Vicki is currently one of four Indie authors who are Amazon reader’s favorites for 2010. The book above has sold over 25,000 copies. By any standards that’s a successful book. Whether you’re just starting out on the Indie path or the soles of your shoes are worn thin, this interview will give you the inspiration and courage to keep going.

“I’m an Australian writer with an American agent. After a lot of effort, he’d been unable to sell Thin Blood, in large part because most of the publishers refused to even look at the book. “Americans don’t want to read Australian mysteries,” he was told… As of today, with sales in excess of 25,000 it’s an Amazon 2010 Customer Favorite.” – Vicki Tyley 24 November 2010

The Back Flap

Craig Edmonds, a successful stockbroker, reports the disappearance of his wife, Kirsty. What starts as a typical missing person’s case soon evolves into a full-blown homicide investigation when forensics uncover blood traces and dark-blonde hairs in the boot of the missing woman’s car. Added to this, is Craig’s adulterous affair with the victim’s younger sister, Narelle Croswell, compounded further by a recently acquired $1,000,000 insurance policy on his wife’s life. He is charged with murder but, with no body and only circumstantial evidence, he walks free when two trials resulting in hung juries fail to convict him.

Ten years later, Jacinta Deller, a newspaper journalist is retrenched. Working on a freelance story about missing persons, she comes across the all but forgotten Edmonds case. When she discovers her boyfriend, Brett Rhodes, works with Narelle Croswell, who is not only the victim’s sister but is now married to the prime suspect, her sister’s husband, she thinks she has found the perfect angle for her article. Instead, her life is turned upside down, as befriending the woman, she becomes embroiled in a warped game of delusion and murder.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing Thin Blood in 2005, at which time I’d already written two other novels.

How long did it take you to write it?

Approximately a year, which is about the average time it takes me to write a novel. Saying that, though, my last novel took twice as long.

Where did you get the idea from?

The news. I don’t recall the actual news event that gave me the first germ of an idea, but like all my books I start by applying a series of what-ifs. By the time I’ve finished with it, the news item is so bent out of shape, it’s unlikely anyone would recognize the true crime that sparked it. More often than not, it’s multiple news items weaved together.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Not so much a struggle, but a panic. I’ve come to realise now that it is part of my writing journey. About halfway through, I start to panic that there’s not enough in the plot and subplots to carry the story. When that happens, I usually go back and read the book from the start. It helps immensely, as rather than seeing the story as a series of scenes, I get a better feel for the book as a whole.

What came easily?

I don’t know if easily is the right word, but I enjoy getting inside my characters’ heads and finding out what makes them tick.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My characters are not based on specific people, but rather grow from my observations of people over the years.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I’m an avid reader of crime fiction and have no doubt what I read influences my writing, but there is no individual writer I can point to.

Do you have a target reader?

Anyone who enjoys tales of mystery and suspense, and is looking for an easy, entertaining read.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

My writing process changes with each book I write. Maybe it’s because I haven’t yet found what works for me best. When I wrote Thin Blood, I started out sketching ideas on a whiteboard and going from there.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just Chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I outline in reverse. That is, I update my “timeline” spreadsheet as I complete each chapter, including such detail as:

• Chapter
• POV
• Date
• Time
• Weather
• Sunset/sunrise (if applicable)
• Key points

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I edit as I go, reworking each chapter until I’m happy with it before moving onto the next.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes. For me, it was money well spent. Whilst there was little in the way of copy editing required, some structural tweaking added a polish to the novel that it wouldn’t have otherwise had.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

No, I prefer silence. I find music too distracting.

What are you currently working on?

I’m about to revisit my first two novels with a view to rewriting them and applying the skills I’ve gained over the course of six novels. If nothing else, it’ll be a good exercise.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to agents?

Yes. And I received enough rejections to wallpaper the office twice over.

One agent, however, went to the trouble to explain his reasons for rejecting the manuscript. When I completed Thin Blood, he was the first agent I submitted the manuscript to. Robert Fleck of Professional Media Services, Las Vegas, now represents me. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better, more approachable agent.

What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was an experiment. I’m an Australian writer with an American agent. After a lot of effort, he’d been unable to sell Thin Blood, in large part because most of the publishers refused to even look at the book. “Americans don’t want to read Australian mysteries,” he was told.

Last October, with nothing to lose, we decided to release Thin Blood electronically on Smashwords. That received such a good response that Suspense Magazine selected me as their featured New Author for April. At the end of April, we made the novel available in Amazon’s Kindle store.

It’s an experiment that’s paid off. As of today, with sales in excess of 25,000 it’s an Amazon 2010 Customer Favorite.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?

I designed it myself. I considered employing a graphic designer but decided my money was better spent on an editor.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

Winging it. To be honest, I didn’t give the marketing side a lot of thought. My plan –if you can call it that – was to announce Thin Blood’s release in author threads on forums like Kindle Boards and MobileRead, and take it from there.

I was also very fortunate in that a couple of book bloggers picked up Thin Blood for review. That didn’t sell the book, though – happy readers did that. In my opinion, word-of-mouth is the best promotion. That and being in the right place at the right time.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

• Believe in your product
• Learn from the experiences of Indie pioneers. J.A. Konrath’s A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing is a good place to start;
• Brainstorm new untried promotions;
• Have fun!

About You

Where did you grow up?

New Zealand’s South Island.

Where do you live now?

On a rural property one-and-a-half hour’s drive north-east of Melbourne, Australia.

What would you like readers to know about you?

If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t write. Blunt but true. I take my writing seriously, but don’t see the point of writing if not to be read.

I welcome all comments and emails.

And I love Australia and espresso coffee. 🙂

End of Interview

Watch the trailer of the book.Thin Blood by Vicki Tyley

You can get the book here, go buy it, it’s a great read, had me guessing all the way to the end.

Learn more about Vicki from her website here.