iUniverse Blog

Daniel B. Hunt talks with iUniverse about his new sci-fi thriller, Okuda!, and his marketing strategies.

Please briefly describe your book . . .

Okuda! is a science-fiction novel about a cloned assassin who is hired to kill the most powerful woman in the galaxy. Of course, nothing is ever that simple.

And can you tell us a little about yourself?

I have worked in law enforcement for a long time – but a very special type of law enforcement. My job is focused on protecting facilities from terrorist attacks or criminal behavior. Like many people in the field, I have had some difficult experiences. But I’ve also had some wonderful opportunities, and I enjoy what I think is very important work. It is a huge responsibility that has taken me all around the world. I’ve lived in Germany, Bulgaria, Sudan, Greece, Azerbaijan, and India. And I’ve traveled to many, many other places. I’ve also had the opportunity to manage a major program equal to what many CEOs get to lead with 35,000 employees scattered throughout the world. So, it’s been a very diverse and rewarding career. And yes, it does influence my writing. I bring that expertise into my novels and try to keep everything realistic and human.

Do you have any particular literary influences? What inspired you to write your book?

I grew up reading history books, science fiction, and fantasy fiction, but I spent my early years in college writing poetry. I am still a great fan of John Keats and the Romantic poets.

Okuda! is the result of a writing challenge. Two other artists came up with the protagonist and a backstory, and then challenged our writing group (The Dryden Experiment) to write a story or novel about her. The only stipulation is that it had to be in Creative Commons and put in the Dryden Universe. I took up that challenge and two years later Okuda! was finished. But I didn’t want to just tell a slasher story with comic book violence. I wanted to tell a story about the human cost of killing, of corporate wrangling, and wrap in some fantasy while using a novel structure that allowed for multiple story lines and points of view. And I had to build in room for my character to grow but not drastically change. She is still, after all, Lucy Okuda.

What is the one message you would like to convey to your readers?

My novels are adventures, event driven, sometimes dark, but always fun to read.

Are you working on a sequel to your book?

Yes. Okuda! is the second of what I hope to be a four-book series called The Dryden Universe Corporate War’s novels. The first of that series is a book called A Step Too Far, but it really started in the story collection Origins. You can find my main protagonist, Paul Thorne, in each book.

Are there any events, marketing ideas, or promotions planned for your book?

I have a longer-term marketing strategy. I am not overly concerned about individual sales at this point. Right now I am trying to create a back catalog of books so that, as my readership grows, those people will be able to look at my catalog and pick up two or three of my other books. But that does not mean I do not advertise. I am currently exploring the advertising available on Facebook. For a small amount, I can target an audience with global reach. For example, my protagonist is from Kyoto, Japan – so I have a marketing campaign through Facebook for that city. But I recognize there is a significant difference between a like on a post and a sale. I don’t expect to make any sales through Facebook. It is for brand awareness.

I have traditionally used Goodreads for giveaways to develop new readership, but with their new rules and charges I may have to find a different method. I am currently exploring LibraryThing as a possible outlet. When I do a giveaway, I include little extras like T-shirts, mugs, pens, and the like – all branded with the Dryden logo or artwork. To help with that, I have a professional graphic artist with whom I work. It costs me a bit, but we have a good, mutually beneficial relationship that allows us to promote each other’s works.

I also have a brand name: Epeolatry Corner. I have a YouTube Channel and a Facebook page under that brand. On YouTube I talk about the craft of writing, and I review books that I am reading. I link those videos to my Facebook page, and then tie those into my Goodreads author page. I am considering a website of the same name. The goal is to develop some rapport with readers and writers.

I sparingly use Manhattan and San Francisco book reviews, and I’ve just paid for a Kirkus review for A Step Too Far. I use these not as an advertising platform, though they can be, but as a reality check on my writing. I want an independent review by someone who reads a lot of books and will not be nice, if nice is not warranted.

I also believe that a deeper back catalog, coupled to solid professional reviews, makes me more attractive for a contract with a traditional publisher. It demonstrates my reliability and indicates that I am pretty good at this craft.

The second part of my strategy will start when I retire from my current job. So, in about five or six years I will settle down and will be able to participate in conventions and book readings. I have been experimenting with displays, posters, and the like for when that becomes a viable marketing platform for me. I will have a developed set of merchandise by then, a back catalog of books, and have a more developed readership that should create some growth in sales.

What was your favorite part of your publishing experience, overall and with iUniverse?

I have used iUniverse since they were Writer’s Club Press – way back in the day. Writer’s Club Press is still an imprint of iUniverse. And I’ve grown with them. As you know, this is a very competitive and extremely difficult business. While there are a lot of ways to self-publish today, for free, I keep coming back to iUniverse because I am acutely aware of the advantage traditional publishers provide their authors. They provide whole teams of editors, copy editors, interior design, and beta readers too. I can’t recreate that type of system, but I want to give my best effort to my readers. iUniverse provides me with some of the umbrella of a traditional publisher that I could not get with the free self-publishing sites. And though I only get one real pass at my novels, iUniverse is professional enough to make that pass count.

Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

I know so many people who flit from idea to idea and never finish what they have started. Stick to one story at a time. That doesn’t mean that you will not have a e-file or drawer full of ideas and snippets of stories, but rather that you ignore those and focus all of your productive energy on your current project. Finish it. You have to have that discipline. Random scenes on a page don’t make a novel either. Have some sort of a plan and develop and revise it as your write. And then don’t fall so in love with what you’ve done that you will not take the brutal and necessary editing pen to it and chop out all those bits that really don’t push the story forward. But that is not the toughest battle. Do not listen to all those people who tell you that you cannot write a book. You can. Books are not written by gods but rather by men and women just like you who have spent hours, weeks, months, and years working and reworking their books and learning their craft. It does take work, but it is possible. You can do it too.

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