Interview with Richard Swan

Author of Reclamation

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

I’m originally from York in the north of England, then I moved to London for ten years, and now I have just moved to Sydney, Australia.

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

My wife is half Australian and has been keen to move back for a number of years, so I am taking some time off to write and look after our 2 year old son while she transfers to Sydney to work.

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

I’ve been writing science fiction since I was 13, and had about eight novels under my belt languishing on my hard drive before I decided to write one with the specific goal of self publishing. For me it’s something I’ve always done as a hobby in the same way one might cross-stitch or play golf; it’s the normal state of affairs for me to have a book on the go in the background, even with a young son and a busy legal practice!

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

Sci-fi for people who like military, political and spy thrillers all rolled into one!

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

I’m pleased that a real range of people have read and connected with my books; I get feedback from readers of all ages and backgrounds.

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

That the old adage that one must write a million words before writing anything good is not that far from the truth. For me it has taken about 8 or 9 novel or novella-length works to get to a stage where I feel my writing is of a standard good enough for public consumption.

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

Read widely in genres other than your chosen writing genre.

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

If I could sell ten thousand of each copy I’d die a happy man.

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

Finding the time to sit down and write. The older I get and the more responsibilities I have the harder it becomes to set aside time to write. Procrastination has become a real problem for me of late.

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

My biggest writing strength I think is my ability to weave lots of different plot threads together and when it comes to physically publishing a book I am fairly obsessive about formatting to give the reader the best possible experience. I am actually very bad at marketing and rarely do anything to promote my book!

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

My biggest writing weakness is probably rushing the first draft as I approach the end of the book. As for publishing, I seldom have the patience to create paperback copies of my works. Lastly for marketing, as I said above, I don’t really do it – this interview is the first thing I have done in a long time by way of promotion!

When do you think you will you write your next book?

I currently have a second draft of a fantasy novel on the stocks which I am slowly working through and editing.

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

Self-published