Author Interview with P.L. Stuart
I first reached out to P.L. Stuart many months ago and he graciously agreed to answer my questions. Then I wrote up the questions and sent them over to him, but I apparently forgot to click send. It wasn’t until I started to wonder why he had not answered my email with his answers that I realized I forgot to actually send the email. Total facepalm. So, at last, here is the author interview with P.L. Stuart.
P.L. Stuart is the author of The Drowned Kingdom Saga, a fantasy series that has been captivating readers since the first novel debuted at the beginning of this year. He is also a book blogger and you can find more about him on his website here.
Please note that any links within this post may be affiliate links. This means I earn a commission on qualifying sales at no extra cost to you.
Description for A Drowned Kingdom:
Once Second Prince of the mightiest kingdom in the known world, Othrun now leads the last survivors of his exiled people into an uncertain future far across the Shimmering Sea from their ancestral home, now lost beneath the waves. With his Single God binding his knights to chivalric oaths, intent on wiping out idolatry and pagan worship, they will have to carve out a new kingdom on this mysterious continent―a continent that has for centuries been ravaged by warlords competing for supremacy and mages channeling the mystic powers of the elements―and unite the continent under godly rule.
With a troubled past, a cursed sword, and a mysterious spirit guiding him, Othrun means to be that ruler, and conquer all. But with kingdoms fated on the edge of spears, alliances and pagan magic, betrayal, doubt, and dangers await him at every turn. Othrun will be forced to confront the truths of all he believes in on his journey to become a king, and a legend.
When one kingdom drowns, a new one must rise in its place. So begins the saga of that kingdom, and the man who would rule it all.
Eliza: First, I’d like to welcome you to the blog! It’s always great to get to know another Indie author. Let’s start by talking about A Drowned Kingdom. This is a pretty long book, especially for your debut! How long did it take you to write?
P.L. Stuart: Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I’m honoured to be here!
The original concept of the The Drowned Kingdom Saga series came out of a massive book that I wrote that would probably be more than a thousand pages. This book took three years to write. I figured I’m not G.R.R. Martin and no one is likely to read a thousand page book from me, and that’s not my preferred book length either. I prefer books around 300-500 pages, so I figured I would split the original book I composed into seven books. It took me about a year to extract what portion of that original huge book into what would become A Drowned Kingdom, the first book in the saga.
Eliza: Was your second book harder or easier to write than the first?
P.L. Stuart: I am currently finishing up Book Two of The Drowned Kingdom Saga, called The Last of the Atalanteans. Although I had the shell of the book already written, as it was part of that first enormous thousand page draft, it took me longer than writing A Drowned Kingdom. Many of my fellow authors seem to agree that book two in a series is one of the hardest ones to write. A lot of authors, including me, feel the pressure of penning something better, more spectacular than book one.
You have all the accolades and all the criticisms of book one in your head. You are trying to improve your writing, really prove something, to yourself and your readers, that your first book was just a warm-up, that even greater things await. That pressure is real, and can be a bit crippling. Imposter syndrome always looms. So yes, the second book for me was much harder to write than the first.
Eliza: Do you write every day?
P.L. Stuart: No, I wish that I could, but that’s not me. I work shift work, my time and energy to devote to writing is sporadic. Some days I just don’t feel like writing, and I don’t. Sometimes I write, in maniacal fashion for many, many days in a row. It ebbs and flows. I try not to put too much emphasis on how many words I write per day. I just try to meet whatever self-imposed deadlines I have for my writing. My aspiration is to write a book per year. My internal clock seems to tell me when I’m falling behind in my writing, or when I’m on track. So I do set general goals for how long it will take me to write a book, but not specific daily word targets.
Eliza: It’s always so interesting to hear how writers work. I will write every day for 6 months and sporadically for 6 months. You never know what will work for you until you’re in it!
Let’s talk about marketing tactics. You do a great job of providing bonus material for your fans. I love that you had maps made for your world. What were your biggest reasons for seeking out an artist to draw the maps and was it difficult to find someone?
P.L. Stuart: I think if you are going to write epic fantasy, with sprawling new worlds and numerous characters, aids like maps of the worlds you create, character lists, family trees, etc. are a must to assist the reader in absorbing your work. Even with them, it can be hard to navigate where the characters are journeying too in the book, and who is who. There was no question I would add maps of my world to enhance the reader’s experience. The maps you see in A Drowned Kingdom are based entirely on my original hand-drawn maps. My self-publishing-assist company, Friesen Press, employs illustrators, and I asked them to enhance my maps, which they did a great job of.
Eliza: You’re not the first author that I’ve talked to that has worked with Friesen Press. I interviewed M. Sheehan last year and he seemed to have a positive experience with them. How have they helped you in your author journey?
P.L. Stuart: M. Sheehan, a friend of mine, is a very talented writer, and his book Skyview: Lord of the Wills, is exceptional! Friesen Press is awesome! They are a Canadian company and, in my opinion, at the upper echelon of the self-publishing assist companies in the country. My project manager, the amazing Liza Weppenaar, was fantastic. Her and her team – in particular James Stewart and Geoff Soch – worked hand in hand with my wife Deb (my partner in authorpreneur adventures) and I to produce what I believe is a professional looking book. I have nothing but positive things to say about Friesen Press. I am so looking forward to working with Liza, James, and Geoff on The Last of the Atalanteans!
Eliza: You have an impressive following on social media, with over 22,000 followers on Twitter as of this interview. How has this helped your writing career?
P.L. Stuart: I don’t believe I would have enjoyed the early success I have experienced without the immense guidance, support, and love from the Writing Community on social media. They are simply phenomenal! We boost each other’s work, lift each other’s spirits during those tough moments like a negative review or a sales slump, celebrate each other’s successes like winning a writing award or bestselling status, and provide invaluable coaching and tips about the world of writing. Especially a self-published author, I think it’s very hard to thrive without that sort of help. I encourage every author to get involved and connect with fellow creatives in the Writing Community!
Eliza: What is your top tip that you would offer to new authors that are just getting ready to make their debut?
P.L. Stuart: There are a lot of incredible books who don’t sell well. Marketing is the key if you want commercial success. And marketing is something that must start LONG before your book is released. Start early with your marketing campaign, at least six months before your debut. Let people get to know you, and your writing. Build momentum, and excitement for your work. Starting to market AFTER your book has debuted, means you are starting a deficit. It’s very difficult, especially as a self-published author, to be heard amongst all the other amazing self-published and traditionally-published writers. If you don’t start early, it will only make your climb to writing glory steeper.
Eliza: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! Where can everyone find you and your books?
P.L. Stuart: Thank you again for interviewing me! A Drowned Kingdom can be purchased all over, Bookbub, Chapters Indigo, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and of course on the Friesen Press bookstore, where it was a number one bestseller. I have attached some of those links, below. I welcome you to engage with me on social media, especially on Twitter, @plstuartwrites is my Twitter handle. I love chatting and making new friends in Writing Community, and my direct messages (DMs) are always open! Finally, for updates on The Drowned Kingdom Saga, my blog, media inquiries, my reviews and author interviews, and more, please feel free to visit my website, P.L. Stuart – The Drowned Kingdom Saga .
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