I was lucky to get an interview with Amy Campbell, the author of Breaker, one of this year’s #SPFBO8 entries.
Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
By day I’m a librarian at a public library in Texas, by night I’m a mother to two young boys, and in the twilight in between those two massive responsibilities I’m a fantasy author! No, I don’t know how I do all that, either.
“ I love the idea of giving more visibility to indie books—that’s something I try to do at my library, too. ”
Why did you decide to take part in the SPFBO?
I know it takes a lot of audacity to enter a debut novel, but I think that Breaker is a strong enough novel to give it a shot. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? And I love the idea of giving more visibility to indie books—that’s something I try to do at my library, too.
Why should we buy your SPFBO8 book?
A reluctant mage, surly gunslinger, pie-loving pegasus, and duplicitous politician join forces against a common enemy in this epic western fantasy with LGBTQIA+ representation.
What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I’ve always loved writing and wanting to be an author. I started writing when I was 7 though nothing remains from so long ago! I wrote and wrote until around 2005 when I lost much of the drive to do so—life got busy and it seemed too difficult to even try to get published at the time. I regained my fire in 2020, right when the pandemic started. One of my friends had turned to indie publishing, and I thought if she could, why couldn’t I? The covid-19 outbreak made me realize there was no time like the present to go after my dream. And I haven’t looked back since.
Why did you choose to write fantasy? And why pick this particular fantasy subgenre?
I’ve always loved fantasy. At first I didn’t think I could write anything else, though since then I’ve discovered that when my characters “speak” to me, I really love writing their interactions. As for why I picked this subgenre…because I’m a weirdo who can’t write something normal. I had never read any sort of fantasy in an Old West -style setting, so I decided I needed to do so. And it’s been a fun ride so far!
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Several things! I’m never going to tire of holding one of my paperbacks in my hands. That’s a dream come true right there. And having people become as invested in my characters as I am. Understanding their idiosyncrasies and bad choices and traumas. And one of my favorite things, that only happens once in a blue moon but has happened, is when I get emails or messages from fans who feel SEEN for the first time in media. One of my main characters is asexual. There’s very little ace rep in anything. Though it’s not stated as such in the book, through the interactions with others this comes across—plus I have let my fans know that this character is ace on social media. Representation is important, and I’m overjoyed to touch the lives of others who feel invisible or invalid.
What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
Marketing. First drafts. I don’t know which of those is harder. They’re both hard! I’m a discovery writer, so I never feel really happy until I have the dirty first draft done. And marketing? Facebook ads are a mystery to me. Amazon ads seem to never net me much of anything. It’s my bane.
Do you have a tip, app, tool, or resource you recommend to authors?
For maps, I know a lot of folks swear by Inkarnate but I use Wonderdraft. Wonderdraft was a one-time fee (at the time it was like $30, not bad!) and though it’s had some weirdness I’ve learned more about it and made a pretty good map, I think. The current iteration is better than my others, for sure!
For marketing, I think more authors should look into Kickstarter. I’m in the middle of planning a campaign that will launch probably August 2022, and I’m really excited by the opportunity to offer my existing fans some cool things I can’t give them on retailers, plus find more potential fans! It’s also a fabulous way to find other great books to read, too. The publishing part of Kickstarter is very much up-and-coming and I think it’s a tool that a lot more people should consider.
What new projects are you working on?
I’m polishing up the special illustrated hardcover edition of Breaker (which will be on Kickstarter). It’s going to have custom chapter headings and all kinds of bells and whistles, plus new content, so that takes time! I’ve also dabbled with the first draft of Tales of the Outlaw Mages book 4 (Persuader) and the first book in a new series (Dragon Latitudes). Since Persuader and Dragon Latitudes are both in first drafts and I despise first drafts, I am not a happy camper at the moment! (And thus a lot more of my time has gone to the Breaker hardcover, which is more palatable.) But I’ll get back to them…
Anything else you would like to say before we close?
A really fantastic way you can support indie authors is by suggesting the titles of authors you love to your local library! Many of them have a “suggest a book” section on their websites.
You had me at “pie-loving pegasus!” Which sounds immensely cute!
Best of luck in the competition, Amy, and with sales. Thanks for doing the interview.
