Maximilian Sam interview 3
AUTHOR INTERVIEW 3
Book Title:
It’s A Stray Dog’s Life
Author Name:
Maximilian Sam
How did it feel when you finished writing your book?
I kicked myself wondering why it had taken me so long to get round to doing it. I’d played with various books and never finished them. It’s been a lesson learned.
How do you feel when your book is going through the editing phase?
I was fortunate this time around as I’d signed with a hybrid publisher so I left it to them whilst I carried on writing other things. It was only when I realized I hadn’t heard from them for months that panic set in. There were a few bumpy moments but we got there in the end.
It also proved to me the greatest weakness businesses in general have and especially the publishing industry. Self-publishing, traditional publishing and hybrid publishing all have a place in the industry (I have views on the civil war currently being lived out but that’s for another time). The greatest weakness is a lack of communication and it’s something I hear from authors across the board. It’s a tough balancing act between answering emails and getting on with the job, but when there’s poor communication a vacuum forms that only ever creates unhappiness. There’s no excuse. If you can’t cope with the emails and workload then either take on less books or hire more staff. All emails should be answered in 48-72 hours. It’s not that hard. It would save a lot of heartache on all sides, especially as the process is very emotive for an author as it’s their little baby you’re looking after.
You get a front cover for your book, it must be starting to feel more real now but that surely brings about a lot of emotions?
I was fortunate in many respects. I’d insisted on being responsible for the cover (although the production department would also make any tweaks). Sadly, the friend helping me pulled out several months in leaving me with nothing. Thankfully another friend is a certified genius. He met me for a coffee on the Sunday where I showed him my idea. By Tuesday he’d improved it and we’d completed the whole thing. It was the best part of the whole process. So seeing the front cover was both relief and excitement. Judging from the response I got lucky as people have connected with the front cover image and frequently send messages about it.
Your book has now got to ARC stage and it's out with some readers now, how do you feel?
Nervous. All of a sudden doubt sets in. The constant wondering if people will like it never goes away. Even a few months later I wake up in the middle of the night hoping someone has enjoyed it. It’s very tough emotionally and certainly exhausting. I’m yet to find a solution to that conundrum.
You now have everything ready to go and a release date set, how does it feel?
The one thing that sticks with me is you don’t have everything ready. However well you’ve planned and got your ducks in a row, there’ll always be something. It can be the Amazon listing not linking the paperback and ebook or a multitude of other things that throw everything into chaos. It’s also a busy day and the final press releases and other marketing really kick in. It’s not a day I enjoyed as it seemed to pass me by. I’m determined, next time, to stop and enjoy it at least a little! I’ll also make sure I actually have a copy on release day next time.
Where can people connect with you?
Links to connect with Maximilian Sam:
https://twitter.com/maxsamauthor on Twitter
https://www.facebook.com/authormaximiliansam on Facebook
https://www.instagram.com/authormaximiliansam/ on Instagram
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22204253.Maximilian_Sam on Goodreads
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