Interview with William D. Burt

Hello, everyone! This is Cari. How's your fall going? Have you done anything exciting or interesting? Today, I have an interview with (quite frankly) an underrated author, William D. Burt. I received copies of his The King of the Trees series three years ago and loved them.

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Q: When did you start writing, and what inspired you to start?

A: I began writing for fun in high school, when I attempted to translate The Hobbit into Latin. I got through the first couple of chapters and then shelved the project. My senior year, I helped edit my father’s works, Edible and Poisonous Plants of the Western/Eastern States.” Both of these titles are still in print in card-deck format and are a mainstay in the U.S. military’s survival instruction programs.

However, it wasn’t until I got saved in college that I became serious about writing. God laid it on my heart to create a work of fantasy combining Tolkien's cosmological depth with C.S. Lewis's allegorical richness. Whether I have succeeded in that ambition I will leave for others to decide; suffice it to say a number of my readers have compared my series favorably to Narnia. Ultimately, the Holy Bible remains the inspiration for all my titles—past, present and future. Each one begins with a Bible verse that encapsulates the main message of that particular title, and each book in the King of the Trees series recapitulates Christ's redemptive sacrifice and victorious resurrection for humankind. In The King of the Trees especially, I also draw heavily upon my childhood experiences. As for my newest series, The Creation Seekers, my primary inspiration has been Creation Science.

Q: That's so inspiring! Who has encouraged you most in your writing journey?

A: That’s a tough question. When I first read the draft form of The King of the Trees to my children, their enthusiastic reactions encouraged me to seek publication for that title. Since then, readers’ support has kept me going! Also, I had a college professor who encouraged me to change my major from Biology to English, which I subsequently did.

Q: I did not know that about The King of the Trees. How many books did you write before seeking publication?

A: I wrote only one before attending an Oregon Christian Writers conference, where I met Athena Dean, owner of WinePress Publishing (now defunct). Subsequently, WinePress published all seven titles in the King of the Trees series. Athena was always very encouraging and when WinePress went under (through no fault of her own), she tried to ensure that authors received as many electronic book files as she could scrape together. My Creation Seekers series has been published by KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).

Q: Only one?! Wow. What inspired The King of the Trees series?

A: As I alluded to above, Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were my main inspirations, along with my love of trees and nature in general. (Both my parents were naturalists.) I cut my teeth on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings but didn’t discover Narnia until I was in college. The settings for the King of the Trees series are much like Oregon’s landscapes, with actual Northwest trees and plants. Because I’ve been an amateur mycologist since about age twelve, I have woven authentic and imaginary mushroom species into my books, mainly to impart a sense of realism to the settings. But again, if it weren’t for God and His Word, none of these titles ever would have been written.

Q: That's so cool. How did the publication process work?

A: For me, very painfully. I had much to learn about publishing (and still do). Finding a reliable illustrator was among my greatest challenges. When WinePress closed its doors about a decade ago due to financial malfeasance and other felonious conduct, I and many other Christian authors were left with cases of unsold books and no royalties. This traumatic experience ingrained in me a deep distrust of publishers and a desire to see all my titles back in print. I’ve finally republished the first three titles in my first series with KDP, but it’s an incredibly laborious process, requiring a complete reformatting and re-editing of the text and book covers. Republishing just one title can take six months to a year, since I do all the editing and formatting myself.

Q: Oh, that's horrible. I'm glad you're republishing The King of the Trees series, though! Lastly, do you have a piece of advice for young writers?

A: I would say it’s critical to solicit feedback on your manuscript from professionals in the field (authors and editors) as well as trusted friends. If you’re a detail-oriented writer, seek advice from a “big-picture” reader, and vice versa. It’s surprising what you can miss in your own writing. Also, you will want to master English grammar and mechanics before you start editing. It will save you a great deal of time and grief down the road. For example, the most common writing error I see among published and unpublished writers alike is the comma splice. Avoid this error like the plague, because it will mark your work as unprofessional. Also, learn to spot POV (Point of View) inconsistencies in your writing. You don’t want to jerk your readers from one character’s POV to another’s without a proper segue. Maintaining the same POV throughout a chapter is a good rule of thumb to follow.

Also, nowadays it is almost impossible to negotiate a book contract with a royalty publisher. Even if a “legacy” publisher does pick up your title, you lose your rights to that book, you'll receive a pittance for your work in return, and your title will be backlisted as soon as it’s no longer profitable. That’s why I recommend self-publishing through KDP and/or Barnes and Noble. That way, you still maintain all rights to your work, and you can also make some decent money from book sales. It’s a very tough endeavor, but it’s also very rewarding. Don’t give up! If you’re convinced the Lord is in your writing, then He will make a way for others to read it.

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Well, wasn't that an interesting interview? I highly recommend Mr. Burt's books--they are amazing!

What are some of your favorite allegorical fantasy books? Feel free to tell us in the comments. As always, if you have an author interview suggestion, please put it in the comments!