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Bennett: My series - the Serrulata Saga - is a mix of dystopian/dark fantasy and sci-fi with a bit of romance thrown in. I just published my first book, Gathering of the Four, at the beginning of April.
Right now, my favorite spot to write is my bedroom, which doubles as my home office. (Our apartment is kinda small.)
Talli: I absolutely feel that! I'm still finding my way in the self publishing world, too, and there's so much to learn. So far I've found it to be a really great community, though, so I'm happy to be here!
Your series sounds AWESOME! I love that blend of genres. How many books do you have planned for it? Was there any particular inspiration for the plot and/or characters?
Bennett: Thank you! I actually don't know how many books it's going to be (famous last words of all fantasy writers, I know).
Initially, when I started thinking about the series, I thought it was going to be a trilogy. Then I started outlining more and realized the main story probably needs to be told in four books, not three.
Then the pandemic hit.
I'd always enjoyed reading romance novels, but I never thought about writing one. One of my beta readers for Gathering of the Four made a comment about two of my side characters being extra sexy so, last summer, I challenged myself to write a romance novella. I'm currently making final edits to it and have decided there will be more romance novellas in the future.
So I think, now, there might be six books total in the Serrulata Saga! We'll see ;)
Talli: "and then the pandemic hit" applies to so much lol
I've had a similar experience with my books! I worked on a series last year that I thought was going to be 2 books but then I got to the end of book 2 and realized I needed a third, so, here we are with a trilogy!
But omg six books!! That's awesome!! Plus a novella, even better! I love that; I looove sprawling fantasy series, so I look forward to seeing these books in the future!
Bennett: I kinda love that my series is getting out of hand - in a good way!
Oh, I didn’t answer your question about inspiration…
Ok, so ... back in 1997 … The Hale-Bopp comet came around. It was absolutely stunning to see such a thing in the sky and my middleschooler mind went bonkers. I had been toying around with an idea for a story where two friends -- Leora and Roland -- go on an adventure. (My brother was really into RPG video games at the time and I loved those sprawling stories.) My fascination with the comet, combined with my blooming love of writing, prompted me to write a story about a comet that makes Leora magical. I think I've written maybe 30 different versions of the story since ... and I finally got the tale to where I wanted it last year and then, voila -- I got to hit that KDP publishing button earlier this year!
Talli: Omg that is so cool!!!! I love that origin story so much!
30 different versions, wow. That's dedication. What about the story (aside from it's super cool concept) made you stick with it all these years?
Bennett: That's a fantastic question and I have absolutely no idea - haha! It's almost been a compulsion. I've always had this feeling with me that I HAVE to get this story out. The characters -- and there are four main ones now: Leora, Roland, Aurora, and Leopold -- have been with me through undergrad and my first career and grad school and are still with me now. They've been sort of odd cheerleaders in my mind my whole life. I think it's only fair to them that other people meet them and learn about how wonderful they are.
Talli: !!!! That's exactly how I feel about the characters of my published book!! It's honestly such a cool feeling, that you get to grow alongside your characters and see their story evolve with you. It's kinda magical tbh. Characters are such a driving force in what keeps me going with my WIPs. Sometimes they won't let you *not* write their story.
It sounds like your characters are what inspired you to publish, and I can def relate to that! What made you choose self pub? And what have you found to be the biggest challenges with that?
Bennett: "Sometimes they won't let you *not* write their story haha" - ooh I can identify with that!
I chose to self publish because, honestly, I had no idea how to pitch my book. I'd heard stories of it taking YEARS for those who were querying to even get an agent - and that's not even a guarantee of being published. I sent out a bunch of short stories in 2018 and 2019 and got rejection after rejection and I got really down on myself. I love the Serrulata Saga so much, I didn't want to go through that with the writing that meant the most to me. So I chose the self publishing route.
If we're doing "real talk" about that, though ... I pretty much did zero research before I hit the button on KDP, so I'm actually going to be doing a rebranding this summer/fall. I've made a lot of mistakes - everything from the look of my website to the description on the back of my book to social media marketing.
So my overall advice for self publishers ... research, research, research. Readers don't come to you, no matter how awesome you think your story is :P
Talli: ahh yep I had a very similar experience with my book! Niche genres are really difficult to sell to the trad pub world, and I've noticed already that there's so much more freedom with self pub. Like I don't have to force my book into a mold that it doesn't really fit. Trad pub is still a big dream for me, but now I have a better idea of what kind of book to self pub and what kind to try trad pubbing.
But yes omg, I kind of jumped in cold too and I have learned so much since I put my book out there, so I'm tempted to do a re-brand as well. Research is so important, and I do wish I'd done more. But hey, now we know!
So ya, self publishing def has its challenges, but what would you say has been the most rewarding part of it?
Bennett: I think I'm with you in that the most rewarding thing has been telling my story the way I want to tell it. I don't have a group of people in a board room telling me that my characters are too this or that. I can do what I want and I don't have to worry about fitting into that mold you mention.
Talli: Yes!! Exactly!! So glad we're on the same page haha it's funny that we've had such similar experiences with our stories!
So your first book just came out in April (woohoo!), so I'm sure that's taking up most of your focus, but do you have an idea of when book 2 might make an appearance? Anything you can tease for the near future?
Bennett: It's REALLY comforting that you and I are on the same page. I don't feel so alone! That's one of the things I really like about the self publishing community. So far, I've met so many supportive people!
As for my next book ... I will have my first romance novella, a prequel to Gathering of the Four, out this fall or winter. (Title reveal will be coming VERY soon.) So please keep an eye on my social media and website for that
As for Book Two ... I'm about a third of the way through my first draft, so that one won't be ready until at least the middle of 2022.
Talli: YESS that's so exciting!!!! I will def keep an eye out for both of these!!! That is so awesome. Best of luck drafting book 2!!
So that's all the questions I have, but it was really great talking to you!!
Bennett: Thank you so much for this! It was a great time!
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If you're interested in finding out more about Bennett's writing, you can find visit her on her website, follow her on Twitter, and check out her book here! I snagged a copy of Gathering of the Four after Bennett told me about it (these interviews are bad for my wallet; I just want to buy everyone's books), and though I haven't had a chance to start it yet, I'm looking forward to it!
Thanks for reading, and I'll see y'all next week with a Camp Nanowrimo survival post!
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