Interview with Ira Nayman

<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
</style> 






<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yY27VyaAfFo..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yY27VyaAfFo..." width="201" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">      Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">      According to my publisher, Elsewhen Press, “This hilarious
science-fiction comedy novel follows the first case for Noomi Rapier, rookie
investigator with The Transdimensional Authority – the organization that
regulates travel between dimensions. When a dead body is found slumped over a
modified transdimensional machine, Noomi and her more experienced partner,
Crash Chumley, must find the dead man’s accomplices and discover what they were
doing with the technology. Their investigation leads them to a variety of
realities where Noomi comes face-to-face with four very different incarnations
of herself, forcing her to consider how the choices she makes and the
circumstances into which she is born determine who she is.<br />
<br />
“Ira Nayman’s new novel is both an hilarious romp through multiple dimensions
in a variety of alternate realities, and a gentle satire on fate, ambition and
expectation. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Welcome to the Multiverse
(Sorry for the Inconvenience)</i> will appeal to comedy fans who have been
bereft of much good science-fiction fare these last eleven years. Ira’s style
is at times surreal, even off-the-wall, with the humor flying at you from
unexpected angles; he describes it as fractal humour. Anyone who has read his
Alternate Reality News Service stories will know how funny Ira is. The
characters we meet from around the multiverse deserve to become firm favorites
with all fans of science fiction comedy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.separator, li.separator, div.separator
{mso-style-name:separator;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
</style>






<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">This is the first Transdimensional
Authority book. Audience willing, there will be more.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do you have a favorite character?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">You want me to choose among my
children? What decent parent would do that?  Okay, having made my
objection, I will say this: although he doesn’t play a major role in the novel,
the lurker in the shadows of the alleyways behind the eyes of inmates in asyli for
the awkward will return!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that
change the direction of the novel at all?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Funny you should ask that…</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">My main science fiction project is
the Alternate Reality News Service (ARNS), which sends reporters into other
dimensions, and has them write news articles about what they find there. It has
been described as “a science fiction version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Onion</i>.” I have self-published three books in that series (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alternate Reality Ain’t What It Used To Be</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What Were Once Miracles Are Now
Children’s Toys</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Luna for the
Lunies!</i>), and will be putting out two more in 2013. The Transdimensional
Authority was part of a throw-away line in a couple of articles in those books.
So, you could say the entire novel is an evolution from a minor idea to a major
one!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tsz969JW56U... style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wycn2XnPNoo..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wycn2XnPNoo..." width="200" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like
silence?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Music all the way. Silence is
creepy.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">I outline. I don’t think I have ever
written a narrative where I didn’t know what the ending would be before I
actually started. I couldn’t stand the suspense.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Did you hire a graphic artist for your book cover? Were you actively
involved in the creation of the cover?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">For my first two self-published
books, I went through a company (iUniverse and Eloquent Books) that hired their
own artists. However, I sent the companies a rough description (including stick
figure drawing) of what I wanted and their artists executed it very well.
 For the most recent book, I worked with an artist I found on Twitter; it
was a very satisfying experience. I currently have two different artists
working on the covers for the next two ARNS books.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">For <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Welcome to the Multiverse</i>, the publisher hired an artist. There was
a month of back and forth before we were satisfied with a basic design, then
another month of picking at details until we were all satisfied with the cover.
For myself, I am very pleased with it – I do believe it is unique.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Covers are really important – they
are the first thing a potential reader will see of your book. If it doesn’t
grab the reader’s attention, they may not look at it to read your stellar back
cover prose, or lead through it, or read the excerpt on Amazon. I find a lot of
current book cover design bland and uninspired, and like to have as much input
into the covers of my books as possible to make sure that they are original. So
far, I have been lucky to have had that input (especially with Elsewhen Press;
professional presses are under no obligation to get a writer’s input on
anything other than the manuscript).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">What have you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">You need to know how to market
yourself. And, when it comes to marketing, I’m still learning. I hope I’m
getting better, though…</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you
involved with for promoting your book(s)?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">I am on Twitter (as ARNSProprietor)
and Facebook (under my own name). I also have a Facebook writer’s/fan/whatever
page called “Ira Nayman’s Thrishty Freidnishes” (some day, I’ll explain what
that means…probably). My Web page, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Les
Pages aux Folles</i> (which celebrated its 10^th anniversary last
September), is updated with new writing and cartoons (yeah, I do that, too)
every week; I don’t consider it a marketing tool per se (as opposed to a
publishing medium in its own right), but it is a public way readers can connect
to me. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your
current book and writing your next book?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Not really. I find I have a limited
amount of time in the day when my subconscious talks to me and I can be
creative; I do as much promotion as I can around those hours. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">What advice would you give a new author just entering into the
self-publishing arena?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Building an artistic career is a
long-term prospect. It takes time to build an audience. It takes time to master
the necessary skills and develop your voice. I recommended to my students (I
used to teach part-time at a university in Toronto) that they need to be
thinking of a commitment of 30 or 40 years. For this reason, you should only
become an artist if you really, really, really, really, really love creating
art (and, that’s five reallys, so you know I’m serious about it). There’s no
point devoting yourself for that long to something you have no passion for. On
the other hand, if you toil for that long and you never become well known, at
least you’ve spent your life doing something you love, and very few people can
say that.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>