Interview with Daniel Arenson

Available at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Firefly-Island-ebook/dp/B003FGXLHU

My next interview is with Daniel Arenson. Welcome Daniel!

Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.

Writing my fantasy novel "Firefly Island" was a long, long journey. It began back in 1996 when I had an idea.  What if a young girl, enslaved to an ogre, discovered she had the magic to link her mind to others, to hurt them with her thoughts?  What if this girl lived in a kingdom ruled by a tyrant made of stone, whose flesh was invincible to all weapons, and only her magic could hurt him?

I spent a year or two thinking about the characters.  Just thinking about them; the choices they'll make, the hardships they'll face, the things they'll learn.  I then spent another couple years outlining the novel.  Real life often interfered during this time, but regardless of what life tossed my way, I carried around a stack of fifty-odd sheets of paper, which held the outline for my book.  I kept tweaking the story, deleting parts, adding other parts, rethinking characters, considering the themes of the book and the moral choices its characters face.  I had to make sure that the novel presented an exciting adventure, but also had something to say about morality and how our choices shape our lives.

It was a long time before I finally sat down to write the book. When I started writing, it didn't take long.  I wrote the book in a garden overlooking a forest.  It took two or three months to write, day after day.  I then spent a year or two revising it, again thinking about the plot, the pacing, the characters, and the themes that were important to me.  Characters in fantasy novels often take long journeys.  For me, writing one was a journey.

Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?

Yes.  Five Star, an imprint of Gale, bought and printed "Firefly Island" in 2007.  It spent three years as a Gale hardcover.  Finally in 2010, I went indie with "Firefly Island" and uploaded it to ebook stores, including the Kindle store.  It's now an indie Kindle book.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish?

You used to need traditional publishers to reach readers.  Publishers got you into libraries and bookshops.  Today you can reach readers yourself online.  In many ways, you don't need a publisher anymore.  Going indie, you gain so much control.  You choose the cover art.  You choose the release date.  You control the promotional efforts.  You set the price.  You collect more of the profits.  Most traditional publishers pay you maybe 6 or 7% of the book's cover price.  With Kindle, you earn 35%, and there are rumors this will increase to 70%.  So why not go indie?  Sure, there's more work involved, but even with traditional publishing, most of the promotional efforts fall on the author's shoulders.  Going indie is kind of like driving with a shift stick; great sense of control.

Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?

Not for "Flaming Dove", my next book, which will be released late this year.  Ebooks are exploding with popularity right now.  They're the present and the future.  I can hire my own cover artists and editors, upload the ebooks myself, and reach readers directly via my website, www.DanielArenson.com.  Whether I ever choose to return to traditional publishing... we'll see.  I'm not ruling it out, but I have no such plans at the moment.

Did you design your cover art?  If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

I prefer to work with professional designers. I'm decent at painting and designing, and I paint as a hobby, but when it comes to great book covers, I prefer to work with artists who are experienced at creating them.  When "Firefly Island" was published in hardcover, Five Star Publishing hired Thorsten Grambow, a very talented artist, to create the cover art.  When I released "Firefly Island" as an ebook, I let an artist named Frank Barbara create a new cover.  You can see both covers on my website.  I think both are fantastic.

If you used a graphic designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?

With both my print cover and ebook cover, I worked closely with the artist.  I described how I envision the cover, answered their questions, discussed possibilities with them, and then let the artist have his creative freedom.  I don't believe the author should dictate every aspect of the artwork to the artist.  A professional artist knows what looks best; it's their job to know this.  The author should provide some direction and guidelines, then back off and let the artist do his job.  :)

How did you feel when you got your first sale?  Are you pleased with sales so far?

When "Firefly Island" was first published in hardcover back in 2007, it sold about 600 copies right away.  It was exciting.  And now that it's an ebook, I still sell copies every day.  Since "Firefly Island" went digital two months ago, I haven't had a day without sales; on good days, the book can sell over twenty copies.  It's fantastic that this old book, first released three years ago, is still finding new readers.

What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

My twitter page:  http://www.Twitter.com/DanielArenson

My facebook book:  http://www.facebook.com/DanielArenson

My website:  http://www.DanielArenson.com

I also spend a lot of time at KindleBoards.com and MobileRead.com, two fantastic forums. I hope to meet you at these places!

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Yes.  You can also buy "Firefly Island" at Smashwords.  You can find it there in multiple formats, so whatever ereader you use (Sony Reader, Nook, Kobo, etc.) you can find the right file there.

Here's the link:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/12299

I'm working on getting "Firefly Island" into other ebook stores, such as the Barnes and Noble store, the Kobo store, iBookstore, and others.  I'm hoping "Firefly Island" appears in these stores within a few weeks.

What’s next for you?

My dark fantasy novel "Flaming Dove" will be released late this year. It tells the story of Laila, half angel, half demon, outcast from Hell, banished from Heaven.  If you love dark, Gothic, thoughtful fiction, you'll love this book.  Keep an eye out for it!

Thank you, Deb, for interviewing me.  It was a pleasure.

Daniel