Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brenda Spalding. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brenda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

Being an author has seen many changes and challenges through the years. Before the digital age erupted and self-publishing became a possibility authors had two basic choices. They could send out hundred of query letters in search of an agent who believed in their work enough to try and find a traditional publisher for them. Often never hearing back. The alternative was a vanity press that would print anything the author submitted, good or bad.
Over the last decade authors have become smarter and most have learned to publish on their own and become independently published. They have cleaned up their work with more editing, proper formatting, cover design and generating a better product for readers.
The age of the Tradition Publishing house is coming to an end in my opinion. As authors become more aware of how to publish independently the big houses will become a thing of the past.
An author is more in control and can if dedicated make more money by being independent.
Even some of the big name authors are going independent.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started out with children’s books. I was with a friend July 4th 2010 and she read me a story she wrote for her grand daughter. She had not done anything with it and I wondered if I could write a story for my grandson. The next day I wrote my first children’s book, Just Batty, about a little boy that learns about bats in school and how his family helps him put up a bat house on the family farm. Not satisfied with just writing it I wanted to know how do you get it published. I found an illustrator and an online vanity press and eventually had my first published book in my hands. It was dreadful. The illustrations were awful there were spelling mistakes but I was a published author.
I was also hooked on being an author and learning from my mistakes.
I went on to write ten more children’s books, finding a good illustrator, learning programs to do more myself and not making the mistakes of the past. My last children’s book, Sailing Away to Nod, won a silver medal at the Florida Authors and Publishers Association conference and in 2021 won the Eyelands international Children’s Book award.
I began writing adult romantic suspense novels in 2014 with a series set in Salem Massachusetts, because I’m a Boston girl. That series has been very well received.
My recent books are set in my local area here in Florida and are enjoying a following.
In October 2020 I set up Braden River Consulting LLC to help other writers and authors navigate their way through from written word to published book. I do not charge a packaged fee as some do. I charge by the hour. The more the author can can do the less they have to pay me. I want the author to learn the ropes and be able to do more on their own. Yes I’m working my way out of a job. Some authors are technology challenged and I have to do all the work. Some only need a little guidance.
I love helping authors avoid the costly mistakes I made.
Very few will get rich or even be able to quit their the day job being an author but I hope they can enjoy the journey.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me is when a reader comes back to an event I’m at and says how much they enjoyed one of my books and buys another title. That gives me goose bumps. I have readers that will come to an event just to get the next book, or buy the whole rest of the series because they like book one so much. That means more to me than anything else.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

My side hustle was helping other authors learn the business of being an independent author. I did this for six years before I decided to make it a real business. I had to learn how to set it up legally, domain name, website and all that stuff.
I only take on about six clients a year and it’s all word of mouth.
I deal on a very personal level with my clients often in their homes or meeting in a small café.
I want my clients to learn what goes into making their project become a published book.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brendaspaldingauthor.com
• Instagram: @halston82148
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brendamspaldingauthor
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-spalding-385213233/
• Twitter: @BrendaSpaldin15
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrhi81se6GGRbn5T2ZTMB3A