Indie Convert Keri Arthur

New York Times bestselling paranormal and urban fantasy author, Keri Arthur has written more than thirty-three novels. She’s received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards and has won RT’s Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy.

If you like what you see you can become a patron for just a couple of dollars a month. You will also have access to bonus episodes and insider information. Go to http://www.patreon.com/Sarahwilliamsauthor

Transcript

Sarah Williams:                  Welcome to Write with Love. I’m Sarah Williams, bestselling author, speaker and creative entrepreneur. Each week I chat to passionate and inspiring authors about their journey in creative writing. Some are traditionally published, some do it themselves. Everyone’s journey is different and everyone has something interesting to say. We all love love, and love what we do. Today’s show is brought to you by our amazing fans and supporters on Patreon. If you’d like to help support the show and get some awesome bonus episodes, go to patreon.com/sarahwilliamsauthor to learn more. Now, here’s today’s show.

Sarah Williams:                  G’day. I’m Sarah Williams, romance author and independent publisher at Serenade Publishing. Today, I’m chatting to Keri Arthur, paranormal and urban fantasy author. Thanks for joining me today, Keri.

Keri Arthur:                        Thanks for inviting me.

Sarah Williams:                  You’re welcome. Can you introduce yourself and let us know how you started out in your writing journey today?

Keri Arthur:                        Oh god, how long have you got? I first started writing when my daughter was born in 1990 … Well, seriously writing, I’ve written all my life. But I decided because babies didn’t do anything but sleep and eat, I’d have plenty of time to write. That didn’t quite work out that way and it took me 10 years of submitting and rejecting to get my first publisher in 2000, with was Imajinn books in the USA. I had 12 books and a novella out with them over course of about four years.

Keri Arthur:                        In between that I wrote the Full Moon Rising which was the first of my Riley Jenson series. That took nearly two years to get an agent, but once I got an agent it took six weeks to sell and it had a three-publisher bid war which was absolutely amazing for this little author in Australia.

Keri Arthur:                        Then I wrote 38 to 39 books I think traditionally, and last year I started self publishing because I lost my traditionally contract. It’s been a long different journey.

Sarah Williams:                  Yep, so you don’t have any traditional contracts now? You’re just going indie from here on?

Keri Arthur:                        Full indie, yep. Apparently the stuff I’m writing now the publishers don’t think they’ll sell, so I’m full indie.

Sarah Williams:                  Wow. So tell us about the types, obviously it’s paranormal and urban fantasy. So tell us about some of the topics and characters that you use?

Keri Arthur:                        I tend to do vampires, werewolves. They’re usually a cop of some sort, fighting supernatural crime. Stuff like that. Just the fun stuff. I’ve always loved vampires and werewolves, and combining the two. Kick ass chicks is what I write.

Sarah Williams:                  Excellent. So you’ve got a few different series as well as standalones. Are there any of those in particular that you prefer or loved writing more?

Keri Arthur:                        I will always love the Riley Jenson series, because that’s the series that hit the New York Times list for me and made my name, basically. And paid for my house. I usually love the book I’m writing right now, and right now is the fourth of the Lizzie Grace series, which is my self-published series.

Sarah Williams:                  Excellent.

Sarah Williams:                  So tell us about your New York Times Bestselling status, how did you get there? Please tell us the tricks.

Keri Arthur:                        It was mainly due to the publisher. When I sold the first one, Full Moon Rising, I’d actually had the first three books almost written by then. By the time the first one came out in hardback, I’d written the fourth one. They knew this, so they said, “Well we’ll put them out in two or three month gaps.” That’s what made it hit the New York Times, because the first one sort of sold well but didn’t go anywhere. The second one sold better. The third one hit the extended list, and the fourth one hit the New York Times list. So it was a case of put them out so fast and so quickly and put the pre-orders up so fast, it sort of built momentum. That’s basically what self-publishers have to do.

Sarah Williams:                  Yeah, that’s true. So how long ago, what year was it that you got onto the New York Times?

Keri Arthur:                        2007 I think it was?

Sarah Williams:                  That’s really good. So the accolades and nominations that you’ve been receiving, you’ve got a stack of them.

Keri Arthur:                        I’ve got a few, yeah.

Sarah Williams:                  So you’ve got Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Awards?

Keri Arthur:                        Yes … I actually can’t remember which book that was for, that was a few years ago now. I’ve got Romantic Times, a few nominations and one award. I’ve also won a ARRA award here in Australia for science fiction, which was good.

Sarah Williams:                  Brilliant.

Sarah Williams:                  Do you write really fast? Are you just a really, really fast writer or a really clean writer? How quickly can you turn them out?

Keri Arthur:                        When I first started, my first book took me two years to write. These days a book takes me about three months.

Sarah Williams:                  Wow.

Keri Arthur:                        So it’s just a case of … Because I’ve written so many books, I’ve gotten faster as I’ve gone along. They’re also much cleaner as I go along. After writing 38 or so books, you sort of know what you’re supposed to do.

Sarah Williams:                  That’s it. You’re indie now, so are you still using an editor and a cover designer?

Keri Arthur:                        Oh god yes.

Sarah Williams:                  Yep.

Keri Arthur:                        Yep, yep. My books still go through the same process, I still go through a content editor. I’ve still got a line editor, proofer, a couple of proofers. Yeah. I pay good money for good cutters. I think you’ve got to spend money to make the money, these days. Because there’s so many people going the self-publishing route, you’ve really got to spend the money these days to stand out.

Sarah Williams:                  Yeah, that’s it. Do you think you learnt anything being traditionally published that you’re bringing to self-publishing now?

Keri Arthur:                        I actually don’t know. I love the freedom that’s self-publishing, because when you’re traditionally published you haven’t got much say really in the covers or when the books come out, or anything like that. But with self-publishing you can pick your own cover, you can choose your editors. You’ve got so much more freedom as a self-publisher. I really like the freedom.

Sarah Williams:                  Actually when you were traditionally published, how many books did you put out a year?

Keri Arthur:                        Two books a year.

Sarah Williams:                  Two books a year-

Keri Arthur:                        I was contracted for two books a year, yeah. I would quite often write three books a year, but I was usually one ahead. But it’s usually two books a year coming out.

Sarah Williams:                  Yep. So independently published? Are you still doing two? Or are you doing more now?

Keri Arthur:                        No, I’m doing four this year.

Sarah Williams:                  Four?

Keri Arthur:                        Yeah. Well because I’m so new at the self publishing, I sort of want to build it up a bit. So I will probably drop back down to three, maybe next year or the year after. But the first year I’m sort of doing four.

Sarah Williams:                  So what’s the size of these books? Are they relatively short novels or are they big full ones?

Keri Arthur:                        Two of them are 90,000, and two are 120,000.

Sarah Williams:                  Wow.

Keri Arthur:                        Yeah.

Sarah Williams:                  So that’s a really good effort.

Keri Arthur:                        Yeah, yeah. Well, three of them were written last year and I finished one this year. The 90,000 one I finished this year in two months. Pacemaker. Pacemaker is my key. It’s brilliant.

Sarah Williams:                  Yeah?

Keri Arthur:                        It’s an online tool where you can plug in your starting date and your ending date, and it gives you a graph of how many words you’ve got to write a day. If you don’t meet those words, the graph keeps going up. It scares you.

Sarah Williams:                  Okay, so was that place or pacemaker?

Keri Arthur:                        Pacemaker. Pacemaker.net I think it is.

Sarah Williams:                  Excellent. I’ll definitely have to look at that one. I’m very behind [crosstalk 00:08:49].

Sarah Williams:                  Wow, so that’s really incredible. Now that you are an indie, obviously you have to do the marketing side of it as well? Are you wide or are you Amazon Kindle, unlimited.

Keri Arthur:                        I’m wide. I won’t put it solely into Amazon, because I do not want to support solely Amazon. I believe it’s better for authors if we go wide.

Sarah Williams:                  That’s so cool.

Sarah Williams:                  So conferences and events that you attend. You’re a member of the Romance Writers of Australia and have been for some time?

Keri Arthur:                        Oh yeah. I’ve been with them since 1991 or 92 I think? I was on the committee for a number of years. But even though when I first joined I was one of the few paranormal authors they had there, but they’re so supportive and I’ve learned so much with that organization. I just love them, still.

Sarah Williams:                  Have you ever done any presentations or workshops or keynotes at any of the conferences yet?

Keri Arthur:                        I did one … I did an emergency one a couple of years ago at AW Australia in I think it was Adelaide?

Sarah Williams:                  I remember that, yeah.

Keri Arthur:                        Yeah. It was my bones and all, warts and all, journey of my publishing career. I stepped in and did that. Last year I think I did one on [inaudible 00:10:28], which I’m doing in RWNZ this year.

Sarah Williams:                  Oh, brilliant. Cool. So heading across the ditch to RWNZ.

Keri Arthur:                        I am. I love their conference. They’re all so friendly, and it’s much smaller than ours. So you can get around and chat to everyone. It’s great fun.

Sarah Williams:                  Excellent. And the Romantic Novelists Association, where you ever part of that?

Keri Arthur:                        No. I’m with ARRA, Australian Romance Readers Association, in Australia. I’ve been to the Romantic Times convention over in the US a few times. They’re brilliant fun, absolutely brilliant fun. A great way to meet your readers, and just have a good time.

Sarah Williams:                  Yeah. Excellent.

Sarah Williams:                  For paranormal and urban fantasy … Actually some people might not know what urban fantasy specifically is, so can you clarify that for them?

Keri Arthur:                        Urban fantasy is supernatural beings set in a modern, urban environment, basically. Mine are dark urban fantasy, which means I can go … They’ve got more horror and sex elements in it. More horror, than anything. Mine can get pretty damn gruesome.

Sarah Williams:                  You look so innocent, who’d have thought?

Keri Arthur:                        Beneath this face … Is the monster.

Sarah Williams:                  Are you a mum as well?

Keri Arthur:                        Yes, I’ve got one daughter.

Sarah Williams:                  What does your daughter think of this? Does she read your books?

Keri Arthur:                        She won’t read my books, because she doesn’t like horror novels. They get a bit gruesome for her.

Sarah Williams:                  Don’t read them before bed.

Keri Arthur:                        Yeah.

Sarah Williams:                  Excellent.

Sarah Williams:                  Well what’s your latest book to have come out that readers might see on the shelf? Or in their big bookstore?

Keri Arthur:                        I had one released in February, which is Hell’s Belle, which is the second book of my Lizzie Grace series. Which is basically two witches in a werewolf reservation in Victoria solving supernatural crimes.

Sarah Williams:                  Oh, wow.

Keri Arthur:                        Then in May I’ve got the first of a new fantasy series coming out, called Unlit. So looking forward to seeing how that goes.

Sarah Williams:                  So what’s that one about?

Keri Arthur:                        It’s set in a completely different world, it’s a fantasy world. It’s basically a soldier who hasn’t got magic who gets involved in a plot … Trying to stop a plot to destroy her city.

Sarah Williams:                  Wow. It looks very exciting.

Keri Arthur:                        I didn’t describe it very well, I’m hopeless at those sort of things. Website.

Sarah Williams:                  While these ones are all getting ready to release, obviously you’re working on something else?

Keri Arthur:                        Yes, I’m working on the fourth book of the Lizzie Grace series. The third book is already at my editors and it’s coming out in August.

Sarah Williams:                  Wow. And you’ve got some standalone books as well, don’t you?

Keri Arthur:                        I don’t have a lot of standalones. I tend to write in a series because I can’t get … I just can’t seem to leave my characters. I tend to write in long series like the Riley Jenson series was nine books. The Dark Angel series was seven books. Once I create a world I don’t want to leave it. So I’ve only got a standalone novel and the fantasy novels I’m releasing this year will basically be standalones, even though they’re set in the same world.

Sarah Williams:                  Wonderful.

Sarah Williams:                  Do you have any advice for anyone aspiring, especially if they are writing paranormal or urban fantasy? Any pieces of advice for them?

Keri Arthur:                        The best bit of advice was given to me 20 years ago, was write what you love and I still think that’s the best thing anyone’s ever said to me. In this world you can’t control … If you traditionally publish you can’t control anything, the only thing you can control is your writing. I think with the self-publishing and the need to constantly put out books you’ve got to enjoy what you’re writing. So basically write what you love, and don’t worry about what the market is doing.

Sarah Williams:                  Yeah, and as you said that it’s much easier as an indie to just keep writing what you like not having to follow the market quite as much.

Keri Arthur:                        Yeah. I’ve never followed the market. It’s part of the reason why I took 10 years to get published. But it’s also the reason I was published, because it was very different to what was out there at the time.

Sarah Williams:                  That’s it. And you’ve had a very illustrious career so far, so doing well.

Keri Arthur:                        Yeah, yeah. Well the last couple of years have left something to be desired, but you know it happens.

Sarah Williams:                  Dips in places.

Sarah Williams:                  That’s absolutely fantastic. So where can people go to found you online and find out more about your books?

Keri Arthur:                        Well I’ve got my website, www.keriarthur.com. I’m also on Facebook, Keri Arthur Author. And of course Twitter, which is Kezarthur. All the usual ways.

Sarah Williams:                  That’s excellent. Thank you so much for chatting with me today, Keri.

Keri Arthur:                        It was lovely, thank you very much for inviting me.

Sarah Williams:                  No problem.

Sarah Williams:                  Thanks for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed the show. Jump onto my website, sarahwilliamsauthor.com and join my mailing list to receive a free preview of my books and lots of inspiration.

Sarah Williams:                  If you like the show and want it to continue, you can become a sponsor for just a couple of dollars a month. Go to patreon.com/sarahwilliamsauthor to find out more, and remember to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a review of the podcast. I’ll be back next week with another loved up episode. Bye.