Interview with Erin Zak

Author of Create a Life to Love

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

So, I started my life in northwest Indiana, outside of Chicago, Illinois. But we moved when I was young to Colorado. I did most of my growing up in that wonderful state, but left to go to college at Purdue University in Indiana. I started a career in higher education, actually working for Purdue, in the Chicago land region. Eventually, though, I traded in my snow gear for sun and sand, because I now live along the Gulf coast in Florida.

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

I wish I had an exciting story of how I ended up in Florida, but really, I moved for a job opportunity. I decided it was time to use my MBA and am currently helping run a successful lawn care business with my uncle.

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

Honestly, I don’t think I would have ever taken a leap of faith and made the decision if my girlfriend hadn’t talked me into it. I started writing my first book, Falling into Her, during a really crazy time in my life when I was realizing I was a lesbian. Writing became a way for me to figure things out, so to speak, and as my life unfolded, the story-line kept going and kept changing. It took forever for me to finish writing it (twelve years, ugh…) and I sort of thought, “well, I’ll just set this aside forever…” But after the encouragement I received, I sent the manuscript in, held my breath, and waited and waited, until finally I got the acceptance letter. I was so shocked. I am still shocked, to be completely honest.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

Contemporary Romances with women loving women. I’m not going to say they’re all “lesbian fiction” novels, because some of my characters start out straight, some are bisexual, some are pansexual, and yes, some are lesbians. What I can say with one-hundred-percent certainty is that I will always try to tell unique stories of finding love. Cookie-cutter romances are not my jam, and I hope they never are, to be blunt. The idea that love can be found in all different places is very true and I want to bring that out in my books.

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

Obviously, I think the LGBTQ+ community will connect, but I also think I write about so many real relationships and issues that really anyone could pick up my books and find something that resonates with them. I really do try to make sure my characters are real. I want people to be able to see themselves within my words. I hope I’m succeeding.

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

I think the most surprising thing I learned was how detailed the entire process of publishing is. So much goes into the each book after the initial manuscript is turned in… The editing, the proofing, the cover art, the type-setting, everything. And now with audio? It’s so crazy. I love it, but I had absolutely no idea how intense it all was until now.

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

I would say: “Continue to write for yourself. Don’t lose sight of why you started writing to begin with… Exercise the demons, or tame the wild beast, and remember: not everyone is going to love every single thing you write.”

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

If I say, “as many people as possible,” does that make me sound naïve? I’m not kidding, though. I would love for my books to get to every single person who is looking for a different spin on a romance. Just because they deal with women loving women doesn’t mean the story won’t spark something inside. I think it’s so important as an author to remember you’re going to have an audience, but sometimes, the greatest praise comes from outside that audience.

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

Hands down, I would say marketing myself has been the biggest challenge. I am not a person who likes to brag about my accomplishments. I don’t want the praise, necessarily, but when you’ve written a book that you want people to purchase, you have to start marketing yourself. Especially since I’m writing in a niche genre that is becoming more popular with readers, but also with authors. I think once I figured out how to navigate the waters of marketing myself, I lost a lot of the frustration.

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

I would say my biggest strength when it comes to writing is my ability to adapt to the scene I am writing. I love using different tenses and points of view, as well. I write each book in a different tense and POV. Changing it up keeps me from feeling stale, and I think it keeps my readers on their toes.
For publishing, my biggest strength I think is that I never miss a deadline. And I would say I’m very flexible and easy to work with.
And for the marketing side, considering how much trouble I had to begin with, I would say my biggest strength is my graphic design skills. I love doing trailers for my books, as well as quotes for Instagram and Facebook. I get to use my artistic voice all the way around and it’s a lot of fun.

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

My biggest weakness when it comes to writing is that I am a horrible procrastinator. I never miss a deadline because I work best under the horrible pressure of one. It’s awful!
For publishing? I don’t know if I have one, since I am not the one doing all the real legwork of the process. That’s my awesome publisher, Bold Strokes Books.
And marketing? I would say my biggest weakness is realizing that it’s okay to over-saturate the market when you’re trying to get your name out there. Doesn’t really jive with my marketing background and my MBA, but it works.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I’m presently working on my seventh book now. The Other Women is scheduled for release in October of 2020. My sixth book, The Road Home, will be out May 2020. And I have a novella releasing in December in a compilation called Hot Ice with two of my fellow authors, Aurora Rey and Elle Spencer.

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

I’m with Bold Strokes Books, a traditional publisher.