Interview with Sara Bain

Published 2013-08-30.
What's the story behind your latest book?
I am really a fan of epic or heroic fantasy and have been writing in this genre for a number of years. The world and storyline I have created, though, has grown so huge that it's going to make a couple of trilogies. It's still a work in progress and the first book is due out in December 2013.
I did have some interest from publishers but most of them told me the book didn't fit into their lists, mainly because the story was not specifically epic or heroic enough. I don't do orcs, goblins or fairies - Tolkein is the master of those - but I do write about what I can believe in, albeit with a long stretch of the imagination.
As a challenge to publishers and their obsession with limiting books to genres, I decided to write a contemporary novel with a very subtle fantasy element thrown in and publish it myself.
I have set up a publishing company called Ivy Moon Press, which will showcase authors of quality speculative fiction, and launched it with The Sleeping Warrior.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
My books are character driven. I begin with a rough idea where I want the story to be set and put a character in place. Another few come along, they go somewhere and do something and the story evolves organically.
I have no idea where it will lead me or where and how it will end. I don't make lists, draw mind maps or jot ideas down. They tend to flow with their own freedom and expression and everything comes together in the end.
This is the real joy of writing for me as sometimes I am as surprised as the reader.
How do you approach cover design?
I am quite an able graphic designer so I create my own covers.
It helps that I'm also a freelance photographer.
I believe that a cover should tell the story, or at least part of it, and should be eye-catching and interesting.
The hardest part is deciding how to convey that story well as a book cover is the first part of your novel that a potential reader will see.
Good design is extremely important.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I spent the first four years of my life in Guyana and then grew up in South East London before moving to Scotland over 25 years ago.
The Sleeping Warrior is set in South East London and the Isle of Arran: I have very fond memories of both places.
Growing up in London helped me to convey in the story the manic pace and anonymity of city life and compare it to Scotland where life is a lot less hectic and people much more interested in their neighbours.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I'll go further and qualify this question.
Indie authors are those authors published by independent publishing companies. Authors who publish their own books are called self-published.
There is still a lot of stigma attached to self-published authors, mainly fed by people in the traditional publishing industry, and I've noticed that many internet book reviewers will only read traditionally published books.
Although I have set up a publishing company and aim to publish other authors, I still consider myself self-published and am quite proud of that. I wrote the book all by myself, so why not publish it myself?
I have spent an entire career in the writing business. I was a journalist for 13 years and an editor of legal text books before then. I can design my own covers and I understand the publishing process from commissioning to marketing.
Publishing just seemed to be a natural progression of my career and something I believe I've trained for all my life.
Who are your favourite authors, and why?
I love Anne Rice and her sensual, descriptive prose. Her passion for words, place, characters and atmosphere are well conveyed in her novels.
I think Joe Hill is a very talented writer. He can terrify his readers from the first couple of paragraphs.
Tolkein introduced me to fantasy from a very early age. His story and writing styles are really captivating. I must have read Lord of the Rings at least seven times in my younger days and, every time I re-read it, I would discover another piece of his fascinating world.
Shakespeare and the classics have also had a very powerful influence on how and what I read and write as have the 19th century poets, especially John Keats.
What kind of fantasy do you write?
I understand the necessity to compartmentalise genres for promotion and marketing purposes, but I don't like generalised labels.
A story to me is a story. It develops through imagination and skill. There are strict definitions to fantasy and all its associated sub-genres in the world of literature and I don't believe my works fit exactly into any particular one of them - although I believe I write 'fantasy'.
Publishers tend to stick to formulas that have worked well for them, but I can't write to someone else's method and want to stay true to the spirit of the book.
I don't know yet whether I am right or wrong but no doubt I will find out soon enough.
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