Today, I’m excited to introduce you my friend Carrie Schmidt. If you’ve been around the world of Christian Fiction for long, you have likely heard of her either through her blog (Reading is My Superpower) or her efforts to help authors promote their books as co-owner of JustRead Publicity Tours.

Carrie has taken the information she’s gathered over the years as a blogger and promoter as well as some insights from other readers and bloggers and put them in a resource that every author, whether aspiring or seasoned, will want on their bookshelves.

About the Author

Carrie Schmidt is an avid reader, book reviewer, story addict, KissingBooks fan, book boyfriend collector, and cool aunt. She also loves Jesus and THE Story a whole lot. Carrie started the popular blog ReadingIsMySuperPower.org in 2015 and since then has had the honor of co-founding the Christian Fiction Readers’ Retreat and JustRead Publicity Tours. In addition to these endeavors, she is a regular contributor to Seekerville and has written for magazines such as RT Book Reviews and Christian Market. Carrie now lives in Georgia with her husband, though her roots range from East Tennessee to Central Kentucky and northern Illinois. You can connect with Carrie on ReadingIsMySuperPower.org, Facebook @meezcarriereads or @meezcarriewrites, and everywhere else social at @meezcarrie.

About the Book

Remember when Dorothy finally reached the Emerald City only to be halted by the Gatekeeper, blocking her hopes of seeing the Great and Powerful Wizard?

The path to publication is like that. Agents, and Editors, and Publishers, oh, my! Each one is a barrier between you and a publishing contract.

But what if you understood what agents, editors, publishers, and readers really want?

If you’re struggling to get past the publishing gatekeepers, this book will give you a behind-the-scenes peek at how to win the heart of each type of publishing professional. In fact, Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers won’t just give you a peek—it will give you a guided tour. In this book, four publishing professionals—an agent, a publisher, an editor, and an influencer—share what it takes to unlock each “gate” within the publishing industry.

Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers is a must-have resource for all aspiring authors, and it offers insights to help multi-published authors as well.

Purchase at https://gatekeepers.link/book or click on the book cover above.

Welcome, Carrie and congratulations on the book release!

Let’s start with a couple of “would you rather” questions. Would you rather write in a rooftop garden surrounded by city noises — or in a quiet studio with cows as your neighbors?

Carrie: Rooftop garden with city noises for 1000, Alex. Like, no question. I’m terrified of farm animals, especially when they’re not where they’re supposed to be (namely, far from me LOL).

 

Suzie: So, you probably don’t frequent 4-H fairs. 😊

Would you rather read a book with no page numbers or no chapter numbers?

Carrie: Ohhhhhh that’s an interesting question…. I think I’d rather read a book with no page numbers. I kinda do that anyway since I mostly read on my Kindle now. No chapter numbers just sounds all topsy-turvy haha.

 

Suzie: Agreed. As much as I’d like to read every book straight through, it’s just not possible. Not having a chapter to end on would make it more difficult to find a stopping place.

Alright, that’s enough of those. Tell us a little about you—family, hobbies, day job, or whatever you’d like to share that’s not in your bio.

Carrie: A couple of things that people may not know about me is that I love watching true crime shows (I heart Joe Kenda) and working puzzles (jigsaw or word) when I’m not reading or blogging. In my ‘real life’ day job (i.e. not book related lol) I listen to & score the speaking exams that internationals take to come to university in the States and/or work for an English-speaking company.

Suzie: What are three books on your current tbr?

Carrie: Midnight Blue by you, Irene Hannon’s last two suspense series (that counts as one book, right? LOL), and A Model of Devotion by Mary Connealy.

 

Suzie: I could maybe let you count one suspense series as one book, but two? You’re pushing it, lol. Body of Evidence by Irene Hannon is on my October tbr, too.

You are best known for your love of Christian fiction as a reader. What have you learned after a peek behind the publishing curtain?

 

Carrie: It is so much more work than just writing the book. I mean…. I knew that on one level because I work with authors to help them promote their books. But I didn’t realize, I guess, all the other ‘extras’ that authors need to do to help with a launch. It’s exhausting haha! But in a good way 😊

 

Suzie: And then what works with one book might not work on the next, so it’s an ever-evolving process we authors go through.

Tell us more about your contribution to Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers. What do you hope readers will discover in this book?

Carrie: Four authors contributed to Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers – an agent, a publisher, an editor, and me. In my section, I discuss how authors can find readers, win their hearts, and then keep them for life. I cover topics such as how (and how not) to approach influencers, what makes readers try a new-to-them author, how to make word-of-mouth work for you, and the importance of community in reader engagement. I know the four of us pray that this book is a valuable resource for authors who feel stuck, whether they’re still trying to publish their first book or trying to gain new readers for the ones they’ve already published.

 

Suzie: I love that readers are included in this book because a book doesn’t end with the release. It’s life continues through every person who invests their time in reading our stories.

In conclusion, how can we pray for you?

Carrie: That’s such a sweet question – thank you. Pray for wisdom as I balance ‘real life’ with ‘book life’ and, most of all, pray that I grow closer to Jesus every day.

 

Suzie: Now, that last one is a prayer all of us need.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I’m excited to dig into this book and glean some wisdom from what each author shares in their fields of expertise.