Interview with D. C. Wright-Hammer

Author of Between Two Minds: Awakening

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

Born and raised in Northwest Indiana, I still call it home. My family, friends, and experiences from ‘The Region’ have been paramount in shaping him as a person and author.

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

While I’ve traveled the states quite bit, I’ve never lived outside the little sliver of Indiana that is on Central Standard Time rather than Eastern.

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

Writing started off as a silly hobby. Then, a series of life events turn it into an outlet for physical and psychological issues I was having. I wove my life situation into the my story and characters, and after awhile, it took a life of its own.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

I try to strike a fine balance with my books of being both accessible and challenging. The characters are relatable, and the stories are engaging. Combined that with solid writing and non-standard storytelling, and many readers have discovered the more effort they put into deciphering my books, the more they get out of them.

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

I do market my books as scifi, but they could easily be considered speculative as the science fiction is more of a glue to hold the story together. Fans of suspense and thrillers also get a kick out of my books.

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

Writing a book is both easier and harder than I had ever imagined. On the one hand, you just have to keep writing. On the other hand, it needs to culminate in a cohesive story. Writing the way I do makes that quite challenging, but all the more rewarding when I feel like I’ve pulled it off.

Self-publishing was a fairly easy process. The most difficult part is having a marketing plan, before and after your release that let’s potential readers know your book is available.

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

Just as you grow and change as a person, so too do you as a writer. I got burned out publish two books within fourteen months, and I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus the last fourteen months. But taking a break doesn’t make me any less a writer than when I was pumping out 20-30k words a month. The passion to write is still in me, and in many ways, I’m a better writer now than I was back then.

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

The obvious answer is ‘as many as possible.’ But I tend to prefer quality of quantity. It would be really neat to develop a small, dedicated fan base that I can connect with in real ways.

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

As an indie author, marketing is usually much tougher than writing or publishing because it gets us outside out element. Paying hundreds of dollars in advertising to not break even can be deflating. But I think an indie author should focus on staying relevant as much as possible through their books, social media, and services they can provide for others. Someone who stays relevant can build on previous success as they publish more books.

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

Definitely writing. I do believe my writing style and the techniques I use set me apart from others. In my first two books, I use an interleaved narrative to keep the readers guessing and on the edge of their seat. As the multiple story lines converge, it’s revealed that they are all much more related than they originally seem.

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

I’ll come back to marketing. It can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to develop and execute on a marketing plan before and after the release of your book, but it’s imperative that you try the best you can. I know for the next book I release, I’m going to give myself a lot of extra time to make sure everything is ready to go when I need it.

When do you think you will write your next book?

Most important for me now is marketing my first two books, developing a readership. I’m currently writing the next two books in the Between Two Minds series, but I’m also 60k words into a stand alone I’m considering putting out first. I’m also not in a big hurry. I probably won’t hit publish on anything new until late 2020 or early 2021.

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

Self published