Interview with National Best Selling Author Angela Winters
October 3, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Interviews
Angela Winters is a prolific writer, and blogger. She has written quite a few books, mostly focusing on the African American Romance genre. Her novels include over eleven titles including Only You, Sweet Surrender, Island Promise, A Forever Passion, and many others. Winters is also a screenplay writer who has received commendations from Scriptapalooza, Benderspink, American Accolades, aTalentScout, The People’s Pilot, Energy Entertainment, Script Magazine, Acclaim TV, Hollywood’s Next Success, and Fade In Magazine. Winters also runs Politopics, www.politopics.com, a blog that focuses on “Centrist Political Commentary from a Black Perspective.”
What inspired you to become an author?
Angela Winters: I’ve loved writing since I was a kid. I always knew what I wanted to be. I was a pretty solitary person, so writing was my communication.
What were some of the biggest obstacles that you faced when you began your career?
Angela Winters: Finding a new publisher when I wanted to change genres. My publisher was only interested in romantic suspense, which I had been writing. I wanted to move into mainstream family saga, but not a lot of publishers want to take that chance. It took a while.
How long does it generally take you to go from an idea or concept to a finished novel?
Angela Winters: A little more than a year depending on the schedule of the editor.
How long have you been blogging and what prompted you to start blogging?
Angela Winters: I started Politopics in Sept 2004, because I wanted to participate in political conversations and I felt there weren’t enough black blogs at the time.
There is a lot of content on your politopics.com site, how often do you blog?
Angela Winters: I’m currently on a hiatus, but I usually blog big 2x a week and ad hoc 3x a week. I rarely blog on the weekend. By “blog big” I mean post a lot of blogs with commentary. Ad hoc is just quick posting with a quick comment or no comment with an excerpt from the article.
What do you feel are some of the main creative differences between your previous written work and your blogging style?
Angela Winters: Writing fiction puts you more in control. Blogging, you have stay within the confines of the topic. Also the immediate feedback in blogging is different. You have to write with this in mind.
What are you currently doing to promote your blog? Any tips for all those bloggers out there?
Angela Winters: The best thing I did for my blog is guest blog on more popular sites. I emailed the blog owner, asked them to check out my site and asked to guest blog. People liked it and then came over to my site. Also offer to cross promote. I will quote from your blog, and you quote from mine with the link.
How do you think your own political views and ideas are shaping politopics.com?
Angela Winters: As I have evolved, politopics has me looking at issues differently. Comments with another point of view challenge you. Also when you know other people are listening, you research more before you post. I found that I am no longer as conservative as I used to be.
If you had to give a new blogger any key pieces of advice what would that advice be?
Angela Winters: Don’t be afraid of criticism. Also, spuce up your blog sometimes with an out of place topic. Read other blogs like yours and comment on them with a link to your blog. Build relationships with other bloggers. It will come in handy some day.
As long as we are on the topic of advice, what advice would you have for that new novelist trying to get that first novel published.
Angela Winters: Join writers groups. You will meet other authors who can refer you to their agent or publisher. Enter writing contest. Even if you don’t win, agents and publishers are judges and they might like you. When you approach an editor have a full concept, meaning know your audience, have good marketing and publicity ideas. Have examples of books like yours that have been a success. You’ll look more professional and publishers like writers who want to be involved in the process.
