An Interview with Author G. B. Holley

Tell us about yourself.

Writer, pilot, retired law enforcement commander and former adjunct instructor at St. Petersburg College and a leadership trainer. MPA and BA from the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. Native Floridian. Married for almost 45 years.

Tell us about your book. What is about?

Quantum Arrow is about alien abductions. The main character is taken while flying a small plane to Key West, Florida and he’s returned 3 weeks later to the same place. He’s taken into custody by the government and his girlfriend and their friends have to try and rescue him from the military. In the process, they learn the reason behind the abductions, interdimensional time travel and a secret about the universe.

 

The ARKLIGHT Ancient Alien Adventure series is a three-book saga about alien contact, alien invasion, clandestine operations and survival.

Who is your target audience suited for this story?

The stories are geared for sixteen and older.

Do you have a favorite character in your story?

All of them are special in their own way. In the ARKLIGHT series, Tegan Strong has a warrior’s heart. In Quantum Arrow, Alexa Padgett is the driving force.

Are you currently working on another book? Is it the same genre?

Working on a new science fiction crime novel. It takes place in Wyoming. No space, just lots of action and mystery.

Do you find reviews helpful?  Or intimidating?

Reviews are very helpful, most of the time. Ratings, especially non-fives, are of little value except to add to the review count. I find that Amazon’s machine-learning model for establishing percentages to be an inaccurate reflection of the actual overall rating.

Why did you decide to self-publish?

Mostly I liked the idea of controlling the process, especially selecting the interior format and cover art. No pressure on when to publish. The downside is exposure. Traditional publishing has a marketing path. Competition as a self-publisher is difficult and time consuming.

Did you use IngramSpark, Amazon KDP, or another company to handle the printing and distribution of your book.

Ingram for HB/PB and Amazon for eBook and PB.

Now that your book is in print, do you have any regrets?

No regrets.

What parts did you do on your own, and what did you hire out to have done?

Jera Publishing provided the Interior and book covers for all the books and the box set.  Kimberley provided the formatting uploads.

What would you do it differently if you where to self-publish again?

Nothing.

What is the most difficult part of writing this book?

Finding the time to write.

If you could tell yourself anything as a younger writer, what would it be?

Write as often as possible and seek professional assistance or get a degree in creative writing. Build contacts and inroads with the traditional publishing houses.

What motivates you as a writer?

Storytelling and hoping that the story brings joy to others. I really enjoy the creative process and bringing the characters to life.

Do you try to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I’m original. I know from research that many authors find out what the market or literary agents are wanting to sell in order to get ahead. I create what I believe is a great story regardless of popular demand. Some, like the one I’m working on now, is a cross between a crime/mystery with an ancient alien discovery. I write to write, not to market a specific genre or audience.

How old where you when you started writing? 

For science fiction – 55. I use a pen name for those works. I’ve published academic and research works in journal and magazines since my mid-thirties under my real name. I also wrote a children’s book in my 40’s – but chose not to publish.  

What marketing have you done for your book? What worked and what did not?

I have tried FB, Linkedin, Twitter, book marketing groups and Amazon. I have found that the indie market is saturated. Even free giveaways tend to get lost in the crowd. So far, the return for paid marketing hasn’t matched what was spent on the ads. I look for the freebies now.

Did you start marketing before your book was launched? If not, do you regret that decision?

I did put out a few tweets that seemed to get a few pre-orders.

How do you use social media as an author? Has it worked well for you, or is it something you want to do more or less of?

I mostly use Twitter. Poor results with FB ads.

Which platform do you use the most?

Twitter

Anything else?

Write because you enjoy the process. I know that the books I write could be more successful if I spent more time on the business of selling, but that’s just not for me. I want to write and time is precious. I believe most authors feel the same way. Decide what you want out of your writing and pursue it.