Today we’d like to introduce you to R.T. Donlon.
R.T., let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I haven’t always been a writer. I studied hard at the University of New Hampshire for my undergraduate and graduate years to become a high school educator and basketball coach, which I absolutely love to do. I’ve done that for seven years now, but somewhere in me, I have always had the itch to build worlds. It never leaves or lessens, so I spend much of my time writing Fantasy and Science Fiction novels.
I’ve published four novels over the course of five years. I started my first-an apocalyptic zombie thriller called “Walls”-in college and finished it during my first years of teaching. I debated whether to enter the independent publishing realm or try my hand at the traditional publishing companies, but ultimately chose the independent route because of its amazing flexibility with creative licensing. Over the next few years, I wrote a supernatural fantasy novel called, “The Reaper Trials” and two High Fantasy novels in a series called, “The City of Shadow & Dust”. It’s a 12-part series, so I will be writing for a very long time.
Writing is what makes me happy. It has never faltered, even in those times of frustration and writer’s block. I relish in the challenge of it. Besides family and friends, it is the next best thing in my life. I wouldn’t give it up for the world.
My students always ask me how I have the patience to sit behind a laptop for hours at a time, typing away at a keyboard, and staring at a screen. I always reply with the same answer: “Think of what you love doing the most in your life. Think about how it makes you feel. Writing does that for me.”
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Independently publishing is much different than taking the traditional approach. To independently publish means that you are given a platform to share your work, like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, but are expected to do everything else on your own, particularly editing, design, and marketing. The platform then takes a share of any copy you sell from its site in return for access to its customers.
Not having access to editors, designers, or marketers means that I sometimes spend more time on the logistical parts of my product than the actual writing of it. Writers always get into this business because they want to share their stories with the world, but without a background in business and/or marketing strategies, what they don’t tell you is that you’ll be spending most of your time trying to expand your market, not hitting your daily word count.
Learning the business side of authorship has been a rollercoaster ride, but the experience of it all is incredibly valuable. I have a lot more work to do to reach the people I want to reach, but every second of it is totally worth it.
R.T. Donlon – Fantasy & Science Fiction Author – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I don’t write for the money. I don’t write for fame. I write because I need to share the stories in my head. I write because it is a part of me. Although I have started this journey as a one-man company, I have built a brand that I and many others have come to love and trust. I hope that, one day, many more will have the opportunity to do the same.
In a market so diluted with thousands upon thousands of authors and even more new novels flooding the platforms each day, I promised myself to only publish the stories I felt met the epic expectations I set for myself from the very beginning. I want readers to pick up my books and enjoy reading again. I want them to get lost in them.
Although I specialize in Science Fiction and Fantasy writing, I do not limit myself to those genres. Instead, I pull from as many genres as I can. I explore because I am constantly looking to improve my craft. Expect twists and turns in my novels, but also expect to find something you love in it, something that challenges you, and something that may broaden your literary horizons just a tiny bit more than you would think from speculative fiction.
“Walls”, “The Reaper Trials”, “The Edge of a New Beginning (Book 1 of The City of Shadow & Dust Series)” and “Darkness Beneath the Dying Light (Book 2 of The City of Shadow & Dust Series)” are just the beginning. The R.T. Donlon multi-verse has no limits.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Over the last year or so, I’ve spent much of my time promoting my fantasy series, “The City of Shadow & Dust”, particularly Book 1, “The Edge of a New Beginning”.
I was added to the Epic Fantasy top 10 list for Amazon’s eBook market, making my fantasy series an Amazon bestseller for that cycle. Just knowing that I had reached such a title still shocks me to this day. I’m hoping that, one day, I can reach even taller heights with the stories on which I am working now.
I know I have a long way to go, but each milestone is something worth savoring. Personally, this one was one to celebrate.
Pricing:
- “Walls” by R.T. Donlon – $15.99 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
- “The Reaper Trials” – $15.99 Paperback/$9.99 eBook
- “The Edge of a New Beginning” – $9.99 Paperback/$0.99 eBook
- “Darkness Beneath the Dying Light” – $9.99 Paperback/$1.99 eBook
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rtdonlon.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rtdonlon
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rtdonlon
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/rtdonlon
- Other: Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/author/ref=mw_dp_a_ap?_encoding=UTF8&author=R.T.%20Donlon&searchAlias=books&asin=B075WFXNXK
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