Indie Author Interview with Ken Lozito
In this indie author interview, I had the pleasure of talking with Ken Lozito, author of multiple science fiction and fantasy series. Ken offers advice for both new writers and those with a few published titles, as well as resources and tips for learning more about self-publishing. You’ll find links to his website and books at the bottom of the post.
When did you start writing, and what inspires you to write the stories you do?
I started writing stories when I was a teenager and in college, but it wasn’t until 2013 that I decided to make a serious push to become a writer. In college, I liked the idea of becoming a writer, but I didn’t want to be a starving artist. I guess I didn’t really look at writing as a viable option at the time. I went to college in the 90s. Inspiration to write stories comes from lots of things, but mostly it’s just me getting to pretend to go off to some faraway place and do something amazing.
Did you choose to self-publish from the start, or did you seek traditional publishing first?
In 2013 I’d decided I wanted to change careers. I was going to finish a book I’d started to write about twenty years ago. I’d intended to pursue traditional publishing, but at some point during the year, I’d heard about self-publishing through one of Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube videos for a creative writing class he taught at Brigham Young University. He mentioned a famous blog post called “Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing” by Dean Wesley Smith. It was an extremely eye-opening post. I published my first book and never looked back.
How many books have you self-published and in what genre(s)?
I’ve published 19 books. 5 in Fantasy and 14 in Science Fiction. I turned out to be better at writing science fiction than I was at fantasy.
On what platforms do you publish and why did you choose these?
I publish exclusively to Amazon and Audible. I decided to be exclusive to Amazon because it was the best place for me to reach an audience, and earn enough money in royalties to replace my current salary. This career change was only going to work if I could pay my bills. Earlier in my career, while I was writing part-time, I did try publishing my stories on other platforms (Barnes and Noble, Google, Kobo, iBooks, Smashwords, and Draft2Digital). While I was able to reach readers on those platforms, there just wasn’t enough of them to warrant staying on them. At the end of the day, I have to pay my bills.
What is your process for feedback and editing before you publish?
After I go through my own revisions, I send the manuscript out for editing. After going through all my editor’s feedback I then send my book out for a final proofread. Having a second set of eyes go through the book helps me put out the cleanest draft possible. I’ve been doing this process for a while and it has been working for me. I looked at what other successful indie authors were doing, as well as what traditional publishers do to publish a book, and copied that process. I think it's important to mention that working with a great team of professionals is important to put out a quality book.
How do you market your books?
Marketing for me begins with the premise of the book or series. I have my intended audience or ideal reader in mind before I begin writing. I also have custom book covers made that convey which genre the books are in. I release multiple books a year publishing a book about every three to four months. I also run ads on Amazon to help reach readers.
How do you like to engage your readers?
I engage my readers through my private Facebook group, blog on my website, and through email. I’m not on all the social media platforms because there aren’t enough hours in the day for that. I honestly enjoy responding to emails readers send me. I’ve gotten some great emails and it’s extremely motivating.
What do you feel are the biggest advantages of self-publishing?
The barrier to entry is pretty minimal. You have more control over the entire process, which makes you more accountable to getting it right. There is a lot of information out there to help you do it. While my series have sold exceptionally well, I don’t know if any of the traditional publishing houses would have picked it up. The royalties earned have enabled me to switch careers and write full-time in a relatively short amount of time. I published my first book in 2013 and went full-time in 2017. I wasn’t an overnight success but managed to improve my craft and stories over the years. This wouldn't have been possible if I didn't self-publish my books.
What do you feel are the biggest challenges of self-publishing?
The barrier to entry is low, which allows for poorly written and unedited work to flood the platform. However, I’ve always maintained that writers who continue to improve their craft, work with great editors, and tell great stories will be able to find an audience for their books. It just takes time.
What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned as a writer?
Finish what you start. 80% of writing is skill and this is something that you can improve upon the more you write. It’s perfectly fine to write poorly the first time. That’s why they call it a ‘rough draft.’ Define what success means to you and then write out a plan for achieving it. When I was making the switch from part-time to a full-time writer, I wrote out a business plan because I needed to pay my mortgage. It also made my wife feel better that I had clearly defined goals and historical data to justify why writing full-time was a viable option. I would also advise new writers seeking guidance to adopt a ‘trust but verify’ mentality when getting advice from other writers. There is no shortage of people giving advice, and it may or may not work for you, but if the person giving advice isn’t writing good books and their books aren’t selling, then I’d be hesitant to follow their advice. The proof is in the pudding and you're responsible for your own career.
What tools or programs do you feel are the most useful in writing or publishing?
I’m a fan of Scrivener because I like having all my references in one place. Noise-canceling headphones are a must for me. Wearing them just helps me focus. For publishing, I highly recommend the program Vellum, which is used for formatting both ebook and print book formats. Vellum is really easy to use. I also recommend having or claiming a designated writing space if you can, even if it’s only for an hour. The hours add up after a while and it’s funny how no one wants the kitchen table at 4 A.M.
It can be discouraging when a writer publishes a novel that doesn’t have commercial success. What advice do you have for writers who get discouraged?
First, I love that you have this question because no one wants to talk about their failures. It’s the worst feeling when, for whatever reason, a book underperforms. I’ve had this happen to me. A book I thought was going to be great had flopped big time. My advice to anyone experiencing this would be to let it go until you can honestly evaluate why the story didn’t resonate with readers. It took me more than a year to go back to that book and do an honest evaluation. Clearly I was missing something. This happened to me at the midpoint in my career. I think it was my 8th book so I should have known what I was doing by then, right? Nope. What I did in the meantime was write another series and make sure I was writing the kind of story that readers wanted to read. I studied the genre and looked at other series and authors who consistently wrote stories that were well received. I made sure that my story included the tropes that readers were responding to. I also put a lot of time and effort into studying craft and learning what makes a good story. I still do this, because I want to improve. It’s hard work, but I think it’s necessary to be successful, and readers deserve the best from us.
Any last thoughts?
For the potential author who hasn’t finished a book. Finish the story. Write a little bit each day until you finish the story. Don’t give up. Finish it even if you never sell it or show it to anyone. The experience alone is worth it. Most indie authors will tell you to go write another book. You should, but before you do that, and if you want to tell a story that rises to the top of the charts, spend some time on the craft side. Then design a story with the knowledge of how to tell a good story. A good nuts and bolts writing book on plotting is Deborah Chester’s Fiction Formula Plotting and there is also a companion workbook. These books are straight to the point, which I like because who has time for fluff?
I also have a few thoughts for the midlist writer with a couple of books under their belt but is feeling a bit discouraged or wants to take their success to the next level. Experiment writing in a couple of genres. You might be writing in the wrong genre that doesn’t fit your style. If you intend to become a professional writer then it’s crucial that you learn to measure your performance—tracking productivity (i.e. daily word counts) and sales performance. If you’re on the fence about continuing a series then refer to the sales data. Book sales don’t lie. They’ll indicate whether a series is worth writing three more books in or only one more book. The story you’re telling does influence this as well, but if you’re trying to earn a living then you might need to be more objective. I see a lot of writers stick with an underperforming series and become increasingly frustrated that it doesn't suddenly become a bestseller. Sometimes when you take a step back and pivot, you might knock it out of the park.
My last thought is to act professionally and treat the people you’re working with courtesy and respect. It just makes for a much better working relationship and their time is valuable.
