M.J. Rose made history when she self-published her suspense novel, Lip Service, which then became the first Web-published book to be selected by the Doubleday Book Club. M.J. has appeared on "The Today Show," and was covered recently by Time Magazine (Time Select/Business; January 24, 2000 Vol. 155 No. 3).

Interview with M. J. Rose

January 25, 2000 Internet Relay Chat (irc) at iuniverse.com

Net Author: Net Author welcomes M. J. Rose. You have been quite a ground-breaker for writers in the electronic medium. How has the ride been so far?

MJ: Thank you. It wasn't intentional. My book had a life of its own. And the ride has been just wonderful.

Net Author: Sometimes, when a new author "bursts" on the scene, it seems a bit like instant success to some people. How long have you been writing for publication?

MJ: Some instant success... it took twelve years for me to have a book in print.

Net Author: Yes. It rarely seems instant to the author, I suppose. Would you do it all over again?

MJ: I would do every thing exactly the same way except getting my own merchant account. No one who could order my book from amazon wanted to order it from my site. Not much of a change.

Net Author: This refers to your self-publishing days. So, you'd do that differently?

MJ: At the time, there were no e-publishers, so I had to do it all myself. And this was only a mere two years ago. In cyberspace, time is all warp speed.

Net Author:
Yes, we've seen a sea-change in the industry. Do you think that accounts for the sudden interest in the print medium for e-published books?

MJ:
I think the biggest reason the print medium is interested in e-books is because they are going to solve a whole lot of problems for them. Mainly warehousing and returns, which both eat into profits drastically. In reality, very few print publishers have picked up any authors from the e-world.

Net Author:
But not because they feel threatened by small e-publishers?

MJ:
No, they are not feeling any threat. That is something that I believe the e-publishers want to believe. What kind of threat can a small e-publisher be to a big house? Certainly no greater threat than a small press can be.

There is a truism in publishing. Readers do not by books because of the imprint on the spine, they buy books because of the author.

Net Author:
We, at Net Author, await the answer with baited breath. I'd like to ask a few questions about MJ Rose --the person-- do you mind?

MJ: Sure go ahead.

Net Author:
Tell us about your interests, outside of writing. Are there any lifelong passions?

MJ:
I studied art and very much wanted to be a painter. But I'm afraid I wasn't very good. I do however spend endless hours in museums. And reading has always been another passion, but lately I haven't been able to read even a quarter of the books I want to.

Net Author: It sounds like curiosity is a major personality feature of MJ.

MJ:
Yes... I suppose that's true and astute. You'd know that from reading my novels. I think if I had to pick another profession, I would become a therapist.

Net Author: So, psychology holds some attraction for you than?

MJ: In fact the main character in my new book is a therapist. And my best friend is a therapist.

Net Author: Well, I look forward to that. Are you involved in other professional endeavors, besides writing? For instance, do you have a "day job?"

MJ: Not any more, writing is now my day and night job.

Net Author:
Most of us hope for the day we can say that. You've published Lip Service under a nom-de-plume, right?

MJ: Yes, and now everything I publish will be published under MJ Rose... my real name is not only too hard to pronounce, it's too hard to spell. And much too hard to remember when you walk in a book store.

Net Author: The book is strongly sensual, and deals with a controversial subject. Is that part of the reason as well?

MJ: No that's not the reason. It was when I put it up on the web and self published it, but when I had a chance to change it before Lip was printed I chose to keep it MJ Rose. It really is a more memorable name. Besides, its part of my mother's name and I keep it to keep her alive in a way..., she had such total faith in me and died six months before the book was finally, after all those years, sold.

Net Author: That is very touching. Your mother would be very pleased with your success, I'm sure.

MJ:
Thanks.

Net Author: Has a pen name caused you any problems?

MJ:
No, no problems with the pen name. I like it... I can talk about MJ as if she is another person and be much more pushy as MJ than as Melisse..

Net Author:
Are you often asked for advice by aspiring writers, MJ?

MJ:
Good Golly yes. I've gotten over 1000 letters asking for advice. That's why I've written a non fiction book. The Secrets Of our Success - how to publish and Promote on line with over 500 links.

Net Author:
What are the usual questions?

MJ: My coauthor is the owner of Booklocker.com, a big epublisher. Everything from how do you write a book to where do I get an ISBN to how to look for a publisher....

I've even gotten asked out on a few dates :).

Net Author:
Are there any "boilerplate" answers?

MJ:
Well there are for where to get an ISBN... and actually for quite a few questions..

Net Author:
What single piece of advice would you offer a struggling author?

MJ:
I can't answer that because every single struggling author has a different issue that they are dealing with. Some can't get published, some can't finish a novel, some can't get started.

Some are such perfectionists they keep writing the same novel over and over.

Net Author:
I've always been partial to the advice Winston Churchill gave: "Never, never never... give up."

MJ:
Yes, that one is great. But it wouldn't work for the guy who is rewriting his novel for the fifteenth time in fifteen years because he's so nutty about it being just perfect.

Net Author:
So writers have to identify their own issues--no shortcuts?

MJ:
Oh I wish..., but no, no shortcuts. Not in life either, I think.

Net Author:
You have a very experiential approach to life, don't you?

MJ:
I had no other choice. My life never quite went the way it was supposed to.

Net Author:
I'd like to hear more about that. Did you have a "life plan?"

MJ:
Yes, from the time I was very young I wanted to be an artist and a writer. But it took me till my mid forties to make half of that happen. But my agent says I paint with words. My writing is very visual so I'm told. And I like thinking that's true.

Net Author:
You still paint, I take it. Yes--I was just going to observe that you do paint quite a picture. I was fascinated by your work.

MJ:
Blushing - thanks...,

But no, don't paint with paint or brushes anymore.

Net Author:
MJ, is there anything you'd like to say to the Net Author denizens?

MJ:
I'm really bad at those open ended questions.

Net Author:
We are always interested in anything having to do with the subject of "E." Any opinions on e-publishing in the future?

MJ:
Me too. I cover e-book news for wirednews.com and am totally fascinated with it.

Opinions, yes....

Ebooks are going to be another form, no different that paperbacks, hardcovers or audio books. There will be a small subsection of books that will be better as e-books - travel books with links, cookbooks, text books, books like my nonfiction book with 500 live links. I think in fiction you will eventually see stories that have links to back stories, and photos of the characters houses and a the music they are listening to etc. But that will take a while to evolve.

I think e-books and the Internet Will make such significant changes in publishing form a financial point of view - in that it will eliminate returns and warehousing, that publisher will have more money to spend developing authors. Won't that be nice?.

Net Author:
Yes--more profits for writers?

MJ:
Profits for the authors that are profitable. Stephen King doesn't get advances anymore, he shares in the profits...,

POD (Print On Demand) is right in there with why these changes will take place. Kiosks in book stores where you press a button and the computer prints out and binds the book you want in a matter of minutes. Nothing will go out of pint.

Net Author:
How about literary books? And what do you see for the future of "e-readers?"

MJ: E-readers as in the devices?

Net Author: Yes.

MJ: Yes, the devices will get better, more sophisticated and cheaper. I'm personally waiting a year 'till the end of the year to buy another e-reader.

Net Author: Well now, there's a warning. I guess we'd better rewrite that first book twenty or thirty times, then.

MJ:Well that's the great thing about e-books, you can go back and edit and no one has to reprint.

Net Author: Very good! Never goes out of print--always available for instant revision!

MJ: Yup.

Net Author: I want to thank you for passing a pleasant and interesting hour.

MJ: No, thank you. It was fun.

Net Author: MJ, we wish you continued great success. We'll be reading about you again soon in Time Magazine.