Welcome to the AdultFic interview book. Inside you'll find interview sessions with inspiring authors posted each month, as well as helpful hints for readers and writers alike.
With several books published on multiple platforms, this month's featured writer, alycecaswell, shares with us her experiences in self-publishing. Read until the end to find out what her advice is for writers thinking about publishing their own books.
Meixia:Hi Alyce! To start things off, can you choose three words that would best describe yourself and tell us why?
Alyce: Writer. Tea aficionado.I live and breathe writing. And tea is the fuel that helps me through the most trying of drafts!
M: While reading your profile, I noticed you're a self-published writer. Can you tell us more about how you got into writing in general and self-publishing in particular?
A: I started writing at the age of four when I happened across an empty notebook and a pen — and I haven't stopped since! As for self-publishing, I realised early on that what I was writing (sci-fi/fantasy/romance/family saga) was too weird for traditional publishing. So I decided to self-publish instead.
M: What would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing as opposed to traditional publishing?
A: Traditional publishing has gatekeepers (agents/editors) who are looking for mainstream ideas they know how to sell. If you can write what they want, great. But if you can't...self-publishing has no gatekeepers. This can be a bad thing — because anyone can self-publish a book and some of them are awful! It's hard to gain the trust of potential readers if they've been burned before.A self-published author wears all of the costs (cover art, editing, marketing, etc). But they also get 100% of the profits. This is what makes self-publishing so attractive.
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M: In addition to self-publishing, what made you decide to post your works on Wattpad as well? Is there anything about the community you particularly like?
A: When you self-publish, you have to do all the marketing yourself. And posting links on Twitter or Instagram is like shouting into a void — everyone else is doing it so it's hard to stand out. Posting PG-13 versions of my stories for free on Wattpad seemed like a better way to find readers and to prove that my work is worth buying.I really enjoy the community here. Everyone is so friendly and much more willing to give unknown writers a chance.
M: Now on to your book Strathpine Island, which is featured as our February Book of the Month. You mentioned in the introduction that Strathpine island is entirely fictional. I was curious, however, and did some Googling. I found a Strathpine national park in Queensland, Australia. Is the story inspired in any way by that location?
A: I chose 'Strathpine' because I wanted a name that sounded Australian but also because it's a vague hint about which island inspired my story. When I visited this particular island a few years ago, it seemed to me that its people were full of contradictions — they wanted all of the benefits of being part of Australia without actually joining Australia. Their very survival relied on tourism but they hated tourists. It was such an odd place. Eventually they were annexed against their will and this made me wonder if there were circumstances that would make an island want to give up their sovereignty.
M: One thing that enjoyed most about the tale, aside from the humorous banter, is its epistolary format. How did you come up with the idea of writing a story using emails to drive the narrative?
A: When I sat down to write this story, the first character's 'voice' I heard seemed to be talking AT people rather than TO them. I decided that an email format was perfect for him. The other characters soon followed suit.
M: Although there were several instances when the exchanges among characters were humorous, I couldn't help but think there were serious, societal issues you wanted to convey with the story. Can you tell us more about this?
A: As a Millennial I often feel that my generation is unfairly labelled as 'entitled'. I actually think this word applies to a certain type of person in every generation. My story was partly inspired by the behaviour of people who insist they're superior because they aren't like 'other generations'. But we're not that different.
Another issue I wanted to address is how being close-minded can leave you vulnerable to manipulation. I believe everyone should have access to a wide range of information so they can recognise when they're not hearing the full story.Lastly, when you live in a nation state you give up certain things as part of the social contract. You lose some of your income and your freedom (e.g. taxes, you can be imprisoned, you may not be able to leave the country or marry the person you love), but in return you get welfare, health, roads, safety, etc. Is this a fair exchange? Should you be getting more in return? Who gets to decide that? It's something I think about a lot!
M: Without spoiling anything, if there's one thing you want readers to take away from the story, what would it be?
A: Everyone has an agenda, no matter how 'good' they seem. So whenever you see something happening in the news, you need to ask yourself, 'Who benefits from this? And why?'
M: Is there a story you're currently working on? If yes, can you introduce it to us in two to three sentences?
A: I'm currently editing the next story in my self-published sci-fi/romance series. A goddess decides she needs a bodyguard and so enlists the services of a mortal. You can guess what happens next ;)
M: Lastly, if there's any advice you'd like to give other writers who want to go into self-publishing or publishing in general, what would it be?
A: Research, research, research.
Read the other books in your genre. Have a look at what they do. See if they do anything better or worse than you. Know where your book sits in the bookstore, especially if you're querying agents and editors. If you can give them comparative titles then they'll have a better idea of whether or not your book is right for them.As for self-publishing, figure out who you want to sell to and find the best way to reach them. Research the costs and jot down the sums you can spend on cover art, editing and marketing. Never spend more than you can afford.
