Written by Ryan Jones
The Nerd Daily writer Ryan Jones had a chat with indie author Christian Sterling about his novels, writing, and getting published!
How old are you and can you provide me with some personal background such as where you grew up, hobbies, interests and occupation?
I just turned 25, grew up in RI, and started my career in the Music Industry… I worked for ESPN after college, then moved to Nashville, TN to market country acts. I was a guitarist for years, but have recently been spending most of my time writing, going to the gym, and eating Chipotle.
When did you start writing? What inspired you to write?
I always liked to write and was pretty good at in school. The essays and poetry I wrote in high school tended to be the ones that caused a bit of buzz in the classroom. I didn’t realise until later on that I had more than knack for writing, it was my primary medium as an artform.
How did you become an author? What was your journey like?
I’d had this idea for a TV show and knew I’d never be able to make it come to fruition, so figured I’d make it a book and see what would happen. Within the first page of writing I realised I had been wasting my time in music and decided to focus on writing as my medium for art. I’ve pursued writing to a larger extent than I ever thought, especially since the response to my work has been so positive.
How many books do you have published to date?
Two as of August 2017. American Parable: Ashes and Embers was my first, and my novella Death Row. The second in the American Parable series should be out come Summer 2018, and I’m hoping to have the start of another series released at the top of the year 2019. Both series should alternate going forward.
What is your favourite genre to write?
I think it’s hard to put a label on the genre, but definitely fiction. There was a moment where I realised I write mostly about virtuous criminals, something that was not a conscious decision. I think this is because criminals are almost always deemed outsiders to everyday society, something I connect with.
Do you like to read as well? Why or why not? If you do like to read, which genres do you prefer?
I do, although I don’t have as much time as I used to unfortunately. I loved Tolkien growing up, as well as a number of other fantasies. I think Of Mice and Men is pure poetry from start to finish.
What made you choose the indie publishing route?
I’m impatient and stubborn. I don’t like the idea of my story sitting on an agent’s desk for 6 months to have them tell me everything that is wrong with my characters. I hate the idea of my story sitting on a publisher’s desk for a year for them to tell me everything that is wrong with my story. My work is a representation of me in my truest form, and until a business wants to collaborate with me in a way where I can stay true to myself as an artist, I’ll be an indie author.
Were there any obstacles in your publishing journey?
Hell yeeeeah. I did my own artwork for American Parable, formatted it, edited it, learned what it’s like to hire a bad editor, see typos in the story after ordering copies, re-editing, all of it. It’s a learning curve, but the beauty is, you can always go back and fix things and continually get better. I was lucky with Death Row to work with an excellent artist and editor, but I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate that had I not gone through all those obstacles in my first release.
How successful have your publications been?
Honestly, surprisingly well (though a long way away from being a NYT Bestseller, haha). I’ve yet to do a major marketing push for any of the books aside from Instagram. I’m waiting until the second AP is released so I have a series to sell with Death Row in my catalogue as well. But having gotten virtually all positive feedback on my work so far, most of which from strangers, I consider that a success.
When did you start writing Death Row and what inspired the storyline?
Being an artist/creative is a very difficult thing in today’s world. The main character of the story is an imprisoned painter who spends much of his time in solitude, painting and thinking, as many artists prefer. It’s a bit of a parallel to the artists we see sitting behind desks all day, too tired to pursue their art when they can.
What would you coin as your own writing technique?
I tend to get right to the point. People don’t have time or want to spend the time reading a five page description about a tree-those days are over. And when there’s character development, I tend to wrap it in a scene where there’s humor surrounding it to give the scene more pep. So short and sweet.
Which authors have inspired your writing?
Tolkien. Rowling. GRRM…to name a few.
What future writing goals do you have planned?
American Parable will be 5 books, the first three of which will be its own movement, each book coming out a year apart. I have a new series in the works, and I’d love to do a fantasy series one day as well. I think in between these novels I’ll continue to write smaller literary pieces as I did with Death Row.
You can find works by Christian Sterling, including Death Row and American Parable, on Goodreads.
