Author interview with Fanny Garstang

I "met" Fanny through Instagram and knew instantly that I would love her books, and I am very proud to know that the reason she wrote the prequel to The Dacha in the Forest was because of me. I needed to know more about the characters, and the sequel did not disappoint. Have a read of my interview and get to know Fanny too.

What inspired you to become an indie author instead of pursuing traditional publishing?

As a teenager when I started writing my ambition was to be traditionally published. It was the only way at the time and of course who doesn’t dream of big advances. I got myself a copy of the writers handbook and sent my Mayan book off to agents and got lots of rejections back. When I returned to writing 20years later Amazon had made it easier for people to self publish and I experimented with ebooks not realising everything else behind it like marketing! Realising how hard it was to get an agent as a teenager is why I have become an indie author. Though I still occasionally dream of being picked up by a big publisher.

Without spoilers, can you share the story behind your latest book? What sparked the idea?

How do you approach the writing process? Are you a planner or a panster?

I am a happy pantser and also a bit of a plantser. I normally have an idea of a scene and then see how I get to it or where it will take me once I have written it. I don’t always know where it is going but sometimes I have an idea and will have a little sequence of scenes written on the edge of my notebook to keep my scenes in some order though the characters have been known to change the direction the book is going in.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an indie author, and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge for me is getting seen which is why I do as many physical events as possible. I can talk to the readers, reveal my knowledge of my books and the history within those pages and sell them so much more than I could on social media.

How do you handle the business side of indie publishing, like marketing and distribution?

I keep it simple at the moment since I am juggling work, family life and also organising the Stroud Indie book fair. Marketing currently is just through Instagram and distribution is through myself though you can find all my books on amazon as well. If sales started to take or I had the money I might experiment with ads.

How do you decide which genre to write in, and is it the same as the books you read?

As a reader I read a bit of everything though tend to a larger quantity of historical fiction in my TBR and on my shelves then anything else. As a writer I would love to be just writing historical fiction but I have become multigenre. My fantasy series came about because I wanted to play with historical costumes.

How do you balance writing with other responsibilities, like a day job or family life?

Writing in some ways is me time for me so I don’t actually stress too much if I haven’t written a huge amount or everyday. Sometimes life is more important. Interestingly, if I haven’t touched one of my books for a few days either editing a draft or writing a draft then I do get a bit angsty.

Have you ever experienced writer’s block, and if so, how do you push through it?

As a pantser there are definitely moments where I have had writer’s block and some people would probably tell me it’s the wrong thing to do but I just put the first draft to one side. One day I will come back to it and an idea will come to me.

How do you approach cover design and branding for your books?

One of the bonuses of going to comic cons is meeting so many talented artists so I tend to make a note of any that I like the style of. Also I like to rummage on Instagram as well though I have a work colleague who I normally consider first but it depends on the style of cover I want. I tend to be fairly relaxed with my covers. I let them know what I am thinking and then let them play and normally it’s better than my original idea. For my fantasy series I knew it had to be dragons on the cover like Anne Mccaffrey. The only mistake I have made with a cover was Masked where the original cover was giving horror vibes rather than romance so I had to find a new cover which has proven to be successful. Though my now ‘limited edition’ cover has proven popular still when readers see it.

What’s the most rewarding moment you’ve experienced as an indie author so far?

I have had two moments. Twice last year a reader bought pretty much every book I had out at the time. Of course I gave them a little discount but it was heart stopping that someone was willing to spend all their money on my books.

How do you stay motivated to keep writing and publishing independently?

I will keep going until I run out of ideas or I lose the joy I find in writing and sharing my stories to the world.

Where do you see your writing career in five years, and what steps are you taking to get there?

My realistic ambition (once I realised how few sales I currently get) is to earn enough to drop one shift a week at work that I could then be able to spend a day properly on books and maybe develop myself. For the moment I will just keep showing up and writing.

Can you recommend some other indie authors that you enjoy reading?

If you fancy some urban fantasy with the same humour as Rivers of London then I can recommend CJ Powell’s The Demon hunter’s wife

For second chance romances with some heat then Louise Murchie (who is a big supporter of my indie book fair). The downsize to organising and attending indie book fairs is all the books I come home with. I have a large pile of indie books to read and not enough time.

What is next for you?

I plan to release two more books in 2026, maybe three. The next book is one of two prequels to my Valley of Dragons fantasy series. An origin story to the Daughters of Scyth. I am also working on a second draft of my Rapunzel x bluebeard Japanese set story. I also have my 4^th Stroud Indie book fair to organise.

If you want to know more, then click on the link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Fanny-Garstang/author/B09WF3Y6MD?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1772190810&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true