Heather Novak

Dinosaurs! Blame it on too many viewings of Jurassic Park in the dark with my brothers. I still can’t watch Jurassic Park to this day, although adult Heather now thinks dinosaurs are pretty cool.

I developed a rare disease as a child and also had six siblings! When I didn’t feel well or just wanted some alone time, lost in a book was the best place to be. Especially in the closet with a flashlight.

Many (many) years ago when I was in film school, my screenwriting teacher pulled me aside and said, “You have an incredible gift. You need to quit all your jobs, sit down at your computer, and just write. You’re very descriptive, so maybe even try books.” That moment stuck with me for the next decade.

It took me about five books to figure out what the heck I was doing and probably another six books to find my story. Now I’m a multi-award-winning, hybrid author!

No idea. I was reading stacks of books as a kid. When I was younger, it didn’t really matter about the cover or the number of pages, as long as it had words and I had free time. As an adult with very little reading time, number of pages and graphics absolutely matter more.

I actually found a lot of my audience through fandoms I participated in. Sometimes fandoms of other authors, sometimes of movies or television shows, sometimes genre-specific book clubs. I also joined local and national writing groups and connected with even more through social media.

I would hold up my book and say, “See this hot guy? He’s not afraid of his feelings. He shows physical affection to his friends and family. He also knits. And is a firefighter. You may now swoon.”

The book cover has to make me stop scrolling. It has to grab my attention out of all the other books on the page. If the book cover is poorly done, I’m going to assume the book is also poorly done.

Absolutely. As an author on a deadline, I don’t have time to write six drafts because I can’t figure out the conflict. I will sometimes write about 10,000 ish words first to really get a feel for the characters, then do a lot of up-front plotting and characterization. The more work I do on the front end, the less edits I usually have.

If anything was possible, I would like to cure my rare disease, or maybe downgrade it to something popular and easily treated. If that’s not on the table, I would like to grow my own purple hair instead of coloring it. That would be pretty awesome.

I think we all have our own process and our own timing, and even that can vary with each book. Some people can write a book every few weeks, and others work on the same manuscript for two years. I’ve had books take me a month and other books that are five years in and on the backburner, waiting for another draft.

There’s no one-size-fits-all. The trick is to know when to set something aside to rest or to keep going. Ideas aren’t precious, but our time is. Use it wisely.

I mean, in a perfect world yes. But authors need to eat and pay bills. The trick is to find the balance. How does an author write a book they love while still making it marketable and relevant? I believe it’s all about knowing the market and understanding your target audience and genre.

A writer who wants to make a career out of publishing would benefit from knowing the market well enough to understand where and if their book fits. Things that were popular five or ten years ago just will not sell the same now. A good, high concept hook is currently all the rage. If an author can work with the story they want to tell within the parameters of a strong hook, that would be the best of both worlds.

I mean, my “rock star” days were spent in front of a theatre organ, so they differ immensely from, say, Dave Grohl. People often think touring is glamourous and you get to see the world, and I’m sure every musician has a different story, but for this teenage musician, not so much. My travels through the US and Europe were basically spent on a bus or train, and then any free time was used for practicing in a dark theatre. I did make it to the top of the Eiffel tower though when I was in Paris.

Everybody has a different path and there are many different options for authors. Agents are great at doing the hard battles with publishers that allow authors to focus on their work. They also can get authors into areas of publishing that are unavailable to unagented authors.

That said, there are many paths for unagented authors to take as well.

If an author goes straight to a publisher, always always always get a lawyer familiar with media contracts to review anything before you sign, including NDAs. [Agents typically review or have a team review contracts.] You will never ever have to pay a reputable publisher or agent money upfront (they make their money from a percentage of your sales).

Do your research before submitting to a publisher or an agent. Talk to peers in your genre about their own journeys. There is no single or best approach to publishing.

Note: Some genres are better with agents because they do better in traditional publishing

(like YA and middle grade). Other genres do better in indie publishing. Your research and peer conversations can help illuminate the best path.

I’m always working on a project! Right now, it’s book two in my new LGBTQ+ paranormal romantic comedy series. This series stars bisexual heroines and drops Spring 2022 from Tule Publishing. I can’t wait! I’m also having fun with flash fiction, which is available for free on my website www.HeatherNovak.net (under news).

I learned about AllAuthor through my local Romance Writers of America chapter and I think it’s a really cool resource for authors to connect and for readers to find out more about their favorite authors!