Ep 253 Author of Both Worlds: Traditional and Indie with MT Solomon

Welcome to Pencils and Lipstick. This is a podcast for indie authors. I'm Kat Caldwell, novelist, short story writer, and book coach. Here on Pencils and Lipstick, we're obsessed with all things story, and it is my goal to bring you the writing tips that you need to make your novel come to life. Welcome to episode 253 of Pencils and Lipstick.

I'm Kat Caldwell. And today, we'll be speaking with MT Solomon about her latest book, Liar Queen, but also about being both in the traditional publishing world and the indie publishing world, which I find really fascinating because there are not very many people who do this, at least not very many people that I have talked to who do this. So we are going to go into the interview very quickly. And next week, we have another interview. We'll be talking with a couple of different people in the coming month.

Before we do that, I would love for you guys to, like and share and subscribe the podcast, whether you're listening to it or whether you are watching it, on YouTube at Pencils and Lipstick on YouTube. If you want, we are pretty much on every single podcast app, and I am a solo lady doing it all. And so it's really helpful when you guys like and subscribe and you share it. It just make sure that everyone knows that the the podcast is still relevant. And possibly, like, it would be great to get some reviews out there because that would also tell people what you guys think about the podcast.

So speaking of, like, making sure that the podcast is relevant, I would like to apologize for the last week. Maybe just the month. I had a topic ready to go for last week, and we lost power. And then I had to go do something, and a couple of things came up. And the days, like, went by, and I became rather overwhelmed and thought, okay.

I could either hammer something out, late, or we could just go into the interviews that I have lined up, and I'll save that solo episode for a little bit later. So that's what I decided to do. And I would just like to remind everyone, you know, if things are piling up and it's getting hard to do stuff, sometimes it's okay to just, oops, miss something. I hope that you guys missed last week, but it was, you know, in the scheme of life and everything happening, I just sort of had to make a a call on it. And so I hope you guys forgive me and that you're okay and that you maybe got some more writing done, maybe found another podcast out there.

But I hope that you'll stick with me. And, yes, we are gonna be going into weekly episodes again, even though we missed 2 this month. I did think about going every other, but I just think like that is it's too much time in between it in between the episodes. You know? So, anyway, I apologize.

We are gonna go into the interview. Before we do that, let me tell you a little bit about MT Solomon. And please remember that all the links are in the show notes below where you can preorder her book, Liar Queen, and you can go to her website and find out more about her. But Mt Solomon, she is an author born in the American South and raised in the remote wilderness of Alaska. Mt Solomon has been writing books since she was 6.

At the age of 11, she wrote and hand stitched the binding to her own story, Earth of Calvin and Hobbes with the female protagonist, which I would love to see. Just, you know, she graduated from Portland State University in 2012 with a BS in liberal studies and a minor in writing. Her work has appeared on the cover of Gotham writer's class schedule and has been featured in on the spinning pen and Wow Women on Writing. Solomon's writing takes cues from her childhood where the vast setting of Alaska seemed just as much a character in her story, her life story as she did. She favors broken or imperfect characters and utilizes the lyrical repetitive style within her prose.

Her work is heavily influenced by the female author she grew up with loving, Margaret Atwood, Lois Lowry, and Alice Hoffman. You guys can find out more about MT at themtsolomon.com. Of course, the links are in the show notes. Let's get into the interview. Hi, MT.

It's nice to meet you. We are going to talk about your book, Liar Queen, which I love that title. I would I would love to know first how you came up with this title because the the book is fantasy. Right? Like, it's

Mhmm.

And in the genre of fantasy, is it is it like romance fantasy? Is it

I mean, there's a romance undertone. I wouldn't necessarily say that that's like the it's not romant to see with the capital r. Like, that's what it is. But there is, a relationship in there.

So you're going full fantasy, and then, like, of course, we got subplots and stuff, but you're going

We got romance for you. It's in there. Yeah.

It's in there. So how did you come up with this title, Liar Queen?

Well, the initial story, I wrote at a, writing group I was a part of at the time. And my friend was like, why don't we just pick pictures from Pinterest and for each other and then write, a short story or an intro to a story off of that. And so the picture she picked for me was, like, this really strong looking woman with a sword. And so I wrote, essentially the first scene in the first chapter. It's a little different now through editing and stuff, but essentially that scene.

And then after reading it and, working on it, I mean, I knew from the beginning that she was a liar. She was living this lie, and so that's where the name came from.

Oh, that's interesting. So you knew that from the short story, like, as you were writing,

and you're like, oh, she's fine. Like, okay. She's a liar. She's a liar queen. That's what she is.

I really like that. That's amazing. I actually have a really hard time coming up with titles. So I'm always fascinated when people come up with a really, really great title.

Problem coming up with titles, and then I think, oh, I need to write a book about that. But it's like, it's just a title. Like, how can I write an entire novel off of a title that?

Wait. You can't do that? That's not No. I can't. Doesn't magically appear?

I think sometimes people have this misconception about, the amount of, like, ideas you can come up with as a writer versus, like, how many novels you can write. Like, oh, that's a great idea. Like, yeah. Great. You go sit down and write it.

Like, that's Yeah.

It's not. And it's not sustainable because you have to be able to, like, piece it together and, like, actually have, like, a storyline and an arc in your plot. Right? It's not just one. Like, that's a short story, a one act thing.

That's a short story that you just came up on a novel.

So when you were doing this, like, writing activity with your friend, was it sort of to practice writing? Were you already writing a novel? Like, what was the intent to sort of get together and write like that?

So we both were, yeah, we both wanted to eventually produce a novel, a full length work. I wasn't necessarily going to do anything with that, piece. It was just sort of like a warm up, let's get our creative juices flowing sort of thing. But at the time, I was working towards self publishing my first novel. And, so that book I had, I just it was just kind of like a fun thing I did.

And then eventually, I was looking at it and I thought that actually I think I could plot out a novel with that. I think I could make that into something. And so I did.

That's I mean, I think that's interesting too of how certain ideas come to light and some some writing exercises will catch fire. Whereas, like but I'm sure you've done 100, you know, that haven't. Like, as a writer, like, how much time do we put into kind of honing our craft that never sees the light of day?

I'm yeah. I mean, there's countless stories started on my laptop that won't see the light of day, but I still feel like it was necessary for me to work on them even if I got 5,000 words or 20,000 words into them because I was still working on my craft. I was still fine tuning things. I was still growing as a writer.

Yeah, absolutely. So we when you say you self published a book already, was that also romance? Sorry. Fantasy?

It's the same thing. It's it's fantasy, but we got some romance thrown in there. It's got a little bit more politics involved, a little more, a different magic system and happens in a different world. So,

but it's

not part of a series. Well, it is. I the second novel I wrote and published came out October. So it's a duology. It's a 12.

Okay. So are you are you planning to keep, like, a a traditional and a self publishing career?

I Kind of parallel? I take I take each book as it comes. So it felt right with that first novel and the second novel to self publish. I wanted to understand the publishing, how it works. So I did it myself.

I wanted to, I was I am blessed to have the means to do that. I understand not everyone can do that. So I wanted to understand, you know, how it works in the background, how you work on covers, how you format.

Mhmm.

But I did always I was always interested in traditional publishing as well. So with Liar Queen, I had an opportunity. I saw my publisher on Instagram. They're they were new. They had just started up.

And I looked at their bio on their website and, like, everything just kinda fell into place. I just really connected with, Nicole and Kira. And, so I wrote I rewrote my entire query letter for them.

Really

honest query letter I wrote to them and, they apparently liked it. They liked the story. And, since then we've been working together

and

that works for me. That's fine. And with the next novel, you know, I'll talk to them about it, but I'm okay with

Yeah.

Self publishing in the future. I'm okay with traditional publishing. It's Yeah. Just each book has its own path, I think.

That's an interesting way to look at it because there are so many people who, like, dig in on one side or the other, and it it could definitely be better for some books to be traditionally published. I like I think indie, I don't know if you found it's slightly easier to publish romance. I would say like there's more there are more readers apt to read your book, whereas there are other genres that are perhaps better to be traditionally published. People just have more trust possibly for

Yeah. I've never I've never wanted to dig into one side or the other. I always thought there has to be a way for each book is different and unique. So there has to be a way for each book. That's I mean, it's not always gonna be true to be self published.

I have friends who'd produce serial fiction on their substacks, and I think that's a great way to go for some.

Yeah. Yeah. I I like that. I like that open mindedness they have. So is Liar Queen gonna be a series or is it a standalone?

I have an outlined idea for a trilogy for it. Yes.

Oh, really? Yeah. Oh my goodness. I like that.

And it's a trilogy. I like when trilogies don't necessarily follow like, with my duology, it doesn't follow the same characters from the first book and the second book. They're in there. You you see them, but they're not the main characters. And so I, with subsequent books in the Liar Queen series, my hope would be to follow a new character and you would see a little bit of the old character, but it would be a new character you would follow.

Yeah. I I like that as well. You can as a reader, I I lose interest if I'm, like, following the same character.

There's only so many stories you can tell about one person, and then you're like, okay. I'm tired.

Yeah. You say that, but then there are some series that you're like, wow. They're still writing about That's true.

That is very true. I just don't I'm not comfortable with writing that. I don't like reading that, so I'm not gonna write it.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, no. Because the reader will will feel that. Right?

They I feel like the the reader knows when you're bored, and they're gonna get bored. So it's just not even worth your time. Oh, so how how did you get into fantasy? Is this been something that you've always liked to read and write?

Yeah. So I've always read, fantasy. I got into, like everyone reads Chronicles of Narnia when you're little. I grew up in the, like, golden age of Harry Potter. Yeah.

And even dystopian novels. Like, I really got into Margaret Atwood when I was in 5th grade, which was probably way too young to

get to that word.

But I was an advanced reader, so I was reading higher levels. And so, I read Handmaid's Tale and advanced reader, so I was reading higher levels. And so, I read Handmaid's Tale in 5th grade, and it just blew my mind.

Yeah. I bet. In so many ways.

Yeah. And I just I just prefer it. I mean, I don't necessarily mind more modern stories. It's just I like the fantastical. I like, a little bit out of the ordinary.

I mean, I live my life in an ordinary world. I'd like to see some magic. So

Yeah. Well, I mean, you live in Alaska, so I'm not sure that ordinary describes your life.

No. That's true. That is true. And it does filter its way into, like, my world building and stuff because it is such an amazing place.

It's so, like, just the nature of it and the the difference between probably what we see.

Yeah. Like, I I mean, I live in the house I grew up in, but, so there's more houses around me now. But I remember a time when it was just our house on our street, and I could play in the woods all day. And it was so magical. Like, the I still can remember, like, moss covered logs and climbing on them and climbing trees and all the little hollows you could play in.

It's really, really special.

Right. That just fosters imagination, doesn't it? Especially in a kid. I would I would assume that CS Lewis and Tolkien actually got a lot of their imagination just from being outdoors because you can't help but imagine if there's this hollow in the tree, like, what might live there, you know, or, like, what world actually might live underneath it. Right?

That's very cool. So this is, so when you started writing, well, I mean, your bias is you started writing at a young age. But what what age was it when you decided that you were gonna actually write a book? Because everyone I've talked to a lot of people. Lots of people wanna write a book.

Right? The minute that they find out you're a writer, you've probably heard, like, oh, I wanna write a book. And so we all wanna write a book. But when did you get serious and actually sit down and say, I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna figure out how to get it done?

So I would say in 5th grade, we did a, like a book study where we wrote a novel. We wrote not a novel, but a short story. We wrote a short story. We had a peer edited. We illustrated it.

We hand sewed the binding of the book and everything. And that kind of started I could always I'd always been a storyteller before that, but that kind of actually put, like, an actual physical, thing to my story and that's something I could hold. And that kind of planted the seed. I always wanted to write, but I never thought it as something that I could pursue. So I would write on the side About, I would say college, I started taking classes in any type of woman's literature I could get my hands on, and I really started digging into what stories women could tell.

I took this class on Irish female literature, and it just opened up my mind to how, these Irish women could take storytelling and use it to say something about their condition or their experience. And then I would say the final moment was when I met, a fellow author, Nova McBee. She writes, a young adult series calculated. She's fantastic. I met her for a writers group, and she was the one who literally looked at me and said, no.

You can do this. And it was then that I was like, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna Yeah. Actually publish a book. I'm gonna share my stories.

Yeah. Until then, I was writing, but I wasn't necessarily wanting to share my stories. I didn't actually want people to read them, which is not how writers think if you want people to read your stories.

Well, it's scary,

actually. Yeah. It's scary. So up until then, I didn't necessarily think I could do it. And then meeting Nova and my other friend, Rebecca, really made me feel like I can do this.

Yeah. I mean, I think part of it is when you read such amazing writers, it's hard to compare yourself and be like, could I attain the level of the people that I admire? Right? I mean, it's a valid question sometimes. Right.

And, you know, but the truth is, you'll never know unless you write it and you let people read it. And it's it's just scary. I don't think I'm not sure how many people really understand how scary it is to No.

I don't think so. And honestly, becoming a mom, I think also helped me because I, you know, was telling them, like, you can do like, follow your dreams. You can do this. Don't be scared. Let's do this.

And then I thought, well, I'm not following that advice myself. Like, I need to start following that advice and being a good example for them. So I stepped out and took that risk and decided that it is scary, but it's something I want to do. I want to share these stories. I like these stories.

And ultimately, you know, I want to do it, so I'm going to.

Yeah. I mean, that's a good point. When you're strangely enough, when you tell your kids something, there's something in the back of your brain that says, like, but are you doing it? Yeah. Yeah.

It's it's like it's very I don't know. It's eye opening to hear, you know, have that voice. So that mirror, you know, brought up to you. You're like, oh, that's true. Exactly.

Yeah. Like, be

nice. I was telling my yeah. I was telling them you can, like, you can do anything you want to. And then and I remember my mom telling me that as a kid too, and I was like, yeah. Right.

But here I was telling my kids that, and then I thought, but am I doing what I want to do?

Right. Right. So at that point when, that other writer told you you could do it, how far were you in any sort of novel? Were you had you started an actual

novel product? The 3 so the 3 novels that I'm so my 2 past novels and the novel coming out, Liar Queen in February, I hadn't written yet.

Okay.

But I had pieces and bits of other stories I had written. One novel I had written, I plan on rewriting and eventually trying to get it out, but it does need work. It was definitely like a young my young writer self wrote that, but Right. I hadn't written anything to full length that I've produced so far.

So you were, like, at the beginning of the process, you know, you had to choose 1 and, like Yeah.

I was stuck in the first five chapters. That's what I like to say. Like, I could write 5 chapters, the first five chapters. And then I would think, oh, I need to rework those and I need to rework those, and I would never ever actually move on and finish something. I think because I was maybe just afraid.

I think I was afraid to move on and go on to the next step. Because after you write the first draft, you have to edit it. You have to let someone look at it. You have to and then you have to rewrite it. And I think I was stuck because I was afraid of moving on.

Okay. Okay. So that you get to about 5 chapters. What is that? Like, probably 10,000 words.

It kind of depends on

how how long you write, maybe. Yeah. A little less. I don't think that's unusual. I mean, the beginning of a project's really exciting, right?

And then it's. Yeah. Yeah. About 20% in. You got to find that that like inciting incident and they're they have to like make a decision.

Yeah. Decision they're doing.

And I was incapable of making a decision, so my characters couldn't make a decision, I think, is what was happening.

Complete. Oh, my gosh. So so how much did you know at that point or how much did you have to find out of, like, how to finish it? Like, once you made that decision, was it easier? Or did you have to go out and find how do I make my characters make their decisions?

I had to educate myself, but I'm a over reader. I when I dive into something, I try and consume as much information about it as I can.

That's helpful.

So, yes, I had to learn everything. Like, I had to go back and actually learn how to outline and stuff because most of my experience before that had been academic and,

you

know, writing an essay is not the same as writing a, a creative work. So I had to learn how to outline. I had to learn what my outlining style was because it's not everyone does it the same.

True.

And then I had to learn how to build a novel from an outline. Because Yeah. Up until then, I just sat down at the at the computer and just started writing like it was all in my head, which I still do to an extent when I have an idea because I like to get it out on on paper and write it down and see where it goes and see if it's worth pursuing. But I needed to learn how to actually flesh out a novel before I sat down and wrote the novel.

Yeah, that's

something I had done yet.

Right. That's an interesting point to make because there is something about being the creative part, and not letting go of that way or that that system that you have. But in the end, in order to complete a project, I've I've talked to quite a few writers where they are not yet at the stage where they realize something might have to change for the actual project. You know, like, writing under the dead of night under your covers because you have an idea is fun, and that's part of being, like, just this creative mind. Right?

But usually, it's the hard work that actually finishes that novel. Right? They're like, oh, I have to figure this out. What are they gonna do?

Yeah. And I think that's also a maturation of being a writer. Like, I had to mature as a writer and not be that teen fan fiction writing writer. I had to actually grow up and learn technique and learn, put in the hard work of actually finishing a work and and realizing that sometimes the idea has to change in order to actually complete the work.

Yeah, that's a hard one to learn. I feel like because I think sometimes we're kind of everyone tells us we can't make a business or like a career out of our art. Right. So that you got that there. But then you have like the art people being like, but don't ever change because this is how you are.

Right. That you have to meet those writers who have actually learned to mature. And you go, oh, okay, that makes way more sense that we have to kind of straddle that fence. Right. So, so when did this when did your self publishing book, your first one come out?

So how

My first one came out last October.

Oh my goodness. So you have produced 3 novels in 2 years?

Yes.

Wow. Okay.

Yeah. I don't think I'm not and I have friends who write they they can put words on paper super quickly, and I'm not that person. It just happened to to work that way these past 2 years. I don't expect to produce multiple books like that all the time. Like, I'm I'm a human.

You know?

So Yeah. But still, like

did turn out that way.

It it seems something has clicked in which you're able to take your ideas, outline them, and and be able to move on past those 5 chapters and really finish the the work quite quickly. Yes.

Definitely growing up from being a pantser to applauding. Okay. Talked to me.

Interesting. A lot. Because there are so many people who will forever die on the hill of pantsing. No worry. Like

And, honestly, if that's what they wanna do. I mean, everyone writes differently. It works differently for everybody. I just I knew deep down this wasn't it wasn't sustainable, and I needed to learn to plot Sure. And outline and flesh out from there.

I knew it, so I just stopped lying to myself and did it.

Oh, that's a good point to listen to your gut. If your gut is telling you, this is how you should be doing it despite whatever anyone else is doing. Right? Well, with fantasy, because, is it easier to to probably outline? Because there are a lot of things happening.

Right? Like, it it isn't always just like a linear story of maybe boy meets girl or and they're going down. I mean, every genre has their different nuances, but it's possible that fantasy has so many political systems plus the plot line, plus the subplot.

Yeah. So I needed to know the background really well. Especially with my first two novels, I need to understand what was happening not on the page. Okay. Also, at the same time, with Liar Queen, I feel like there's some of that going on.

It's not I don't like I like reading multiple timelines and flashbacks and stuff. I like novels like that. I think, like, VE Schwab is really good at that stuff. Yeah. She's A master.

I can't write that, at least not yet. I'm willing to work on it and get better at it, but I like linear stuff. I like Okay. From start to end, just because I don't feel like my skill is up there enough to do it yet. Okay.

So Lara Queen is a bit more start to finish. There's an actual physical journey that happens in the novel as well. They have to traverse over the kingdom and stuff like that. So I feel like going from start to finish, 1 point a to point b is sufficient for that novel.

Okay. Yeah. Absolutely. That sounds more like a Tolkien. So tell us a little bit about Liar Queen.

She came out of the short story, but what developed as far as the novel went?

So the short story, the first chapter kinda came on, and it was a very strong queen who was her someone was visiting. She had to she was being summoned to come meet with her guests, and it was mentioned that, she had in this kingdom, she is the the heir's fight for the throne. So in order to send the throne, you have to kill your sibling, basically. And she did that because she's queen, obviously. But, and then at the end of the short story, we find out that's not true.

Oh.

She didn't do that. And so, from there, I was like, okay. Well, how how does that happen? Who is the I had to figure out who the sibling was, what she wanted, how she got there, and then I kinda worked from there on how to get Mara to Mara is the name of the character to the end of the story where she either redeems herself or not. Yeah.

So

interesting. So that's an excellent example of how a short story can be so much fun because you can write yourself into a corner and then just be like, I don't know. You decide that you just leave it there. And the problem with the novel is now you got to figure out, like, how is she queen if she didn't follow the rules? And Right.

Yeah. And so I had to figure out kind of why she wouldn't, follow the rules in in this kingdom. It's a war it was this it's like a war machine of a kingdom. It really, wants to conquer other people and and but if they're in a with her as queen, they haven't done that in a while because she doesn't really want to. So I really wanted to lean heavily into this might be the ex expectation of her, but she doesn't actually fall into that.

She doesn't want to follow those expectations. I wanted her to really fight against the system that raised her, but also fight against herself because she sees herself as one of these people, but she doesn't identify with their warmongering ideas.

Oh, that's a really interesting premise. I like that. So how much is you say you're you're like an avid reader and you've you've actually studied literature. So how much has that influenced your storytelling in the way that you write and the worlds that you set up?

It definitely I definitely like writing story stories about women. The main character is a woman. I know in my 2 self published books, there is a male there's 2 point of views and there's a male point of view, but I really lean heavily into, women and their stories. Within Liar Queen, there's also a, sisterly tension there because their sister's fighting. So I kind of I really like leaning into women and their relationships and their roles in life, not just as a mother or a sister, but as a queen or as a witch or as a, you know, assassin.

I mean, just women in roles that aren't just normal, but I also appreciate looking at the normal Yeah. Roles of a woman.

Yeah. So are are they based off of, like, historical representations of women, or have you twisted a little bit in your world? Like, the limitations that we see around women in our world, are there are they the same there? Or do you do you change that up? Like, how how what are the challenges, I guess, that your women face when they're they're in these, fantasy worlds?

So with, my with these fantasy books I've created so far, I'd really focused on just creating a woman that bucked whatever sort of limitation she had on herself. I didn't wanna see a woman necessarily, crumbling. Mhmm. Even though Mara and Lyric Queen does crumble a tiny bit. Mhmm.

I wanted to see a woman who could pick herself back up and not necessarily because a man helped her, but because she picked herself back up. So in that instance, in those books, that's what I the situation I put the women in is this is a really hard situation. You need to pick yourself back up.

Yeah.

But that's what I've worked on so far.

Yeah. And what what role do men play? Is it kind of the same issue of, like, a woman in power here has a lot of obstacles and historical views of how men see and treat them, right, versus and also, like, people, how people, view and treat them. Is that kind of paralleled in your in your world? Or are men, do they act differently towards women, I guess, is my question.

So in well, definitely in Liar Queen, I don't think it's in Liar Queen, the kingdom that Mara is in charge of, it's always a there's always a woman in charge. It's always a queen.

Oh, okay.

And she's always also very a good warrior, I guess. So in that way, I don't think women are seen as frail in, the jeweled realm, which is what she the kingdom she rules. The love interest, the man in the book, Boden, actually, he's very strong in typical manliness, acts of manliness, but I really wanted to, show a man that could be also gentle and kind and empathetic. So he's kind of her foil in that way and that he's the opposite of her. But

Oh, so she is more sympathetic than she is?

Yes. Very much so. But in that way, I really wanted to demonstrate, not that my sons will ever read the novel or won't for a long time, but I wanted to I wanted to create a male character that I could be proud of if my sons read it and realize, like, oh, here's a guy who yeah. Sure. He's buff.

He's strong. He can do cool stuff, but he's also understanding. He's also gentle. He's also kind. Things that I want my sons to exemplify as they get older.

Oh, that's interesting. So you do have a bit of a twist where she she is the one struggling to see where maybe sympathy like, like Yeah. What good is it for her. Right? Like and he's the one that's more sympathetic.

I I like that. That's interesting. Yeah. It it is interesting as a writer when you're a mother, when you dare to think if your kid reads this ever

Mhmm.

What will they think? And it it's hard not to let that influence. I it has I mean, I don't know about you, but I write closed door because I just couldn't get over my children possibly reading that. So it doesn't bother some people, but it it it bothers me once I find Yeah.

And I don't I mean, my middle son is a definite reader. He's like me as a kid. He reads advanced. He's in 3rd grade, but he can read, you know, 7th grade, 8th grade books. So I anticipate him picking up my book eventually because he's he's my empathetic old soul who loves supporting me, and he's talked plot lines with me before and stuff.

So I anticipate him reading it someday. So but I don't necessarily when I'm writing, I don't necessarily think of that when I'm writing the book. So No.

It would probably wear you down if you had to think too much about that.

You just start sounding like a mom was talking to you in the storyline. Wash your hands and brush your teeth.

And please pick up your shoes. Oh, my gosh. Yes. So this comes out, as the podcast goes out with, it comes out next week. So what has your and this is traditionally Liar Queen is traditionally published.

It's a small press, right? But what has your experience been, just between the differences? Maybe if somebody is listening who hasn't quite decided either way or hasn't experienced the other side. What what would you say the difference would be?

I definitely feel more not that I wasn't supported self publishing. I mean, I had my husband and I have writer friends who are have gone through it as well. But I felt like I had more support just because I had people in my corner who believed in the story as much as I did. When you self publish, it's a lot of self building. You gotta build yourself up because imposter syndrome is real.

Yeah. But then you also need to build your support group. Okay. But with Liar Queen, you know, it's kinda built in because you have a publisher that says, yes. I like this book.

I would like to put it out there for you.

Yeah.

So that has been fantastic. The connections they've made for me with, getting it, you know, edit an editor, a cover artist, things like that has been fantastic.

Yeah. Yeah. So you, worked with a different editor than what you worked with with your self published? Mhmm. Like, in that you're covered.

The cover is very cool. Sometimes were you happy with it?

I yes. I I definitely liked they wanted, like, you know, they asked for, like, a mood board kind of, like, to get ideas from, and the color scheme, was perfect because it was all these purple and grays, which I pulled from Alaska. We have almost all of not all of our wildflowers are purple, but, like, a majority of them are purple. We have, like, irises and lupine and wild geraniums. They're all that shade of purple.

So I really appreciated that they pulled the purple from it. And, yeah, I really like it. The hand sketched castle is really cool. So

Yeah. It's very cool. And I think they in this day and age of, you know, we definitely do judge a book by its cover, especially at least for like the genre, like, right. To pick it up and be attracted to it and want to read. Yeah, I like it because it's it it doesn't overwhelm you with romantic seed, but you can definitely tell it's a castle.

So it's like, oh, they did a really good job. I have seen some traditionally published covers that I'm like, I don't understand what

what this person When we talked about the yeah. When we talked about the cover, I said, I know that there's a trend. I know that there's a way that, fantasy with romancy mix. I know that there's a look to it. I I saw that I don't like it.

I just I've said I'm I don't want to blend in. I don't want to just, like, because you see one it's always the title is, like, big words and then there's, like, a motif around it.

Right. And

I said I just don't wanna blend in. I just don't wanna be one of those books. I would like it to look different. I'm okay with trying something different.

Yeah.

And they were happy to oblige, and I think it turned out great.

Yeah. And there are so many books out there now. So it's it's probably becoming more and more important that if your book is not even part of a niche to not even have a little bit of that on the cover. Right. And part of what goes into that is being up on all of the trends, which is exhausting.

So I'm sure. Exhausting. So I'm I'm glad that you're having a good, just a good time between the the 2 of them, between self publishing, but also traditionally published. I think that sometimes in the self publishing world, they tend to trash traditionally published, you know, route. And I always want to get really depends in it.

Everything has its give and take, right? Like you said, you have the support of your husband, and that's great. But then you can tell yourself, like, he but he doesn't know, you know, like

And he's, like, obligated. He has to. Right? He signed the paper a long time ago saying he would support me.

So It's like and you didn't even read the book yet, at least in my husband's case. I'm like, you're, like, 5 books behind. What do you know? And you can tell yourself that with the imposter syndrome, which is it is there is something about somebody else believing in your book that will give you that energy. Right?

But, like Yeah. That push to go, okay, I can do this. So so next week it comes out. Are you doing anything differently for launch? Are you learning, like, something that they do something different that you hadn't thought of?

Or is it kind of I don't know. It everything we thought of.

Well, there no. We're gonna do a launch party at a local bookstore. Well, it's not necessarily local. It's actually 3 hours away from me, but that's Oh my god. Biggest city.

It's the biggest city with, like, actual book. I mean, we have a tiny bookstore in my town, but

Okay.

It's Alaska. So that I mean, I'm used to it. So Yeah. But we are doing a book launch a few days after, 4th. And

Okay.

Yeah. They're gonna cater it. It's gonna be fun. Yeah. That's different.

I mean, I didn't necessarily have a launch party with my first two books. Yeah. I didn't necessarily want one. I kinda wanted to, like, let them quietly come into the world. I had preorders for them and stuff like that so most people knew.

But I wasn't, like, it wasn't big and flashy, and I was okay with that. Because I guess I just didn't have the I'm glad I have their assistance making this release big and flashy because

Yeah.

It's just not something I'm good at. It's not that's not my strength. So I'm glad I have their help this time.

Yeah. That is something to think about when you're deciding your publishing path. Right? Because if you don't have the strengths, like, I love the idea of maybe of a launch party, but that that's actually terrifying as well. Because if your strength is not in organizing an event like that, the chances of it failing are so much higher.

Yeah. It's a struggle. I'm trying to deal with it, like, breathe through it because it's like it is terrifying to me too. But I'm also one of those people that I just when something scares me, I just wanna dig in and do it.

Yeah. I wanna learn

to get over it. I wanna learn not to be afraid of it. Doing podcast was terrifying to me at first, and I just wanna dig in and do them and And

they're yeah.

Grow from the experience.

Right. I mean, in every I I really believe the more you do something, the the less terrifying it is. Right? And Yeah. With an assistant who's actually, you know, probably that's her strength is to organize stuff and, you know, drum up expectation.

Like, it's probably it's gonna go great. Right? So it's just understanding that as a as a self published, you're, like, on the hook for all of it. And it's a lot.

Right. Yes. It can

be a lot. Right?

It is a lot. And I know people who are fantastic at it, and I wish I could be like that. And maybe I could learn how to be like that. But I know at this moment in my life, that's not my strength. And I need, like, having Nicole and Kiera's assistance, having their back, like, having them support me and and stuff is fantastic for me.

Yeah. That is fantastic. It's, I think it's gonna go great next week. You're gonna have a really great time, I'm sure. So after you had one come out in October on your self published, and now you have Liar Queen coming out next week, February 4th, what do you have on the horizon?

Do you are you writing another one?

So I have, the second novel in the series outlined, and planned. I've I've put together a, a pitch for it for, the publishing house so they can look at it and make sure they want to push that one out too. So I have that, and then I have, another novel I'm working on that's, Gaslamp Fantasy, kind of about if the modern medicine if the world of medicine we knew it was replaced by more druidic magic system. Interesting. And kind of, what happens with that.

And would that be in your self published, do you think?

That one, I I don't know yet. I feel like that's something I could, I usually think about once I'm done with the first draft, and I kinda have a more feel for the story, and I can decide, like, maybe this has an interest somewhere else or maybe this is just a a passion project that I'm going to do myself. Sure. But I'm leaning more towards thinking that it should be traditionally published. I think it has a lot of, qualities that, a publishing house would appreciate and could find, push it out easier.

Yeah. Absolutely. And like you mentioned, you have to put together, like, a proposal. I think that sometimes something that, writers who are who say I'm I'm writing this novel and I want it traditionally published, aren't always aware of. So what is that?

Were you aware that you had to put like that together? And

So I knew when I signed on with them that they were they wanted to look at a second book as well. So I knew. But I had already when I wrote Lara Queen, I already knew that I had an idea for a second book and a third book. Like, it wasn't that wasn't new to me. I I had an idea.

So I assumed that they would want a proposal. So so I just kinda started putting a pitch together and, I wanted to have some words on the page. So I I'm trying to get several chapters in just so they can see how the story starts.

Sure.

But an outline is definitely necessary. They have to see where the story starts and ends if I'm not gonna give them, like, a full draft to look at. Yeah.

Yeah. That's that's what I was gonna say. Your your outlining has come in handy because, you know, the agent, even when they've already worked with you on one book, they won't they can't always just take a book on your word, right? Like, you have

to learn how it's going to go. Yeah.

Yeah. That is interesting. And it's good to know for anybody listening who wants to go traditional, you can't really pants your way unless you wait to have it completely done and then you drop the proposal. Right? Like, there's a lot more work to it.

I think most people, I think, have the the draft finished when they're querying for agents or querying small publishing houses. I think that if you get in a situation like I did where I signed and then they also have that caveat of, like, we would like to look at the second book too, that's when the proposal comes in because I mean, unless I can type up, you know, 80, 90,000 words in the next few months, I don't think I'll have a full draft for them to look at. So I have to have an outline at least.

Right. So you do have to sort of look into these skills that you've looked into of, like, can I put together learn how to do an outline or can I learn to do and proposals are pretty in-depth? So it's just Yeah.

And that's something I'm definitely learning. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. They're they're they're not easy. So as I tell everyone on the podcast always, like, it actually requires a lot of thinking. Like, writing a book requires a lot of thinking.

Right. And putting things together. But, but your your experience of learning to outline has probably really helped you with because proposals are like I always call them. They're like in-depth outlines. You have to think through the entire story.

Like, sometimes creatives don't wanna do that, but you have to because it's also a business. Right?

Right.

Right. So Liar Queen comes out. Is it gonna go wide? I assume it's gonna be published everywhere.

Yeah. I know, you can preorder now on Amazon. I know that for sure. And it's up on Goodreads, so you can add it to your to be read shelf.

Okay.

If you want.

That's great.

But, yeah, it should be wide.

So we are gonna put you are being, published by Golden Scales Publishing. So we're gonna put the link in the show notes below. Everyone will have about a week to either preorder or to just order it and get it. Yeah. It looks like it's from Barnes and Noble bookshop.org.

That is gonna be great. And then do you write your self publishing under your, under MTA Solomon, or is that a different pen name? Okay.

No. That's the pen name I use. I my actual name is the same as, like, a semi famous person. So all the online real real estate was taken. I was like, yes.

I have to change my name.

That is a good reason to just make a oh my goodness. That's it. So, you know, if anyone wants to start reading now, they can go get yourself published books. But everyone, the link will be in the show notes below to find Liar Queen to either preorder it. If you're listening this week, January 27th, or next week, February 4th, you can just order it straight away.

Thank you so much, MT, for coming and talking to us. It was it was fun to talk to you.

Thanks. Yeah. It's fine. I like talking craft and stuff.

Yes. Me too.