How can I self-publish for cheap? | Author Interview with Angela R. Watts

Interview with

Angela R. Watts

(Author of The Infidel Books, Seek, and upcoming YA fantasy novel, GOLGATHA.)

Angela R. Watts is a YA fiction author who strives to glorify the Lord in all she does. She's a homeschool

graduate living at Step By Step Sanctuary, Tennessee, though with Gypsy and Norwegian in her blood, she

tends to travel. She’s been writing stories since she was little and has self-published five works; one novel

received a Reader’s Favorite 5 star review. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and her blog at angelarwatts.com

Q&A

Were you serious about publishing when you first started writing your debut novel?

When I first started writing Seek, Whispers of Heaven #1, I was focused solely on learning about God and

healing from the hardships my family and I had faced. By the time I finished the first draft, I realized I could

self-publish, so that became my dream. My debut, however, was The Thief, the Damsel, and the Dragon,

which I wrote and prepared for publishing in less than three months. I published a novella first to see how

I could do my debut novel even better!

What inspired you to write The Divided Nation?

Long story short, a story collab, and my partner left me with all the story rights. I tried letting it drop,

but dystopian/post apoc has always been one of my favorite genres… So after praying about it, God

helped me outline The Infidel Books.

Which one of your characters are most like you?

I find parts of myself in almost every character I’ve written. Some characters are easy to relate to.

Some characters I wish I could be more like. Some characters are the characters I wish could come

hug me on a bad day. Ultimately, I’d say I’m most like Rene’ or Gideon from The Infidel Books. 

What was the most challenging thing about self-publishing?

Self-publishing comes with an array of challenges. Most of them I enjoy. I like meeting a problem

and overcoming it. I like getting beaten and standing up even stronger.

The hard part, for me, is probably trusting people enough to work with them, however. I think this

is just part of writing, whether you’re self published or traditional, you have to trust your team. So

I’ll go with budgeting, instead. I treat my writing like a heart-felt business, which costs money.

What was the most rewarding thing about self-publishing? 

Being able to glorify God and touching readers’ hearts. God gave me a story, He helped me write it,

He helped me edit it, He helped me publish, He helped me reach readers. Having readers tell me

“I cried”, “I laughed”, “this book moved me”... That’s incredible. After all the work authors put into

their novels, having a reader feel strongly about our books is truly rewarding.

What is something you would have done differently for your previous books?

I am pretty content with what I’ve done thus far. I think we can learn from every published book, but

I am not an Indie author to dwell in the past or revamp my books regularly. I like to focus on the journey

ahead and am content with how my previous novels are as-is. The only thing I consider and have done is

updating covers, but that’s a marketing strategy.

Advice for writers block?

If you’re exhausted, that’s different than being lazy. So watch your health, take care of yourself, and pace

yourself. If you’re lacking motivation, however, I strongly encourage you to push through! Here’s a whole

post about finding motivation to write.

What are some tips for spreading word about your books?

Be active and engaging on social media, make sure your novel is something you can be proud of, and

keep writing. I have a whole post about FREE marketing tips for Indie authors here!

Any advice for people publishing on a low budget and how to still make their book look professional? 

There are a few different ways a low-budget author can go about this. I’ll make a quick list of examples...

You can invest a lot of time in photoshop, cover design, and do the cover yourself. Believe me, don’t take

this step lightly. If you want to do your own cover for free, spend a lot of research on cover design

(what genre is your book? What covers do you like in that genre? What texts work? etc) and make sure

you can properly use the editing software.You can learn how to format your own novel. I have no idea how

you might do this for free by yourself, so Google it and see what you can find. I do know people who do this,

so it is possible.You can swap services. A lot of authors swap services. If you’re a cover designer, you might

design a friend’s cover in exchange for them to edit your book (assuming they are a professional editor).

I don’t do this, so I can’t say how well it works, but I’ve seen it done.You can find affordable services.

I don’t design my own covers, I don’t format my novels, and I always hire an editor. I do, however, find

service providers who I can afford. Does it take a lot of hard work to save my money and budget my life?

Yes. But this is my business, so it is worth it to me. If you want affordable services, there are plenty out

there, it just takes some digging. I offer affordable line edits + developmental editing. I can also recommend

a few editors and designers.Above all, please, do not skimp on your novel. It is worth the time, investment,

and hard work to ensure your novel has a quality cover, editing, and formatting in the long run!

How do you deal with negative feedback about your books? 

Part of being human is learning to handle dislike and rejection. That’s a part of life. Every author handles hate
mail, negative reviews, etc, differently. Personally, I don’t mind negative feedback. The way I see it, my all
time favorite authors have all received 1 star reviews, and I adore their works. No author can please everyone,
so I encourage every writer to focus on healthy growth, consider helpful criticism, but never let negativity

drain you.

Lastly, what advice would you give to a beginner writer?
What are some common beginner mistakes that can be avoided? 

Too many beginning writers fail to finish their novel! We’ve all been there, as writing-obsessed kids or adults.

You have so many ideas but can’t seem to write “the end”. My advice is to finish one book. Even if it never

gets published, finish a project. This is a huge part of the growing and learning process. Another mistake is

focusing too much on what the “world” might think. Don’t bother caring about what people will think of your

book. Write like no one is watching. You’ll be surprised where the story ends up. Most of all… Never give up.

I know, you’ve heard it before. But it applies to so much, y’all. Never give up on your stories. Someone needs

to hear them. Your voice matters.

You can follow Angela's Instagram and newsletter for more on her upcoming novel!
(You can also read Angela's interview of me here: https://angelarwatts.com/author-interview-naomi-kenyon-ya-author/)