The Author Interviews: Round 4: #3: E. Rachael Hardcastle
If this interview were an episode of Friends, it would be 'the one where I interview myself'. It occurred to me earlier today that after three rounds of interviews, I haven't yet answered these questions myself! So, here goes...
- download my free book here.Who is your favourite author? Why?My favourite author is Mitch Albom. His books are beautiful and meaningful and magical. I always feel like I want to be a better human being after finishing one. I want to share the messages and lessons within them.Where do you get your ideas?My ideas come from our future. This is based upon the actions humanity takes today. I read the signs and possibilities and interpret an outcome. I look at a timeline and expand alternate realities, asking 'what if?' then write a story. That's why my work always explores a possible 'end of the world' scenario (Aeon Infinitum) or a spiritual resolution to our planet's problems (Finding Pandora).Why do you write?Let's get real. I write because it's what I'm good at but I write to prove my worth, too. It's self-therapy and always will be, but not in the way a journal entry is. I'm an introvert, so in school I wasn't 'popular' or overly present in social groups. I was fairly quiet and kept to myself. I didn't date often, and I lived in books, in studying and in a small group of friends.It was obvious I wouldn't be famous through acting, singing or anything that involved being the centre of attention, so I chose to write. I figured I'd get popular in a sense that way. and I could live an extrovert's life through my protagonist whilst at the same time feeling like a 'somebody' every time I saw my book in another's hands.It's a sad explanation, but I also write because I enjoy the creative process and telling stories. I like entertaining people the way I have always been entertained, and it's my way to live forever. I get to pass messages and lessons on to others even after I no longer exist - how cool is that? Not bad for an introvert, huh?How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?Like most others I expect. Not well, at least not at first. I'm upset when I see a negative review or a criticism. I've had my fair share of rejections and unfair comments.I once had my 50,000 word fantasy book rejected by a publisher because they 'didn't read poetry'. I laughed and threw it in the bin, so obviously if the publisher had paid no attention, I wasn't going to either.Shortly after being told I was incapable of perfecting my own manuscript, I decided the traditional route (at that time in my life) just wasn't ideal. I had a lot to learn and a lot to prove. I wanted to get as near as damn it to perfection alone. When an error is pointed out even now, I go back and fix it. I am always striving to improve and I think the fair and honest reviews, delivered in the correct way, mean the most and can make the biggest difference.What do you find difficult about writing?Getting my readers to click 'buy' or 'download'. In other words, marketing. When you're an unknown author or a new author, it's difficult to get readers to trust you and your work. That's why I offer a free book first - I want to invite people to meet me and my books with no risk. If you don't like what you see, nobody loses on either side. My book is out there and the reader got a free book. Win win! If they enjoy it then it's proof I've done my job. They were kind enough to take the chance and trust me, I delivered, and the relationship begins strong.Do you ever outsource (editing and cover design) your work?At the moment, no. I take pride in each of my books being mine alone. It's my responsibility to write, edit, design etc and improve with each novel. I respect other authors who outsource - they accept their weaknesses are other peoples' strengths and working together produces a better product. I am sure there will be instances in future when this route makes sense for me, too. At the moment, I'd like to learn as much of everything as I can and to do that, I have to put it into practice.What is your opinion on the indie vs traditional publishing argument?A touchy subject, I'm sure. Both sides have benefits, but both can be stressful, too. I've been offered contracts and had an agent and I enjoyed the thrill but I hated the wait and the constant feeling of being in a job interview. Am I good enough? Do I have what they want? How do I compare to others? Will they ever reply? I didn't like the sense of being measured all the time. It made me feel small and insignificant. Small fish, big pond... that kind of insignificant. I existed, but as a ghost.Indie publishing is different. It's just as stressful and just as much work (if not more as I'm in charge of things I wouldn't normally be involved in). There is still a feeling of being invisible because that spotlight is still searching for me, but I feel like I hold more control over it. I can choose to stand on a podium and wave my arms - social media, promotions, freebies, appearances, blogging, vlogging... all of this is within reach and can happen now. I'm in the driver's seat. I hold the road map. I love the responsibility and being able to track my progress because i'm a control freak!That doesn't mean to say that if I got offered a traditional publishing contract in future that I'd turn it down. I think it depends on the book and what I think would be best for it. I'd like to call myself a hybrid at some point, but I'm in no rush.I know some feel indie is the 'get out of jail free' for people who can't get published. I would argue it's another means for them to be seen and recognised. It's a difficult job and yes, there are no gatekeepers to filter poor quality (so I agree to some extent there are self-published books out there that let the side down), but at the same time, there are some amazing books and very successful ones, often who are picked up later down the line by traditional publishers because of their hard work. At the end of the day, our readers decide if the book is any good, not the way the book came to exist in the first place.Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.The idea and development of the idea. The initial draft. A full and in-depth edit. Second pair of eyes. Second and third edit. Beta readers. A final edit. Beta readers. Any last minute changes. Cover design and formatting. Proof copy. Read through and make any changes. Publish.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Believe you can make it. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You can go from being an introvert, a dreamer, feeling invisible and unheard, to exploding with excitement and purpose. You can leave your signature on the world. Being a small fish in a big pond just isn't so scary anymore.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Sometimes. I have read Mitch Albom's books repeatedly - I read two in particular every year (or I try to). I learn something new every time.What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book? Are any of them more important to you than others?I look at: Cover / Title / Author / Price / Description/ Reviews. Description and cover mostly as this is what grabs me, then price. If I am stuck between books to buy, I'll see which has the most reviews if any. I do this because it's what I'd do in a Waterstones or a WHS. I'd pick up what looked and sounded good, then see if it's in my price range. If so, but there are lots I'd like to buy, I'll go for the one with the best reviews or recommendations first, but I may return later for the others.Do you have a favourite genre? Tell us more!Fantasy, post-apocalyptic and science fiction. I like the endless possibilities and creativity. Still, with a favourite author like Mitch Albom, it's obvious I read and enjoy other genres too.What would it take for you to leave a review on Amazon/ Goodreads?I try to leave a review for indie books because I know how important they are, but recently I will leave one for anything I enjoy, or books I think are helpful (even if they have some mistakes in). I feel reviews should be fair and honest but not harsh/ cruel. If there are negatives, they are always amongst positives, too.After downloading book one of a series for free or discounted on Amazon, do you ever go back and pay more for book two? If not, why?Yes I would. My problem is I have so much on my TBR pile that I want to explore them all, so very rarely finish a series unless it's really gripping. I like to jump from story to story and world to world, but I do often go back and read the book twos later.Do you ever visit an author's website? If so, what do you look at?Yes, sometimes. I like to see who the author is, what's due for release and to see how their website reflects my own and what we could learn from each other.If an author offered you a free book, would you sign up to their mailing list?Yes if it didn't come with an email every day too! I don't mind monthly updates, but I always unsubscribe quickly when I get more than one email a week. I don't see how anyone can have so much to tell you in such a short space of time. With a monthly newsletter, it's something for both sides to look forward to. I send my subscribers no more than three emails a month. One is usually a newsletter of some kind, the other a freebie and the third maybe something extra special that happens, an event or something.That's it for my Q & A today. Thanks for checking this out and I'll have more author interviews coming soon!
- download my free book here.Who is your favourite author? Why?My favourite author is Mitch Albom. His books are beautiful and meaningful and magical. I always feel like I want to be a better human being after finishing one. I want to share the messages and lessons within them.Where do you get your ideas?My ideas come from our future. This is based upon the actions humanity takes today. I read the signs and possibilities and interpret an outcome. I look at a timeline and expand alternate realities, asking 'what if?' then write a story. That's why my work always explores a possible 'end of the world' scenario (Aeon Infinitum) or a spiritual resolution to our planet's problems (Finding Pandora).Why do you write?Let's get real. I write because it's what I'm good at but I write to prove my worth, too. It's self-therapy and always will be, but not in the way a journal entry is. I'm an introvert, so in school I wasn't 'popular' or overly present in social groups. I was fairly quiet and kept to myself. I didn't date often, and I lived in books, in studying and in a small group of friends.It was obvious I wouldn't be famous through acting, singing or anything that involved being the centre of attention, so I chose to write. I figured I'd get popular in a sense that way. and I could live an extrovert's life through my protagonist whilst at the same time feeling like a 'somebody' every time I saw my book in another's hands.It's a sad explanation, but I also write because I enjoy the creative process and telling stories. I like entertaining people the way I have always been entertained, and it's my way to live forever. I get to pass messages and lessons on to others even after I no longer exist - how cool is that? Not bad for an introvert, huh?How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?Like most others I expect. Not well, at least not at first. I'm upset when I see a negative review or a criticism. I've had my fair share of rejections and unfair comments.I once had my 50,000 word fantasy book rejected by a publisher because they 'didn't read poetry'. I laughed and threw it in the bin, so obviously if the publisher had paid no attention, I wasn't going to either.Shortly after being told I was incapable of perfecting my own manuscript, I decided the traditional route (at that time in my life) just wasn't ideal. I had a lot to learn and a lot to prove. I wanted to get as near as damn it to perfection alone. When an error is pointed out even now, I go back and fix it. I am always striving to improve and I think the fair and honest reviews, delivered in the correct way, mean the most and can make the biggest difference.What do you find difficult about writing?Getting my readers to click 'buy' or 'download'. In other words, marketing. When you're an unknown author or a new author, it's difficult to get readers to trust you and your work. That's why I offer a free book first - I want to invite people to meet me and my books with no risk. If you don't like what you see, nobody loses on either side. My book is out there and the reader got a free book. Win win! If they enjoy it then it's proof I've done my job. They were kind enough to take the chance and trust me, I delivered, and the relationship begins strong.Do you ever outsource (editing and cover design) your work?At the moment, no. I take pride in each of my books being mine alone. It's my responsibility to write, edit, design etc and improve with each novel. I respect other authors who outsource - they accept their weaknesses are other peoples' strengths and working together produces a better product. I am sure there will be instances in future when this route makes sense for me, too. At the moment, I'd like to learn as much of everything as I can and to do that, I have to put it into practice.What is your opinion on the indie vs traditional publishing argument?A touchy subject, I'm sure. Both sides have benefits, but both can be stressful, too. I've been offered contracts and had an agent and I enjoyed the thrill but I hated the wait and the constant feeling of being in a job interview. Am I good enough? Do I have what they want? How do I compare to others? Will they ever reply? I didn't like the sense of being measured all the time. It made me feel small and insignificant. Small fish, big pond... that kind of insignificant. I existed, but as a ghost.Indie publishing is different. It's just as stressful and just as much work (if not more as I'm in charge of things I wouldn't normally be involved in). There is still a feeling of being invisible because that spotlight is still searching for me, but I feel like I hold more control over it. I can choose to stand on a podium and wave my arms - social media, promotions, freebies, appearances, blogging, vlogging... all of this is within reach and can happen now. I'm in the driver's seat. I hold the road map. I love the responsibility and being able to track my progress because i'm a control freak!That doesn't mean to say that if I got offered a traditional publishing contract in future that I'd turn it down. I think it depends on the book and what I think would be best for it. I'd like to call myself a hybrid at some point, but I'm in no rush.I know some feel indie is the 'get out of jail free' for people who can't get published. I would argue it's another means for them to be seen and recognised. It's a difficult job and yes, there are no gatekeepers to filter poor quality (so I agree to some extent there are self-published books out there that let the side down), but at the same time, there are some amazing books and very successful ones, often who are picked up later down the line by traditional publishers because of their hard work. At the end of the day, our readers decide if the book is any good, not the way the book came to exist in the first place.Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.The idea and development of the idea. The initial draft. A full and in-depth edit. Second pair of eyes. Second and third edit. Beta readers. A final edit. Beta readers. Any last minute changes. Cover design and formatting. Proof copy. Read through and make any changes. Publish.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Believe you can make it. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You can go from being an introvert, a dreamer, feeling invisible and unheard, to exploding with excitement and purpose. You can leave your signature on the world. Being a small fish in a big pond just isn't so scary anymore.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Sometimes. I have read Mitch Albom's books repeatedly - I read two in particular every year (or I try to). I learn something new every time.What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book? Are any of them more important to you than others?I look at: Cover / Title / Author / Price / Description/ Reviews. Description and cover mostly as this is what grabs me, then price. If I am stuck between books to buy, I'll see which has the most reviews if any. I do this because it's what I'd do in a Waterstones or a WHS. I'd pick up what looked and sounded good, then see if it's in my price range. If so, but there are lots I'd like to buy, I'll go for the one with the best reviews or recommendations first, but I may return later for the others.Do you have a favourite genre? Tell us more!Fantasy, post-apocalyptic and science fiction. I like the endless possibilities and creativity. Still, with a favourite author like Mitch Albom, it's obvious I read and enjoy other genres too.What would it take for you to leave a review on Amazon/ Goodreads?I try to leave a review for indie books because I know how important they are, but recently I will leave one for anything I enjoy, or books I think are helpful (even if they have some mistakes in). I feel reviews should be fair and honest but not harsh/ cruel. If there are negatives, they are always amongst positives, too.After downloading book one of a series for free or discounted on Amazon, do you ever go back and pay more for book two? If not, why?Yes I would. My problem is I have so much on my TBR pile that I want to explore them all, so very rarely finish a series unless it's really gripping. I like to jump from story to story and world to world, but I do often go back and read the book twos later.Do you ever visit an author's website? If so, what do you look at?Yes, sometimes. I like to see who the author is, what's due for release and to see how their website reflects my own and what we could learn from each other.If an author offered you a free book, would you sign up to their mailing list?Yes if it didn't come with an email every day too! I don't mind monthly updates, but I always unsubscribe quickly when I get more than one email a week. I don't see how anyone can have so much to tell you in such a short space of time. With a monthly newsletter, it's something for both sides to look forward to. I send my subscribers no more than three emails a month. One is usually a newsletter of some kind, the other a freebie and the third maybe something extra special that happens, an event or something.That's it for my Q & A today. Thanks for checking this out and I'll have more author interviews coming soon!
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