Interview With Author Jonathan Neville
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
So far I have written 3 books, The first of which is published (A Collection Of Pleasant Nonsense) a lovely collection of short stories that includes something for every age and reader. I am currently finishing two books for children, The Adventures of Schteve and Schtephanie Giraffe MD PHD Books 4-8.
I became an author during the pandemic after changing my life around 180 degrees, and finally began doing what I have always wanted to do. I’m 42, live in burnaby BC Canada with my beautiful wife, 2 amazing children and two magical tiny giraffes. (Yes, they’re real)
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Let’s see here is what I am working on:
Original Halo novel – Precursor Rising
The Adventures of Schteve and Schtephanie Giraffe MD PHD Book 4-8 (The first 3 are in A Collection of Pleasant Nonsense)
Humanities last stand: We lost
97 percent true Legends from my life
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I often write with music, and sometimes will play the same track on loop to be able to write the feeling of the music. One of my stories in A Collection Of Pleasant Nonsense is actually written from the feelings and tears of a song that i looped until i could write it.
I am horribly disorganized notes shotgunned over paper, 2 computers, 30 different notes files….
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Clive Cussler. I once spoke to the man before he passed on, and he was an absolute Legend. I thanked him for changing my life.
Sir Terry Pratchett – Loads of influence in a lot of my writing, Discworld was a huge thing in my life and I wish I could thank him in person. He was a wonderful man who created brilliance and hope. I aim to do the same.
What are you working on now?
Writing waaaay to many books at once, going to school to learn neat new stuff to write books about, working on overcoming social anxiety, focusing more on writing childrens books and then i plan on finishing the various space operas and sci fi epics i am working on bit by bit. I am also working on getting an audiobook version created for my first book.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Currently this website, and facebook postings since I refuse to learn what twitter is. Or tok tok. Mainly word of mouth and committing random acts of kindness. I need a wider marketing plan for free, always tricky for new authors
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Expect rejection from brick and mortar publishing houses. No matter how amazing your book is, people will reject it. *HERE IS THE IMPORTANT BIT* Frame it. Seriously, frame it and display it proudly, because when you get that letter? You are a real Author. Keep trying. Keep submitting! Then independently publish. Keep submitting after that, and all of a sudden you may find brick and mortar publishers are more interested…
Keep writing! No matter how down or rejected you may feel, keep on writing. you can edit later.
Latch on to any positive feedback and praise you get and focus on it. This is literal author fuel.
Keep. Writing. Don’t let slow sales, people around you saying you need a real job, your own doubts or any other nonsense slow you down. Just keep writing and submitting and learning and reading.
Authors are delicate people, focus on the positives and work to improve them. if there are negatives, learn to improve them and keep writing. But focus on the positives and live inside them. Thats how you get published.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trust your reader
Its so hard to trust that the reader will have the same mental movie as the author when they write the thing, but truth is, no matter how much rich description you put in there, everyone has a different mental image/movie of what you’ve written, and especially with children’s books, trust your reader to do the heavy lifting
What are you reading now?
Halo Book series and Lore to prepare for my Halo novel, doing research and enjoying some amazing writing.
All the discworld books by Terry Pratchett
short stories in all genres
poetry, plays, classic science fiction
What’s next for you as a writer?
MORE BOOKS!
First I am going to publish 8 Adventures of Schteve and Schtephanie Giraffe MD PHD in picture and chapter book form then I will publish the space opera Halo novel and one or two other sci fi books I am working on at the moment and a collection of amazing real life things that have happened to me in 97 percent true legends of my life… phew! so many projects on the go.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bloody hell… ONLY 3-4 BOOKS???
1. How to survive and escape from a desert island – By Guy Whomadit
2. The Never-ending Story
3. My kindle ebook reader BWAHAHAHAAAA! WITH SO MANY BOOKS AHAHAHAHAA! and a solar panel…
4. 6000 blank pieces of paper bound together with a pen to write an awesome new book while I wait to get rescued or rescue myself. OR! Publish it in chapters via message in a bottle addressed to harper collins or penguin, depending on where I get stranded… many of our Canadian islands are cold.
Author Websites and Profiles
Jonathan Neville Amazon Profile
Jonathan Neville’s Social Media Links