How long have you been writing for?
Two years
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
I genuinely don’t find writing difficult, it just seems to flow. The part I find hard is marketing my books.
What genre do you generally write?
Suspense, horror, ghosts. Not gore though, my books are about atmosphere and what could happen.
Do you have a favourite author and why?
I love Dracula by Bram Stoker. The first half of the book builds up a sense of foreboding that pulls you in. I also love Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. A book should always have one fantastic twist that turns the whole story on its head.
What is your book called and how did you choose this title?
My latest book is called, Broken Leaves. The title sums up the two main characters, two ex lovers whose life is falling apart. The broken leaves signify different parts of their world that is crashing down around them.
Synopsis:
A very successful businessman is approaching early retirement. He has the perfect life, lovely wife and children, money, a fantastic house. But he did something terrible when he was a teenager and it has come back to haunt him. His only hope is to find the woman he discarded more than 30 years ago. But she has disappeared and rather than be his salvation, she may well end up adding to his nightmare. There is nowhere left to hide when revenge comes calling.
Has your book been published and how did you go about this?
Self published on Amazon.
Approximately how long did it take you to finish your book?
I wrote three books in fourteen months.
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
Put your book in front of reading groups, look for feedback before publishing. Accept that feedback and rework your book to be the best it can. Pay for a professional cover and formatting. Learn how to market your book as that is harder work than writing. No matter how good your book is, it will not sell without marketing, for the simple reason that no one will know it exists.
Do you use social media to promote your book? If yes, then which social networks do you like the most?
Facebook, Instagram, Amazon marketing services.
What other ways do you market your book/s?
Magnetic signs on my van with the covers of my books. Flyers handed out to book clubs and contacts.
Have you enrolled your book onto Amazon’s KDP Select and how have you found it?
Yes. I sell a fair amount of pages, mostly in the US. I think it is worthwhile but others have had different experiences.
If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
Learn how to market before I published my first book. The experience has been fantastic overall and I love being able to say, I am a published author.
What books do you like to read in your spare time?
I always have at least three books on the go at any one time, both fiction and none fiction. I am currently reading the whole Poldark book series again. I read them as a teenager, long before the TV drama. They are fantastic historical fiction novels. I am also reading Erebus by Michael Palin, all about the Antarctic discoveries in the 1800’s.
What do you feel is the most important stage of writing a book?
Knowing when it is finished.
How did you go about designing the cover for your book?
I use a professional cover designer. We work together on ideas until it all comes together. I would always recommend using professional covers, it is the first point of call in attracting customers. My designer has done a fantastic job.
Are you writing or considering writing a follow-up to your book?
I am writing my fourth book at the moment.
Do you have a day job (if so, what do you do?) or do you write full-time?
I am now retired. I was an operations manager for 25 years and sometimes I had to talk in from of audiences of 500+. No matter how many times I did it, I was always terrified. Writing is a hobby for me, a bit less stressful than real work.
Anything else you’d like to include?
I read somewhere that because of self publishing, there are now as many authors as there are readers. This means you have to get your book in front of millions of other books out there. Write because you enjoy it. No matter how good your book is, it will not sell without a sustained marketing plan and budget.
Check out Richard’s other recent book, The Path
