Author Interview with Jerry Blaze
1. When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was around 7 years old. I self-published my first novel between my freshman and sophomore years. I’ve been writing since then.
2. What came first: Self-publishing your books or getting your books published by a press? What was that experience like?
I self-published books first and this year, I was able to publish through 3 publishing houses that were for horror/erotica. It was an incredible experience, I never expected to get published by a small press, much less three of them in one year.
3. What kind of books do you write?
In my first few years, I wrote drama, romance, poetry, YA and experimental Beat Generation novellas. Then I spent roughly 15-16 years writing erotica of several different genres (horror, paranormal, romance, SciFi, Western, Gangster, Taboo, Mainstream, Experimental, etc.) and now I write splatterpunk/extreme horror and still write erotica.
4. What can you tell me about your new books coming out this month? (Feel free to include an excerpt from each book, if you’d like.)
Earlier this month, I released Valxika the Slave, which is a splatter sword & sorcery book with erotic themes; then released The Woods Be Scary, which is about a girl surviving a vampire attack in the forest; then Don’t Go Upstairs, which is about a group of college kids spending summer in a rented house that hides a terrible secret in the attic, then came Deadly Seed 2, which is a sequel to my bestselling book, Deadly Seed; next was Nightfall at Kirby Manor, which is children’s high-interest/low-vocab book about a kid being dared to spend the night in a haunted house. The most recent release, The Deadly Seed Collection, is a bundle of the first and second Deadly Seed books, along with a Deadly Seed short.
5. What sort of methods do you use for book promotion?
I promote on Facebook horror groups, I use BookDoggy and AllAuthor for newsletter promotions, I also post on TikTok, Instagram and Reddit; plus I have a manager and a small promo team who helps promote my books as well.
6. Where do you get your ideas for stories?
Anywhere and everywhere, haha, I am inspired by B-Movies from the 80s and Grindhouse films from the 70s. I also love everyday ideas, concepts and the chance to make anything scary or sexy.
7. I noticed that you are also a self-publisher. What makes you to decide to self-pub a book or to submit it to a publisher?
I usually self-pub when I want to get a story out immediately, but more and more, I find myself wanting to submit to a publisher and work towards getting the book to a wider audience.
8. How do you manage the self-publishing end of your books alongside those getting published by an indie press? Do you promote them equally?
I treat them all equally, I have a large interest in creating an empire of books worth reading and inspiring others to write. I try to work towards promoting each book the same way and to the same max.
9. What are you working on right now?
I have an inventory of manuscripts that I’m slowly working towards submitting to publishers, prepping others for quick self-publication, and writing a plethora of erotic/horror novelettes and shorts for release. In the coming months, I will be releasing the next Valxika books, as well as horror books and many other stories to come.
10. Any advice for other authors?
Always write. Even if you think your work is crap, just write it and put it out for people to enjoy. Some won’t like it and that’s fine, I’ve learned you can’t please everyone, just please yourself with writing what you want to read. It’s my secret formula: write the books you want to read and 9 out of 10 times, you will find someone else who also wants to read it.
ABOUT JERRY:
Jerry Blaze is an award-nominated author of extreme splatterpunk fiction.
After achieving success in the erotic market, Jerry decided to undertake extreme horror/splatterpunk and found some acclaim. Several of his books have been bestsellers. Jerry was nominated for six categories in the debut Golden Scoop Awards, including Best Upcoming Author.
Jerry is a fan of grindhouse and exploitation films from the 70s and 80s, often modeling his work on them. He currently lives in the American Midwest, but travels often to get inspiration or to run away from angry mobs.