A city
A blackout
A serial killer
Today it is with great pleasure that I join Irish writer Derek Flynn on tour with his latest novel, The Dark.
Just published on 10th October, The Dark is Derek Flynn’s fourth novel.
Derek has written a guest post about self-publishing which you can read below, but first let me tell you a little about The Dark
[ About the Book ]
John Ryan has had his share of strange cases. But none as strange as the man who turns up claiming he can’t remember who he is. As John attempts to find out the mystery man’s identity, the lights suddenly go out in Choketown.
And then, the murders start.
The Choketown Killer has returned. And John’s client becomes the number one suspect.
With his city in the grip of a blackout, John begins the hunt for the serial killer as the body count rises and the city teeters on the brink of spiralling out of control.
But the question is: who can he trust?
Purchase Link – The Dark
[ Guest Post ]
My Self-Publishing Adventure
by Derek Flynn
Two years ago, I embarked on my self-publishing adventure. I now have four books published – Broken Falls, The Dead Girls, Black Wood and the just-published The Dark. In that time, people have often asked me what my thoughts are on self-publishing.
I suppose the main thing is that most of the preconceptions I had going in were largely borne out. Yes, it is a hard slog pushing your self-published book; no, you won’t get the kind of exposure and shelf space that traditionally published books get, and no, you won’t make your millions in your first year. But there were also surprises that I didn’t expect when I embarked on my self-publishing journey, the main one of those – and the one that outweighs all the minuses – being the amazing response from readers.
So, just to deal with the downside first. There’s no doubt that trying to market a self-published book is infinitely more challenging than marketing a traditionally published one. For starters, self-published authors rely on Amazon. While my local bookstore (the fabulous Book Centre in Waterford!) has been amazing to me, getting my book into the larger stores like Easons is a much bigger ask. For this reason, Amazon is hugely important. But there are a lot of people who don’t like buying from Amazon. (And self-published authors understand this. We love our local indie bookstores too!) For this reason, I try to sell directly to readers whenever I can. But that doesn’t always work out, and sometimes you just have to accept that you lost a reader because your book wasn’t available in their local bookshop.
Then there is the issue of exposure. Again, while the local press has been fantastic, getting coverage in the national press is infinitely harder. Having said that, social media – particularly Facebook – has been great for me. And word of mouth is infinitely as important as any review in the Irish Times. I’ve been lucky that a number of readers in The Rick O’ Shea Book Club picked up my first novel, liked it, and spread the word. They did the same with my second novel, and now I have a growing group of readers who tell me they’re looking forward to my next book. I can’t tell you how exciting that is! Because at the end of the day – that’s why I started writing. Not for the Irish Times review, or the Amazon bestseller ranking (although they would be lovely!)
And, I think, this is the crux of the issue. Getting a message from a reader or seeing someone post something on social media about your book, makes every bit of it worthwhile. I’ve had readers recommend my books in the same breath as other authors whom I love. And all I can think to myself is: if I hadn’t self-published – if I hadn’t taken that plunge – I would never have gotten that response. I would never have known that people actually enjoy what I write. And for that reason alone, my self-publishing journey so far has been worth every minute.
[ Bio ]
Derek Flynn is a Waterford-based writer and musician, with an MA in Creative Writing from Trinity College, Dublin.
He is the author of three novels, BROKEN FALLS, THE DEAD GIRLS, and BLACK WOOD, all of which have been a hit with readers and reviewers alike. His second novel THE DEAD GIRLS was chosen as one of the “Best Irish Books of 2018” by the readers of the Rick O’ Shea Book Club, Ireland’s biggest online book club.
He is also a playwright, and his play “Memoirs of a Ghost” debuted in the Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford in October 2019.
The Dark is his fourth book.
Twitter – @DerekFlynn03
