The Author Interviews, Round 4: #10: J. T. Bishop

The Author Interviews continue withJ. T. Bishop, author of upcoming release Curse Breaker.Where do you get your ideas from?I got the idea for my trilogy when I saw a video on Facebook. It was 2012, and the end of the Mayan calendar was approaching (Dec. 21st, 2012). There were a lot of theories about what that date meant, and the video I watched had its own ideas. It talked about how thousands of years ago, the earth was a central hub of activity for extra-terrestrials. They would meet here to exchange information. The video went on, but the idea stuck. What if extra-terrestrials lived among us? The story began to form in my mind. A community of extra-terrestrials lived on earth and faced a crises. Only one woman could save them, but first she has to survive long enough to do it.My idea for Curse Breaker came from wanting to write more of a murder mystery/ whodunit while also linking it to the trilogy. I had the idea of a man being cursed and a mysterious woman shows up to help him, but she has secrets of her own. It gave me the opportunity to explore whether or not I could keep a reader guessing until the very end.Why do you write?I write because I love it. It’s so much fun to sit down with my story in mind and the scene I’m about to write vivid in my head. I love my characters and getting to know them as the story develops. I like to see where the story goes as I write. I’m always surprised to see what develops the further I go. The more I write, the more I enjoy it. I like the process of seeing a book take shape, letting others read it, and knowing they were entertained when they read it. It’s like a drug I can’t stop taking.What do you find most appealing about your chosen genre?It’s the genre I like to read. It’s suspense/ speculative fiction/ mystery. What I like about my stories is that they’re a little different. It has elements of the supernatural, but it’s not about werewolves or vampires. It’s aliens which it makes it so fun to write because it’s not a common story theme, but I can still explore the unexpected and unique abilities theme. There’s a lot of ways I can go with it. I love the mystery and unknown of a good story that includes action, drama and romance.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?It’s never easy to deal with any of these. Especially as a new writer. I think if I’d received a lot of negative feedback when I’d started I never would have kept going. Thankfully, though, the opinions were positive. They are still positive, but I’ve had a few critical reviews. I can appreciate a different opinion, but it can be hard to hear. It takes me about 24 hours, but then I just shake it off and move on. I know enough to realize you can’t please everyone, and if you try, you’ll never write what you want to write. So, I just have to leave it behind and trust that the readers who will like my work will find their way to my books.What do you find difficult about writing?Time. I wish I had more of it. The more I write, the more upkeep that is required and the more marketing that is needed. But I’d rather write than market. I’m lucky to say I don’t grapple with writer’s block. I can sit down and four hours will disappear. I just wish those four hour time blocks were more available.Do you ever outsource your work?I assume you mean hiring an editor/ book cover designer? If so, then yes. I know enough to realize that I have to get help from others. I can’t do it all nor do I want to. I want my book to look the best that it can so that when it’s published, it looks just as good as or better than a traditionally published book. That’s important to me. So I’m willing to pay someone who’s talented and worth the expense to help me out.What is your opinion on indie vs traditional publishing?When I first started this journey, I thought traditional publishing was the way to go. I mean, who doesn’t want an agent/ publisher? But the more I learned about this journey, the more I realized that indie made more sense. If I waited for an agent, I could wait for years. And even then, I would have to wait to find a publisher. If I went indie, I could start now. It would cost money, but I would be in control and make all the decisions. The royalties are higher, too. Marketing would be in my court either way. So instead of waiting for someone else, I went out on my own. It’s been a great decision and I’m happy I did it. I haven’t looked back. I think I can grow my business better than someone else can.Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.I’ll get an idea that sparks some interest. Once that happens, I’ll sit with it and see where it leads. Over time, the story grows and becomes more detailed. I’ll jot down notes and ideas so I can remember. I get the basic idea of the story and then try and hammer down the details. I don’t get too stuck on anything though, because I find as I write, new ideas show up. I tend to be a pantser. I adjust on the fly. I like to see what direction it takes as I get deeper into the story. Some of my best ideas occur as I write.Once I get the full story down on paper, I let it sit at least six weeks. I need to get away from it for a while so when I return it’s all fresh, as if I’m a new reader. Then I work my way through the story again, editing along the way. Once I get through the first edit, then I let it sit again. Once I return, I’ll do another round of edits. At that point, it’s time for the beta readers to have their turn. I make sure the story from their point of view works. I’ll fix any issues they find and do another edit. Then it goes to the editor. Then the cover gets designed. Once the editor returns it, it’s another round of edits before it goes back to the editor. She reviews my changes, does a proofread and returns it back to me. I’ll do another read through and give it to someone else for another proof read. By then, the cover's done and it’s time to set a publishing date! This process usually takes 6-8 months.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Hang in there. This is a long process and takes a lot of work. Books take a while to write, and then comes all the editing. But if you write what you love, then you’ll love doing it and it’s worth it. Don’t mince on design and editing. It’s crucial to put out a quality product and you’ll need help to do it. Don’t sweat the marketing until you get a few books published. You want your fans to have another book to go to once they finish one of your books. Start a mailing list and build it over time. Invest in yourself and learn as much as you can, whether it’s about writing, editing, design or marketing. The more you know the better. And get to know other authors. It helps to know you’re not alone and bounce ideas off of others.If you could go back in time 12 months, what would you advise yourself?Start building an email list. You’re a better writer than you think you are. Be patient. One step at a time. Trust the process and don’t worry so much.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Yes. My favorite books are all worth a second read. I think you always discover something new the second time around.What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book?Cover / Title / Author / Price / Description / Publisher / Sample Chapter / ReviewsCover and Title are the 2 things that are going to attract me first. Then the description. After that, I’ll read the reviews. Those are the things I’ll use to determine what I’m going to read. Price plays a part, too, but as long as it’s reasonably priced, I’ll buy it. The other thing that would influence me would be word of mouth.Who is your favourite author and why?This is a tough one. I don’t read as much as I’d like to, but when I do, I love the Pendergast books by Preston and Child. I also like the Reacher books by Lee Child. My favorite non-fiction is On Writing by Stephen King.Do you have a favourite genre? Tell us more!I like suspense with action and romance. I like to be taken away from reality for a bit. I don’t want to read anything that’s a downer or too serious. Books for me are about escape. I’d rather read an entertaining book that may not be perfectly written rather than an award winning novel with a serious, realistic, dramatic theme.Do you shop for indie books online? If not, why?I don’t shop specifically for indie books, but I have no problem reading them. I just look for books that I find interesting or are recommended.What would it take for you to leave a review on Amazon/ Goodreads & recommend to a friend?Asking me works pretty well. If I really like a book, I’ll recommend it to friends. Most of my friends are book readers, so we’ll talk about books we like.After downloading book one for free/ 99p or 99c on Amazon, do you ever return and pay more for book two? If not, why?If I liked it, then yes, definitely. I don’t mind paying more for a book if I like a previous book by the author.Do you ever visit an author's website and if so, why?Yes. If I’m curious about other books or upcoming releases, I’ll go look.What would it take for you to sign up to a mailing list?If I really like an author’s work, I would sign up for a list. If it’s a series and I want to hear about upcoming books, I’ll sign up to get the latest information. Just so long as they don’t share my email address.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?Rarely. I’m fine with just buying the book. I’ve never ordered a signed book before, but maybe one day I will.Many thanks to J. T. Bishop for this interesting interview, and all the best with your release!