You founded the company back in 2012, so you’re still a relatively “new” publishing company. What was the impetus for breaking into the indie publishing world?
It all started when I was pretty young. I had this unquenchable desire to create, to be part of something bigger than myself. I started writing in 2008 and quickly realized I was onto something, but it was only after I decided to publish my own book that I realized this was exactly what I’ve been looking for all my life.
It quickly became apparent that creating just one book a year wasn’t going to be enough. So, knowing enough people in the industry, I unleashed Crystal Lake Publishing. To self-publish my original collection on Amazon, I already needed a company name, a bunch of ISBN numbers, as well as an EIN Tax number, since I live in South Africa. So I had everything I needed to make it a legitimate publishing company.
After publishing my own book and an anthology, I started approaching authors about publishing their short story collections.
Things just grew from there. I’m swarmed with ideas every day, and I have to say, I’ve been quite lucky with how things have turned out.
Crystal Lake Publishing offer titles through paperback, hardcover, and eBook formats. How have you found the impact of e-readers and eBooks on the business of publishing?
If it weren’t for eBooks, my company would be pretty much non-existent. I sell 30 times more eBooks than paperbacks, even with some of the best covers around. People just enjoy the fact that they can get their books immediately and at a much lower price. That means more books for your buck. And if anyone has the same problem I have, they’re running out of storage space for physical books.
So yes, I’m a big fan of eBooks. It’s also great to be able to send eBook review copies out. More and more reviewers are accepting eBook submissions, so it’s a lot cheaper (free) and it really speeds up the review time, especially if they’re pre-launch reviews that have a deadline.
In your spare time you like to blog about haunted buildings, among other topics. Are there any particularly haunted buildings in your home country of South Africa that you have visited and would like to make the basis for a new story?
I’m a huge fan of old buildings, as well as history. So I’m naturally drawn to the mystery of an old, dilapidated building. “If these walls could talk” is always my first thought, so I get a lot of story ideas from old buildings. Who lived there? Who died there? Even who built it and what were their personal demons?
There are a few buildings in Bloemfontein I’ve written about, including a haunted house, a mansion where former presidents lived, and an old observatory. There’s also an old war fort built by the English during the Boer war and an insane asylum, both haunted, but I still need to write something about them.
There’s one old house I still want to visit and write about, but that’s in Walvisbay, Namibia where I grew up. It was the first ‘haunted house’ I’d ever seen (although I know nothing about its past), and I sometimes wonder if it’s still there, just waiting for me.
Perhaps one day I’ll travel throughout South Africa and visit more haunted sites. I’ve received quite a number of invitations.
What’s the biggest difference in working style between being an author and a publisher? Does a publisher necessarily have to have a writing background to be successful? And vice versa?
It’s very difficult for me to go from teacher to author and then publisher/marketer, sometimes in a different order, but every single day.
In the end it’s about having a passion for books, stories, and the written word. If you have those things, and you show it in your work and the way you treat your authors and readers, the sky’s the limit.
The writing side needs me to be calm and creative, not thinking about deadlines or other commitments. When I edit or run Crystal Lake, it’s all about keeping op top of several projects (normally about 7) at the same time. There are a lot of notes to write down and emails, research into other markets, chatting with fans and writers, and so on and on and on…
When it comes to changing between my teaching, writer, and publisher hats, it all comes down to focus. When I get home after teaching grade 5s or coaching sport, I take about 20 minutes to calm down first. During that time I normally play with the dogs or watch something funny on Television. Then, unless a new book is being launched that week, I write or edit at least one A4 page of my own work. After that I read my emails, which immediately puts me in publishing mode. I try to finish at 8pm during the week, but that’s not always possible.
Now you don’t have to be a writer to become a publisher, but it’s definitely an advantage. Being a publisher is running a business, but as a writer I know how to work with writers. Being a writer connected me with authors long before I became a publisher.
What is your readership like for fans of titles published through Crystal Lake? Have you seen any changing demographics in the horror/thriller genre in the couple years since you began publishing on your own?
There’s always something happening in the market, and it’s really difficult to predict what it’ll be and how long it’ll last. A few things I have noticed is the tendency of readers to purchase more cheap (99c or free) eBooks. So even if the book does suck, they won’t feel cheated out of lots money. The problem is we can’t all drop our prices. I drop them now and then, but I can’t sell all Crystal Lake’s books at 99c. Which authors would sign with me then?
A publisher has to find a happy medium between what’s best for the customer and the author, as well as keeping the business afloat.
I must say, paperbacks have made been making a comeback lately. I’m still figuring out the reason behind that, but I lowered my paperback prices a bit just to keep the momentum going. The nice thing about Amazon is the moment a book starts selling, they lower the price on their end, as well (which of course is not good for brick and mortar shops). It’s a vicious cycle. That’s why I always just try to find that perfect middle ground.
Congratulations on winning Publisher of the Year 2013 in the This is Horror Awards! Were you surprised to win so soon after Crystal Lake began in 2012?
I was so happy when I heard Crystal Lake QUALIFIED! That was already it for me, and looking at who I was up against, I didn’t even think about winning it. I know people have read similar statements before, but I really didn’t even think of it after qualifying. I think I sent out a few messages asking fans to vote; not just for Crystal Lake, but also for people who have worked with me in the past. Then to find out I won, and I wasn’t even allowed to announce it for a couple of weeks. That was bitter sweet, indeed.
And you have to remember, I only published one book in 2012, which was a test run with my own book. I think I went on to publish 6 books 2013. It was quite a year, and a great motivation and honor to win (I keep it just above my computer screen for those long days). Now I just have to win Anthology of the Year!
One of the aspects of Crystal Lake Publishing that we here at Sanitarium are thrilled to see is your support and cultivation of new writers in the genre. What would be your best advice for a young writer looking to break into the horror, suspense, or thriller genre?
One of the bonuses of the small press is the opportunity to take risks. That’s something the big guys can’t afford. I’m also a big fan of helping people out, so I’m always helping out new authors, or offering On Writing blog posts on the website. Helping authors find their place was the main motivating factor behind the release of Horror 101: The Way Forward.
So what can a young writer do? Reading Horror 101: The Way Forward is a great start.
Be sure to treat your name as a brand. Not just as a writer, but as a friend and colleague to other writers. You are not in competition with other authors. I don’t even see myself in competition with other publishers. We entertain, inform and enrich people. The more people we get reading (and writing), the better off this world will be.
Crystal Lake Publishing is hosting the second annual “Tales from the Lake Horror Writing Competition” this year. What made the first competition so successful, and what are you looking for in this year’s finalists?
Since Crystal Lake Publishing is not open to submissions, and even our anthologies are invite-only, this is the perfect chance for authors to get my attention. I get the opportunity to check out a writer’s work, and the writers get the opportunity to win not only money and bragging rights, but a chance to appear in an anthology with some of the biggest names in horror. This year we have an amazing line-up that includes Ramsey Campbell, Jack Ketchum, Lisa Morton, Edward Lee, Rena Mason, and many more.
What makes the competition interesting is the different stages. Last year we had three stages (synopsis, opening scene, and then the full story), where this year we started out with 150 words divided between your synopsis and opening.
I’m certain this competition will continue for years to come. And I’m certain people already got that feeling last year, so everyone wanted to be the first one to win. Crystal Lake Publishing is here to stay!
Is there a fiction genre that you would never want to tackle as a writer or publisher?
None that come to mind… Perhaps Dino Porn (and yes, that is an actual genre these days). Definitely nothing with sparkling vampires, weak female characters, or pretty werewolves.
Other than that, horror pretty much has everything right there in the mix. Horror stories are loaded with suspense, romance, comedy, drama, action etc. Without those things, you’re setting the reader up for a pretty boring read.
What is one misconception about the horror, suspense and thriller writing genre that you wish would be dispelled? What makes the writing, in particular, stand out against genres such as romance, historical fiction, or comedy?
Horror isn’t always easy to write, but it’s a lot more fun than most genres.
What really makes me angry is the misconception that horror writers aren’t real writers. That genre fiction is too low class. That what we write doesn’t matter.
Not every book out there is going to change the world. I write/publish to entertain, to take people out of their existence for a few minutes every day, and make them appreciate the time they do spend in the real world.
Horror stories also need the basics that all other stories require: plot, characters you care about, gripping dialogue etc. Now juggle that with making the reader believe in the monster you’ve created, make them suspend disbelief for the duration of the story. You can’t overdo it, of course. In horror, more than any other genre, you have to show, not tell.
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