Author Interview with Chris Hollaway

Author Interview with Chris Hollaway

Name: Chris Hollaway

What first inspired you to write?

A: Growing up, I got to read a lot of Jack London, Louis L’amour, more westerns and dog books than anything, really. Once I got into high school, I devoured anything that was *not* those. I would check out a book in the morning, and return it after school, reading essentially a book a day of sci-fi or fantasy for most of my 6 years of junior and senior high. Shortly after graduation… it started leaking back out. Nothing really I could do to stop it.

How do you come up with the ideas for your stories?

A: They usually start small. A random ‘what if…?’ that snowballs into a 5 volume series. I do tend to focus on worldbuilding and mechanics of the paranormal more in the beginning, and let the rules and the character motivations tease out the plot.

What question do you hate the most about being a writer?

A: Less a question than a faulty observation. It bugs me when people hear I made the jump to ‘full time author’ and think that they can keep tying up my time and it won't affect my productivity. ‘You can write anytime, can't you?’ It's not that simple, I do have other commitments, and writing turns out to be less than half of the publishing struggle. Maybe I’ll start using my ‘flexibility’ to come bother you at your job.

Are you indie or traditionally published?

A: Indie. I tried the traditional route, got burned by fake publishers and agencies. Put the first manuscript in a drawer and kept writing. When I saw the KDP guide to formatting for self publishing, it seemed like it was simple enough to do on my own. The complexity has grown some since then, but it isn't too hard to stay out in front of.

Have you ever tried the other style of publishing?

A: Other than the first few bumbling missteps, no. I’ve been approached by a few of the smaller legitimate publishers since then, but since I already have a following, I'd rather pay my expenses up front and keep all of my profit rather than save a little early to hemorrhage royalties later. The houses don't spend a lot to promote their lower level authors, and sales would need to more than double, maybe triple to make the same royalties I get through KDP. If I keep getting new readers from every new title, the sales will keep increasing and the money will follow.

What are you working on now?

A: I'm working on a few things. The one I should be focusing on is Archmage Crusader, Volume 5 of The Blademage Saga. It's plotted, mapped, and in production. I have a few other standalone or series starts in the works. Some post-apocalyptic stuff with magic, steampunk, LitRPG, and a board game.

What is your most recent/upcoming release?

A: Blademage Adept came out on the 30th of March. It's the 4th installment of The Blademage Saga, and the beefiest title in my catalog so far. Things really start to fall apart/into place for the upcoming finale of the series.

Links to stalk you online:

Amazon Author Page : https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009K67RII

Website : https://sleepingdrake.com/chris-hollaway