Author Interview
Just recently, like two years recent, I head about a third way of publishing that I may need to look into as I continue my journey towards publishing myself. I have met no one on Twitter who does Hybrid Publishing until now, and I am happy to do so because she has me really thinking about it more and more for myself. She writes under two pen names which I think is pretty cool and I can’t wait to introduce her to you all.
1. What sparked your interest in writing?
I’ve been writing as long as I’ve been reading! I hope all the dot-matrix tear-offs from my early failed works have been recycled. Am I the only one who found that satisfying? Ripping off the little strips along the perforation? Just me? Oh, the 1990s!
2. Has anyone in your life inspired you to write?
Certain authors have touched my life in such a way I don’t always remember that they don’t actually know me and probably don’t know I exist. Such power they wield! Growing up, those authors were Anne Rice, John Irving, Stephen King, and more. Personally, I didn’t know anyone who wrote, and I think my parents were both hesitant about encouraging me to write. (This is how I ended up at law school.)
3. When did you decide to publish?
I’d been working on my literary science fiction novel for several years and finished it just before Thanksgiving of 2019. I knew I needed guidance to get published and found my way to PitMad and PitMad prep groups. Next thing you know, I’m on Twitter, pitching my book, and ultimately signed with my agent after March 2020s PitMad.
4. Are you an Indie Author or Traditional Author? Why did you choose the path you did?
I’m a hybrid author! I went with a small press for my romance series, The Bourbon Books, and later opted to do them on my own. I’m also represented by Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary Agency and am in submission for my literary science fiction novel. Each path has its own challenges and benefits, but the biggest reason I pushed forward on my own with my romance novels is I wanted to be able to release them on my own timetable and have complete control over the path the characters would take.
5. What is your first published book?
My first out was “dibs,” but it was written after I’d finished The Garibaldi Waltz, my literary science fiction novel. The first in The Bourbon Books, “dibs” was written and released in the same calendar year! It happened so fast, I’m still kind of in shock. It’s wearing off after the second book came out in that same year, though. I’m not aiming for rapid release, but these have poured out of me. My literary science fiction novel was a labor of love, like churning butter. The Bourbon Books? Whipped cream!
6. Are you happy with how your books are coming out? Would you change anything?
The ride for The Bourbon Books has been totally unexpected, but I am excited to have the third coming out on Valentine’s Day, 2021! The path with traditional publishing is much slower, so if I had the power to speed that part up, I would!
7. Will you continue to publish books for many years to come?
Absolutely! I’ve already started another literary science fiction novel as well as scribbled down a scene that will be in the fourth installment of The Bourbon Books.
8. What genres inspire you to write?
I’ve always been a science fiction and fantasy girl at heart, but I do love a bit of satire. Things like Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, where you have fantasy and humor together? That’s my chocolate and peanut butter combination right there.
9. What is your favorite genre to write? What is your least favorite genre to write?
It’s a tie, actually. I read so much science fiction and fantasy that naturally, I’m drawn there; those are the books I am most likely to be reading and the ones I always want to discuss. Case in point: I co-host a weekly podcast, Vox Vomitus, and when we have science fiction authors as our guests, I love talking to them about their stylistic choices, their inspirations, and the themes at work in their novels. Science fiction and fantasy let us take on the issues of humanity in extreme, larger-than-life situations across the entire universe.
In contrast, I never expected to write romance and I’ve read comparatively very little of it, so I never expected that I would love writing it so much. I realized that both my science fiction and romance works are very character-driven, so in either genre, that’s where I start. I can’t say I have a least favorite genre to write, but I’m not great at short stories. I don’t have room to develop a character in a flash piece. When I’ve written those snippets, I find myself relying on gimmicks. I can do it, but they’re not representative of how I ought to write.
10. What challenges have you faced publishing?
More than would fit in a blog post! Going “indie” wasn’t always part of my intended path and it’s thrown me a lot of curveballs. Sometimes it’s a swing and a miss. But I’ve embraced learning the ropes of all aspects of this business, from the technical details to learning how to more effectively market and promote my books.
11. What challenges have you faced in writing?
I’ve written and abandoned a few books over the years—some complete; others nearly so. It took years for me to find my groove. I still face writer’s block, too, but now it’s more likely to be “title block” or “blurb block!”
12. Where do your ideas for your books come from? Where do you keep those ideas?
My ideas come from everywhere and anywhere, and I try to at least write down scenes when they come to me, even if it’s for a project I haven’t started yet. Often, I’ll get a conversation between characters in my head: it’s like watching a movie. I can hear them, see their facial expressions and body language. I just try to take it down like dictation.
13. Are you also a bookworm and does reading other works help inspire your own writing?
I’m a huge bookworm and I am so grateful that I get to read books by other authors in the writing community, authors we interview on Vox Vomitus, and still discover new authors just by strolling through my local indie bookshop (well, I did before lockdown!) or the library! If I haven’t discovered a favorite new author by the end of any given year, I’ve failed!
14. Do you have a website where we can follow you?
Yes! Since I write under two pen names—Allison Martine for romance and A.M. Hubbard for science fiction—I keep everything together online at
https://afictionalhubbard.com/
15. What is the link for your books so others may look and possibly purchase them from?
The Bourbon Books are available at Amazon!
dibs: dibs (The Bourbon Books Book 1)
Since September: Since September: The Bourbon Books #2
I look forward to checking out her books and seeing where they go. I also am looking forward to watching her grow as an author and cheer her on with every book she publishes. I really enjoyed learning more about her and definitely want to look more into the hybrid publishing to learn more for myself and maybe post blog about in the future. Thank you, A Fictional Hubbard, for doing this interview with me and congratulations on another book being published on Valentine’s Day of this year.
Go look at her books on Amazon and I hope that you buy them, enjoy them, and review them for the lovely A Fictional Hubbard. That is the best gift you can give an author who is published in any venue- traditional, indie, or hybrid besides buying their books.