Interview with Cody Leet

Author of Spheria

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I am from New England and currently reside in central Connecticut.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

Job related.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I always intended to start writing novels when I retire. But as I get older, I had the thought, “what if I don’t make it to retirement?” I wanted to give something back to the world, so got started early.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

My core genre so far is sci-fi techno-thrillers, so computer-related in the near future. I’m not into writing just to tell a story, but to move the reader in some way, to make them ponder some deep philosophical topics related to existence, reality, the universe, etc.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Anyone who enjoys an adventure mixed with thought-provoking situations.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

Just how much work it really is. I was told that your first draft is far from being done and that is very much the truth. At that point, you have probably done a quarter of the total work. All the subsequent drafts, integrating changes from your editor and beta readers, packaging the book for publication, these are all way more time consuming than you might expect. My biggest challenge was to stay engaged after reading the same text 10+ times.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Expect it to be a journey that extends over the course of years. Embrace and enjoy the process as much as the end result.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I would love for everyone to experience my books, not just in terms of sales, but because I would like to feel the hard work I put into it is appreciated. I contemplated giving the book away, but that has the side effect of devaluing it and actually reduces readership.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Carving out time from a busy lifestyle — working, kids, spouse, hobbies — to actually write. I bought a tablet thinking I could write a bit here or there as I get a free half-hour. That turned out not to be feasible. I feel you need about a half-hour to get into the writing mindset, then having a nice three or more hour window to produce is essential. Making such windows was the hardest part, and I basically wrote only one night a week.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

As for writing, I think it’s being able to plan out a complex plot with twists, then spinning a narrative that pulls the reader in. With regard to publishing, I actually published a guide on my website walking through my thoughts on the process. There was a lot to learn, and I am sharing as much as I know for others to feel less pain from this process. The good news is it’s not that difficult, once you know all the pieces. As for marketing, I am admittedly awful at that.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I’m a plotter, so I worked out a nice outline of every chapter and what events were to happen in each. Then I wrote the novel out of order, working on the most fun chapters first. This was a mistake. As I filled in the missing parts, the flow suffered, where some continuity issues were introduced inadvertently. I would recommend writing all in order from an outline. Publishing I am pretty strong, but marketing, I just don’t have the time to put into this that it truly requires.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I am working on the outline now. So I believe I will start writing next summer and have the book done about a year after.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I am self-published. After reading the horror stories of submitting manuscripts to every publisher, and also understanding that you still have to do all your own publicity, the benefits seemed to be unrealized. I think self-publishing is so easy now it’s going to be the norm going forward. Now yes the danger is quality can decrease, but if you get a professional editor and have beta readers as I recommend, you can produce the same quality as a publisher. In summer, perform the same diligence that a publisher would demand and you will produce a great product.