Interview with Ute Carbone

Ute Carbone, author, novelist and poet from United States. A writer of literary novels and romantic comedies. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has appeared in publications such as Comstock Review, Hawaii Pacific Review, and Bellowing Ark. She taught first-draft writing workshops for about twelve years. In this brief interview Ute Carbone shares her personal experiences and insights about promoting her books. Ute is the author of Blueberry Truth, The P-town Queen and The Whisper of Time.
 

 

I’m a fiction writer.

 

What were the difficulties you faced in promoting your talent?
I used to imagine that once some of my work got published, I would be in some sort of published heaven. Life would be perfect as I sipped pina colattas and filled new documents with more pithy words. The reality is publication is just the first step. I love the small publishers I’ve been able to work with and they give me a lot—great covers, great editing, some advice, distribution. But they are small and their budgets don’t allow for lots of big-time publicity. Most of that is done by me and it takes time to build readership, develop a webpage, have a blog presence and a presence on social media.

The hardest thing is learning to balance the time I spend at the business end: ie promoting, sending out new works, and all the little secretarial duties that pop up along the way, with the creative act of writing.

 

I use social media—facebook and twitter, I try to blog two or three times a week and guest on other blogs when I have a new release, I get involved in programs like humanmade and good reads, I’ve been involved in a few projects with other writers to help get word out about our books. Up until now, my books have been e-books but this month my first novel is coming to print. I imagine this will bring a whole new world of promo—contacting bookstores, live readings and such.

 

I try to begin each day with actual writing before tackling the list of other chores and publicity and e-mail and such. I try to walk regularly; I find it clears my mind. Sometimes, I’ll write again late at night, especially if I’m in the middle of a project that I want to keep percolating.

 

I have two books and a novella published and two more books, two shorter projects and a short story under contract. And lots in the works.

 

Sit down and write. Then write some more. Believe in your work: if you don’t how can you get anyone else to?

 

Some days, you wonder why you ever picked up a pen. Don’t forget the why—how writing can, sometimes if you’re lucky, be pure joy.

 

 

humanmade.net would like to thank Ute Carbone for taking the time to share with us these valuable information and insights and experience in promoting her writings.