Author interview with Mark Blackburn

I will be honest, I have not yet read Mark's books, but I will certainly add them to my list. Mark answered a shout out on Instagram for authors to take part in my monthly interviews, and I am glad he did. Have a read and enjoy.

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

I first became an indie author out of urgency and necessity. Although I’d previously written more for adults, during the first lockdown when local children couldn’t get to school, I wrote Brian the Barrington Bear and my friend Alice did the pictures. We sent it out free as a pdf file and over a hundred people wanted it, and the feedback was very positive. So we knew we wanted to make a proper book out of it, but didn’t have time to pursue agents or try and secure a publishing contract. Indie was the only way.

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

My latest book Final Approach came about because some people who knew I’d started writing suggested I write about my rather dysfunctional family! Namely, my father had been living a secret life for twenty-five years – and it all came out into the open because of a Daily Mail article!

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

I’d be surprised if any writer doesn’t underestimate the ‘below-the-line’ activity they have to do as an author to get their book out there. I didn’t want to go the Amazon route so I went with IngramSpark so I had a degree of autonomy with my distribution, but the amount of effort you have to put into marketing is enormous. If you don’t, no one will know you have actually written a book, simple as that. And believe me it doesn’t get any easier with trad publishing unless you’re one of the very few lucky ones!

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

I decided fairly early on I’d just write what I felt like writing, regardless of genre. I think I was forced to consider this when my Brian the Bear books came out and had a good reaction – up to that point I’d considered myself a fairly serious writer for adults! Now I think I’ll write what I want to and I do – nonfiction, novels, short stories and even some poetry. And I have to say, what I write generally bears little relation to what I read!

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

I consider myself lucky as I’m pretty much retired from my day job and I don’t have dependents, but in a way I feel I’ve paid for that privilege by working hard outside of writing for several decades. That said, there are never quite enough hours in the day to do the actual writing, do the support work (see above!), and do all the chores of daily life including walking the dog!

How do you build and connect with your audience as an indie author?

I remember once on a course someone recommended you attempt no more than two channels (otherwise you get diluted) and I concentrate on Instagram and communicating with and building my mailing list.

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

I’m fortunate in this respect – I have the opposite problem! I always have too many ideas, projects and sidelines. Writing in all those different genres probably has something to do with this. Sometimes I have to force myself to just concentrate on completing on major task properly.

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

I like to work collaboratively, so I tend to seek out partners to help me in the areas where I’m less proficient. With the Brian the Bear books, Alice, who is actually a lawyer but likes to draw in her spare time, liked the idea of doing the illustration so we decided to create them as a joint enterprise.

Do you collaborate with other indie authors or creatives, and if so, how has that impacted your work?

See above. It’s a hackneyed word, but I definitely feel there’s a synergy in collaboration. I think Alice’s pictures are better because of my words, and my words are better through her pictures. I can visualise scenes and write them through thinking about how Alice would illustrate them!

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

I’ve won prizes with my short stories and had them published, I’ve written a full-length work of creative nonfiction with Final Approach: My Father and Other Turbulence. I think what’s missing is a complete novel, and that’s what I’d like to see on the bookshelves within five years, at the very most! There are works-in-progress…

If you would like to find Mark's book, then click on the link https://mark-blackburn-writer.sumupstore.com/products