SORMAG's Blog: Featured Author: Patrice Rivers

How can readers get in contact with you?

My website is www.patricerivers.com and my email address is theriverzgurlbrand@outlook.com

Tell us about your manuscript to published author journey.

Writing this book was an easy task for me because I was very focused and didn’t really procrastinate at all. My journey over the years writing my book manuscripts came as a surprise because most of my books such as poetry and children were the easiest to write and the fiction stories, I had to put more creativity in writing. It was a struggle at times, but in the end, it’s very worth it.

What inspired your book?

Honestly, nothing really inspired me to write Broken Wing. One day I was just brainstorming topics for books and Broken Wing happened to come about. People do have dysfunctional families, so in the end, a lot of people can relate to the story.

What did you learn while writing this book?

While writing this book I learned that there are a lot of families that are divided and dysfunctional. Life is too short to be angry and bitter all the times towards one another. It is best to sit down as a family and discuss issues that the other person is experiencing and try to come up with solutions to becoming close again.

What did you hope to accomplish with this book?

With this book I hope to accomplish a readership base that sees the type of writing I express with my book.

What would you like readers to take away from your book?

I want readers to understand what the message is from this book which is dysfunctional families and how they can be repaired.

Which character did you have the most fun writing about?

I will have to say the main character which is Ramona. She displays to be the oldest and the strongest amongst her sisters and parents. As a 17-year old, Ramona had more responsibilities than any teenager; yet she remained humbled and focused throughout her journey.

What do you believe makes your stories stand out?

I believe it’s my unique imagination that makes my stories stand out because I don’t want to be like the other authors and write about the same story line. My job is to give readers something different they can relate to.

What are three things you wish you’d known before you reached where you are now?

First Marketing isn’t all that easy, Second, Not making money right away after your book is published and Third that a lot of people don’t support authors or authors supporting other authors.

How do you find balance with your writing and life?

I find balance by working on my writing, blogging and manuscript at my job since I have a lot of down time. I have written Broken Wing at the workplace where there isn’t too much distraction. Even if I wasn’t working on my book projects at work, I would pick three days of the week that I am off and consistently write or type for two hours then take a break and pick it back up again. When I get home from work, I mainly relax and do other things that are not related to writing. Self-care is important, so I try to clear my mind and just relax.

How do you stay consistent with your book promotion?

I like to promote in Facebook groups at least every other day, posting on all my pages and Instagram weekly and creating new and updated promotion flyers in Canva to keep potential clients interested in what I do with my brand. Also, I have a monthly newsletter through my website called That Riverz Gurl Brand where I do email marketing with those subscribed to the newsletter.

What advice would you offer to someone whose first book is about to be released?

If you are a new author and you are publishing your first book, the first thing you should do is make sure your work is copyrighted. I tell a lot of new authors that all time because you don’t want someone else to steal your work. Another important piece of advice is investing in getting an editor. A lot of authors fail at this because they don’t want to take the time and invest in their book projects and when a book reviewer like myself comments on their book regarding lots of grammar and sentence structure errors, they get mad. This is very important when publishing your book.

What’s are your favorite social media platforms and how are you using them for promotion?

I like Facebook and Instagram. I use Facebook for promotion by posting my promotion flyers for new releases in different groups. Most of the time I get feedback and people that share it on their pages. It all depends really and promoting isn’t really easy in my opinion, but I still push myself to do it weekly.

What three literary events would you recommend a writer in your genre attend?

There are a lot of book events all over. I would have to say Book Festivals, Author Events in your area/community that honors authors and Library Events.

What’s the most interesting change in your life as a result of being a published author?

One interesting change is becoming a self-publisher because you have control over your own projects.

What about writing do you wish non writers would understand?

I wish non-writers would understand that this profession isn’t easy and it takes skills, practice and talent to do what we do.

Can you give us one do and one don't for those writing the book in the heart?

When writing your manuscript, do spell check your work frequently and save it if you are typing your manuscript on the computer and don’t give anybody your manuscript unless it has been copyrighted.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to watch Netflix, reading books by other authors and taking naps.

Oprah always asks, what do you know for sure?

I know that I want to be an author full-time and that quitting is never an option!

Any last words for our readers?

Check out my writings and work on my website www.patricerivers.com Also please reach out me if you have any questions regarding other books I have written.