I think I wanted to have the ideal writer life where you can just focus on the writing and nothing else, but that doesn’t seem to exist all that much nowadays. In the end, I really appreciate having full and final say for what’s going into the book. I think that’s invaluable.
Matthew O. William – 30 March 2019
The Back Flap
When a distress call leads space-sheriff Joe Corbit to the ruins of a lost, alien civilization he finds illegal excavation underway. The Chinese Galactic Empire is working alongside the Martian mob in order to smuggle an ancient artifact across international borders.
One deadly shoot-out later and Joe finds himself the sole custodian of the curious relic. His plan is to auction off the artifact to the highest bidder, that is, until he finds out why the Chinese were after it in the first place…
They believe it to be an ancient super-weapon.
And they want it back.
All Joe has to do is stave off the most powerful space fleet in galaxy, long enough to prove that this whole ‘ancient-super-weapon’ thing is being blown way out of proportion.
You see, Joe is determined to sell this artifact. Even if it kills him.
About the book
What is the book about?
A sheriff in space comes upon a mysterious alien artifact which he intends on selling… until he finds out it might be an ancient super-weapon.
When did you start writing the book?
About two years ago.
How long did it take you to write it?
On and off, about two years. Other projects kept getting in the way.
Where did you get the idea from?
I always wanted to do a sort of Indiana Jones in space story and the idea just sort of evolved from there.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Trimming it down. It started out as an omniscient narrator POV, but it made it too hard to identify with the main character.
What came easily?
The dialogue. I feel like the characters are all very believable and it was easy to write for them.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I think subconsciously we all end up borrowing everything from the real world. It might be multiple different people per character, but ultimately it’s all based in reality.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Bill Bryson, oddly enough, even though I write sci-fi. Some parts of my books wind up reading like travel books due to this.
Do you have a target reader?
I just try to write what I think is entertaining, what type of book I would like to read.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Crappy first draft, then prune and polish for what seems like forever.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
My outlines mostly consist of story beats I want to hit. The connective tissue has to evolve from there.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
50/50. I go as far as possible without going back to edit. Then when I run out of steam, I have to go back to figure out the reason why. Sometimes you don’t find the story until you’re in the editing process.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Half the time I do. This time I didn’t because I spent so much (probably too much) time on the editing process myself. It would have gone a lot faster had I hired an editor.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Movie soundtracks, but they have to match the tone of what I’m writing. Things could get weird if I’m listening to The Lord of the Rings soundtrack while trying to write a scene where the characters are sitting down for a nice breakfast.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes, but with zero luck.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
Definitely gradual. I think I wanted to have the ideal writer life where you can just focus on the writing and nothing else, but that doesn’t seem to exist all that much nowadays. In the end, I really appreciate having full and final say for what’s going into the book. I think that’s invaluable.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
A bit of both, I have a designer friend I work with.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Definitely a plan this time – building an email list and some amazon ads to start. Plus, I’m releasing another podcast audio book.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Read a lot! You’ve got to learn how others do it first, then you can develop your own voice.
About You
Where did you grow up?
In a small village in Pennsylvania
Where do you live now?
In an even smaller village in Sweden.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’m a nice guy.
What are you working on now?
The sequel to The Star Collector.
End of Interview:
For more from Matthew, like his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter.
Get your copy of The Star Collector from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
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