Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Andrew Shanahan's books

43 ratings | 5 reviews | avg rating:4.09

Andrew’s Year In Books

Andrew’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Andrew’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Andrew’s 2025 Year in Books

Andrew Shanahan’s Followers (340)

Andrew’s Bookshelves

to-read (4)
currently-reading (2)
read (43)
did-not-finish (0)
wrote (1)

Andrew’s Friends (147)

Paul

10,844 books | 1,147 friends

Deborah

10,032 books | 1,322 friends

Tracey Selby

211 books | 5 friends

Boris Slocum

411 books | 1,296 friends

David Ashby

335 books | 44 friends

Donna Davis

4,607 books | 629 friends

Brandon Baker

1,085 books | 3,847 friends

Karen Smithson

662 books | 646 friends

More friends…

Andrew Shanahan

Goodreads Author

Born

in Stafford, The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.helloshan.co.uk

Genre

Science Fiction, Thriller, Humor and Comedy

Member Since

March 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/andrewshanahan

edit data

About me:

Best-selling author of sci-fi and post-apocalyptic fiction. Books tend to have elements of horror in them too, mostly because I'm pretty degenerate and I like books where there's a smattering of gore.

If you would like to die in one of my books then you can add your name to the HAT OF DEATH by filling in the form here:

http://www.iwillliterarilykillyou.com/

For legal reasons I have to point out that this is a literary, rather than a literal death. You're quite safe. ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Andrew Shanahan questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Are you planning to write a continuation of Before and After?

Andrew Shanahan Hey Natalie - thanks for the question and the simple answer is that I've stopped writing it to answer this :) It should be out by June. I'll post upda…moreHey Natalie - thanks for the question and the simple answer is that I've stopped writing it to answer this :) It should be out by June. I'll post updates on Goodreads but mainly on my blog as I'm writing it - if you head to www.helloshan.co.uk then you can sign up for updates there. Thanks again. (less)

flag

6 likes · like
Comment

Andrew, I am intrigued at your success in marketing a single book as an Indie author (or any other kind of author for that matter). Usually it's considered a waste of time to promote a single book. Not expecting you to reveal any deep trade secrets or anything, but if you could share any gems of wisdom it would be valued. The system tells me I have to include a question mark, so here it is: ?

Andrew Shanahan Hi Malcolm, thanks for the question and I'm happy to share whatever I can in terms of marketing suggestions. I do so with the strong caveat that I wou…moreHi Malcolm, thanks for the question and I'm happy to share whatever I can in terms of marketing suggestions. I do so with the strong caveat that I wouldn't say that I've "cracked it" in terms of feeling confident in what I'm doing. If I don't cover anything that you're particularly looking for in this answer then feel free to message me and I'll do what I can to answer more directly.

Before and After has sold far better than I could have hoped for, and for the most part the reviews have been very kind. That said, I still have plenty of days when I'm entirely convinced I'll never sell a book again, that what I'm currently writing is laughable and that my arse looks too damn big in the trousers that I'm wearing. In short, I think the last person I'd trust is someone who said they've made it. Also, if you have those days, don't kid yourself that other writers don't also have them. They all do.

My main approach with marketing has been to put the book (politely) in front of as many human eyes as possible. I then rely on the premise and the cover to inveigle their way into a potential reader's brain and jump up and down until they check it out. To achieve that I've mobilised my social media feeds and readers who have signed up for my newsletter at www.helloshan.co.uk. I pitch myself for podcasts and radio. I advertise through Facebook and Amazon. I also do real world things - for instance the book is available through local shops. Readers can sign up for me to do a twenty minute reading with them over the phone. I looked at doing competitions, but my ego can't take it when I don't win and it reveals an ugly side of me, so I'm taking a pass on those.

My firm belief when it comes to marketing is that I have to put in the work (even for a single book), but to be realistic about what I can achieve. I'm guided in that by Hugh Howey and what he's achieved. I think the lesson I pulled from him (and you should follow him as he's good at sharing ideas for indies) is that it's all about building a readership who you treat with respect and building momentum through your writing. As the old cliche goes - the best marketing is writing the next book. My personal plan is that it's absolutely fine if I don't find my readership, or my voice until my fifth book. The important thing is that I keep writing things that I feel are important and that I enjoy. If I do that I believe that over time a readership coalesces around you.

I definitely don't agree with the idea that you need those five books out there before you start marketing. I absolutely see that it's more profitable to hook a reader into the first book of a trilogy/quadrilogy/pentalogy but I'm possibly too naive to exploit that. It also feels ever-so slightly like that route is a bums-on-seats exercise. I'm sure it drives up profits but it would drive down my interest in my own writing because I'd feel like I was shovelling coal into a boiler, rather than thinking about what I actually truly wanted to burn.

Hope that helps.

Shan(less)

flag

2 likes · like
Comment

See all 7 answers from Andrew Shanahan…

Combine Editions
Andrew Shanahan’s books

Average rating: 3.96 · 13,026 ratings · 1,612 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	Before and After (Before and After, #1) 3.93 avg rating — 8,793 ratings — published 2020	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Flesh & Blood (Before and After #2) 4.16 avg rating — 3,041 ratings — published 2021 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	B of the Bang 3.87 avg rating — 394 ratings — published 2024 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	I Want You To Write A Letter 3.90 avg rating — 364 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In the Room 3.42 avg rating — 351 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Man v Fat 3.50 avg rating — 60 ratings — published 2014 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Number Nine Downing Street by Andrew Shanahan (Goodreads Author), Karen Donnelly (Illustrator) 4.43 avg rating — 14 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Guide to Not Going to University 3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Vorher und Nachher by Andrew Shanahan (Goodreads Author), Nora Qoriche (Translator) 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Staggered Groom Guide really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Andrew Shanahan…

68 posts
Andrew Shanahan's Blog

10 Pictures No Explanations

Series by Andrew Shanahan

Before and After (2 books)
by

Andrew Shanahan (Goodreads Author)

3.99 avg rating — 11,831 ratings

Andrew is Currently Reading

Andrew Shanahan is currently reading

Hype Yourself: A no-nonsense PR toolkit for small businesses

by Lucy Werner

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mar 03, 2020 06:23AM

Andrew Shanahan is currently reading

Precious and Grace (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #17)

by Alexander McCall Smith (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 03, 2020 08:11AM

rss
Andrew’s Recent Updates

Andrew Shanahan liked that H is now following Andrew Shanahan's reviews
Oct 10, 2026 11:33PM
Andrew Shanahan rated a book really liked it The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 04, 2026 03:55PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Shanahan rated a book really liked it The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 29, 2026 11:18PM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The God of the Woods by Liz Moore <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Shanahan answered tom yum (●'◡'●)'s question: I noticed you used AI to generate your cover for "I Want You To Write A Letter". To what extent do you use LLMs in your writing process? Hey Tom Yum, thanks for the question, which yields a very interesting (and thorny) answer. I've done some soul-searching to answer this and it's been interesting, so I appreciate the opportunity to reflect. First of all - this TikTok shows some of th See Full Answer
Sep 23, 2026 04:54AM · like
Andrew Shanahan rated a book really liked it The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #4) by Matt Dinniman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 18, 2026 01:23PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Shanahan rated a book liked it Clown Town (Slough House, #9) by Mick Herron	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2026 02:32PM · 2 likes · like
Andrew Shanahan rated a book really liked it The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #3) by Matt Dinniman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 06, 2026 10:55PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Shanahan rated a book really liked it Ballistic (Gray Man, #3) by Mark Greaney (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 02, 2026 08:25AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ballistic by Mark Greaney. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ballistic by Mark Greaney <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Shanahan rated a book really liked it Carl's Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #2) by Matt Dinniman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 11, 2026 11:55AM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Shanahan rated a book really liked it On Target (Gray Man, #2) by Mark Greaney (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 06, 2026 08:32AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of On Target by Mark Greaney. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — On Target by Mark Greaney <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Andrew's books…

Quotes by Andrew Shanahan (?)

“I knew you would make it.”
― Andrew Shanahan, Before and After

3 likes

“No, not Australia. I’m going to America. I’ve researched it thoroughly and the only dangers are guns and ignorance.”
― Andrew Shanahan, Before and After

1 likes

“This world is broken, but it doesn’t mean that I must be broken too. I have a chance to be better.”
― Andrew Shanahan, Before and After

1 likes

See all Andrew Shanahan's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Reading with Style: SU 22 Planning	15	35	Jun 09, 2022 06:39AM
Reading with Style: SU 22 Completed Tasks	1071	76	Aug 31, 2022 09:02PM

Andrew’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.

Andrew’s Year In Books

Andrew Shanahan’s Followers (340)

Add New
Videos

Andrew’s Bookshelves

Andrew’s Friends (147)

Andrew Shanahan

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Andrew Shanahan’s books

68 posts
Andrew Shanahan's Blog

10 Pictures No Explanations

Series by Andrew Shanahan

Andrew is Currently Reading

rss
Andrew’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

See a Problem?

Preview — The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

See a Problem?

Preview — The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman

See a Problem?

Preview — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman

See a Problem?

Preview — Ballistic by Mark Greaney

See a Problem?

Preview — Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

See a Problem?

Preview — On Target by Mark Greaney

Topics Mentioning This Author

recent posts
Andrew’s Groups

Andrew’s Friend Comments

Andrew Shanahan’s Followers (340)

Andrew Shanahan

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssAndrew’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

See a Problem?

Preview — The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

See a Problem?

Preview — The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman

See a Problem?

Preview — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman

See a Problem?

Preview — Ballistic by Mark Greaney

See a Problem?

Preview — Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

See a Problem?

Preview — On Target by Mark Greaney

Topics Mentioning This Author

rss
Andrew’s Recent Updates