Tell me a bit about yourself….
I'm an author, poet, and artist from smack dab in the middle of North America - Missouri. I am obsessed with words and language.
What genre/s do you write in?
I try to dabble in everything, so I have written soft science fiction, slice-of-life contemporary fiction, urban fantasy, speculative fiction, poetry, and romance, but most of my writing can be considered literary fiction. That's where it is not strictly defined by a genre.
How long have you been writing?
I have found in my memory box, a story I wrote when I was six, so almost thirty years. But I only started really taking the craft seriously a few years ago.
Do you have any published books or articles? Tell me a bit about these and what publishing route you took.
I am in a few anthologies that were published by small, indie presses. I love supporting small presses; sure, you might not get a big advance as an author, but the relationships you can form tend to be more intimate than with bigger publishing houses.
I have sent my debut novel to a few agents, and I'm waiting to hear back. I'm also in the process of sending my chapbook (a short poetry book) to publishers.
I plan on self-publishing if traditional publishers reject me. I've self-published in the past and have so much respect for people who do so because it really is a do-it-yourself project. You have to assemble your own team - find an editor, a cover artist, figure out marketing, etc.
Did you use an editor? If so who?
In the anthologies I'm in, the editor is appointed by the publisher. I've had the pleasure of working with Donise Sheppard, Alan l'Anson, and Jesú Estrada.
Did you use a book formatter and cover designer?
Because mine were traditionally published, I did not need to hire this out for myself. I do have a few book cover designers in mind for if I do self-publish, and I will be doing the formatting myself as a friend donated a copy on formatting to me.
Did you self-publish or get traditionally published? How did this go for you?
So far, under this pseudonym, I have traditionally published. In the past, I have self-published but only short stories. I was hoodwinked by a vanity press early on and was really annoyed that I fell for the scam. For a while, I grumbled about vanity presses posing as indie publishers, but that was years ago.
I hope to traditionally publish my novels and poetry, but I also know I have a style that isn't for everyone, so I might end up self-publishing.
How do you market your work and promote your brand?(Include links)
I'm all over social media; Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, everywhere. I found I'm not great at being in the spotlight myself, so I do a lot of promotional marketing using stock images and my own art.
I try to engage with everyone I can and connect with people. But that's not marketing as much as me being an extrovert living in a pandemic.
My links are: www.isabellepalerma.com
www.twitter.com/@isabellepalerma
www.instagram.com/isabelle.palerma
www.facebook.com/groups/IsabellesStargazers
What social media and writing platforms would you recommend?
I usually love Twitter for the community I've found, but it can feel a bit cliquish at times. The small group I've befriended has supported me through the ups and downs of writing.
The people I have met through Facebook are amazing. I have a group of readers who are champing at the bit to read my newest stories. They believe in me and love my writing.
But I've also met some incredible authors who have stuck with me for many years. Some of them have become closer than family.
Do you use an agent?
Not yet, but I have sent query letters to a few, so we'll see.
Do you use paid advertising? If so what?
I never have paid for advertising, which probably explains why my sales are so absymal.
Do you have a blog or website?
I do! My website has links to all the anthologies I'm in (and hopefully soon, my full-length novels) and an online journal. My journal is www.isabellepalerma.com/blog and I'm a bit biased, but I think there are some interesting things to read in there.
What inspires you most to write?
I just write because I am always thinking of stories or when it's poetry, lines appear in my head. My muse generally is very talkative, so I have to appease him. I honestly live in my imagination most of the time, so I write to quiet it a bit.
What do you do to help with writers block?
I take a break from writing or thinking about writing usually. If the weather's nice, I'll take my beagle Callie for a walk. I'll paint. Sometimes, I journal or read. I occasionally watch a movie or a show. Just empty my mind of thoughts of what I'm writing.
Other times, I write my way through it, just asking myself repeatedly, "What if…what if…what if?"
How do you plan your writing and start?
I am not an organized author by any means. I have a dry-erase board with events in my major work-in-progress, but if you look on my phone, I have texts to myself and note apps. I'll find crumpled receipt paper with ideas on the back. Like I said, super disorganized. I don't recommend it, but it's how I work.
Is writing your full time job? If not what else do you do?
I went to school to be a social worker. Well, right after I graduated, things started closing down because of Covid, and lost the job at the school I was working at. Now, writing is my full-time job. I ghost-write and do freelance writing projects as well to help pay the bills.
What are you working on at the moment?
I'm working on a humorous paranormal women's fiction series as my main project. I also have a couple of side projects as well.
What is your target audience?
I hate that question so much. No offense. I just have such a difficult time because I write such drastically different genres and stories. Women in their 40s to 60s for my main project right now. I guess. 😉
How long does it take you to write a book?
About three months, if I'm disciplined enough to focus.
When did you first discover you enjoyed writing?
I began reading at three. Three years later, I began writing stories. So even as a kid, I was writing stories and poems. Always a piece of paper in front of me writing. I started sharing my writing with teachers and friends when I was fifteen, and I had a teacher that I latched onto. He became my mentor for years.
When I was in my mid-twenties, my brother happened to read a poem I wrote and was shocked I wrote it. Weirdly enough, that was enough to make me realize maybe I am a good poet. So I began writing under a pseudonym for a few years. Now, I'm producing more content, taking more chances, and writing under the name Isabelle Palerma.
What is your writing schedule look like?
I'm not a very disciplined person. It's not like I wake up at 5 a.m. and start writing as soon as I get my morning cup of coffee. I wish I were like that. But truly, I dabble on and off in my writing unless I have a deadline.
What does your family think about you writing?
My parents don't read anything I write. My mom didn't support my writing growing up, so I often did it in secret. As a result, to this day, I rarely share my writing with her. One of my brothers is a year older than me and a big advocate of my writing. My other older brother is also a big support. That being said, I'm not sure how much of my writing they've actually read.
What do you do when you are not writing?
When I'm not writing, I love to hike, ride rollercoasters, cook, go to concerts, check out local restaurants, and right now, I'm learning Italian.
Where do you get information and ideas for your writing?
As far as research goes, I'm old-fashioned. I love reading books about subjects and I go down deep rabbit holes when I'm researching. These days too, I find myself searching things on the search engines and just finding so much information about so many things. I find it overwhelming at times but in a good way.
What do you think makes a good story?
A good story has good pacing, engaging characters, a plot that holds my interest, and good writing. Even the most fascinating story becomes dull in the hands of a poor storyteller.
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