A Conversation With A Writer AL Marquardt November 2008 AL at Writing.com Official Website Interviews ©LK Hunsaker. All Rights Reserved.

AL Marquardt is a brand new indie author, at least newly published. Her book "A Reason To Hope" deals with controversial issues within a traditional Christian theme. I've been honored to know this author for several years now and am glad she agreed to an interview to share her thoughts about her work and about indie publishing.


LK: Hi Andra! Thanks for being here with us.

AL: Thank you for the invite, and a happy hello to all your readers.

LK: I like to start simple, so how about a touch of background? Anything you would like us to know as we begin?

AL: I’m a mother of a 10 month old (where did the time go?), married for sixteen years, and work as a Registered Land Surveyor for a small engineering firm in North Dakota (aka Brrrrr). I’ve been writing since my angsty teenage years, but in the last five decided to throw my words and my stories out into the public.

LK: And I'm constantly surprised about how much writing you manage within your schedule! Now you're adding publishing and marketing to it. As for the business aspect, your genre, Christian Science Fiction, is a growing trend, as I understand. What made you go in that direction?

AL: The lack of books in this genre is why I tackled it. What did exist all seemed to ‘water down’ the Christian message by not mentioning Jesus or the Bible by name. That bothered me, because it seemed the authors (and publishers) didn’t think a story where God played a direct and overt role would sell.

I knew it would, because I know too many Christians who love science fiction. For years I searched for a book and an author I always wanted to read in this genre. One day a small voice said, “You write it.”

Though I considered myself a writer, I always wrote nonfiction, essays, poetry and the like. The idea of going from smaller writings of no more than 4,000 words to an entire 100k word novel was daunting at best.

I took up the challenge, and three months later the first draft of my novel was complete. More than that, I saw the possibility of at least one trilogy.

LK: That small voice had quite an impact. :-) How do you see the genre’s longevity factor in the face of the constantly changing “what’s in” publishing industry? Is it here to stay a while, do you think?

AL: Easy. Science fiction made a splash in the 50s, and continues to grow almost exponentially. The only genre that seems to be growing faster is fantasy. People also thirst for books with a positive message, which is why the Christian market is also booming.

A bit off-topic, the struggle now in the Christian market, and my choice of sub-genre, is the traditional publishers taking the risk in something so new to them. They also struggle with avoiding controversial issues such as homosexuality (something I tackle in my self-published novella). For a long time, readers wanted to escape from reality, not be submersed more into the ick of life.

Yet people I’ve talked to want books (regardless of genre) with real characters facing real situations, not virginal, warm-fuzzy characters facing minimal challenges. Readers look for answers or at least different points of views in the books they read, not simply to be entertained.

Publishers are beginning to listen, thank goodness. People are also either self-publishing, or starting up their own publishing houses dedicated exclusively to science fiction and fantasy with a Christian world-view.

LK: Yes, there are an incredible amount of small publishing houses now picking up the niche books which are doing well in the overall sales counts. As you, I see that as readers wanting more than they can find in large traditional markets. It's great for readers to have better variety.

How about your writing habits? Do you have certain rituals in how or where you write?

AL: I enjoy sitting in my rocking chair with my laptop on my lap (who would do such a thing?). I listen to either classical such as Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi, or movie soundtracks composed by John Williams and Howard Shore, to mention a few. Instrumentals by Manheim Steamroller also inspire me. I listen to those because they convey every human emotion imaginable, and they translate well to the words that spill out (or drip if I’m not particularly motivated) onto the page.

LK: The image of rocking and writing at the same time makes me grin, and a touch dizzy. ;-)

You have just released your first published novel. Is there anything that frightens you about publication? If so, how do you deal with it?

AL: Occasionally, a thick doubt strikes me, and I ask all those what ifs: What if my characters are flat? What if the story doesn’t make sense, or worse, it’s predictable? What if it sounds preachy (my biggest concern)? What if everyone hates it, and will never read another word I write?

I deal with it by venting in my writing blog. I call them brain-vomits, because I feel so much better afterward. Seeing the words on the screen (and the comments people so kindly add) help put everything into proper perspective. It’s never so horrible my emotion-fear-driven brain tells me it is. Nor am I alone in my doubts. Even the most successful writer struggles with confidence.
In the end, I laugh at myself for over-reacting to my doubts.

Prayer helps the most. When I talk to God, my path clears, and my doubts dissipate. He reminds me that everything I write belongs to him. I work and practice at writing as much as I can, and he then uses the end result. To whom they will touch is entirely up to him.

Though I would love to sell hundreds if not thousands of copies of every book I write, if my words affect only the few people God intends, then I have not wasted my time. My primary motivation is to meet God (far, far into the future I hope) and hear him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

LK: That would be an incredible pat on the back! Nice ways to combat fear. So what is the best part of publication so far?

AL: Seeing it for sale online.

LK: I'm glad to see it there, too. Okay, I have to ask this one just because I’m arts obsessed: what is your favorite color and what do you like about it?

AL: Red. It’s warm, but there’s also a sense of danger about it. Get too close, and it could burn you.

LK: If you had a whole day to yourself and were not allowed to use it to write, what would you do?

AL: Read. Since the birth of my little boy, I’ve yet to read an entire book. I might even sketch a little. I used to love to draw with pencil and chalk, and I was killer at many forms of calligraphy. I’m a bit of a geek, too, so I’d likely use my computer instead of an actual pencil to draw with.

LK: Such as the creation of your own book cover, yes? ;-)

What made you decide to indie publish your first novel? Do you recommend it to others?

AL: As I wrote above, though Christian science fiction is growing, it’s still tentative. To combine that with tackling controversial issues, and a novella of 25k words instead of a full-length novel, no publisher would touch it.

Yet I felt the story needed to be shared.

I do recommend self-publishing, but the writer needs to be certain to study the craft of writing, for years if need be. Indie published books are still considered by many readers to be sub-par with traditional. If that’s to change (and it is), indies need to put out high-quality work. I submit it needs to be even better than traditionally published, because we don’t have the capability of national promotion and/or name recognition. We sell by not only promoting ourselves, but by word of mouth. If our books are excellent, then our readers will brag us up and increase our readership. If our books are not, readers will warn others, and you may as well forget about publishing again.

It requires self-motivation, and the willingness (if not the desire) to self-promote. That’s difficult, because all writers tend to be reclusive.

Research well into POD or subsidy publishers. Find one that meets best your needs and for a cost you’re willing to pay. Self-publishing isn’t cheap. It’s also a gamble, because there are no guarantees you’ll sell enough books to break even, let alone make a profit.

LK: Yes, I think you're quite right about indie books needing not only to be up to standards, but maybe higher than normal standards. Good point.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer? Your least favorite?

AL: Writing gives my imagination an outlet to run wild (when I manage to turn off my internal editor). Writing also allows me to express myself when other means elude me. I always say God didn’t attach my mouth to my brain correctly, because when I speak I’m often misunderstood. Not so my writing. Plus, with writing, there’s always the delete key (or eraser).

I despise the subjectivity of writing. Land surveying is based on mathematics. There is but one end result, and if properly calculated, cannot be argued against. Some may love what we write while others will hate it. What we write and publish will succeed or fail based solely on the opinion of others.

LK: I think that's typical of many writers -- communicating better in print. Speaking of, if you could meet any famous author, who would it be and what would you most want to ask him or her?

AL: Benjamin Franklin. Not only do I admire what he contributed to the founding of our nation, but he bucked convention. Because the established media refused to publish much of his writings, he eventually bought a printing press and started his own paper. I would ask how he fought and won against his own doubts.

LK: Any indie artists you would like to recommend to others? Writers, bands, fine artists… (and if they’re up for an interview, send them my way, lol)

AL: I’m new to the indie scene, so I don’t have much to add here. Besides you, I know of only one self-published author: David McClain. He wrote and published through lulu.com a book of short stories. You can find his book at: www.lulu.com/davidmac73

Two friends sell their wares through etsy.com:
1. Karabu: www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5026538
2. Oso Azul Design: www.Osoazuldesign.etsy.com
My sister-in-law also has an online store selling infant/toddler gear: www.makethemyourself.com

LK: Ahh, I recommend David's book, as well, and will be hitting him up for an interview soon. ;-)

Before you go, tell us about your contest!

AL: Publishing a book and setting up a website does not guarantee sales, or even attract people to the book. I figured to gain interest bribery was in order.

From November 1 to December 1, 2008 people can enter my contest up to three times. They can sign up for occasional website updates, subscribe for automatic blog updates, or register in my forum.

The five prizes each include an autographed copy of my novella, one pen, ten bookmarks and two refrigerator magnets.

All information about the contest and the book can be found at www.almarquardt.com/contest

Thanks again for the invite, and for allowing me to brag about my book.

LK: Thank you for being here and best of luck with this book and all to come!

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