Behind the Screams #19: James Parsons.
A 'From Pitched to Published' Q&A.
UK indie writer, animator and artist James E Parsons writes horror, SF and literary fiction. His latest book, The Brigger Stone, is available to preorder from Anuci Press. Let’s get the story behind the story…
1. Pitch me The Brigger Stone in one sentence.
The riverside Briggar stone holds the answers to deaths and miracles around a town.
2. What came first, the idea or the title?
The idea most definitely came first, though it evolved over a few drafts. The title was picked from a list after the book was finished.
3. Where did the idea originate from?
The first couple of drafts focused on a woman who comes out of the river beside a town. She was possibly dead or possessed, cursed returning for revenge. This changed, things were added and subtracted but the main concept of a woman returning to town with mystery and danger around her remained.
4. How long did it take to write?
This book was the last of three I started over the covid lockdown times around three years ago, but worked on each back and forth. Eventually I finished one at a time and I worked over the last couple of drafts and editing of this book over last year.
5. Are you a plotter or pantser?
Most of the time, for every book or even short story I write, I do plot and structure the story. With a book I will generally break down the story into three or four large parts, make notes on specific story points and character actions. I work with these notes but with the first couple of drafts I might put down many scenes and ideas which come to mind.
6. Paper or screen?
I do most of the time write longhand in a few notepads. This is because I still do not type incredibly fast but also it simply feels good to put pen to paper and many of my inspirations do or did the same. It does mean a lot of typing up later.
7. Edit as you go or at the end?
So yes, I mentioned above, I write the first couple of drafts longhand in notepads, type it all up and editing on the computer. I do then often make many notes as I look over the early drafts on screen, write more parts longhand, type and edit them up. From there I will edit each following draft on the computer.
8. Do you beta?
I do not Beta or at least not with every book. I have no problem with it, just haven't done this too often. Maybe a few times in the past.
9. How did you approach your publisher?
As I say, this was the last of three books I started writing over covid lockdown times. With the other two, which I finished first, I chose to self-publish those for the first time to see what the results might be as the industry is changing and these days self-publishing is not looked down upon as much as it was in the past and often many new authors are having very good results with doing it.
With this last book, I had intended it to be different — not simply horror like the other two, but a mix of horror and fantasy and to possibly be a bridge to some other works I might write which could be more weird, fantastical, surreal. With this in mind, I did not think it be easy to pitch to big publishers or many respectable but straight horror publishers I knew about. I therefore made up a list of a few smaller independent publishers I was aware of who seemed much more likely to take chances with books which are not so easily definable as just horror, books with other genres or elements going on within them.
I found Anuci Press possibly through another author I follow on social media. Even though Anuci have only just started out, they are publishing a wide variety of horror books which are each different from the other and all seem to offer something less predictable to what you might think of as horror.
10. Who designed the cover art?
Adrian Median created the book cover. I gave him the basic initial concept and worked with him over around half a dozen versions, giving notes and my thoughts until we came to the final design. Adrian had already created a couple of other Anuci Press covers and I liked his style.
11. How many times was the book rejected?
I have, like most authors, received many rejection letters or emails for previous books. With this book, however, it was different as I had a specific small number of indie publishers in mind and I decided to offer it to Anuci Press and they took it up a short while later.
12. Recommend another indie writer who doesn’t get enough love.
I know a good many very good indie writers of horror and other genres but this time I might suggest Rachael H Dixon. She is based around the north east of England where I come from and has put out a dozen or so books and a couple of shorts collections I think. She is great with atmospheric chilling tales in the style of James Herbert or Susan Hill.
If that has whet your appetite, you can preorder James’ latest release direct from Anuci here. Catch up with James’ socials @parsonsfiction