Author interview – Stuart Land

Stuart Land is writer based in Thailand. His story ideas come from his vivid imagination, but his inspiration draws from extensive world travel and fascinating careers: from US military medic to hairstylist, then Washington D.C. Police officer to NYC photographer.

Later, he converted a chicken coop in the woods into a live-in studio and taught himself metal sculpture. That rudimentary craft expanded into the fine arts. Sculptures in bronze and fiberglass led to shows in the US, England and Thailand.

His passion for all arts segued into: costume design (top 100 designers in the book, Fashion: 2001); modeling agency art director; fashion show designer; water feature designer, computer illustrator and a top sculptor for special effects, sets and props in the entertainment industry with work in over thirty major films, hotels and theme parks worldwide.

During his film career, he learned screenwriting firsthand, writing over a dozen screenplays. To explore character and environment more, he took up narrative fiction. He has completed many short stories and six novels.

Four of Stuart’s six books are in the paranormal genre. He calls it supernatural realism because the situations are based in real life circumstance with paranormal or supernatural elements involved. ORIGINAL BLOOD is a vampire story, SHADOW HOUSE is a psychological time-bending ghost story, EPIPHANY is a totally different end of the world scenario based entirely on science fact, BACK FROM THE DEAD is the true sequel to Frankenstein, and the lone pony is CLAIMING LIVES, a crime thriller.

He continues on his journey.

You’ll find Stuart on the web here, on Facebook here, on Twitter here and on Amazon here (UK) and here (US).

How digitally aware are you generally?

I understand the digital universe and use it extensively, but since I live in Thailand, I still can’t get a NY pizza delivered. I use it to spread rumors, er, information about my books.

Do you use Facebook and/or Twitter professionally and/or personally? If both, how do you distinguish between them?

All these types of sites are now exclusively for my writing. I use smoke signals for personal use. Sometimes I actually get on my motorbike and go across town to see someone face to face. Nothing like getting real spit in your eye when you talk to someone real.

Do you have a blog? If so, why – and what do you blog about?

Yes I do. Why? Good question. So I can convince people that I’m someone to waste their time with, uh, to learn interesting things from. And more propaganda, ah, information about my books.

In your online networking, how much time do you spend talking to other authors/publishers and how much time with readers/fans? Do you get any tangible benefits from either?

I talk to everyone all day and night because most people’s day is my night, right? I don’t know who the authors/publishers/readers/fans are because no one tells me those things. OK, I know who the authors are because I can recognize blatant propaganda as good as the next guy, but readers and fans cover their tracks too well.

Do I get any tangible results from all that yakking? Well, I’m talking to you, so let me know when we’re done.

Do you enjoy interacting with your readers in the real world and/or online? Any significant differences between the two?

I love interacting with my reader! But it’s really hard to arm wrestle them online. So, let me think what the differences are between my two readers…oh, you mean real world and online? Well, online I can make risqué comments and not get slapped.

Do you respond to reviews, good and/or bad?

Oh yes! I respond really well to good reviews. I respond much less so to bad ones. Well, not really sure about that yet because I’ve only had one bad review and that was from someone who never read my book. I sent out a hit team after him/her and that’s what my next book will be about. Stay tuned.

Have you ever actively marketed to a target demographic based on the genre of your writing or the theme of a particular book?

I’ve been trying to. My stories are mostly cross-genre. No, I’m not confused. I just like lots of stuff. Not one person who has read my work has complained that they were confused about the story because I cross those genre thresholds. Well, except him/her who never read my book.

How clearly defined is the reader in your mind when writing? Would you know where to find them online?

Hmmm, reader? My characters think they’re real, so keep it down. Do you live your life for someone else? I didn’t think so. Well, neither do my characters. After they’ve told their story, I try to narrow the genres down to as few as possible.

But yes, I do have trouble finding those readers anywhere. I think the problem with my books is that a reader has to want to take the time to read, not skim so they can get on to the next book. I don’t care what someone says, if they read a book or two (or more) a day, they’re skimming.

Even though I may write (sometimes) in a particular defined genre (vampire), I write with intent. My stories are to be savored, as are the characters and the situations they find themselves in. I’ve written six novels (three out now, with two on the way soon), and not one person has been able to guess any of my endings, or even come close. This isn’t a challenge to all the clever readers out there, though if you want it to be, I’ll play. I’ll even take your word for it. If anyone guesses the ending of any of my books before the last page, I’ll refund their money. (Except for the one I’m writing now called CLAIMING LIVES, which takes a couple of pages to tie up.)

How satisfied are you with your current publisher’s marketing efforts on your behalf?

My publisher (me) isn’t as good those big six guys. Or Amanda Hocking. Or anyone selling hundreds of books a day. Oh, I appreciate all his (my) efforts, they’re first rate, but it’s results, baby, results! Now if this interview suddenly causes a huge spike in sales, well, I’ll be liking the publisher (me)(and Kyle) very much.

What’s the Grand Marketing Plan for your next book?

I plan to be on every virtual street corner, naked, wearing a clapboard sign, and annoying everyone with interviews and reviews everywhere they look, so they’ll all rush out and buy my books just to be rid of me. How does that sound?

To what extent do you buy into the concept that as an author you are a brand?

I always knew that. It says Campbell’s on my tush.

To what extent do you believe that it’s up to you to find your audience and ultimately sell your books?

Unless you do it, Kyle, I guess it’s pretty much up to me.

What would your advice be to a debut novelist hoping for… well, a publishing deal, or at any rate readers?

Ah! Finally a place to put Ah!

It’s like this: unless your file or manuscript is soaked in some mind-altering drug, or your uncle who REALLY likes you owns the publishing company, my advice is to sell a f-n huge amount books in a relatively short time, then all those publishers will beat a path to your real door with real money. You should (need) to realize that very few of the very few who even write a book, do anything at all with their first book. And even if they eventually do, it’s after they’ve written a bunch of others first. So, your first might really be your six or seventh or fifteenth.

But don’t let me discourage you. If I did, you’re not a writer, just someone who writes.

So where’s it all going, this publishing business?

Look, if I’m about ready to buy an iPad or Kindle (or both), then it’s past the tipping point. Don’t believe me? Look it up on Wikipedia. It says that Stuart Land is the tipping point of the sudden resurgence of the normal person who will read on anything where they can make out the written word.

They have these figures (I don’t know what they are) which says how many people worldwide can’t read. But the rest of them can read, and that’s billions of people, folks. There will be enough room for everyone once the majors figure out that all these new writers and readers aren’t going to go away.

Do you have any experiences of doing your own marketing, digitally or otherwise, that you could share with other authors?

My biggest advice is…Be Nice. Seems like an easy thing to do, right. I’m astonished at how many people on the internet are just not nice. The internet is immediate, but your answers and questions don’t need to be. People will tick you off, sure. But take a breath before you let your fingers lead you down the road of no return, because that’s what the internet is. Once you hit send, whatever you said is there for eternity. You can only hope for a huge, electronic-wiping solar flare to eradicate your blunder.

Of course that would probably also eradicate all life on earth, so please don’t pray for it, especially if you have connections in that vein.

Kyle, thanks for flying halfway around the world to interview me in my modest grass shack. It’s been fun. Hey, watch out for that spider…