REUTS Author Interview: Drew Hayes

Author Bio:

Drew Hayes is an author from Texas who has written several books and found the gumption to publish a few (so far). He graduated from Texas Tech with a B.A. in English, because evidently he's not familiar with what the term "employable" means. You can read more of his growing work at his website, www.drewhayesnovels.com, send him mail and movie offers at Novelistdrew@gmail.com, or just follow his twitter: DrewHayesNovels. Drew has been called one of the most profound, prolific, and talented authors of his generation, but a table full of drunks will say almost anything when offered a round of free shots. Drew feels kind of like a D-bag writing about himself in the third person like this. He does appreciate that you're still reading, though.

Drew would like to sit down and have a beer with you. Or a cocktail. He's not here to judge your preferences. Drew is terrible at being serious, and has no real idea what a snippet biography is meant to convey anyway. Drew thinks you are awesome just the way you are. That part, he meant. Drew is off to go high-five random people, because who doesn't love a good high-five? No one, that's who.

1.      Tell us how you came to be an Author with REUTS.
                You ever have a bender so epic that you wake up three days later with nothing save for handcuffs on your ankles, arrest reports in your pocket, and a laundry list of things you did but don’t remember? That’s not pertinent to the discussion, I just wonder if I’m the only one sometimes. But anyway, we aren’t here to talk about why I’m banned from the Santa Monica Zoo, we’re talking about joining REUTs!                Despite my flippant and irresponsible personality, I actually took submitting one of my pieces to a publisher very seriously. I dug around a lot, looking not only for ones I thought I’d get along with, but also a company that didn’t have whole sections of the internet talking about their terribleness. REUTs was a rare gem that fit those requirements, as every author I talked to spoke of how much care they’d shown for both the work and creator. They were smaller than some of the others I was looking at, but I decided I liked what they seemed to be all about and took a risk, sending them Fred, The Vampire Accountant, which was one of the only works I’ve done I expected a legitimate publisher to touch.                As an aside, since I am now, and have been for over a year, a REUTs author, I can confirm what I was told before: the level of respect and care shown to those they work with is unparalleled.
2.      What do you enjoy most about being a REUTS Author?
                I’d have to say the interactivity. Through REUTS’s social media network and writer contests I’ve met many of my internet friends, one of my freelance editors, and several fellow authors I can talk shop with. REUTS took a page from what we in the web-serial world work hard to do, whether they meant to or not, and focused on building a community more than a brand. Brands are good at a macro level, they build reputation and desirability, however for companies that don’t run billion dollar marketing campaigns, I’ve found a community is far more effective. Communities offer support, word of mouth, interest, and sometime specialized skills when odd needs come up.                Plus, they’re a lot of fun to be a part of!
3.      What have your experiences been like working toward being published?
                Hoo boy, people are going to hate me for this one. I’ve actually had a very smooth road in terms of being published. I started my first web-serial back in 2008, and spent around five years just working on my craft and growing my site’s community. When I finally went into the e-book market, it was with a small but dedicated group of readers spreading the word, and they helped get me enough exposure to where my works actually started gaining ground outside the site’s community. From there things just sort of snowballed.                You also might have meant that question to be about being traditionally published rather than indie, which is what my other works are classified, but I already told that story in Question #1. I wanted to try the other way, looked until I found someone who I thought would be a good fit, and submitted. I got very lucky that they also saw something in me, and the path to publication kept on being smooth.                If you’re wondering, yes, “stumbling ass-over-teakettle lucky” has been used to describe me more than once.
4.      What would you have done differently?
                With writing? I’d have started earlier. I wasted a lot of time not writing in my twenties because I was so scared that deep down I had no talent and would fail. I might be so much further along in my art and career if not for the time pissed away on self-doubt.                With publishing? Pretty much nothing. Like I said, I’ve gotten stupidly lucky in how things have gone so far. Don’t want to change something and butterfly effect myself back into a cubicle job.                With life? Buy stock in Google. Other than not being a billionaire, I’m pretty happy with how things are rolling so far.
5.      How has your book been marketed?
                Vigorously! Wait… is that word dirty? I mean, not inherently, I don’t think. It’s probably only dirty if someone adds extra emphasis or draws lots of attention...to…it. Damnit.                *Ahem* What I meant what that REUTS has marketed through a blog tour, social marketing, giveaways, and probably other methods that I am unaware of. They’ve also made a significant effort to get local and indie book stores stocking it on the shelves, which would be preeeeeetty rad in my humble opinion. All in all it seems to be working, so whatever they are doing I hope they keep it up.
6.      Any advice on how to better market a book?
                Super Bowl ads are still a thing, right? They seem to do well, anyway. Maybe try one of those?                In all seriousness: Holy hell no. I am so not a marketing specialist it’s not even funny. I have negative knowledge about marketing. Talking to me on the subject for too long with actually make people dumber about it. You need a cocktail mixed or a spreadsheet made, I’m your guy. Marketing… you’re better off asking the pros. Or the amateurs. Or drunken high school students. Seriously, it’s hard to do worse than me on this topic.7.      Last question; If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go, when would it be, and what would you be wearing?
                Five star all-inclusive resort in Hawaii, early summer, and none of your business disembodied text I’m treating as an entity. I know writers are supposed to be all “unique” in our desires and passions, but you cannot over estimate how much I love beach environments. When I finally buy a house, I want it to be a beach house. I got to live in a beachfront condo for a few months in the dead of winter and I loved every freaking moment of it.                So I’d go all-inclusive cause I like food and booze, five-star cause I like quality, Hawaii cause it would be new, and early summer cause that’s just the right amount of heat. If you insist on knowing I’d likely be wearing a t-shirt and either shorts or a swimsuit, which is just waterproof shorts. To be fair, that’s what I wear most of the year anyway though, so it’s not much of a stretch. Under it all I’m simple man who loves a warm breeze, the smell of saltwater, and a cold fruity drink in his hand.
                …damn, now I want to write a book in a tropical locale so I can write off a trip as a “business expense”. Way to contribute to my impulsive decision making. Geez!

Fred blurb:

Some people are born boring. Some live boring. Some even die boring. Fred managed to do all three, and when he woke up as a vampire, he did so as a boring one. Timid, socially awkward, and plagued by self-esteem issues, Fred has never been the adventurous sort. 

One fateful night – different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful – Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos that is the parahuman world, a world with chipper zombies, truck driver wereponies, maniacal necromancers, ancient dragons, and now one undead accountant trying his best to “survive.” Because even after it’s over, life can still be a downright bloody mess.