Andrea Hurst & Associates

The AUTHORNOMICS Interview Series with Nathan Bransford

By: Andrea Hurst

With a publishing industry that is ever in flux, it can be hard for an aspiring author to figure out what information is relevant and what she needs to do to be successful. Recognizing this, literary agent Andrea Hurst and writer and blogger Katie Flanagan present a series of weekly interviews with publishing industry specialists. The AUTHORNOMICS Series features literary agents, editors, authors, marketing experts and more talking about their opinions on the publishing industry, writing, and what a writer needs to know.

If you have questions for upcoming guests on the AUTHORNOMICS Interview Series, email them to authornomics@andreahurst.com.

Interview with Author Nathan Bransford

Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW, a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space, break the universe, and have to find their way back home, which was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd., but is now the social media manager at the tech news and reviews website CNET. He lives in San Francisco. He runs a blog and a forum for writers.

Nathan is giving away a free query critique! Just comment on the post below within the next week, and a lucky random commenter will be chosen Monday, August 15th!

 

1. You have been both an agent and a published author. Which came first, and what motivated you to try the other?

I was an agent first. I honestly started working in publishing without any intention of being a writer, and it wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties that I started writing novels. A lot of my friends were writers and I kind of just decided to go for it.

2. Did your experience as an agent affect your publishing process as a writer? Were there any surprises?

I don’t know that being an agent affected my writing, but it was helpful as I went through the publishing process to generally know what to expect. Although the biggest surprise was that knowing how things basically worked didn’t make living the ups and downs of navigating the publishing process any less challenging or stressful. I still went through the same roller coaster ride as any other author.

3. Do you prefer being an author or an agent?

I really enjoyed agenting, but I prefer my current balance of having a day job in the tech world and writing on the side.

4. How did you go about looking for an agent to represent you considering you knew so many professionally?

I went about it much like any other author – I wrote my query letter and sent it out to agents. I sent it to a mix of agents I knew personally and some I didn’t know at all, and I actually ended up with one, Catherine Drayton, I’d never met before.

5. What has been the most rewarding thing about becoming a published author?

It’s really awesome to see your book out there, and the support from the blogosphere and online community has been really incredible.

6. You speak of writing fiction as a quest. How did this apply to your writing process of Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow?

In the case of Jacob Wonderbar the quest is literal – the kids blast off into space, break the universe, and have to find their way back home. But even in cases where the quest of a novel isn’t quite as literal I still think it’s a helpful way of thinking about writing. The protagonist takes that first step, goes on a long voyage (either physical or emotional or both) and ends up a different person.

7. What was your inspiration for the character Jacob Wonderbar?

Jacob’s not based on any one person I know, but he has a lot of the qualities that I both admired and feared when I was growing up. I was always really obedient and always followed the rules, and I sort of viewed the troublemakers with equal parts fear and awe. Jacob has a really good heart, but he isn’t afraid to pull a great prank.

8. Do you write strictly middle grade, or do you write other genres as well?

Right now I’m really focused on middle grade, but I wrote a novel for adults in the past and I’d be open to different genres in the future.

9. You write a hugely successful blog. Do you have any tips for people just starting blogs?

I think the most important thing to remember is that it takes time and there’s no magical silver bullet that leads to big following. Think about what you can offer your readers, be consistent, and remember that social media is social – it’s about the connections you build with your readers and followers.

10. How has the publishing industry changed since you first got involved, and where do you see those changes going?

When I started in publishing, e-books were more theory than reality, and big changes always seemed somewhere over the horizon. But with the arrival of the Kindle and the recession things started changed really quickly.

As we move to a primarily e-book world, I think publishers are going to have great difficulty proving their value to authors for the royalties they offer and because they can be undercut on price by authors who self-publish and sell their books for $2.99-$4.99. And it’s obviously going to be a really challenging time for booksellers, though I think the great bookstores will survive because they provide such a valuable service to their communities.

But it’s a fantastic time for authors and readers, who will have greater choice than ever before. Authors will have the opportunity to go and find their readers, and readers will have almost unlimited choice in what to read, instantaneously for less money than ever before. I think it’s a really exciting time.

11. What is the one piece of advice you would give an aspiring author?

There’s no one way to be a writer, so nothing about how you go about the writing process is weird. Just keep at it and find the way that works for you.

12. Is there a new writing project on the horizon you would like share a little about?

Yes! JACOB WONDERBAR FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSE is coming in April 2012, and I’m currently working on the third book in the Jacob Wonderbar series.

Thank you for interviewing with our blog series.

Andrea Hurst has over 25 years experience as a published author, developmental editor for publishers, and skilled literary agent. She works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile Adult Nonfiction and well crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic network and in the New York Times.

Katie Flanagan is a fiction major at Northwestern University. She is currently an editor with Booktrope and a reader for Pink Fish Press. In the past, she has interned with Andrea Hurst Literary Management and the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her favorite genre is women’s fiction, but she reads any fiction put in front of her. Check out her blog about the writing life at katieflanagan.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @K_Flanagan.

Don’t forget to check out the AUTHORNOMICS Blog Interview Series’s Summer Contest!