An Interview with Author Dianna Dorisi Winget

Tell us about yourself.

Dianna Dorisi Winget is the award-winning author of seven novels for young readers and has spent most of her life in the Pacific Northwest. When she’s not busy crafting her next middle-grade novel, Dianna is quite likely to be stuffed in her recliner beside her beagle Stella, reading. Or she might be walking in the field surrounding her North Idaho home, spending time with her husband and daughter, tending her small garden, or taking a soak in her hot tub. Once in a while she does house work. She loves receiving and personally answering fan mail, doing Skype visits with young readers and researching her next project. You can learn more about Dianna and her books by visiting her website.

Tell us about your book. What is it about?

My most recent book is True As Steel. It’s the sequel to A Million Ways Home, winner of both the William Allen White and the Mark Twain Young Readers Award. Both books are about young Poppy Parker, a twelve-year-old girl who is being raised by her grandmother and enjoying a perfectly normal life until her grandmother suffers a stroke and ends up in the hospital. When Poppy runs away from the children’s home to visit her grandma, she ends up as the sole witness to an armed robbery and finds herself in a very unique form of witness protection. Needless to say, her life changes in almost every way imaginable. All of my books are middle grade, aimed primarily at readers ages 8-12, though I’ve received fan letters from readers as young as seven, and from many teachers and librarians as well. My husband actually reads all of my books and once asked me what makes them children’s books since he likes them. I had to explain that it’s based on the age of the main character, but that readers of any age can enjoy them. My books are contemporary realistic with the exception of Three against the North, which is MG historical fiction.

Who is your target audience suited for your stories?

Primarily young readers 8-12. I love writing for this age group! They’re not “little” anymore, neither are they anywhere near adulthood. They’re curious and generally possess open minds and a willingness to learn new things. But today’s kids grow up quickly and tend to be more “worldly wise” than kids of even a few decades ago. They’re especially quick to pick up on any attempts to talk down to them, so I try to be careful not to do that. One thing that helps me is a quote I read awhile back—the only real difference between a child and an adult is experience. On the other hand, there’s already enough darkness in the world, so I always give my books happy, hopeful endings. And I’ve promised my readers that no dog will ever die in one of my books.

Do you have a favorite character in your story?

Such a tough question since I love all of my characters, especially my main characters. But I admit to having a crush on Detective Trey Brannigan in my Poppy Parker series 😉

Are you currently working on another book? Is it the same genre?

Yep, I’m always working on another book. My greatest love will likely always be middle grade. But sometime I’d like to try my hand at romantic suspense. Did I just admit to that?

Do you find reviews helpful? Or intimidating?

I find reviews to be very helpful and I appreciate each and every reader who takes the time to write one. I wish more people would. I don’t think the average reader has any idea how helpful they are. And unlike some authors, I’ve been blessed to receive overwhelmingly positive reviews for all of my books. Of course, there’s the occasional reader who just didn’t care for a particular story for one reason or another. But thankfully, I’ve never received an unfair or derogatory review.

Why did you decide to self-publish?

My first two books, A Smidgen of Sky and A Million Ways Home were both traditionally published and I had a very good experience both times. Both novels won awards, and A Million Ways Home was selected for the Scholastic book fair which was wonderful. But then a long dry spell followed where all my books were being rejected for no specific reason that my agent or myself could figure out. It was especially frustrating to have young fans continually asking when I’d have another book available. It’s always been very difficult to break into the traditional publishing industry, but it’s actually gotten harder yet in recent years. I finally decided that I was going to try it on my own. It’s tough, for sure, but I was lucky to have the foundation of two traditional books and had already built up a small but reliable fan base which helped immeasurably. When it comes right down to it, most readers couldn’t care less who publishes your book—they just want to read it. 

Did you use IngramSpark, Amazon KDP, or another company to handle the printing and distribution of your book?

So far, I’ve only used KDP.

What parts did you do on your own, and what did you hire out to have done?

I always hire out my book cover design. I think that’s the single most important element, aside from writing a good story, of course, and it doesn’t pay to scrimp on it. Jera Publishing has designed two of my covers (Just Left of Lucky and The Hidden Power of Dandelions) and I always have them design my interiors as well, including my e-book conversion. I do the editing myself. I’m not necessarily recommending that, but my budget will only stretch so far!

If you could tell yourself anything as a younger writer what would it be?

That there are many ways of finding satisfaction and success as an author. A traditional deal is certainly one way. But sometimes it’s the little things that are the most important in the long run. A fan letter from a reader who was deeply touched by one of my stories. A scene that makes me laugh out loud as soon as I’ve written it. A character so real he or she speaks to me at night. Holding a newly published book in my hands. Those are all small things that make the effort worthwhile.

What motivates you as a writer?

I can’t not write. I’ve taken lengthy breaks before, like when I married into a step-family, and later when I gave birth to my daughter. But it always calls to me eventually. It’s just an integral part of who I am.

Do you try to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Both! I try to come up with an original (at least to me) idea and then try to present it in the way I hope will most appeal to my readers.

How old were you when you started writing? 

By the time I was nine years old I was watching my favorite TV shows and then rewriting the episodes to insert myself as a young character. I used to stash all my notebooks under my bed to keep them safe from prying eyes.

What marketing have you done for your book? What worked and what did not?

These are both huge questions with no easy answers. Even traditional publishers aren’t sure what works. My website is by far the single greatest marketing tool I have. Besides that, I run occasional Amazon ads, occasional BookBub ads. I send out a newsletter two or three times a year. I’ve swapped author reviews at times.

Did you start marketing before your book was launched? If not, do you regret that decision?

I usually start about one month ahead.

How do you use social media as an author? Has it worked well for you, or is it something you want to do more or less of?

I like Goodreads and have a fairly active profile there. But overall, I honestly don’t pay much attention to social media. It can be such a huge time suck and hasn’t ever done much for me as regards my writing. That said, I have come into contact with a number of teachers, librarians, etc. on Twitter and Instagram that have led to Skype visits and such.

Which platform do you use the most?

Goodreads

Any advice you want to pass on to other authors looking to self-publish their book?

Cultivate extreme patience and perseverance. Never publish a book until you’re sure it’s the very best you can do. By far the best thing you can do to find and cultivate a readership is to keep writing books. It wasn’t until I had three books published that I started to see some results. Series are great for that reason. Spend money on the best website you can afford.