Tell me a bit about yourself…. Hi Chris. Thanks again for inviting me. It’s been a wonderful journey, as an author of young adult fantasy. A journey I’ve been able to share with my three teenage daughters who have been my beta-readers, editors, and cover designers over the past four years. I have three novels published so far, as both eBooks and paperbacks available under Amazon. I’m currently editing the fourth book in the series, and I have a prequel which I’m releasing on an episodic basis under Kindle Vella. How long have you been writing? I took up writing fantasy novels about four years ago. At the time, I had already published one book as a traditional author. It was a non-fiction text, centred on a chapter of Cold War history. While I was happy with how it turned out, I really was looking for a different medium – something I could share with my daughters during their high school years. YA fantasy provided a genre which the four of us could mutually share and appreciate. They shared some of their favourite novels with me – and I, in turn, introduced them to some of mine. Fantasy gave me an opportunity, an outlet for writing down some of the stories and ideas which had been percolating in the back of my mind since I was their age. The three of them became my beta-readers and editors, providing feedback and criticism as I went. Did you use an editor? If so who? My daughters haven’t been shy about voicing their opinions. I’ve had entire chapters and characters which needed to be scrapped, rewritten, or added. Did you use a book formatter and cover designer? I format the manuscript myself. In an electronic age, it’s not that difficult if you follow a template. My middle daughter has been my cover designer for all the novels to-date. I’ll usually propose ideas for what I want to see, and she’ll collect the photographs and assemble the covers from there. Her sisters often served as models for the cover designs. Usually there’s a little give and take in terms of what I want, what she believes will work, and what she can deliver within the schedule constraints for a release date. Did you self-publish or get traditionally published? How did this go for you? Prior to writing fantasy novels, I had been traditionally published, albeit in a very different genre. The experience, however, gave me the confidence to edit and format for myself. YA fantasy offered a medium in which becoming self-published had become a viable alternative in the past decade-and-a-half. This was the positive side of eBooks and online retailers, making it possible for indie authors, who might otherwise never have been published, to become fulltime writers. I spent a lot of time studying some of those success stories and investigating what steps those authors had taken to make writing a profession and not just a hobby. Do you have any published books or articles? Tell me a bit about these and what publishing route you took. A large part of being a writer has to do with knowing your audience, and how to reach them. When I was writing non-fiction, for example, I published several magazine articles, and in some years earned more from articles than I did when I finally published my full-length book. For YA fantasy, on the other hand, I came to realize the successful indie authors relied on building a portfolio of novels which spoke to their specific brand. When I surveyed authors, large or small within the genre, it became evident that there was a direct relationship between the breadth of their portfolio and the success of each author. It was by no means a linear trade. Doubling the number of titles in their stable would typically increase their readership by a factor of four. The message I took away is that there are very few one-hit wonders out there. Success usually belongs to those who persevere and hone their craft long enough to earn it. How do you market your work and promote your brand? (Include links to share) The first, most important marketing investment an author can make will be in their cover image. Having an image which speaks to their genre is a must-have. As for the rest, it requires patience and time. I’ve experimented with various advertising strategies. Amazon Ads are probably an affordable option for authors just getting started. Facebook ads are not quite as effective, at least not when you start out, but they can be added to the mix and scaled up in the future. There are also promotional sites which can help, but the better ones require a minimum number of reviews before a book can qualify. The most important advice I would give on this count is to remain patient and persevere. One indie author whom I regularly follow reported that she didn’t break even as a writer until she had her seventh book published. As the adage goes, this is a marathon, not a sprint. What social media and writing platforms would you recommend? (includes links to share) I have social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as a blog which I use to post news and updates on my titles. https://www.instagram.com/jwgolan/ https://twitter.com/JWGolan1 https://www.facebook.com/JW-Golan-762059304141688/ Each author must find their own comfort point with social media. I’ve seen successful indie authors who rarely post online, and others who post daily. If it’s not something they enjoy doing as an author, it’s going to be more of a burden than a gain. Do you have a blog or website? (Include links to share) I post updates on my upcoming books regularly on my blog site, as well as resources for other indie authors. https://jwgolan.blogspot.com/ What inspires you most to write? I look forward to seeing how my writing will be received – how my audience, my own daughters among them, will respond to the characters and events. Turns of phrase which they will pick up on. Scenes or descriptions which they’ll react to. It’s that excitement which pushes me to see each novel through to completion. How do you plan your writing? I begin each book with a clear image of the beginning, the end, and a few key scenes in between. I will usually write those scenes first, while they’re fresh in my mind. Afterwards I’ll circle back to fill in the gaps in between. We call it writing, but the truth is that most of the time is spent in editing. My first draft is always very rough. I just want to get my ideas down. The second draft usually adds a lot of scenes and description to fill in gaps to the plot or character sequence. I don’t typically release the novel to my beta-readers until after the fourth or fifth draft. I’ll be at draft six or seven before I’m ready to publish. Is writing your full-time job? If not what else do you do? I work full-time as an engineer, so I don’t have to rely on writing to pay the bills. It would be a dream of mine, however, to one day earn enough to retire as a full-time author. What are you working on at the moment? I’m currently releasing A Wolf Before the Storm, a prequel to The Stormfall Chronicles, on an episode-by-episode basis under Kindle Vella. The story follows the tale of Callisto, who first appears in Book 3 of the series, in the decade before she became the assassin introduced as “little red.” You could think of the story as a recast version of “little red riding hood.” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QL999X5 It's a very different book from the others in the series. The Stormfall Chronicles is an epic fantasy, which means it has a broad cast of characters, each with their own story arc to follow. A Wolf Before the Storm, in contrast, is the story of one character, struggling to find her place in a hostile world. I am also editing the fifth draft to Book 4 of the series, which should bring the story arcs for the initial characters to a close. I expect to release the novel later in 2022. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZCZ139M It’s been a wonderful experience, committing the stories to paper, and I’ve enjoyed sharing that journey with my daughters. With the oldest now in college, however, I did need to bring the original story arcs to a conclusion. My daughters won’t have as much time available to beta-read or edit in the future. What is your target audience? My novels are intended as an escape from the convoluted, stressful world we live in today. Universal themes and archetypal characters, without the more graphic elements which we all see so much of from the evening news. In this regard, I’ve found YA fantasy to have a much wider appeal than the teen-to-twenty demographic which some might imagine. How long does it take you to write a book? I typically turn out about one novel per year. When did you first discover you enjoyed writing? Many of the stories and characters whom I draw upon have their origins in stories I crafted when I was myself a teenager, as a Dungeon Master assembling adventures for D&D with my friends. I found I preferred the creativity which came with the Dungeon Master role, and even attempted to write down the first of those ideas into a novel at the time. In hindsight, I was not ready then, to become an author. I needed more experience under my belt. It was also far more difficult to be published back then. There really was no practical road as an indie author at the time. The ideas never really left me, however, and continued to evolve and change over the intervening years. What do you think makes a good story? There are universal archetypes of characters and stories which people will tend to naturally gravitate towards. They are the types of characters which people expect to see, and if connected well, can provide a fresh take on an old idea. Random Fun Facts:
Thanks again for inviting me, Chris. It’s been a pleasure sharing with you and your readers.
1 Comment
5/23/2022 12:07:06 pm
Thanks again Chris, for the chance to reach out to your readers.
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AuthorAfter the outstanding success of his first children’s picture book, Comet the Red Bus - Around the City, Author Christopher Candy has continued to write the next book in the Comet the Red Bus series. Working full-time as a Manager for Tranzit Coachlines, Christopher has many years of bus-related experience that brings his characters to life. Christopher is based in the Tararua region and enjoys spending time with his partner, farm animals and pet dog, Tupance. You can see updates from Christopher, including new releases, giveaways and more, on his website or social media accounts. Archives
October 2023
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