Author Interview: Anita Placido & Whispers From God

Anita Placido​ recently retired after two years as church secretary, ten years in the banking industry, and 30 years s a legal secretary/paralegal. She lives in Wilmore, Kentucky with her husband, Nick, and their 4-year-old black lab/boxer mix, Bella. She has four children and four grandchildren. She is also the author of ​"Dreams of Sanity: A Journey Through Depression and Beyond,"​ which is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This is about God's healing from clinical depression through dreams. When she is not writing, she keeps busy reading mystery novels, crocheting and canning fruits and vegetables in the summer.

Q: What made you decide to write this book?

A: My therapist suggested I take all my journal entries and compile them into a book. I resisted because I did not want all of my dirty laundry out for the public to read. But I was convinced by God that it was not about me but about the many people who would be helped from reading my story. Another drawback was that my mother would be crushed knowing I had written something so personal and so I waited until she had passed away to publish it.

Q: What particular challenges did you face in your writing? Do you have any tips for other writers who might face similar challenges?

A: The hardest and most time-consuming part was editing down the journal entries into what was okay to put out in the public eye and what should not be put in the book. It took me about six years to edit it down, then organize it and polish it up. I did about four rounds of editing and rewriting before I felt it was ready for a professional editor to review it. I would encourage writers to get a professional editor and some Beta readers (those who read the book and offer helpful ideas and criticisms, as well as catching typos). Beta readers can be a great source of letting you know whether they understood what you were trying to say. Because of the personal nature of the content, I had to put the manuscript down several times and wait a few months before I could pick it up again and work on it. I would advise new writers that if it doesn't seem to be going how you want it to, take a break for a week or more without touching it and do something fun to distract yourself. You may get inspiration to overcome where you are stuck.

Q: Are you a self or traditionally published author? Why did you decide this was the publishing path for you?

A: I would say I have tried both a publisher-assist company and self-publishing. My first book I published with a publisher that was a small arm of a larger publisher. The process went smoothly, but at the end they were charging me a large amount ($10 for a $15 book) to purchase my own copies for book signings. So I got my files back from them and republished it as a self-publishing author on KDP (Amazon) in May of this year. Now it only costs me $3 per book to purchase! With my second book, which was published in August of this year, I tried again with a different small publishing company and made sure I was in charge of my own files and how much the cost would be for purchasing my own books for sale. I found this process went much smoother. I did not pursue a traditional publisher because for me I did not want to have to find an agent and go through the process of them pitching my book to publishers.

Q: Can you describe your publishing experience for writers who hope to publish one day?

A: I saved a lot of time and money with the second publisher because I already had the manuscript edited by a professional editor and I did not want marketing services from

them. So my cost was about $2,000 for a cursory edit, the cover art and description work, and the actual printing of the book. It is print-on-demand so they only print them as they get orders for them. Be sure if you are working with a publisher that you make sure they distribute it not only to Amazon, but to Ingram because Ingram is where bookstores and libraries order their books. For new writers, I would highly recommend attending the Women In Publishing writing workshop that is held in the spring. It has publishers, editors, cover design people, and self-publishing assist companies that can answer so many questions about the publication process. I was able to find someone to help me redo my cover for my first book from one of the seminars I attended. I also received great information about marketing strategies and things to do in some of the seminars I attended so I did not need to pay the publisher for marketing tools. My advice to new writers is to do your homework and research the publisher thoroughly. A lot of the "publishing companies" you see advertised on Facebook are taking your money and doing things you could do for yourself a lot cheaper. Again, I would recommend the Women in Publishing seminars. They are a wealth of information and you can find some really great people to help with different aspects of publication at reasonable prices.

Q: What is one piece of advice that someone gave you that you'd like to pass on to other authors?

A: Write something every day! Even if it is notes you jot down about a plot idea or character development and avail yourself of other writers and industry professionals who can help you navigate the twists and turns of publishing your book.

​Are you an author with a new book coming out soon? Would you like to be interviewed and featured in my Author Interview blog posts? Send me an email and let's talk!