Rebel Ink Press Blog Tour (Interview & GIVEAWAY)

Rebel Ink Press is an independent bookseller with an intriguing roster of books and authors.  To learn more about what they have to offer VP of Business Affairs, Lila Munro, is here to talk about what's on the horizon for them.  Not only is Lila here for an interview but there's also a giveaway for you to enter.  So get comfy and join me in welcoming Lila here....

TSP:  How did Rebel Ink Press come about?

LM:  Rebel Ink is the brainchild of a few friends that thought they could do it and do it well. After batting the idea around a while, our owner E filed for an LLC and we were born. Seems like it should be more complicated than that, but it truly was that simple. E has a grab it and growl way about her. It was time and Rebel was born.

TSP:  How has RIP changed since its inception in relation to how the company markets itself and how it reaches out to readers?

LM:  This year our theme is Rebel Strong in 2012 and we’ve come up with some pretty innovative ways to get our name out there. We have blog tours planned all year long and are trying marketing through a bit of video trailer. I haven’t seen that done often if at all, and I’ll be sharing our new corporate video with you today created by our very talented graphic artist, Carl J Franklin. I think marketing is a matter of finding what fits and sometimes that can take some time.  Whereas before we marketed our writers first and foremost, we’ve now split the two in some ways in terms of equal air time. While I focus on marketing Rebel as a brand, Bethany Halle focuses on marketing the writers. It’s a two-front approach and so far is working very well.

TSP:  With so many other digital publishers out there, what sets you apart from the others?

LM:  Our personal service to our writers. Not many other small presses do what we do in terms of helping our writers market themselves. We have a great staff and Bethany Halle helps tremendously in her role as Public Relations Director. We set up chats, steer our writers into blogging opps, set up advertising and arrange release parties.

TSP:  Is there any specific genre that's most popular amongst those purchasing books from RIP?  And are there any specific themes/genres that appear to be gaining in popularity?

LM:  Right now the trend seems to be leaning toward m/m and BDSM themes, while paranormal seems to be taking a bit of a downtrend. Steampunk, fairy tales, and contemporary themes seem to be gaining ground, but the market is so fluid things could change rapidly.

TSP:  Do you have any special events coming up at RIP that you'd like to share?

LM:  Our 2012 calendar is full to overflowing with special events. We have author chats scheduled at several venues throughout the year. This year will see the start of excerpt Fridays on our blog, Rebel Reasoning, as well as some theme days that will see many of our writers participating. We have anniversary happenings planned for August to celebrate two years in the business and we have some spectacular holiday events planned. We’re very excited about the possibilities this year olds for us and our writers. For updates on these events readers can follow us on our website, http://www.rebelinkpress.com or on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/rebelinkpress , or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/messages/#!/rebelinkpress?sk=photos We also have a link on Facebook to sign up for our monthly newsletter.

TSP:  As a writer yourself, do you find it hard to keep your business hat on when dealing with submitting authors?

LM:  At first it was quite a juggling act doing both, but now it’s just a matter of time management, and to be honest I feel that my experiences as a writer myself make me more empathetic toward our writers, particularly new writers that may feel a bit like a boat without a rudder at first. That first leap of faith can be scary and understanding that goes a long way in developing a good working relationship.

TSP:  Is there anything you'd like to share about your own current and upcoming releases while you're here?  Any top secret info you can speak of?

LM:  Thank you so much for asking. I just saw the release of Assumed Identity, book 3 in my Identity series and am working on book 4, Assumed Master. Later in the year I’ll be releasing a brand new series that returns to my military roots, The Sergeants of Echo Co.

TSP:  My blog is all about your favorite things.  What are some of your favorite things, the things you can't live without?

LM:  Bubble baths, decaf coffee, and my day planner. Sometimes in combination.

TSP:  Thanks so much for being here and I look forward to many more releases from RIP in the future!

LM:  Thanks so much for having me over!

As a company, Rebel strives to provide readers with stories they want and while offering the services authors deserve. We're committed to good citizenship, fair business practices, and developing up and coming authors through editorial support, marketing and promotion--all of which help authors create their best works possible.

Our philosophy must be working because here we are a year later, Rebel strong! We now house over sixty writers and our inbox is a busy place. We currently have eighty plus titles available at ARe, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Coffee Time Romance and Bookstrand, and we’re looking to expand our vendor list in 2012. Our release calendar is full and our first quarter of 2012 is busting at the seams. In fact we’re looking to double our available titles this year. Our writers are gleaning rave reviews and several are bestsellers at ARe, to date they’ve earned twenty-one of those coveted silver stars.

At Rebel our promise to ourselves was to provide the Cadillac of customer service to our writers. Yes, our writers. They enjoy benefits under our roof not often offered through small presses, such as the services of a professional cover artist, marketing opportunities arranged through our public relations department, professional editing services by a half-dozen plus hand-selected editors, graphic arts help, and we have an in-house review coordinator. Our ARCs are sent out in advance of release to reputable and safe reviewers so we have feedback for our writers to grow on. As a result, we’re growing, too. By leaps and bounds.

Again we’d like to say thanks for hosting us today. If you have questions, please leave them in the comments section or email us at editor@rebelinkpress.com . We’d be happy to answer them.

**********GIVEAWAY*********

Prize is a $15 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter from the entire tour.

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE.

-To be entered, just leave a comment along with your email addy.

-Winner will be chosen from all comments made throughout the entire tour, so the more blogs you comment on the greater your chances of winning.  A list of participating tour stops can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 2/27.