Lincoln
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
What was the transition like to purely science fiction with a book like Hollow World, after being established in fantasy with Riyria? In a word, is it scary to rock the boat, going away from what brought you fame?
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Lincoln,
When a story comes to me I don't really take into consideration the "market" aspects of it. Sure, I'm not going to write something that is so niche that it has no chances of finding an audience, but I don't weigh a project in terms of a fantasy will earn more because I already have fans in that genre.
When I wrote Hollow World, I knew that many of my existing readers would pass it over as it wouldn't be in their wheel house, but that didn't deter me in any way or cause me any pause. The fact of the matter is that I couldn't "not" write it. Once the seed was planted, the only way to exorcise it from my brain was to write it down. Once it was written down, I was proud of how it came out so it made sense to release it.
This is not always the case. A few years ago I wrote an urban fantasy. Again, a genre I'm not known for. The result didn't meet my level of satisfaction so it's not been released, and probably never will. I love pushing the envelope and trying different types of writing...some will work...some won't. As long as I keep those that don't work in a drawer and only release the ones I think I "nailed" I hope that each will find its own readership.
At the end of the day, my mantra is, "Write books I want to read." It doesn't matter to me what the genre is or how big (or small) I think the audience might be. I figure I'll have some winners and some losers, and as long as the winners are more frequent than the losers it will all work out.
Thanks for asking.
When a story comes to me I don't really take into consideration the "market" aspects of it. Sure, I'm not going to write something that is so niche that it has no chances of finding an audience, but I don't weigh a project in terms of a fantasy will earn more because I already have fans in that genre.
When I wrote Hollow World, I knew that many of my existing readers would pass it over as it wouldn't be in their wheel house, but that didn't deter me in any way or cause me any pause. The fact of the matter is that I couldn't "not" write it. Once the seed was planted, the only way to exorcise it from my brain was to write it down. Once it was written down, I was proud of how it came out so it made sense to release it.
This is not always the case. A few years ago I wrote an urban fantasy. Again, a genre I'm not known for. The result didn't meet my level of satisfaction so it's not been released, and probably never will. I love pushing the envelope and trying different types of writing...some will work...some won't. As long as I keep those that don't work in a drawer and only release the ones I think I "nailed" I hope that each will find its own readership.
At the end of the day, my mantra is, "Write books I want to read." It doesn't matter to me what the genre is or how big (or small) I think the audience might be. I figure I'll have some winners and some losers, and as long as the winners are more frequent than the losers it will all work out.
Thanks for asking.
More Answered Questions
Alyssa
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Have you ever experienced author's block? And if yes, how do you cope up with it?
Mia
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Hi, Michael. It may be a silly question, but how tall (tiny) is Royce? When describing him everyone always comment that he is "the short one" or "the smaller one". Is it just because Hadrian is huge, or is he actually really small? I would also like to say that I love your exciting books and the wonderful characters! Thanks. - Mia
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more