Interview on indiesbookspot
I've just been interviewed for indiesbookspot and added it to my blog below:
Robin Webster, author of The Blues Man, talks about his approach to writing and his plans for the future.
Why do you write? Is it something you’ve always done, or always wanted to do? Or is it something that you started fairly recently?
I think that people who get involved in writing do it because it is simply something they have to. They need that creative outlet. I have had other creative outlets over the years, such writing songs and gigging in blues and rock bands as a singer and harp player but I no longer do that. I think I’m getting too old for driving back from clubs or bars at 3 in the morning, packing up all the gear and getting up fresh for work the next day. So over the past few years I have focused my creative energies into writing books.
Tell me a little about your book.
The book is an urban crime thriller set in London in 2002. The main character Leon Anderson is a mixed race drug dealer who spends 10 years in prison for a drug related shooting. While he is in prison he learns to play the blues harp and finds he has a real talent for it. Once he’s released he wants nothing more than to leave his criminal past behind him and to develop his newly found talent for playing the blues harmonica on street corners and in blues clubs. Life seems to be going well for Leon as he builds his reputation on the local club scene and is offered a record deal and a European tour supporting an internationally well-known blues band.
However, a chance meeting with his old friend and drug dealing partner Denzel Livingstone changes the course of his life. A young call-girl called Laura has disappeared and her sister Tanya is trying to trace her. A troubled Denzel knows what has happened to her but he knows that if he follows his conscious and tells Tanya what she desperately wants to know he will place his own life in danger. Leon also has his own reasons for wanting to find out what happened to the missing girl, and as the book develops he finds himself drawn to Tanya and tries to help her solve the mystery surrounding her sister disappearance. Because of this Leon finds himself back in the violent world of drug gang wars, murder & corruption.’
The main character Leon Anderson is based on a mix of people. I have worked for the public sector within the prison system and have had close contact with a number of gang members like the ones in the book. I have seen guys that by channeling their energies into writing or finding they have a real gift for playing an instrument have seen an opportunity to live life on their own terms without resorting to serious crime. Also I was a little influenced by the story of the early career of Errol Linton a black English blues harp player who was busking on the streets of London in the late 90’s before making it through to be a mainstream blues circuit. Also, I’ve played on the small club scene and it’s easier to write about what you know.
However, the backdrop is the criminal underworld and the book is essentially a crime thriller and is aimed at those that love books that are hard-edged and fast-paced whatever their musical tastes. That said, if you look at the violent lives of the blues singers of the 40’s and 50’s, such as Little Walter or Howling Wolf, Leon would have been at home in that scene.
Are there any authors who inspire you?
So many authors have influenced me over the years but not necessarily crime writers. When I was younger writers like James Baldwin, George Orwell and John Steinbeck were a real influence on me, or should I say they started a whole process of self-examination that continues to this day. I also love writers like Ken Follett and Conn Iggulden that really know how to tell a rip roaring adventure and I also love books by Andrea Levy and Marlon James. Many writers inspire me in one way or another depending on what mood I’m in.
How do you write? Do you make yourself write a certain number of words per day?
It is very important for me to be disciplined about writing. Because I work as well, I tend to write in the evening, which means sitting down for whole evenings 3 or 4 times a week and writing 4 or 5 pages of A4 at a time on my computer. If I let that routine slip I don’t think I would have ever finished a book.
Did you try to get a conventional publisher or agent interested before you opted for self-publishing?
Yes I’ve had a couple of small publishers and agents interested in my work. I have found that the smaller publishers although enthusiastic and really nice people are not necessarily the right people to get your book off the ground and that you can do just as well self-publishing. The same goes for the agents I’ve been involved with, although I’ve never been taken on by the major players. I’m really enjoying just having my book out there at the moment and the positive feedback I’ve been getting.
What goals have you set yourself? Do you want to sell a certain number of books in 2012? Is there some way you measure success, on your own terms?
I haven’t really set myself any goals as such. I’m just pleased that people want to read my book and feedback that they have enjoyed it. Obviously I would love to sell thousands of books but if I don’t I’m happy just to have an outlet for my work. I have reached the semifinal of The Kindle Book Review ‘Best Indies Book’ and would love to reach the final, but if I don’t, I’m just pleased to have got this far.
How have you marketed your book?
I’m not really the greatest at marketing, it’s something I’m learning to do as I go along. I have a twitter and Goodreads account and have advertised on Kindle Book Review and other sites. I don’t really think the adverts have paid for themselves but they do keep you ticking over with sales.
Do you think free KDP Select promotions are helping with your paid sales?
I haven’t undertaken a free promotion as yet but I’ve been advised it is something I should do. I am thinking of having one later in the year
Away from Amazon, have you had much luck with other outlets? Do you use Smashwords, Barnes & Noble etc?
No I haven’t used other outlets. It isn’t because I wouldn’t consider using them, it’s just that I haven’t really looked into it and don’t know too much about how they work.
Do you worry about Amazon gaining a monopoly in the ebook market?
No not at all. As I have said previously Kindle has given me an outlet for creativity. I haven’t really got involved in the politics of it all although I am aware that some people do feel strongly about this matter.
What’s next? Are you working on anything at the moment? Do you have anything new coming out in 2012?
I will be putting another ebook out early next year. It’s a supernatural, apocalyptic thriller called The Dream Prophecy. It is a different theme but again it moves along at a fast past with a lot of action.
Robin Webster’s The Blues Man is available from Amazon. You can also follow him on Twitter.
Robin Webster, author of The Blues Man, talks about his approach to writing and his plans for the future.
Why do you write? Is it something you’ve always done, or always wanted to do? Or is it something that you started fairly recently?
I think that people who get involved in writing do it because it is simply something they have to. They need that creative outlet. I have had other creative outlets over the years, such writing songs and gigging in blues and rock bands as a singer and harp player but I no longer do that. I think I’m getting too old for driving back from clubs or bars at 3 in the morning, packing up all the gear and getting up fresh for work the next day. So over the past few years I have focused my creative energies into writing books.
Tell me a little about your book.
The book is an urban crime thriller set in London in 2002. The main character Leon Anderson is a mixed race drug dealer who spends 10 years in prison for a drug related shooting. While he is in prison he learns to play the blues harp and finds he has a real talent for it. Once he’s released he wants nothing more than to leave his criminal past behind him and to develop his newly found talent for playing the blues harmonica on street corners and in blues clubs. Life seems to be going well for Leon as he builds his reputation on the local club scene and is offered a record deal and a European tour supporting an internationally well-known blues band.
However, a chance meeting with his old friend and drug dealing partner Denzel Livingstone changes the course of his life. A young call-girl called Laura has disappeared and her sister Tanya is trying to trace her. A troubled Denzel knows what has happened to her but he knows that if he follows his conscious and tells Tanya what she desperately wants to know he will place his own life in danger. Leon also has his own reasons for wanting to find out what happened to the missing girl, and as the book develops he finds himself drawn to Tanya and tries to help her solve the mystery surrounding her sister disappearance. Because of this Leon finds himself back in the violent world of drug gang wars, murder & corruption.’
The main character Leon Anderson is based on a mix of people. I have worked for the public sector within the prison system and have had close contact with a number of gang members like the ones in the book. I have seen guys that by channeling their energies into writing or finding they have a real gift for playing an instrument have seen an opportunity to live life on their own terms without resorting to serious crime. Also I was a little influenced by the story of the early career of Errol Linton a black English blues harp player who was busking on the streets of London in the late 90’s before making it through to be a mainstream blues circuit. Also, I’ve played on the small club scene and it’s easier to write about what you know.
However, the backdrop is the criminal underworld and the book is essentially a crime thriller and is aimed at those that love books that are hard-edged and fast-paced whatever their musical tastes. That said, if you look at the violent lives of the blues singers of the 40’s and 50’s, such as Little Walter or Howling Wolf, Leon would have been at home in that scene.
Are there any authors who inspire you?
So many authors have influenced me over the years but not necessarily crime writers. When I was younger writers like James Baldwin, George Orwell and John Steinbeck were a real influence on me, or should I say they started a whole process of self-examination that continues to this day. I also love writers like Ken Follett and Conn Iggulden that really know how to tell a rip roaring adventure and I also love books by Andrea Levy and Marlon James. Many writers inspire me in one way or another depending on what mood I’m in.
How do you write? Do you make yourself write a certain number of words per day?
It is very important for me to be disciplined about writing. Because I work as well, I tend to write in the evening, which means sitting down for whole evenings 3 or 4 times a week and writing 4 or 5 pages of A4 at a time on my computer. If I let that routine slip I don’t think I would have ever finished a book.
Did you try to get a conventional publisher or agent interested before you opted for self-publishing?
Yes I’ve had a couple of small publishers and agents interested in my work. I have found that the smaller publishers although enthusiastic and really nice people are not necessarily the right people to get your book off the ground and that you can do just as well self-publishing. The same goes for the agents I’ve been involved with, although I’ve never been taken on by the major players. I’m really enjoying just having my book out there at the moment and the positive feedback I’ve been getting.
What goals have you set yourself? Do you want to sell a certain number of books in 2012? Is there some way you measure success, on your own terms?
I haven’t really set myself any goals as such. I’m just pleased that people want to read my book and feedback that they have enjoyed it. Obviously I would love to sell thousands of books but if I don’t I’m happy just to have an outlet for my work. I have reached the semifinal of The Kindle Book Review ‘Best Indies Book’ and would love to reach the final, but if I don’t, I’m just pleased to have got this far.
How have you marketed your book?
I’m not really the greatest at marketing, it’s something I’m learning to do as I go along. I have a twitter and Goodreads account and have advertised on Kindle Book Review and other sites. I don’t really think the adverts have paid for themselves but they do keep you ticking over with sales.
Do you think free KDP Select promotions are helping with your paid sales?
I haven’t undertaken a free promotion as yet but I’ve been advised it is something I should do. I am thinking of having one later in the year
Away from Amazon, have you had much luck with other outlets? Do you use Smashwords, Barnes & Noble etc?
No I haven’t used other outlets. It isn’t because I wouldn’t consider using them, it’s just that I haven’t really looked into it and don’t know too much about how they work.
Do you worry about Amazon gaining a monopoly in the ebook market?
No not at all. As I have said previously Kindle has given me an outlet for creativity. I haven’t really got involved in the politics of it all although I am aware that some people do feel strongly about this matter.
What’s next? Are you working on anything at the moment? Do you have anything new coming out in 2012?
I will be putting another ebook out early next year. It’s a supernatural, apocalyptic thriller called The Dream Prophecy. It is a different theme but again it moves along at a fast past with a lot of action.
Robin Webster’s The Blues Man is available from Amazon. You can also follow him on Twitter.
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