? Shrum: Sure. There are crucial elements to putting out a good book--a good cover and a good blurb. Believe it or not, when someone clicks “add to cart”--these are the primary motivators to do so--apart from good reviews. So do not underestimate the importance of both of these tasks. As to the reviews, I have a blog post on that: http://korymshrum.blogspot.com/2014/03/how-to-get-good-reviews-for-your-book.html Bachman:You’re set for a book release this spring, Dying for Her: Brinkley’s Story, book 3 in the Jesse Sullivan series. Is there anything you can share about this upcoming release? Shrum: I can tell you that Brinkley’s POV stretches from before Book 1 up through Book 2 while also developing the story beyond Book 2. It covers a lot of ground and has been challenging and rewarding to write. This novel is also more of a murder mystery kind of novel. Guns, bad guys, special agents, and people to save. That kind of thing. I hope you love it. If you’re still skeptical, you can read the first three chapters for free on Wattpad. Ignore the placeholder cover! Don’t judge! We are all allowed to experiment with our creativity! Bachman: Do you have any more books planned for the Jesse Sullivan Novels series? Shrum: Yes, Jesse’s series will be about 8-10 books long, depending on how it goes. I won't cut it off short or get sloppy/crammy with the information, but I do see an end for Jesse. Bachman: I saw that you're very accomplished in both fiction and poetry, congratulations. Do you favor writing poetry or fiction stories or do you not have a preference? Shrum: Thank you. I do not have a preference, no. It would seem I do, though. Fiction takes up a lot more of time than poetry. I tend to write poems only when I am inspired to do so. Fiction is an everyday commitment, especially when it comes to novel writing, which I seem to prefer over short stories. Though I've written a few of those as well. Bachman: When you're not writing, what are you reading? What authors are you fans of? Shrum: I just started Heartsick by Chelsea Cain and I just finished The Girl Who Played Go by Shan Sa. In the queue: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith, Prince Lestat by Anne Rice, Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, The Stand by Stephen King (I know, I know) and Harlan Ellison’s “Deathbird Stories”. This doesn't even could all the books loaded onto my kindle! Bachman: Please, tell us more about your group The Four Horsemen of the Bookocalpse? Shrum: The Four Horsemen of the Bookocalypse is my critique group. You may call me Conquest. We share work every week and they've been a great help in making my latest book the best yet. You can learn more about Deathand Justice online, but War cannot be found via the interwebs. In fact, you better hope she doesn't find you. Bachman: The indie publishing world is hard, is there anything you wish would change? Anything you'd like to see happening more or less often? Shrum: I think there are a lot of people out there right now who take advantage of indie authors. They offer services for high prices and extort them that way. Being a freelancer and getting paid well for your time is one thing. Freelancers should definitely be compensated well for what they do. Taking advantage of people because they have a need and limited means to achieve it, that is another beast altogether. Bachman: Where can we find out more about you and your work? Shrum: I'm always happy to read comments on myblog, or to make new friends via Twitter, G+, andFacebook. And if any of you are going to be at the RT convention in May, I hope I see you there! Find her online: Website Wattpad Google Plus Twitter Facebook Amazon Author Page Purchase Links: Dying for a Living - Amazon Dying by the Hour – Amazon Blind – Amazon