Pyre Soundtrack & Questions 3

It’s finally happened, you’ve published a book, any words of advice for other independent authors?

There’s so much advice out there, and so much of it, at times, seems contradictory, and I don’t think I’m the person to be asking for advice. I’m an independently published author. I have no agent, or publisher, or indeed a ready made market. I’m not on the front table of the bookshops. I’m just telling the stories important to me. All I want to do is write the best story I can. The expectation is I won’t sell a million. Selling ten would be nice, but the advice that’s always stuck with me is:

Write the book you want to read. Don’t write for an audience, write for yourself. Write what you know. Write the character that speaks to you. Don’t be afraid of what you write. Don’t be afraid to offend or challenge. Don’t shy away from anything, and don’t mix grape and grain whilst you’re doing it.

Don’t be afraid to offend?

Otherwise you potentially compromise the character and you are writing that character. It’s not you saying or doing something, it’s that character. it’s that story. Besides, you’re never going to please everyone so stop trying to.

What’s next?

From Where We Threw Dogs: my first full length novel, and a tale of toxic male grief and mental health set in Spain.

And from where is Pyre available?

It’s out now, click on this link Available now