Today, we're chatting with horror writer Thomas Duder,
Tell us a little about yourself
and your background?
Hello there! The name’s Thomas Duder, Author of the
Things. My background is pretty
much covered in The Generalist, but for those who don’t know I’ve got quite a
history. I’ve worked hard, failed
much, but I have this hardcore streak of perseverance you see. It’s not that I can’t be stopped, I
just don’t stay down for long.
I’ve been writing for many years,
but have only been professional for the past four. Suffice it to say, it’s been a bumpy ride and there is still
much for me to learn and do.
I have an absurd love of heavy
metal, anime, manga, books, martial arts, and having a background in fighting
is an absolute must if you want to write the best violence out there.
What were you like at school?
I was actually a very good
kid. VERY good! I also only got two hours of sleep a
night, apparently.
I reckon I began my craft in the
chat rooms of AOL, but grew from there.
I was one of those lucky Generation X’ers who lived on the cusp of a lot
of technological progress yet still played outside.
Hell, we had MTV when it still
played music videos. Fancy that!
Anyway, I was a very good and
consistent kid. It wasn’t until I
got into college that I became disillusioned and violent, wearing the “black
flag” as it is as a response to that.
The “black flag,” ahhhh. If you look at my closet, you’ll note
that it’s a spot of absolute darkness in the heart of the world. Once I can afford clothes made completely
ventablack, I’m ON it, friends!
Were you good at English?
Very. I ended up taking English Advanced Placement in my senior
year, and pretty much rocked everything up until then throughout my high school
career.
What are your ambitions for your
writing career?
To someday defeat Stephen King in
the octagon to prove I’m the greatest action writer in history. I’ve heard that his ground game is
incredible, though, and I’m way better at standing.
We’ll see, we’ll see.
Which writers inspire you?
Oh GODS, so many! Chiefest amongst them are Robert A. Heinlein,
Stephen Barnes, Terry Goodkind, Neil Gaiman, Kim Harrison, Anais Nin, Raymond
Feist, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert R. McCammon, Anne
McCaffery…there’s a slew of works I’ve read over the years that aren’t as big
as these names, and they were all amazing.
This is exactly the kind of thing
that feeds into my own style, my own work, and it shows. Whenever I get compared to Neil Gaiman
or Robert A. Heinlein, it’s always the most amazing feeling ever.
Every writer I’ve ever read has
provided a little bit of insight to my own work, and each time I read a new
writer putting it out there…yeah.
That gets me freakin’ hype.
So, what have you written?
Here we go! One of my crowning
achievements right now is being published through Foundations, but it’s not as
if I’ve just rested on my laurels these four years! Amongst my current cheevos are:
-The Generalist episodic Taboos
0-3
-The Generalist Taboo X short stories
-The Omnibus Generalis Volume 1 (my previous crowning achievement)
-Killer 13 I-XI (an uber violent, extremely weird short story series)
-The Modern Times (a book of very angry worker-related poetry)
- [ - ] (pronounced “Minus,” a book of rather dark, emotional and raw poetry
and lyrics, with glorious artwork done by Melanie McCurdie)
- the action movie script “The Mook” (currently being reworked by Sierra Tyr)
-I’ve written countless lyrics for my band, Anubis Unit, and the main storyline
that lays behind the band itself and our characters
There are also a number of
websites I’ve made for my various other works as well. As an artist, I am not constrained only
to one medium, but they ARE all for the glory of my writing.
Hell, I’ve lost whole short
stories before, and have probably lost more material than some people have ever
written in their whole lives.
Where can we buy or see them?
Oh boy! So let’s get started with
this…the best way to find my works is to check out my various websites!
Do consider the following:
Give us an insight into your main
character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Main character(s), please. It’s very plural. To be honest, I’d say that hard work,
training, and overcoming lethal odds are what makes Frank and Dash so
overpoweringly incredible.
They balk at nothing, not even
one another, and their rivalry and friendship (as well as synchronized Advanced
techniques) are what really shines the most in the series.
Otherwise, it’s quite
simple. Frank is curmudgeonly and
grumps at everything. Dash is
curmudgeonly and grins at everything.
Both will stop and kick someone’s ass violently at the drop of a hat.
“Do the job, get paid, repeat.”
What are you working on at the
minute?
What AIN’T I workin’ on?! I just finished writing the script “The
Mook,” and am about to have one helluva busy week in October! I have an online convention to do, TWO
gigs at one of the biggest clubs here in Bellingham, WA, one of which will cap
off the charity event I’ve been working on for the past three months and, above
all, the public release of The Generalist - Taboo 0: Double Feature Show
through Foundations!
I’m very, very busy at the best
of times.
I’ve got on the backburner a few
projects that I plan on killing off once the Walpurgisnacht Jam is over. Consider this:
-Black Dwarf
-The Generalist - Taboo 3: Anger of the Angels
-The Generalist - Taboo 4: Auger of the Angels
-coworking some erotica/romance-action with Madame Francesca Silvers, a dear
friend of mine
-The Devil’s Dance
-A horror movie-action script, Hunting Grounds.
I’m very, very busy.
What’re they about?
Well, let’s go from the top!
-Black Dwarf is a hyper weird
short story series meant for Heavy Metal magazine. If they don’t publish it, I’ll publish it on my damn own.
It follows the breakdown of an
entire world as a strange gestalt protagonist goes about even stranger
misadventures to create a new prophecy that will supplant the old one for
reasons of his/their own.
It gets very strange, to be
honest, and allows me to use the term [JUGGERNAUT INVASION] as part of the
narrative. <3
-The Generalist - Taboo 3 and 4
are the middle part and ending part of the Angel Arc. Sorry, but yer gonna hafta wait ‘til they’re done! In the meantime, Taboo 2: Angle of the
Angels is already finished and slated to be published through Foundations. It’s gonna be good, yup!
-Nevermind the
erotica/romance-action. >:3
-The Devil’s Dance is a
semi-erotic action adventure urban fantasy which follows the main protagonist
as he bumbles his way through a city-wide fighting tournament filled to the
brim with sexy devils. That he has
no memory of his previous life and looks like a cuter version of the guy from
the devil’s ham cans doesn’t help.
It’s seriously a fighting title
about sexy people doing sexy things with a healthy dose of uberviolence thrown
into the mix.
A short story series that will be
exclusive to Patreon.
-Hunting Grounds is one of the
first movie scripts I ever wrote a full blown overview for. It’s taken me years to get around to
it, though, and for reasons The Mook came first. Now that I’ve proven I can write scripts, I’m going to
tackle Hunting Grounds in all it’s glory.
Ohhhhhh and it’s good. I don’t want to talk about it too much,
since it’ll give the “tweest” away, but suffice it to say once the twist hits
the movie goes full bore gorrorcore.
You heard me.
What genre are your books?
I write almost exclusively in
action adventure, urban fantasy. I
write the best fight out there, bar none.
I’m not saying my fist to face is superior to all other types, but I AM
a strong competitor if there was such a thing!
What draws you to this genre?
My own history with violence and
training. Growing up, I was
trained in a particular martial art since the age of 9. Once I went to college and my life
turned to utter garbage, I began to roam back alleys, nighttime streets, and
bars looking for fights.
I stopped being a martial artist
and became a brawler.
There was plenty more that I was
doing at the time (demon hunting, artifact exorcism, all kinds of fun), but I
cite this time of my life as being the most influential in my current choices
and activities. If it wasn’t for
having survived one situation after another and sticking to my principles, I’d
certainly be a different person today.
For me, violence in and of itself
is nothing more than a tool, like anything else. It’s all in how you use it.
There is truly a slim difference
between a hero and a killer, a saint and a sinner.
The other thing is that while
there are many writers who employ action in their work, there are few who truly
capture both the essence and the beauty of violent action. VERY few, in fact, but if you were to
read it you would certainly not the difference.
One of the things that attracts
me in reading (as well as writing, from time to time) is “purple prose.” The kind of writing that takes into
consideration the place of the warrior and the fighter in the world, the
difference between those who defend and attack, and those who would commit
themselves to violence and the reasons behind such a commitment.
Which actor/actress would you
like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
Oh BOY, gimme Michael Jai White
ANYDAY! Hell, give me The
Rock! Those two are Frank and Dash
all DAY friend!
How much research do you do?
Quite a bit. I have a very valuable group of beta
readers, literary geeks, and physics nerds who I’ll go to regarding some of the
more over the top scenes in The Generalist.
Have you written any other novels
in collaboration with other writers?
Well, I’m currently in the works
of writing two of them, I guess you can say. The Crimson Quartet with Ella Dominguez, and the Broken
Wards saga with Samuel Z. Jones.
I hold both writers in extremely
high estimation, and find them more than worthy enough to hang with me on such
a stage.
The only thing is we’re
roleplaying the works for the Broken Ward saga, and we recently took a small
six-month hiatus from such. Hey, if they could make Thieves World or Greylance
off of such play, so can we!
As for the Crimson Quartet, I do
plan on bothering Ella about it again.
We’ve both been rather busy with our own trials and tribulations, but
it’s just about time to grace this dystopian, vampire-soldier run future onto
the world.
NOW here’s the thing - I hate
vampire stuff nowadays. It’s
trite, boring, and a rehash of everything done before. Freakin’ me too and the gimme-gimme
table-scrap grab-ass business, I tell you.
With THAT stated, NO ONE has seen
vampire action like this! The
backstory is amazing, the timeline is incredible, and the characters are
interesting, plus Ella writes a mean sex scene.
I just write great mean, which is
why she wanted to work with me.
Why did you do decide to
collaborate and did that affect your sales?
For me, it’s one part bucket list
item, two parts I highly respect these writers and want to work with them. In both cases we’ve built these great
worlds and formats, just gotta get them done.
When did you decide to become a
writer?
Four years ago. It started with my blogging (which, by
the way, I’ve done tons of blogs and podcasts, none of which are very popular
but both were great experiences), namely my litblog, the original “The Pen Is
My Sword.” I one day flippantly
wrote a minor segment called “The Battle at Brownstone,” which occurs in Taboo
3: Auger of the Angels. At the
time I panned it around to some friends, and I can trust my people about one
thing - NONE of them are “yes men.”
When I got a resounding “you should do the thing,” I decided to just do
the thing.
Since then I have had absolutely
no regrets. Being a writer is what
I am, and to live this life…it’s incredible. Absolutely incredible.
Why do you write?
The sky is blue. Princes become kings. Tadpoles become frogs.
I write a great fight.
What made you decide to sit down
and actually start something?
I honestly don’t know. The very first thing I ever wrote was
an utterly, absolutely horrible book for my English Honors class. 300+ pages of double spaced dreck.
But I did the damn thing, and no
matter how successful I am or will become I keep it around to remind myself
that my very first serious attempt sucked that hard.
With THAT stated, if not for that
piece of crap…I probably wouldn’t be here doing this. No joke, no punch line, absolute truth.
Do you write full-time or
part-time?
It honestly depends. If I had my druthers, I would 24/7 full
time write. As is I kick out an
amazing amount of material in the time I have to do it.
I would like to, someday, pay the
bills with this. For now, let’s
get it goin’ and published!
Do you have a special time to
write or how is your day structured?
I write poetry and lyrics best
during the day out of nowhere. I
write prose and literature best at night.
I haven’t a clue why!
For the longest time I had to
feed my muse with “negative fugues,” a strange emotional state of absolute
despair and this feeling of abject failure. The only way to exorcise those feelings were to put them to
paper, writing these poems or blocks of prose. These bits of negativity would later become “Minus” ( [ - ]
).
Do you write every day, 5 days a
week or as and when?
I write when I can. I can sit down and blast out 30k words
in a single setting, I just need the time and knowledge that everything else is
taken care of.
It sucks being poor, but what can
you do? I’m at my best when I’m a
little stressed anyway.
Do you aim for a set amount of
words/pages per day?
Nope. I write, and that is all.
Admittedly before I start in on
something, I tend to be an “engineer” type. I’ll map it out, write a skeletal structure, make character
biographies and even write a chapter-by-chapter overview. Once I switch modes, though, I become a
“gardener” type and the story will write itself as it sees fit.
Do you write on a typewriter,
computer, dictate or longhand?
I simply cannot write without a
computer. If I could write faster
than 100 WPM, I would!
Where do the your ideas come
from?
Thin air. I’m not joking. Sometimes I’m hit by a lightning bolt
of inspiration, and I go from there.
The Mook, for instance, was
something that just went “bork” in my head and I started writing this
uber-badassed, uber-violent movie script.
I only now have a full backstory
to it, though much of it was fleshed out in the script itself.
As for The Generalist, I honestly
don’t know. The Battle At
Brownstone shows an awful lot of what the Generalist WAS going to be (with
Frank and Dash being rivals in artifact hunting and the Shop didn’t even
exist), only once I started writing it just made sense for The Shop to happen.
At some point in time you can
honestly expect Dash to make a reference to how he used to be a cabbie. :3
Do you work to an outline or plot
or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
Yes.
How do you think you’ve evolved
creatively?
I hate to admit it, but you can
practically read my evolution as a writer. As good as “Cliche of Memories” is, “Where’s the Beef” is
even better, and the Mayhem Arc is freakin’ amazing.
The stuff I’m writing for the
Angel Arc is blowing it out the freakin’ water.
I don’t know if that’s good or
not. I’ve honestly thought about
doing what Feist did and perhaps re-writing Taboo 0, but I honestly can’t.
I’ve tried, and y’know what? It’s good.
It’s hella good, and the perfect
introduction to the world of The Generalist.
For now, this is exactly what
it’s supposed to be. To me, that,
too, is creative evolution.
Otherwise I haven’t really done
any better since then. I still
write great scenes of over-the-top, breathtaking violence.
What is the hardest thing about
writing?
Having to focus on other parts of
the industry. You have NO idea how
happy I am that Foundations has discovered me! The hardest part, right now, is realizing that I don’t have
to do certain things like formatting or marketing as madly as I did these past
four years.
What was the hardest thing about
writing your latest book?
Nothing, it’s freakin’ awesome.
What is the easiest thing about
writing?
Everything. I’m lucky - I never suffer from
writer’s block, y’know? I also
don’t need things like NaNiMoWri to motivate me to write.
I sit down, I write.
I write the things. You read the things. This is what makes for a great, stable
relationship.
How long on average does it take
you to write a book?
I can kick out 50,000 words in
about a month or so. It’s taken me
longer in the past simply because of all other points of life, y’know?
Now once the bills are paid and
I’m able to just focus on the writing….ahhhhh.
Heaven to even think about.
Do you ever get writer’s Block?
Nope!
Any tips on how to get through
the dreaded writer’s block?
I haven’t a clue. Discipline? Perhaps drink warm milk and try not to think so hard about
stuff?
I want to write “just don’t get
it and write stuff,” but that might be a bit too pretentious even for me!
If this book is part of a series,
tell us a little about it?
The Generalist! My flagship series, my vanguard
title! It takes place in a Neo Los
Angeles of near tomorrow (2017, technically next year!) 12 years after a
cataclysmic event known as the “Havoc of 2012.”
The Generalist follows the
violent misadventures of an organization known as “The Shop,” a paranormal
goods and supernatural services store set in the exact heart of Neo-LA. The Shopkeepers fight constantly
growing foes in order to secure their place as Neo-LA’s #1 bouncers, thugs,
killers, slayers, and more.
They wear many hats, but they are
very competent - upon being hired, they don’t stop until the contract is
completely fulfilled.
The only problem is that this
also brings them many enemies, naturally, some of which aren’t even in the
series canon but, rather, the “Taboo X” side story series. One of my favorites is “Interdimensional
Villain’s Day,” a designated day (every third Monday of each month) where the
Shop, representing the entirety of Earth, has to face every possible
Interdimensional Villain wanting to take over the world.
They’re all the same, and the
Shop usually has them fill out paperwork and queue up to take their turn
getting drummed on. It’s not that
the full-plate armored Villains are that weak, it’s that the Shop is that
powerful.
Honestly, this isn’t the kind of
book where you’re going to read about the rise to power for them but, rather,
the Shop flourishing in it. There
are avenues and inroads of power and technique they have yet to reveal, and
there are many reasons why…above all, though, is the overarcing storyline that
also exists, uniting each episodic Taboo with one another.
Namely, what a particular
character is doing, one that had disappeared shortly after the Havoc of 2012.
The Generalist is the kind of
series where I can present “alternative lifestyles” and living arrangements
without being too annoying about it.
Sure there’s romance, sexual tension, even scenes of lovemaking or more
(when two empaths combine on the psionic level, it’s a beautiful thiiiiiing),
but honestly?
It’s all about the fighting,
friends.
What are your thoughts on writing
a book series.
This is both the worst and the
best advice I was given early on in my writing career. Honestly, the modern day methods of
literature really does benefit from a series form than anything stand
alone….but!
I’ve read TONS of really, really bad ones too.
Just sayin’, that’s what our
modern times brings us. It levels
the playing field and gets you out there, but it also allows absolute and
utterly horrid work to be seen, even flourish, as well.
Do you read much and if so who
are your favourite authors.
I wish I had more time to
read. It’s my one regret to being
a professional writer.
There is simply not enough time
to read everything that I want to!
For your own reading, do you
prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I do both, to be honest. There is nothing like curling up with a
paperback book in your favorite chair, coffee or hot chocolate nearby and it’s
raining outside.
It’s even better if you can do it
with someone else!
What book/s are you reading at
present?
The Baron Moruna by Samuel Z.
Jones, and I have a slew of them in my Kindle App. I just killed off
Chainfire by Goodkind, finally, and I always, ALWAYS, have either 1984
or Gone With The Wind nearby.
I will probably reread Robert A.
Heinlein’s works until I die.
Do you proofread/edit all your
own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I do two rounds of editing, then
I send it off to an editor. The
hardest lesson I had to learn was that EVERYONE needs an editor, no matter how
good you are or think you are.
Period. Fullstop.
Get an editor.
Do you let the book stew – leave
it for a month and then come back to it to edit?
Nope! As soon as I’m done with a work I go into my Editing
Phase. Shortly afterwards I shoot
it off to my beta readers, who all pride themselves on their own editing skills
and being able to catch inconsistencies in my work.
I try not to give them much to
correct.
From there I do a second round of
editing, some discussion with the beta readers to point out where I’ve fixed
things and how, then I fire it off to my editor. It may take a round (or even three), but we DO get it
professionally done and up to the level!
Who edited your book and how did
you select him/her?
In the beginning, for the first
four books and some-odd short stories, I worked with Adele Symonds, an
absolutely wonderful editor and a woman I’m glad to call my sister. Due to her physical ailments, though,
she had to sadly pull out of the industry.
Though it was with a heavy heart,
I’m not one to really stay down - I had met and tagged a particular editor
through another writer, the horror maestro Tim Miller. From him I snagged Elizabeth Robbins,
whose style is incredibly compatible with my own.
Strangely enough they have very
similar editing styles…but do NOT let them know I said that! I appreciate and approve of both for
their own reasons.
Tell us about the cover/s and how
it/they came about.
Originally I envisioned having
these character shots where you never see the full face. Just, like, from the lips down.
Then Jade did her thing and I
loooooved it.
Who designed your book cover/s?
Jade Flowers from Jaded
Shots. She’s very exclusive, and
only really works with me.
I dig that. :D
Do you think that the cover plays
an important part in the buying process?
OHHHHH BOY, yes!
How are you publishing this book
and why?
This originally started as an
indie published work, but Foundations is giving me the opportunity to reach a
whole new market and a slew of new readers.
I am a hybrid artist, but working
with Foundations is an obscene joy!
I’ve craved this kind of thing since I was in high school, and y’know
what?
I’m contracted and published, yo!
They can’t take that away from me!
NO ONE CAN TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME!!! D:<
What would you say are the main
advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the
other way around?
If you don’t have money or luck,
you’re going to have a bad time. A
very bad time.
It’s the downside to the indie
market - no matter how good you actually are, it’s NOTHING without
marketing. Even then, the worst
part is that most brick and mortar stores (which SHOULD be the backbone of our
work) won’t carry you without a “buy back” clause. Let’s not even get started about libraries - unless you know
someone or ARE someone, you’re not gonna get stocked.
There are ways and there are ways
around these issues, but the problem is each time it succeeds for a would-be
author the places spackle it over so it can’t be done again. Consider, if you will, the writer who
simply left their books at Barnes and Nobles shelves after figuring out their
ISBN was in the system already.
Perhaps it was a glitch, perhaps it was a hack, whatever.
Do you think it’ll happen
again? Hell no.
Same thing with writers simply
leaving their books at a library - it’s going to get caught and sold, thrown
away, or given away.
Each time the rules are broken or
bent, it makes it a little harder on all of us. With that stated, things ARE going to have to change, and
probably soon.
Either outlets like Createspace
or Lulu are going to have to address this situation or I foresee writers simply
shifting to digital only…and even that will bode ill, since the industry does
best when we address all formats.
Limitations will gain us nothing
in the industry, I tell you.
How do you market your books?
I’ve tried so many things and
have watched each attempt fail.
Takeovers, groups, viral content, Twitter, Facebook…it’s gotten to the
point where I pull back simply to focus on my writing.
I’ve tried marketers, PR people,
hell I even hired a guy from Bangladesh on Upwork once to at least take over my
pages and free my time up that way.
That ended pretty disastrously as
well.
At this point, word of mouth is
the only thing that even works consistently anymore.
Why did you choose this route?
Which one? I’ve done it all. All I CAN do is keep goin’ at it,
thinking outside or even inside the box.
Would you or do you use a PR
agency?
I’d love to use one. If you can hit me up with one, please
do!
Do you have any advice for other
authors on how to market their books?
Despite my grumping, try
everything. If it works for you,
great! If it doesn’t, don’t waste
time doing it - try something else entirely, or come at the situation from a
different angle.
What part of your writing time do
you devote to marketing your book?
Too much, to be honest.
What do you do to get book
reviews?
Bother people. A LOT. I have yet to pay for a review, but I’ve had a few that were
“hey, read this for free and leave a review, yeah?”
Otherwise I’m looking at a few
services. Kirkus, for instance,
which can also get me plugged into magazines and newspaper journalist types.
At least I hope so.
How successful has your quest for
reviews been so far?
Next question.
Do you have a strategy for
finding reviewers?
Nope. I simply ask, and constantly remind my newsfeed that I need
reviews. Reviews are life, reviews
are love!
What are your thoughts on
good/bad reviews?
I actually have none, and try to
accept all reviews, either good or bad.
You HAVE to have a thick skin in this industry, and if you don’t…well.
Leave.
As for troll reviews, I’ve only
ever had one and the little jerkass pushed me into the top 40 for the first
time for Amazon’s “action” genre.
While I’ll never approach the comment section of the Funimation page and invite
those weeaboos to ever read anything that’s not a freakin’ manga again, I do
yearly give thanks to that bandwagon jumping idjit.
Any amusing story about marketing
books that happened to you?
Y’know, I’ve had a LOT of fun
doing conventions and selling books.
I do especially well in Portland, at the convention center - I have yet
to NOT sell out there!
On the other hand, I’ve had
absolutely dismal sales at conventions at the Doubletree Hotel, for some
reason.
One time I was hanging out at an
afterparty scene, and noted a guy who was sitting alone in front of one of
those huge windows. This was,
like, on the fifth or tenth floor and there was a great view overlooking the
city, right?
So I walk up to the guy, who
looks up at me. I nod to him and
say the following:
“Y’know, this is the part of the
movie where someone comes up to you, an absolute stranger, and tells you
exactly what you need to hear.
Perhaps it’s a secret mission, or just words of encouragement. But this is not a movie, and this is
not that time.”
He nodded to me and went back to
looking out the window.
I still think I accidentally
tipped off a CIA ghost or somethin’.
What’s your views on social media
for marketing?
Don’t do it. Twitter sucks, Facebook sucks,
everything sucks. Unless you have
money.
Then do it to it, friend!
Serious, I have practically a
complex regarding Twitter and Facebook honestly and consistently freakin’
censoring and suppressing my posts.
It’s gotten to the point where I don’t do events at all anymore!
Which social network worked best
for you?
Facebook, despite my
complaints. I have a pretty well
developed feed there, and the people who get hype over my work are there.
Any tips on what to do and what
not to do?
Do everything, keep whatever
works.
Did you do a press release,
Goodreads book launch or anything else to promote your work and did it work?
I have, and nothing works. I’m hoping that’ll change soon…but man.
It can get frustrating.
Did you get interviewed by local
press/radio for your book launch?
Unless you have a following, they
don’t want to have anything to do with you. It’s hard out here, friend!
Is there any marketing technique
you used that had an immediate impact on your sales figures?
Nope. Fiverr turned into a wreck.
Did you make any marketing
mistakes or is there anything you would avoid in future?
Honestly, just saving up a couple
thousand dollars and completely bypass Fiverr and SEOClerks, or even
Upwork. NONE of these places work
for virtual assistants, social media marketing, or anything else beyond photoshop/visual
graphics work.
Just save up a couple thousand
and try to find a PR firm/marketing group that can get you read by Oprah or
something.
Why do you think that other well
written books just don’t sell?
It’s all about the
marketing. Every industry, not
just literature, is geared so that only that which sells the best is
represented the best…and it’s a horrible thing to consider.
The cream does not rise to the
top.
The first thing you have to
recognize, and this is speaking from a man mired in at least TWO industries, is
that you need more than just talent.
Talent alone will not guarantee you success, nor will hard work.
Mostly it’s networking, sometimes
it’s blind luck. It’s almost
always good marketing and handling your network resources.
What do you think of “trailers”
for books?
Like anything else, they can be
an incredible way to introduce people to your written work.
Do you have a trailer or do you
intend to create one for your own book/s?
I’m actually having one worked on
that’ll be done soon enough. Just
gotta get it dooooone.
Do you think that giving books
away free works and why?
Yes and no. Honestly, it can be a great way to
introduce people to your work…but there are far, far too many entitled types
who believe ALL creative work should be free or, even worse, paid in
“exposure.”
When exposurebucks pays the bills and helps me live, I’ll totes accept it.
Did you format your own book?
I did, and got quite good at
it! Now I get to leave that up to
Foundations, freeing me up SO MUCH TIME!
I’m not even joking, it’s a freakin’ blessing!
It took me a solid month, A
STRAIGHT FREAKING MONTH to finish and publish the Omnibus Generalis Volume
1. I look forward to not having to
do that ever again!
In what formats is your book
available?
Digital and physical copy.
If formatted by someone else, how
did you select them and what was your experience?
I’m giving it to Foundations and
never thinking about it again! If
all I gotta focus on is writing and interacting with my readers, all the
better.
How do you relax?
>:)
What is your favourite
motivational phrase.
“No.” - Grumpy Cat / Tarder Sauce
What is your favourite positive
saying?
Asking why you’re writing it as
“favourite” instead of “favorite.”
What is your favourite book and
why?
The Generalist: End of an Era.
The novel that will cap off the
24 episodic taboo run of this series. :3
See you then!
What is your favourite quote?
“There is money in chaos/there is
money in division/there is money in race/there is money in religion” - Anubis
Unit, “The Mean Measures of Today”
What is your favourite film and
why?
There’s so many to
cooooount! Let’s say…Shoot ‘Em Up,
yeah. Definitely inspirational
when it comes to action and great music!
Where can you see yourself in 5
years time?
Beating Stephen King in the
octagon to reign supreme as the heavyweight champion (writer) of the world.
What is your favourite movie and
why?
…wat? :V
What advice would you give to
your younger self?
LEAVE. YOUR PARENTS ARE GOING TO TURN INTO IDIOTS WHEN YOU TURN
18. JUST FREAKIN’ LEAVE. DO NOT GO TO A COLLEGE IN CALIFORNIA.
AT THE SAME TIME DON’T GO TO NEW
ORLEANS - HURRICANE KATRINA IS GONNA KICK EVERYONE’S ASS.
JUST GO TO A COLLEGE IN
WASHINGTON OR SOMETHING.
DO NOT STAY IN CALIFORNIA.
LEAVE.
Which famous person, living or
dead would you like to meet and why?
William Shakespeare, so I can
show him what the current world of literature looks like.
Wait, no, Martin Luther King, Jr. so I can show him how badly he’s misquoted
nowadays.
NO, wait! I know, George R.R. Martin so we can
both flip his fans off.
Wait, wait, noooo! I know! Ted “Bully” Theodore “Goddamn”
Roosevelt, so we can take over the freakin’ world together.
Roosevelt/Duder 2016
A vote for us is a vote to kick
the entire world in the ass.
And the saddest part is that I
can say all three of these guys for the same reason - because I’m a sadist.
If you could have been the
original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
Honestly, my ego won’t allow for
anything less than my own works.
Why would I want to do anyone else’s stuff?
What advice would you give to
aspiring writers?
Just write. Write and let everything fall where it
shall.
That manuscript you’ve been
thinking about writing for the past two years? Stop kibbitzing and write the damn thing.
Those notes you’ve been compiling
for a decade? Stop it. You’re fine. Just write it.
The difference between a true
author and a person schlepping around is all in taking that ultimate step and
just writing the damn thing.
Write. That is all.
…oh, and stay out of my
genre. I’ll freakin’ gank you.
Where do you see publishing going
in the future?
Hopefully not in the garbage
bin! The bubble for e-books have
long since popped, and we’re all rolling around in the wreckage of the
aftermath of a nuclear bomb. We
NEED to get indies onto physical shelves and properly represented, but so long
as writers are treated like serfs…well.
I do hope things get better.
NOW, what would be nice is what
happened to me - using the indie market as a way to get into the traditionally
published realm, and perhaps even vice versa. As a brand, life is best when we can cover every angle and
provide for our readers, whether that be digital, audio, physical copy, or even
standalone apps.
Is there anything else you would
like to add that I haven’t included?
Stay in school. Brush your damn teeth. Learn how to cull people from your life
if they’re being toxic, and keep your focus on getting things done.
Don’t talk shit about what you’re
going to do, freakin’ DO it!
How can readers discover more
about you and you work?
To listen to some great tunes and
see what else I’m about, check out Anubis Unit too~!
Be kind and leave a review! Doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad,
just let it be honest.
No matter what it is you’re
doin’, do it to the best that you can and then some. Kick freakin’ ass, friends!
Thank you very much for taking
the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
