At this point, it feels strange for me to write an introduction for Matthew Hanover, because I’ve been talking about his books–and doing Q&As with him–for years now. But I know that not everyone reading this today will have read all of that–so let me just say that he’s a great author, a nice and supportive guy, and someone you should get to know.
One way to do that is through his book Not Prepared, which releases today.
Neil Bennett, a highly sought-after wedding photographer, knows all about romance and happily ever afters—for everyone but himself. As a chronic hypochondriac pushing forty, Neil has convinced himself that marriage and children just aren’t in the cards for him.
But then fate throws Neil a curveball when his 12-year-old god-daughter Chloe shows up at his door after being abandoned by her mother. She has nowhere else to go and suddenly, Neil’s bachelor lifestyle is thrown into disarray as he grapples with endless sensitive and awkward situations that come with caring for a preteen girl in his small apartment.
As Neil questions whether he’s ready to flip his world upside down, there’s a glimmer of hope when he meets Jenna Kaplan, a young and ambitious interior designer. She has her own quirks and idiosyncrasies that might just make them perfect for each other—and the ideal parents for Chloe. Suddenly, Neil has to face the possibility that he, too, can have his happily ever after… if he doesn’t screw things up.
Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
Hey there, I’m just Matthew Hanover, your average guy trying to make a living in the world of marketing. But when the day is done and the weekends arrive, I find solace in writing novels. Inspired by the talents of Nick Hornby and Jonathan Tropper, I specialize in contemporary fiction and romantic comedies. It all started with a single story that I couldn’t get out of my head, but as time went on, I realized there were more stories within me waiting to be told.
I typically can be found on Twitter @matthewhanover, Instagram @matthanoverfiction, and you can always reach out to me via my website, matthewhanover.com.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions you find that readers have about self-published books?
I think the most common misconception is that self-published books aren’t as good as traditionally published books. But, the fact is that the publishing industry is so competitive it’s hard for many authors to land an agent or get a deal. Frankly, getting a book deal is no guarantee of success and plenty of independent authors do well and make more money than their traditionally-published counterparts.
What kind of costs are associated with self-publishing a book? Do you hire one or more editors, or one editor for a couple of passes? Cover artist? Anyone to help with layout, design, etc.? Beta readers? Or do you take it all on yourself? Are you actually making any money at this, or are you still focused on breaking-even while building an audience?
The old saying is that readers should not judge a book by its cover, but in reality, you have to. If a self-published author isn’t willing to invest in his or her own work by getting a cover designer, their books will get overlooked. If they aren’t willing to invest in an editor, the readers they do get will notice errors and abandon the book. If they aren’t willing to invest in professional formatting, the reading experience will be bad and it won’t matter how well the book is written. Yes, these things cost money, but if you want to compete, they’re necessary.
Do you do your own cover design, or have you found people to help with that? It seems almost as difficult as writing the novel itself–talk about the process a bit.
I recently hired an illustrator to redo all of my covers and do the cover for my next book. While I didn’t feel there was anything particularly wrong with my previous covers, I felt a refresh was necessary to help catch the eyes of different readers.
For what it’s worth, I didn’t find anything particularly lacking with the previous covers, but the new versions are great!
How do you juggle marketing/PR/etc. with writing new work? (along with day jobs, family, hobbies, etc., etc.)
I honestly don’t get to spend as much time marketing my books as I need to, and certain platforms are difficult for me to make a splash in.
How do you promote your book–what things have worked best for you? What kind of lessons have you learned for things not to do (at least for you)? Do you do any in-person marketing, or are you all online (I assume predominately online)
My marketing and promotion are 100% online. Though sometimes I toss a paperback in a Little Free Library.
What made you decide that self-publishing was the direction you wanted to go? How often do you question that choice? How do you get through the self-doubt?
Honestly, I never considered trying to go the traditional route. I never wanted the pressure of worrying about querying agents and publishers. I just wanted to write and get my stories out in the world.
Have you thought about trying to get a deal with major (or indie) publishers for upcoming works, or are you planning on sticking with self-publishing?
I never considered seeking representation or attempting to get a traditional book publishing contract. Over the years, I’ve seen several indie authors try and struggle with the process. Even those who managed to get a book deal are not guaranteed success by going with a publisher. Sure, there’s some cachet that goes with it, but I’m not convinced it’s worth it.
Odds are, you’re doing this from love/passion, not to pay the bills. What keeps you going? I’m assuming there are more “who”s than “what”s, actually–who is it?
Honestly, if I had just one story in me I wanted to tell, I’d have written it, published it, and been okay with just that. I just found that there were more stories I wanted to tell, and so in the end, as long there’s something I want to write, I’ll write it.
Self-publishing tends to have less external deadlines keeping one accountable. How do you maintain your work process or work ethic?
I have a tendency to trust my creative drive. If I’m not inspired to write, I won’t force it. When the inspiration and desire hits, I’ll do the work. Not having a deadline to meet allows me to create at my own pace, free of pressure. If I believe in a story enough, there’s no question that it will get out there eventually, so I don’t worry about it.
What is your favorite and least favorite thing about being self-published?
My favorite thing is having total control over the content and design direction. My least favorite thing is incurring the costs of editing, cover design, etc.
What was your process for learning how to take care of all the facets that go into self-publishing? (editing, book cover and design, ISBN, finding places to sell/distribute, etc.)?
Amazon made the process quite easy, and I picked up on the process quickly.
How do you decide a book is finally finished and ready? (or how do you avoid “perfection as the enemy of good”?)
For me, the real problem is getting too anxious and putting something out there before its ready. My third novel was not properly copyedited when I released it. I was too excited to get it out there and there were some typos that readers caught. I’m not making that mistake again with my next novel, which is coming out in July.
Thanks for your time and participation! Hope you enjoyed it! And do know that there are many of us out here who appreciate and applaud what you do (and our number is growing)!
I say this every time a Hanover book is released–be sure to check out all of his work!
Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
The 2023 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club
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