Frequently Asked Questions

Who are you?

A short Biography

Will Zeilinger writes mystery novels that range from 1950s hard-boiled to contemporary. His short stories have appeared in the anthologies: Haunted Tales: Stories From Beyond the Grave and Murder U.S.A.
Will has a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, and worked as an art director, graphic designer, illustrator, and photographer for more than 35 years.  Before launching a writing career, the only writing he did was advertising copy.
He lives in Southern California where he co-writes the Skylar Drake Mystery series with his wife Janet Lynn, and is a member of Sisters in Crime/LA and California Writers Club, Long Beach.

Will took novel writing classes and joined writer’s groups, but what has helped him the most are his friends who are the published authors who mentor, encourage, critique  and listen to him while he continues to learn his craft.  Finding time to write while life happens is a challenge but he finds a way to work at writing at least one or two hours a day.

 

What time of day do you write best?
Will writes from 6 or 7 am for at least one hour (two if he can swing it) every morning – and that means every morning.  It is so easy to get out of a routine. Writing has to be part of your everyday – just like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast.

• Where can we find your books?
  All my novels are available on Amazon.com in print and for Kindle, at Barnes and Noble.com for the Nook, iTunes for Apple iPads and iPhones, at Kobo.com for that device, and at smashwords.com for all other Ereaders in EPub, pdf, rtf and various other formats. If you live in the Long Beach California area, Will's books are also available at Gatsby Books and at the Signal Hill Public Library.
  
  

• Why did you choose to self-publish
  For years I have been going the traditional route of sending out queries, sample chapters and complete manuscripts to agents and editors, but in the months and years it takes to get responses (and rejections) my novels could be on the market.
  With changes in technology and the rapid decline in traditional books and bookstores, E-publishing and specifically self-publishing is the only viable choice.
  

• Would you do it again?
  Yes I would.  Even several published authors I know are converting or offering their latest works as Ebooks. They also find it advantageous to put their backlist (books no longer on store shelves) online as Ebooks. This avenue gives them more control over their properties. Some are abandoning traditional print books altogether.

• Please share some advice to help future authors.
  Self-publishing requires the same diligence and care that traditional publishing does. There are no shortcuts to a great story.  Be brutally honest with yourself and accept criticism of your work.

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