Laura Howard: The Alliance of Independent Authors with Orna Ross

I've said many times on this blog that my publishing role-model is Joanna Penn. And, through Joanna's interviews and guest posts I've been introduced to a number of terrific writers who are making a splash in the self-publishing industry.

Last April Joanna went to the London Book Fair and introduced us to Orna Ross, who was launching the Alliance of Independent Authors. She's an inspiration to many people, myself included. I'm thrilled to have an interview with her to share with you.

Things we talked about:

Always wanted to write fiction, she carried an idea for a novel inside her head for years.
Worked in many aspects of the publishing industry: as a journalist, an instructor and a literary agent.
Signed a book deal with Penguin in 2003, which felt like a dream come true.
It was 3 years before the book was released, the first frustration with traditional publishing.
They changed the title, gave the literary novel a "chick-lit sheen" to make it more marketable.
Upon hearing about self-publishing success, regained the rights for her back list to publish.
Exciting times in the UK with Amazon's Kindle Fire being introduced there along with Nook PubIt.
It became obvious that there was a need for an organization for self-publishers to act as an advocate.
The Alliance of Independent Authors was born to educate and form partnerships in the industry.
As an advocate, ALLIA coordinates between translations rights organizations and warns against organizations that are not in the best interest of authors.
Lots of upcoming projects, including both fiction and non-fiction.
Orna's favorite way to reach readers is Goodreads, focusing on one reader at a time.
A writing career is a marathon not a sprint.
How to deal with reviews and how often to check them.