This year’s Frasier Contest has come to a close. Congratulations to the Semi-Finalists, and our Grand Winner! In order to have the Frasier each year, we introduce the Judges on our blog. Its our way of giving back a little bit to the published authors who help us help YOU! So lets meet one of the Judges that made it all possible: Kerry Nietz, with his new book Amish Vampires in Space!
Q: Kerry, would you give us a little blurb about your the story?
A:“Jebediah has a secret that will change his world forever and send his people into space. The Amish world of Alabaster calls upon an ancient promise to escape destruction. Then end up on a cargo ship bound for the stars. But they are not the only cargo on board. Some of it is alive…or used to be. Now, with vampires taking over and closing in on the Amish refugees, these simple believers must decide whether their faith depends upon their honored traditions or something even older.”
Q: What is one piece of writing advice you could give to the MBT Audience?
A: I’m sure it has been mentioned on this site before, but the key to being an author is perseverance. That applies to all aspects of a writer’s life.
You need to persevere in writing the book. You need to make the time each day (or at least, every weekday) to sit down and write the thing. Set a daily goal for yourself each day and reach it. Push through the difficult areas. Take advantage of those times it is smooth going—write more! But get to the end. Then persevere through the editing phase, even if it means you need outside help.
When the thing is solid, you need to endure through finding a publisher. Submit, attend conferences, meet other writers. Learn more, write more, and research more. Network, make connections, build friendships—and don’t be afraid of rejection! Persist. Be determined. Hold on.
Marketing the book takes special perseverance too. Try different things. Try lots of things. Watch what works for others, and do likewise. Continue to learn. Continue to be flexible. Know your market. Hang in there. If a handful of people like your story, if someone is willing to put their own money and time behind it, then there’s a fair chance that hundreds or thousands (or even millions) of others will enjoy it to. Find them. One at a time, if you have to.
And in case you think I’m just filling space here, I’m not. I’m speaking from experience. It took four years from the time I decided to be a writer, until the time I finally held a book with my name on the cover. (FoxTales, a non-fiction book.) After that, it took another six years to get my first novel in print. My fifth novel has just been released.
Persevere. I mean it.
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Kerry Nietz is a refugee of the software industry. He spent more than a decade of his life flipping bits—first as one of the principal developers of the database product FoxPro for the now mythical Fox Software, and then as one of Bill Gates’s minions at Microsoft. He is a husband, a father, a technophile, and a movie buff. Amish Vampires in Space is his fifth novel.