How did you choose who to work with?
The four of us were already friends, and while our writing styles are different and our sub genres slightly differ, we each had produced content we could easily recommend and associate our name with.
We knew each author to be dependable.
Content and dependability were key factors in what I wanted to find in co-authors.
How did you work together?
We started a Facebook group so each discussion could have its own post. This made it easier to go back and finish or refer back to conversations we’ve already had. We had posts open for plotting, setting details, marketing ideas, etc.
We also had a chat open in messenger for quicker conversations.
Once we were further into the plotting process, it was vital that we hammer out several details. So we scheduled meetings and sat down with a list of concerns and addressed as many as we could in a single session. This was the biggest help because we were never all online at the same time and when you have to discuss every detail, those conversations could last for several days. The group meetings allowed us to discuss at once. If we couldn’t come to a conclusion, we put a pin in it and returned to the topic later.
Was it difficult to plot your stories without stepping on
the toes of another author?
Not at all! Our characters worked for the same town library, so there was a lot of crossover in the timeline and setting. Other than where they worked, they had very separate lives and stories.
We hashed out what our story would need (ex: I had a blacksmith and someone else needed a teacher) and were able to naturally divide up the duties of developing crossover areas. We assigned whatever was leftover and kept all of our details in a file so we could refer back to them.
Drawing out a map was a vital step.
We gave each author the power to rewrite their character in someone else’s book. We never changed the meaning and purpose behind the scene but we tweaked the character’s responses so our characters could remain consistent throughout the series.
What was the hardest thing?
Marketing. Our styles were different so we struggled a little more to understand where we should work together and where we should work separately.
Our project didn’t have a leader, meaning we discussed and voted on all everything. While I thrive in that sort of environment, there is a perk to having someone who heads up the project and has some preconceived ideas and requirements in place before the project is started.
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Besides being an Indie Author, I’m a wife, mother of four, Sunday School teacher, sweet tea drinker, history fanatic, romantic, bubbly, lover of broccoli, and a retired cake decorator who has a soft spot for Christmas trees, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When Ivory Bledsoe left the city to minister to the people of the rural mountain town of Willow
Ben Thrasher was content with his quiet life until he met the new librarian. He can’t help but be drawn to the friendly and lively Ivory Bledsoe, despite her being at the center of the town’s latest superstition. It’s only a matter of time until she captures his heart, turning his world upside down in the process.
Has Ivory gotten God’s plan for her all wrong or is there still a way she can serve these people? And can Ben ask her to stay in a place where so few are willing to embrace her?
