005: On Writing, Self Publishing, and Loving Your Readers with New York Times Bestselling Author Hugh Howey

Summary: Hugh Howey was a yacht captain when he wrote his first book which was picked up by a small publisher. But he quickly realized that all the marketing resources and tools used by publishers can be used by self published authors as well. He started self publishing his own books, and in September, 2011, his novella Wool took off and became a huge success. Hugh has sold more than 1.5 million books now, some of his books have been optioned for film, and he's turned down multi-million dollar publishing contracts because as he says in the show, "I earn more self publishing." Hugh says focusing on writing the best books he can instead of writing query letters and chasing agents and publishers has been a big key to his success. He's able to be more productive and focus on the most important part of being an author - writing. He doesn't "try to get strangers to read my work." Instead, he just focuses on writing as much as he can and responding to every reader email, comment and question. Here are just a few things shared by Hugh in the interview: * How Hugh Howey started out writing novels in his spare time while working full-time as a yacht boat captain. * How he first decided to publish Wool (http://www.amazon.com/Wool-Part-One-Silo-Book-ebook/dp/B005FC52L0?tag=chromeplugin0c-20), a short science fiction novella, and how it took off and lead to his rapid success as a self published author. * Why Hugh always said "yes" whenever a fan asked him to go to a book signing, do an interview, or anything else (one of the "secrets" to Hugh's success is how much he care about his fans and loves to do anything he can to help and entertain them). * What you really ought to be focusing on when it comes to marketing (the people come first). * And much more! Grab your notebook and pen and get ready to take notes, because you’re about to learn how to make some serious Publishing Profits. To learn more about Hugh Howey, visit his site at hughhowey.com (http://hughhowey.com) (http://michaelmackintosh.com/) To learn more about the Publishing Profits Podcast show, join us at www.PublishingProfitsPodcast.com (http://www.publishingprofitspodcast.com/) To learn more about TCK Publishing, visit www.TCKPublishing.com (http://www.tckpublishing.com/)