1. What can you tell me about your experience as a writer?

I think I write differently than most. After I started writing my first Sci-fi book, I began having dreams about what should happen next. Sometimes they come night after night, and sometimes I’ll go a week or two without any dream. They come to me in full color, one or two chapters at a time and play out like I was watching a movie in my head. All the characters speak in their own accents and all I do is write down what I saw the night before, tweaking a few things to make the story move along. I’m not saying it’s the aliens telling me what to write, but it’s the aliens.

2. What made you decide to write a book?

In August of 2016 I was diagnosed with Leukemia and was told I probably wouldn’t make it to Christmas. I wanted to leave my Grandchildren something to remember their weird Grampa by, so I wrote a little Sci-Fi story and included them as characters. Sci-fi was easy because I didn’t need to spend a lot of time doing historical research or check out specific locations. I made thing up because I didn’t think I had the time left

3. What circumstances brought you to the decision to self-publish your book?

Because I thought I was about to die, I felt I didn’t have time to go the traditional route. Self-Publishing was the only choice for me.

4. What has your experience as a self-publisher been like?

As a newbie, I made a LOT of mistakes. Self-publishing allowed me to fix those and put the “New and Improved” version out ASAP, including several new covers.

5. How do you respond to the negative stigma attached to self-publishing and self-published books?

I don’t care what others think about self-publishing. My books are out there, and I’ve sold my books in six different countries so far.

6. What is one very important lesson you have learned as a self-publisher?

You will make mistakes. Lots of them, but they are not necessarily the worst thing that can happen. Mistakes are a learning experience if you have the patience to fix them.

7. What do you know now about self-publishing that you wish you knew at the beginning?

I wish I knew at the beginning how many people out there are more than willing to help you with free advice! (Most of it good, some… not so much). Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You will be surprised to find that most authors don’t view other authors as competition, but as allies. The more we get people to read, the more people WANT to read.

8. A lot of authors of self-published books have reservations about promoting and marketing their book. Some even feel that it is a form of vanity or self-importance. What is your opinion about this?

If you, as a self-published author, don’t promote your books, who will? So what if a thousand people don’t want to see your book promo? You are looking for that one person that will get lost in your world of words, so put it out there, and be proud!

9. How do you promote your books and what form of book promotion has worked the best for you?

After dealing with Leukemia, I’m pretty much broke from all the bills, so the only thing I can do is use social media. Twitter (X) worked better for me before Covid hit, but sales are now starting to come back as I’ve made more writing friends that re-post my book promos so I get more visibility.

10. What are some other important things you have learned as a self-publisher?

Self-Publishing is hard, it’s frustrating, it’s infuriating at times and the marketing thing makes no sense. Something that worked before, might not work now. You try to copy other, big name authors strategies, and sometimes the marketing just doesn’t cross over well.

11. Do you feel that self-publishing is a viable choice for other authors?

Self-publishing is always a viable choice for an author. The question becomes, “Do I have the time and determination to see this through, or do I want to possibly wait years for my book to get picked up by a traditional publisher, (or maybe not at all)?

Authors have to make that call for themselves but going the self-pub route should never NOT be an option.

12. How do you feel that self-publishing their books has helped many unknown authors finally get the recognition their books deserve?

It starts like a snowflake, falling on a hill that turns into a snowball, that turns into an avalanche. All you need is that first sale, that first review, that first reader that promotes the heck out of that great book they just read to all their friends, and suddenly, people see your writing as something they MUST read!

ABOUT J:

“In August of 2016, I was diagnosed with CML Leukemia. Afraid that this might be my curtain call, I wanted to leave my grandchildren something to remember me by, so I wrote a little sci-fi story called The Gates to the Galaxies.

I had never written anything more than a note or letter to someone before this, and the chemo pills I was taking made me very weak, but I found a lot of joy in writing.

That clinched it for me. I liked telling stories and decided to write a book just for me.

A Return to the Gates began the Saga of the Ones, a multi part series about a newly discovered race living inside a Dyson sphere, that needed human blood to survive. Things could have ended there but the foolish humans revived the Master who had been in stasis for centuries.

The Master was back, and he had a plan. A plan to eliminate the human race.

My love for sci-fi goes back to the early years of Star Trek, but I have a lot of different ideas than what you will normally see in most sci-fi books. I don't use warp drives for my ships, but instead use folded space technology and dark energy.

Although The Gates to the Galaxies was written for my grandchildren, I think anyone who likes sci-fi will enjoy the Saga of the Ones series

For your information, I have been cancer-free since June of 2017 thanks to a great Oncologist, fantastic drugs and a very good insurance policy.

If you enjoy my books, I would love to get your feedback either from a review or feel free to email me at jdaltonauthoranddork@gmail.com”