Interview With Author L. Joseph Shosty
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I recently celebrated thirty years as a writer. I measure that time from my first story submission because that’s when my quest for publication truly began. Until then, I was just a guy scribbling words onto the page. Since then, I’ve written twelve books, over a hundred short stories, and countless essays, poems, and book reviews.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a re-issue of my short story collection, Old Wine & Black Hearts. I published it ten years ago as a celebration of my 20th year as a writer. It contains twenty stories, mostly from early in my career (Old Wine), and a handful of much shorter works which reflected my output at the time (Black Hearts).
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Define unusual. I have an unusual writing trait, if that counts. It’s a rare condition where I don’t suffer from Impostor Syndrome, which really seems to plague my colleagues.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ray Bradbury. His story collections are incredible, and they oftentimes lay hidden in Fahrenheit 451’s shadow. Other than that, I’m a big fan of old school mystery/crime, from authors like Harry Whittington, Fletcher Flora, Stephen Marlowe, and Lawrence Block. For science fiction and fantasy, my biggest influences are John Brunner, Robert E. Howard, Tim Powers, James P. Blaylock, and early Nina Kiriki Hoffman.
What are you working on now?
An audiobook exclusive to my mailing list, called AFK, about the search for several players on a fantasy MMORPG who went missing around the same time.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found Bookfunnel works best for consistently building my newsletter, which I, in turn, use for book promotion. Facebook ads work okay for moving freebies.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write short stories. They’re not as popular these days as novels, but that’s mostly silly prejudice because readers are being told all the time that they like novels. However, literature has a proud history in the short form, and it’s only a matter of time before they come back in style.
I recommend them to new writers because short stories are like novels, but in miniature. You can learn everything you need to know about the craft in short stories, from character and plot to pacing and — I can’t stress this enough — how to craft a satisfying ending for your story. So many authors I see these days know how to create an opening to hook the reader, and that’s because they have so many failed or abandoned projects along the way. They’re not so good at middles and ends because they don’t write as many, and it shows. Short stories teach you about the middles and ends and gives you the tools for writing longer works. It also teaches you about brevity, something few indie authors have mastered.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Money loves speed.”
If you’re writing professionally, especially as an indie author these days, you have to be fast with your output, and as prolific as you can manage without hurting the quality of your work.
What are you reading now?
Like any voracious reader, I have a few. The one that’s really kicking my eyeballs at the moment is a James Tiptree, Jr. novella called The Color of Neanderthal Eyes. It’s an unflattering look at the possible emergence of a planet’s apex lifeform and the tough moral and ethical questions about humanity’s influence in the development of other worlds. Classic stuff. Tiptree is the nom de plume of Alice Sheldon, who has a rather complicated history/legacy in older sf circles, but boy, could she write!
What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to re-launch my website, which is currently under construction, get more involved with Instagram and Youtube, and get ready for release of my next book, The Come Out. It’s the newest in my mystery series, The Hardwood Case Files. It’s also the beginning of a story arc within the series called The Salvatore Diamond Case.
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?
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco; A Midnight Clear by William Wharton; Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley; and The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
Author Websites and Profiles
L. Joseph Shosty Amazon Profile
L. Joseph Shosty’s Social Media Links
Author Interview Series
To discover a new author, check out our Featured Authors page. We have some of the best authors around. They are just waiting for you to discover them. If you enjoyed this writer’s interview feel free to share it using the buttons below. Sharing is caring!
If you are an author and want to be interviewed just fill out out Author Interview page. After submitting we will send it out in our newsletters and social media channels that are filled with readers looking to discover new books to read.
If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.