This week, we interviewed prolific New York Times and USA Today bestselling mystery and science fiction author Dean Wesley Smith.
Some of the franchises he’s written novels for include Star Trek, X-Men, Smallville, Aliens, Men in Black, and Spider-Man. His most-known mystery series is Cold Poker Gang. He and his wife, author Kristine Kathryn Rusch, teach multiple workshops and courses through their company, WMG Publishing.
Here are some of the questions we asked Dean:
You’ve been writing and publishing for a long time and are a big inspiration for many authors. What was your big break when it came to publishing? How did it help prepare you for a lifetime of writing?
What made you transition away from traditional publishing and start to publish on your own?
Was having a significant traditional career an asset or a liability when it came to getting started as an indie?
What was involved with starting WMG Publishing and is there anything authors thinking of transitioning from self-publisher to publishing company should know?
What kinds of workshops do you and Kris put on?
For authors thinking of doing online courses or workshops to learn the craft side better, do you have any suggestions for vetting the offerings? What makes a good workshop?
When it comes to workshops focused on business versus craft, which do you feel is most important for an aspiring indie author?
You have strong feelings about traditional publishing (unless we’re talking about short stories) not being the best route for most authors right now — why?
You write into the dark (AKA a “pantser”). What advice do you have for authors who prefer not to outline? Can this help with or would it hinder productivity?
Could you talk about some of the dangers or pitfalls in revising and revising your work?
If you’re writing into the dark, what do you do when you run into a dead end? For pantser, is the skill learning how to sculpt a story that doesn’t run into a dead end, or learning how to blow a hole in the wall and continue regardless?
You’ve been incredibly prolific over the years, but you’ve also dealt with some not-so-fun burn-out phases. How have you handled them? What advice do you have for authors who are dealing with burnout, and how do you avoid it now?
You’ve seen a lot of changes in the industry over the years, and I’m sure you’ve seen some authors disappear. Probably a lot of authors. What has allowed you to adapt and keep rolling along and doing this for your day job?
There are tons of things that can cause a dip in a career. Sometimes it’s something in the wider publishing world, sometimes it’s something more personal. How do we identify the reason for a downturn in earnings, and are internal vs. external reasons handled differently?
You offer a lot of service to authors through online and in-person workshops, your blog, and interviews you give. Basically, you keep yourself incredibly busy. What are the biggest tips you have for authors dealing with crazy schedules who still want to be prolific writers?
Dean recommended Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five for an example of going in and out of the timeline.
To find out more about the workshops Kris and Dean put on (craft and business), you can get updates on Dean’s blog: https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/
That’s it for this week’s show. If you want to join us on Facebook, we have a new group there. Search for “Six Figure Authors” or follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/504063143655523/
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