READERSVOICE.COM: How did you go about contacting bookstores or getting Zeus books sold through stores or placed in stores?

SANDRA L. ROGERS: Getting books into bookstore takes time and patience. There are so many titles on the market it’s swamped.

We have regular stores that we have been dealing with for years and they constantly order from us. We have a marketing girl and she sends out advance information on all our titles to over 300 book stores. We contact various stores to see if they will do book signings and many of our authors have had great success at these. S

ome people are under the impression that publishers just place (give) their books to stores. Book stores have to want to buy them, they have to order the books and publishers can’t force them to do that.

RV: I like the way firms like Zeus cater for authors that might get excluded from mainstream publishing. Roughly how many titles have Zeus published since the firm started?
SR: We have published about 650 paper books to date.

RV: What are some books that have done particularly well in terms of sales?

SR: Our best sellers in no order would be: Pawn of War by Rudi Stiebritz. The Gatekeeper and the sequel Rudigor’s Revenge by Richard Blackburn. A New Chapter by Dana Mrkich. Who Killed Leanne? by Graeme Crowley & Paul Wilson. Prime Minister’s Bodyguard by John McArdle. Alcohol and Pregnancy by Elizabeth Russell. Cholesterol and the French Paradox by Frank A. Cooper.

There are many more that have done well over the years; these are just a few.

RV: What are some of your most recent publications and what are they about?

SR: Black River Bright Star, Hazel Phillips’ autobiography was released several months ago. Most people will remember Hazel as a fabulous television and theatre actress back in the 60s. Her story is an amazing journey through the entertainment industry; a must read.

Another recent release, a true story with a difference: Hurry!! Wife Sleeping by Susan Pamela Brooke. The author worked as a receptionist in brothels and you can imagine her stories! This is a hilarious good read and she’s been getting some great publicity. You should interview her!! For lovers of Australian history (written as fiction) Jacklin: a convict’s story by Victor King is a worthwhile read. Also I would recommend a new title by a young talented first time author: Calumny While Reading Irvine Welsh by Simone Bailey. The story of Martha, a young girl from a dysfunctional family who causes an elderly woman to fall to her death on an escalator. It’s a good read.

RV: Other than Zeus books, what books have stuck in your mind over the years?

SR: Going back many years the most memorable book I read was Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. I think it was my Russian blood that made it all the more interesting for me. Another book was The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough; like Zhivago it was a long read but one you never forget.

RV: What would be the most common number of copies an author might request of a paperback published through Zeus?

SR: When authors publish with Zeus they receive 15 free copies and after that they can buy copies at a special discount rate. Some authors buy 10, 20 or 50 while others have bought 100.

RV: How did you meet the other staff at Zeus?

SR: The staff that work for us have come from advertisements we placed in the newspapers or recommend by others.

RV: Do you still write and what projects are you working on?

SR: About four years ago I studied screenwriting and since then I have turned from novels to screenplays. I enjoy writing scripts more than large novels. At the moment I have just finished the first draft of a script; an idea adapted from a part of my first novel. This will be my fourth full length feature screenplay. I hope to pitch it to the US, as it is high budget.

I have a website in progress “filmscripts4U.com”.

RV: What’s a typical day at Zeus like?

SR: A typical day at Zeus would be hectic! Lots of coffee! And a sense of humour!

See www.zeus-publications.com.

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