We were lucky to catch up with Crystal L Barnes recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Crystal, really appreciate your meeting with us today to talk about some particularly personal topics. It means a lot because so many in the community are going through circumstances where your insights and experience and lessons might help, so thank you so much in advance for sharing. The first question we have is about divorce and how you overcame divorce and didn’t allow the trauma of divorce to derail your vision for your life and career.
I’ll tell you right off that my response to this question is probably not what you’d expect. The day my husband walked out in the fall of 2004 I crawled up on my bed, bawled my eyes out, and told God that I forgave him. In that instant, I heard the audible voice of God. It was so loud and clear that I looked up at the ceiling. He spoke three words that I would hold onto for the next 12.5 years. He said, “He’ll be back.”
I clung to that promise until I saw it come to fruition in June 2017. A month later, my husband and I were remarried. We’re coming up on seven years now. 🙂
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I wear many hats. I’m a child of God, a born-n-raised Texan, a wife, a senior caregiver, a multi-published hybrid author, and an independent publisher. In 2011, God called me to write, so I began to learn the craft of writing and pen tales to entertain and encourage readers. In 2012, I was a semi-finalist in the ACFW Genesis contest, which was a real confidence booster. After becoming a finalist in a short story contest and having my winning manuscript published in an anthology in 2014, I decided to stick my toe into independent publishing (“indie” publishing for short). This was back when indie publishing didn’t have as good of a reputation as it does now, but I was determined to make my book look like every other traditionally published book on the shelf. I was meticulous. I agonized over every part of the process. I designed the cover, did the interior paperback formatting, the ebook conversion—all of it.
In November 2014, the first book of my Marriage & Mayhem series, “Win, Love, or Draw”, was born. (On a side note, God used this book to help my husband and me as we worked on reconciling together.)
I remember I was so thrilled to take that first paperback copy with me to my writers’ group. Little did I know that I was springboarding myself into a side job that would benefit multiple authors. The first of which was my friend Janice Thompson. When Janice saw how “traditionally published” my indie-published book looked, she was shocked and asked if she could hire me to help get backlog of books republished on Amazon. I said, “I guess so.” That was the birth of my author services business, which took the name Better Way Publishing LLC in 2021.
For the last decade, I’ve helped authors and small publishers with interior paperback/hardback formatting, eBook formatting/conversion, cover design, mentoring, upload assistance, web design, and more. I’ve also taught many of these skills at multiple writer events.
In case you couldn’t tell, I love helping authors make their dreams become a reality. 🙂
Now, I can offer clients the opportunity to have their books translated into Spanish at a very reasonable, competitive price. 🙂
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Hmm… 1. A devotion to God.
God has put so many tools in my basket, many of which I didn’t know I needed until I needed them. Once I started on the path to becoming a writer, I thought I’d never use my degree in Computing Science or my minors in Accounting and Management Information Systems. It turns out I use them all in one way or another, not to mention the different people He’s brought into my life to help me along my way. If you put God first, He can open doors no one else can open.
2. A desire and willingness to help others.
I find I’m happiest when I’m able to be a blessing to those around me, whether through my books or helping others get their stories/messages out to the masses.
3. Perseverance and self-discipline.
I first learned these skills as a competitive gymnast, but they have applications in so many things. Honestly, I’m still learning them, and to me, they go hand-in-hand. Like they say, the only time we truly fail is when we stop trying, so keep on keepin’ on.
How would you describe your ideal client?
Well, if you’re a reader, the ideal person would be someone who enjoys inspirational historical romance.
If you’re a writer and are serious about wanting to get your manuscript published, if the traditional publishing route hasn’t worked for you, or if you want more control/say in the publishing process, I’m here to help. Also my company now offers Spanish translation services, so if you want your book translated at a very reasonable cost, please give me a shout.
Contact Info:
- Website: crystal-barnes.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterwaypublishing
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betterwaypublishingllc/
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/booksbybarnes https://southernstylerecipes.com/
