Thomas White began his career as an actor. Several years later he found himself as an Artistic Director for a theatre in Southern California and the winner of several Drama-Logue and Critics awards for directing. As Tom’s career grew, he directed and co-produced the world tour of “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out Of Their Shells”. The show toured for over two years, was translated into seven different languages and seen by over a million children. Tom served as President and Creative Director for Maiden Lane Entertainment for 24 years and worked on many large-scale corporate event productions that included Harley Davidson, Microsoft, Medtronic Diabetes, and dozens of others. The Siren’s Scream is Tom’s second novel that follows up Justice Rules which was nominated as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2010 Literary contest.
Tom’s latest book is the mystery/horror, The Siren’s Scream.
Visit his website at www.thomas-white-author.com or connect with him at Facebook.
Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?
At first, I did very little research. I was re-working the mermaid mythology and had a pretty good understanding of it and the direction I took required me creating more of the mythology. However, once I got into the story, I had to do quite a bit of research on the early 20th century in regard to architecture, fashion and everyday life.
Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?
I vehemently pursued publishers for my first book. I had a file of almost 70 rejections. Along the way I went through 3 literary agents, all of whom had faith in me and all of whom left the business for marital reasons, 2 marriages and one divorce. Finally, I self-published and the novel, Justice Rules ended up as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association Literary Contest, one of 8 finalists out of 2,800 submissions. I ended up selling almost 3,500 copies and when I went back to those same publishers, nothing. My favorite response was, “If you had sold 10,000 we might be interested. I thought, if I had sold 10,000 I wouldn’t need them! With The Siren’s Scream I skipped the frustration and went directly to self-publishing.
If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?
One of my strongest beliefs about self-publishing is maintaining the professionalism of the craft. You have to put out a professionally edited and crafted book. The great thing about self-publishing is that authors who deserve to be read can get their work out there, the bad part, anyone who has written sixty pages about their summer vacation can also get out there. It is up to the author to maintain the highest standard of publication. So, to answer the question, yes, I hired a company that helped edit, correct grammar, design a book cover and create a web site. I was VERY dissatisfied with the results. I ended up re-designing the cover myself, editing their mistakes in editing, and having a ton of trouble moving forward with the process. They did create a nice web page, that I mostly designed myself, but next time around I will do things differently. They finally got my work up online for sale but I am still dealing with them for the errors that were made and not yet corrected. Next time I will subcontract each of these elements and put it together myself.
If self-published, how did you determine the price?
I went shopping. There are so many different organizations out there and my feeling was that they were preying on each author’s ego to get the book done. I thought I had found a trustworthy group but I was very wrong. Will not use these services again.
Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?
I re-wrote this book probably 15 time. I started it 20 years ago, re-wrote it, finished it, re-wrote it again and finally shelved it. It was what I called, my practice novel. After I released my first novel, Justice Rules, I took another look at it. There was a decent story that was lacking a hook and the writing was awful. I scrapped the whole thing except the outline and re-worked it again. This time I was successful in creating something different and exciting with a nice ‘catch’.
Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book? If so, what’s the link?
I didn’t hire anyone, I did it myself. I am the recipient of 7 Telly Awards as well as several other video production awards and have the programs and experience to do it myself. Here is the link. https://youtu.be/QlD-pdXYy
What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?
I believe in getting my work out there to a point. I have donated copies to silent auctions and have given away copies to reviewers etc. I am not a fan of Kindle Unlimited. Having someone read my book for free and then more on down the line does nothing for me. I am looking for reviews and feedback along with the very distant possibility that I could make a living as a writer. Giving away my work does not really move me in that direction.
What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?
The first and most important thing is to have your work professionally edited. It is the authors responsibility to maintain the professionalism of their work. The second thing is to create an eye-catching cover, something that not only tells you about the book but jumps off the self at you. The third thing is to create a strong online presence. A well-done website, online outlets such as Facebook, Twitter etc. are also a must. And along with this online presence there must be links to be able to buy the book. Every book sold moves you closer to making a living as a writer.
What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?
The first and most important thing is to have your work professionally edited. It is the authors responsibility to maintain the professionalism of their work. The second thing is to create an eye-catching cover, something that not only tells you about the book but jumps off the self at you. The third thing is to create a strong online presence. A well-done website, online outlets such as Facebook, Twitter etc. are also a must. And along with this online presence there must be links to be able to buy the book. Every book sold moves you closer to making a living as a writer.
What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?
What are the three most important things when buying real estate? Location, location, location. What are the three most important things to do after you’re published? Marketing, marketing, marketing. There are many different ways to do that but using all of them are very important. Services like PUYB are one of the most effective ways. Dorothy has created a virtual book tour that exposes your work to an entirely different audience than you will usually have. The next most important thing is to continue to market! Do online interviews, get yourself invited to guest on podcasts and radio/TV broadcasts, promote your website every day. The third most important thing is to keep marketing, are you with me here? Don’t stop! Everyday do something that exposes your work to the world. You become a best-selling author one book at a time. Thomas-white-author.com
Do you have a long-term plan with your book?
I have been told my many that this will make a tremendous movie. How I can make that happen is a mystery right now but I am working in it.
What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?
The Siren’s Scream is a fun thrill ride through an old mythology. You have never seen the lore of the siren that explains origins and motivation. Sirens sit on the rocks and with their song lure sailors to their death. Why do they do that? Are they mad at the sailors or just a murderous bunch? The Siren’s Scream lets you know why!
Inside the Book
Title: The Siren’s Scream
Author: Thomas White
Publisher: Savvy Books
Pages: 492
Genre: Mystery/Horror
An old mansion sits
atop of a cliff, overlooking the ocean, in Santa Cruz, CA. A young
realtor, Darcy Wainwright, manages to sell the dilapidated old house to
Henry Childs, an obese nebbish who is obsessed with the property. In the
backyard is a pool. Not an ordinary pool but a giant tide pool. In the
tide pool is a siren with an evil agenda for revenge.
The Thornton Mansion
was a talisman for the death and mystery that surrounded it. Unoccupied
for years until Henry Childs was summoned by the house. As directed, he
reached out to unsuspecting, novice realtor Darcy Wainwright. Darcy
finds herself intricately involved with the house, its history and the
haunting tide pool that filled the backyard. It was the pool that
beckoned her, and it was the pool that would decide if she lives or
dies. The Siren’s Scream. Available on Amazon.
Release Date: October 5, 2022
Publisher: Savvy Books
Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1088067819; 480 pages; $21.14
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TEz7kx
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sirens-scream-thomas-white/1142494493?ean=9781088067819
Purchase your copy at the author’s website: https://thomas-white-author.com/
Title: The Siren’s Scream
Author: Thomas White
Publisher: Savvy Books
Pages: 492
Genre: Mystery/Horror
An old mansion sits atop of a cliff, overlooking the ocean, in Santa Cruz, CA. A young realtor, Darcy Wainwright, manages to sell the dilapidated old house to Henry Childs, an obese nebbish who is obsessed with the property. In the backyard is a pool. Not an ordinary pool but a giant tide pool. In the tide pool is a siren with an evil agenda for revenge.
The Thornton Mansion was a talisman for the death and mystery that surrounded it. Unoccupied for years until Henry Childs was summoned by the house. As directed, he reached out to unsuspecting, novice realtor Darcy Wainwright. Darcy finds herself intricately involved with the house, its history and the haunting tide pool that filled the backyard. It was the pool that beckoned her, and it was the pool that would decide if she lives or dies. The Siren’s Scream. Available on Amazon.
Release Date: October 5, 2022
Publisher: Savvy Books
Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1088067819; 480 pages; $21.14
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TEz7kx
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sirens-scream-thomas-white/1142494493?ean=9781088067819
Purchase your copy at the author’s website: https://thomas-white-author.com/
