We are back with another monthly dose of inspiration.
In this must-read interview, you can pick up some insights about self-publishing, book cover design, marketing activities, and other book-related topics.
This time we’ll be hearing from Dakota Krout.
Dakota is a best-selling author of The Divine Dungeon and The Completionist Chronicles series.
He has been chosen as Audible’s top 5 fantasy pick of 2017 and the top 15 bestsellers on Amazon. Dakota’s programming background helps him use logic and critical thinking when it comes to both his writing and his business.
Together with his wife, Danielle, he owns and operates an indie publishing house, Mountaindale Press.
Enough with the chit chat. Let’s get started.
Dakota, you are not only a successful writer but also a founder of the indie publishing house. Why have you decided to create Mountaindale Press?
While I was writing, I found that not only did I enjoy reading my books, I really enjoyed publishing them. My wife, Danielle, and I are now working together, and we enjoy doing the research on the genre, on marketing, on covers and content. Since we enjoy the research and marketing aspect, and we know that so many others do not, we wanted to share our expertise and help others get into a position where their books would reach others.
What is your most significant achievement as a writer so far?
My most significant achievement as a writer is hard to pinpoint. In terms of writing, I love to see that my books have thousands of amazing reviews. As a businessman, I am incredibly excited that my books allow me to be a full-time author and owner of a Publishing House. As a person, I love that I am able to help other authors get into an advantageous position in life.
What are your main current goals in your writing career?
My main goals are to read enough books, and generate enough content, that I can focus solely on writing in the future. What I mean by that is making sure that I have no debt, and a stable enough income to support my family.
We are impressed with your author marketing activity. What first steps did you take when building your author brand?
The first steps are always research! While much of what we do is novel, there’s so much crossover between what we do, what small businesses do, and what large businesses do. Between studying them, taking courses to improve ourselves near continuously, and watching the genre to better understand it, I will go back to the start and say that research is very important!
Dakota, what do you think is the role of book cover design for indie authors?
“Never judge a book by its cover” is a lie that never ends! While the interior of the book might have the most amazing words ever written, if no one opens it to read them, does it matter? A beautiful book cover design brings people in, and only after they take that first step does the content of the book matter.
You have recently published the “Ritualist”. We’ve seen your engaging pre-launch campaign, even a pizza giveaway. How do you organize book pre-launch?
That’s hard to say! We change our process regularly, always aiming to improve the next time we release a book. From giveaways, to live streams, contests, and free books; we are changing all the time.
What are your favorite book marketing strategies?
I love getting out and engaging with fans. I like to go out and have live streams, answer questions for people who are reading the books, and learn how I can do better. I’m always looking for a better way to get eyes on my series, so that other people will start reading. A brilliant cover helps that a lot!
A huge thank you to Dakota Krout for sharing his experience and ideas with us.
Everyone needs a pep talk now and then. So we hope you enjoyed reading our interview with Dakota Krout.
Which part impressed you the most? Drop your ideas in the comment section below.
