Good morning, friends!
I know it's been a hot minute. But today I'm back with an interview with indie author Brett Salter!
I hope you enjoy and (maybe!!) learn something new!
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Thank you for joining us today, Brett!
Thank you for allowing me to participate in an author interview. I hope all your readers get a chuckle or find inspiration to go out and read some books!
Q: When did you start writing, and what inspired you to start?
A: I’ve been working on The Talisman Series since 2017, but I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I wrote short stories in grade school, songs and poems as a teen, and I really got into my first series over the last half decade. I’m always trying to find something to write to scratch that creativity itch, ya know?
Q: Who has encouraged you most in your writing journey?
A; My mother dared me to write “The Search For Synergy” based off an idea we had been kicking around for a while. She kinda pushed me to do it saying I might as well deliver on the all stuff we’d been thinking about. And for all that brainstorming and for being half of the reason for my existence, I thanked her on the Author Dedication page. Since the first book ended on a cliffhanger, I just kept going. Now, I’m sitting on 6 self-published books with plenty more waiting in the wings (get it?) Plus, I loved the idea of writing something my kids could read and share with other people. I sometimes think that maybe I wrote this series to have another thing my son and I could bond over. That may be true, but also there’s a desire in me to share my books with every set of eyes willing to give them a chance.
Q: How many books did you write before seeking publication?
A: Unfortunately, I am just a self-published author, so I haven’t “technically” been published….yet?? But as I mentioned, I’ve written the first 6 books in the series already, and I have a litany of novellas to come. Then, once those are out, I’ll release the next 6 books in my series. And then, maybe someday, I’ll start a new series with more adult themes and be more Young Adult. Middle Grade is a tough genre to write since my target audience can’t really shop on Amazon or follow me on social media. LOL. I dunno. Each day is a new day to create, really, so I’ll just keep at it until someone comes along and publishes me traditionally.
What inspired the Talisman series?
A: I kinda answered this in question number 2, but there are other things at play that I can talk about here. I like to look into mythology and legend to find inspiration for new characters. With the elements being a major part of my series, I usually try to include one or more elements in each new character too. Both in their names and their entire aesthetic. But I also pull from plenty of other sources including video games, anime, and historical events and people. Inspiration is key, but I try to do original things as much as possible with my stories and characters.
What is the self-publishing process like?
A: Um…Brutal. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it is pretty tough. In my case, I do all my own writing, editing, promoting, and stunts, so if I decide to slack off, then nothing gets done. Luckily there are many friendly collaborators out there like you guys that help with the promotion stuff since I’m terrible at it. And if I would just knuckle down and hire an editor, I could have that portion taken care of. But, I only do this as an extremely involved passion project, so I like to do most of it myself. I might have better luck with sales engaging helpers like editors and marketers, butat this point, I don’t have to worry about awful things like deadlines. And I like that!
Q: Do you have a piece of advice for other young writers?
A: I know it’s cliché, but I would say I am a strong proponent of using your influences. That way what you love will come out in your writing. If you like stories about ghosts, write stories about ghosts. If you watch TV shows about unsolved crimes, make your series about unsolved mysteries. If the coolest thing you can imagine is a boy that can secretly transform into a dragon and go on quests with a knight-in-training…..um. Read my books!!! And THEN go write about them. The point is that writing can be daunting. And if you want to make the challenge more enjoyable, then you should dabble into what you like. It makes the climb much more agreeable and all the more rewarding once you get to the top.
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What do you think? Leave a note in the comments! Thanks for joining us today!!
~ Erin Hylands and Cari Legere
Fun stuff!