Bonus Episode with Thea Lyons

Hey friends! Welcome to another Indie Author Spotlight Bonus Episode! Hopefully you read the feature on Thea over on The Writer's Workout website, where I'm a volunteer. If not, you better hurry up! Go, get, I even gave you the link!

So, Thea, what does your writing ritual look like? 

I have two. One is dependent on my little Sprite going to sleep. That’s basically a speed challenge. I do a lot of 20-25 minute writing sprints to try and get as much done as I can before he wakes up. The other is if I’m not primary parent e.g. Sprite’s out with his dad or at nursery. Then I can light a candle, put on some music, and have a slightly slower pace. I can lose hours that way and have done a few thousand words without hardly noticing. All rituals involve a pot of tea. 

What’s the worst advice you’ve ever received as an Indie Author? 

Anyone who’s heard I’m indie and tried to ‘sell’ traditional publishing to me. Whatever a writer’s reasons for going indie, I guarantee they’re aware of trad pub and are indie for a reason.

What’s your go to book, movie or musical artist when you need some inspiration (or just a break from the keyboard)? Why? 

The music I listen to changes with each book. There are some music artists I’ve used as studies for more extroverted characters or where they share a skill or vibe. Often I listen to vibe music while I write. If I’m really stuck, I find beta reading helps. Maybe because it’s a more academic way of reading where I’m actively studying pacing, style etc… For brain switch off, anything Ghibli or some comfort reads like Elizabeth Haydon, Geneivieve Cogman, or Tamora Pierce.

If you could snap your fingers and be “known” for one piece of your writing, what would it be? Is it something already published? Or is it something in your heart you’ve not yet written? 

Either my upcoming Legend of the Bard or its sequel Fae Queens’ War series. I’ve only written book 1 of the series and it’s shelved at the moment, but things are happening with Legend. I love The Seer of York books and their message of diversity making us stronger, but I’ve found my favourite thing to write is future fantasy. The romance and politcal commentary of Legend and Fae Queens’ War are both really close to my heart and I think the books stand out as unusual.

credit: Janko Ferlic

Any other tidbits you wanna share? 

If you can, go to the nearest big library or order books to your local library for research. If you know your Dewey Decimal Code then it’s a much more reliable way to find information than the internet, at least in my field of magic and folklore.

Try out indie presses. They’re more willing to take a chance on a book that traditional publishing can’t fit neatly on a shelf. Do your research though. There’s some great ones out there, but they’re basically all understaffed and overworked. Make sure you’ve checked your expectations against what they can deliver. If you don’t have the money to put into cover design, editors etc… it can be a good compromise to self-publishing. 

Whether your self-publishing or indie press (or even trad these days), remember you’ll need to do a ton of marketing. Get in good with the indie community. They’ll help loads!

Do you have a newsletter you want people to sign-up for? Link it here:

https://substack.com/@alethearlyons