Erik Therme is an author with a lot of hustle who is on top of what it takes to be an author in this day and age. He self-published his first novel, which was later signed to Amazon’s genre imprint for mysteries Thomas & Mercer. He’s also published under Kindle Press. This interview provides a good overview of the many roads an author can take to get their writing in the hands of readers.
Official Bio: Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harbored runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering for his oldest daughter’s volleyball team, or chilling on the PlayStation 3 with his twelve-year-old. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only seven places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature
1. Please provide a brief synopsis of your book.
Resthaven follows a pack of girls who have a scavenger hunt inside an abandoned retirement home, only to discover they’re not the only ones roaming the hallways. I wanted to write a young adult story that my two teenage daughters would enjoy, and I’ve always been intrigued by old, creepy buildings.
2. Tell us a little bit about what motivates or inspires your writing.
I’ve always loved to create. As a kid I made everything from comic books to bubble-gum cards, and I was certain I was destined to be an artist. Eventually I started writing more ambitious, complex comics, and I realized that telling the story was more fun than drawing the pictures. When I tried my hand at writing novels, I knew I had discovered my true passion.
3. Writing aside, what passions drive your life?
I have a wonderful wife that loves to travel and two teenage daughters who enjoy sports and movies. My guilty pleasure is video games, and I’m a sucker for organizing anything I can get my hands on, whether it be closets, kitchen cupboards, or subfolders on my computer. One of my absolute favorite things to do is take a week off from my day job and toil around the house. I’m exciting like that.
4. It’s hard to pick just one, but what do you consider your favorite novel and why?
If I had to pick one novel, I would have to say The Stand by Stephen King. King’s character development is always excellent, but there’s no question he raises the bar with this one. Even his most flawed characters have redeeming qualities—so much so that you sometimes find yourself empathizing with the bad guys. “Tell a simple story with complex characters” is one of my all-time favorite writer adages, and no one does this better than King.
5. What is the name of your blog and what can readers expect to find there?
I don’t blog, but readers can find interviews, reviews, and information about me at www.eriktherme.com. I occasionally do guest posts for other sites, but between writing, working full-time, and raising daughters, trying to maintain a blog is simply too time consuming. That said, I work hard to stay active on Facebook and Twitter, which is a great way to connect with readers and other authors.
6. What does your drafting and/or editing process entail?
First drafts always depress me. Some authors revel in creating something from nothing, but for me it’s the equivalent of staring down an endless hallway with too many doors to count. My fun begins once I have a draft on paper. I love to tweak, polish, and rewrite until the words are exactly the way I want them. Once I’m satisfied, I’ll put the book aside for a few weeks, which allows me to revisit it with fresh eyes. After another round of polishing, the book goes to the publisher, who sends it to the editor.
7. Are you traditionally published or self-published?
My debut mystery, Mortom, was originally self-published and then acquired by Thomas & Mercer. My second novel, Resthaven, was published through Kindle Press. Working with a publisher definitely has advantages—especially when it comes to marketing—but I would have no qualms about self-publishing again. Many established authors have a foot in both worlds. It all depends on the project and your goals. In either case, the most important thing is to write the best book you can.
8. Can you offer one or two helpful tips for fellow writers when it comes to marketing and publicity?
I think the biggest mistake a new author can make is to believe that once your book is published it’s going to find an audience on its own. That might be the case if your name is James Patterson or John Grisham, but the majority of authors—myself included—work hard to market their books. Even with a publisher, I spend hours promoting my work and trying to find new readers. A successful writer is always writing and marketing. The trick is finding a good balance.
9. What future projects can we look forward to?
My third novel, Roam, is going through the editing process and will hopefully see publication by the end of this year. I’m also planning a limited release of my first (unpublished) novel, Kat, which will only be available through giveaways and to subscribers to my website.
10. Is there anything else you want your potential readers to know?
The world of publishing is a crazy, subjective place, and anything can happen from one day to the next. I once had a literary agent tell me I should write more like Gillian Flynn . . . and shortly thereafter Gillian Flynn’s agency requested one of my manuscripts. I’d love to say that good writing is most of the battle, but it’s not. Timing, chance, and luck play a big factor. All you can do is believe in yourself, never give up, and try to make as much luck as you can.
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You can connect with Erik and his social media accounts via his website.
Is there anything else you’d like to know about Erik Therme?
Please share responsibly. Jeri Walker, 2016.
Great interview…love that Erik speaks common sense when it comes to authors and marketing. At times, it seems like writing the novel is the easiest part of the process! Wonderful to see good writing combined with common sense self reliance/promotion rewarded with success. Kudos!
Thanks, Jacqueline. Writing is definitely a test of patience. I began writing when I was fifteen and wasn’t published until I was in my forties! It was worth the wait. 😉
Erik, I think I’m on that same path as well 🙂
The impression I get from reading this as well as many other of your interviews is that writing a book sometimes seems the easiest part of all that you have to go through to publish and then find an audience.
Ken, that’s not far from the truth. There are SO many books out there that it’s definitely a challenge to be seen. Many authors don’t like to market, but it’s a necessary evil. The great thing is that your fan base grows with each new book, so–in theory–it gets easier to reach new readers. In theory . . .
I’m always amazed by people who can work full time, raise children and publish books! I’d like to know – what’s his super food?
Mountain Dew! 🙂 Joking aside, you simply have to make time to write. Sometimes I get 15 minutes a day, sometimes I get 2 hours. But if you work on it each day, it will (eventually) get done!
Nice to meet you Erik. Thanks for sharing so much of your writing/pub process. I’m also self published and it has its challenges. Your book sound suspenseful. I like your tip tell a simple story with complex characters. Thanks, Jeri for the wonderful interview!
Thanks for commenting, Lisa. One of the other best ‘tips’ I’ve learned is: “Raise the stakes and continue to build them.” Just when the reader thinks that things can’t get worse, throw something else at your characters. Makes for good page-turning. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this wonderful interview, Jeri. I really enjoyed Eric’s responses and not just because he likes to organize. It’s always nice to hear about people achieving their goals even when they have busy lives.
Although I am not a fan of horrors/thrillers, I received a lot of sound advice by reading this interview. You know how to pull information from your interviewees.
It takes sheer dedication and perseverence to write a book from first draft through to publication.
This has encouraged me.
Phoenicia, glad you enjoyed the interview, and Jeri was a wonderful host! 🙂
Always marketing and writing – that couldn’t be more true. Great interview Jeri! Thanks
I agree…marketing is the real challenge, writing is much easier! Thanks for the reminder, Erik. Wishing you great success with both. 🙂
Another interesting author interview. Erik is a busy man! I too sometimes find the first draft depressing. I love tweaking and polishing.
e x c e l l e n t!!
Thank you.
I loved every single word.
I’ll check out your books, Erik!
PS. …but I hated the part about writing like Gillian Flynn. I mean, YOU are “YOU.”
That said, I’d love to have Gillian Flynn’s SALES . . . 😉
Excellent interview, as always. Scrolling through the comments I had to laugh when I came to Ken’s because he gets what so many first time authors fail to grasp – writing the book is only the beginning. I am also fascinated by spooky buildings so Resthaven sounds like something I’d really enjoy.
I love how writers are so different. I love writing first drafts! That’s the easy part. The editing and making that draft better is the hard work. (Ok, Iike that, too.)
Good luck with the YA novel. It sounds like a fun read–loving creepy buildings, too.
I love that Erik decided on the genre for his book for his daughters.
That is good advice about marketing. I think most people would think that once you have a publisher and aren’t self-publishing, you have it made. But you still have to do a ton of work. So it is helpful to make people aware that a publisher isn’t the golden ticket. All marketing is a process.
Love the cover. Abandoned buildings are a great way to get the imagination flowing. I also enjoy cemeteries. Kudos to Erik regarding revisions, one of my least favorite things regarding writing, but the most rewarding. Best of luck to Erik! Thanks for sharing your story.
What another great interview.
I was surprised about him not writing a blog. If you ever read advice about becoming a writer, they always suggest you have one. I am glad Erik bucked the “standard” of these suggestions to become an author.
He was fortunate to find a publisher after self-publishing, but a book has to be very good either way. His books obviously sell so a traditional publisher became interested. A shame that publishers can’t recognize good books from the get-go.
Thanks Erik for sharing so much of your writing.Thanks for sharing the wonderful interview
I am new at writing and would like to go ahead and some day make name of it!
Will look further for your writing.
On a Stephen King kick myself, after reading his book “On Writing.” Somehow King made the process make more sense, and his books, I’ve discovered, aren’t just gratuitous horror, but wonderfully crafted.
Thanks both of you for the great, accessible interview, and the quote about stinky first drafts. Cheers—
Another quotable comment from Erik: “A successful writer is always writing and marketing. The trick is finding a good balance.” I know many of my self-published author friends find marketing to be a real uphill battle. And if you’re an introvert, it’s even harder 😉 But balance is key and it’s an individual thing. Thanks for the great interview, Jeri and Erik. I really enjoy hearing about published writers who still have their day job 🙂
Since reading this interview three years ago, I’ve read all of Erik’s books. “Keep Her Close” was a terrifying look at a dad trying to find his daughter. Good writing. Period.
However … Erik is a freaking scream on Facebook, so I think he should take up humor writing!
RoseMary, that’s great to hear that you’ve given all of Erik’s books a go!