Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
Six Moons, Seven Gods is the first book in “The Legends of Baelon” series. It’s a medieval fantasy adventure with shades of romance and grimdark.
The skilled thieves of the Takers Guild plot to overthrow the kingdoms of Baelon, but when their plans are thwarted by a prescient woman and her brooding daughter, they must turn to the League of Assassins for assistance. Meanwhile, retired royal guard Rolft Aerns returns to the palace of King Axil with an old score to settle. When they all cross paths–and swords–in the dark shadows of Fostead’s south end, nothing is as it seems and the murder count rises quickly.
“One must be careful practicing deception. The easiest to deceive will always be one’s self.” Welcome to the world of Baelon, where loyalty and treachery live under the same roof; where friendships are tested, true love is made to wait, and dangerous secrets are held close to allegiant hearts!
Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
I did, but I was clueless at the time. I thought that someone would just read my manuscript and consider it for publication. I had no idea that most publishers only work through agents, nor did I realize how difficult it would be to get an agent to take an interest in me. When I first started querying, I had no website, no social media presence, no polished outline of my novel. I received a ton of rejections based solely on my lack of preparation, so I eventually decided to self-publish my first book.
Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?
I’ll be self-publishing the sequel to “Six Moons, Seven Gods”, but following that I hope to be in a much better position to seek representation from agents. Depending on how successful the first two novels have been, I may try the traditional publishing route again.
If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?
I was quite involved. I had a pretty good sense of what I wanted the cover to look like, so I provided the designer with a crude sketch and description. He took a first cut at it, which was very good, and we went back and forth a few times from there.
Do you regularly send out a newsletter? How are you recruiting new subscribers? Do you have a reader magnet?
I don’t have a newsletter yet (just another example of my steep learning curve). It’s something I’m actually working on now. I’ve just created an account with MailerLite, and I’m looking forward to adding an email subscription popup to my author website.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
I write best when I’m alone, and there are no distractions, and I tend to be more productive at night. The words flow more freely then, especially if I’m listening to music; I have a favorite playlist that I’ll write to, and it’s mostly sad ballads. I also know that if I’m working on a storyline, or trying to figure out some tricky plot twist, I’m most successful when lying on my back in the dark. Not sure why that is!
Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?
I’ve worked both ways. I don’t want to be too restricted by a formal outline, but I have found it helps to have a general sense of where things are going. My first draft of “Six Moons, Seven Gods” was strictly “write as you go”, and that got me into trouble on several occasions, as I would write my characters into predicaments even I could not help them out of!
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book? Do you try to write everyday or carve out certain times during the week?
It’s super challenging for me. There’s never enough time to write, and the marketing effort is quite time-consuming and addictive in its own way. I try to carve out time for both each week, if not each day. But there are definitely days when one is neglected due to my being absorbed by the other.
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?
Three pieces of advice: first, writing’s a journey. Don’t look too far ahead. Focus on your passion and the here and now. Write, write, write, and enjoy the traveling, one step at a time. Had I known early on what it would take to be published, and all the work involved in getting one’s book into the hands of readers, I might never have finished my first novel, let alone started it. I was so naïve to think that--you know--if you write something worthwhile, someone’s going to want to publish it, and people will then read it. Simple, right? The truth, of course, is so much more complex and challenging, regardless of whether you are trying to secure the representation of a traditional publishing firm, or you have decided to self-publish. Unless your intended audience is limited to friends and family, finishing your novel (quite the accomplishment in and of itself) is only half the battle. So my advice is to take it slowly and enjoy the journey—don’t peek too soon or too closely behind the publishing world’s thick curtain lest that cause you to turn back. Tackled one issue at a time, none of it as overwhelming or intimidating as the big picture first appears; there’s lots of support out there, and if you persevere, all those little challenges just make reaching your destination that much more rewarding. Carry on!
My second counsel is to listen to your heart while you are writing. Mine will generally tell me when I’m on the right track, and when I’ve gotten lost. The characters and scenes that I have been most engaged with during the creative process typically turn out to be those that readers also find most entertaining. So now, when I find myself slogging through some piece that I don’t find particularly exciting or enjoyable to write, I ask myself: why is that? Am I asking the reader to suffer with me? Is there not something I can do to the storyline or character to make writing (and reading) this more entertaining?
Lastly, I strongly suggest that you read your work aloud and slowly, either to yourself or to an interested listener. You’ll be surprised at the number of errors and opportunities that expose themselves. This advice was given me by my father, a professional editor by trade, and I have benefited from it ever since.
Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?
Dogs over cats. My best friend growing up was a beagle, and there’s almost always been a dog or two in my house (currently a Labradoodle and an Australian Cobberdog). Chocolate over vanilla for sure—one of my “go to” snacks during writing is a handful of cashews with one or two chocolate raisins in the mix! And there’s nothing better than a hot fudge sundae, right? I’ll pass on coffee and tea, despite my British heritage. Talk instead of text, as the latter tends to increase the opportunity for misinterpretation; and despite my penchant for writing at night, I’m more of a morning person overall.
Amazon buy link:
https://www.amazon.com/MOONS-SEVEN-GODS-Legends-Baelon-ebook/dp/B0CJ5ZG487
Author Bio:
Robert A. Walker grew up in Northwestern Massachusetts. After graduating college, he packed his scant belongings in a car with rusted-out floorboards and headed west. He’s lived in California ever since, and now resides along the Pacific Ocean with his wife and dogs. When not fabricating stories, he can be found roaming local tennis courts or working on a never-ending list of DIY house projects. Information regarding Robert’s current writing projects can be found at rawalkerwriting.com.
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