Crack of Dawn Conspiracies: An Interview with J.F. Penn

By - August 23, 2013

It's 4. a.m. EST, but for my next guest, if my calculations are correct, it's 9:00 a.m. I'd like to welcome Amazon bestselling author and creator of the hit writing blog The Creative Penn, J.F. Penn!

 

And don't forget to check out the bottom of this post for details on how to win J.F. Penn's giveaway, as well as an additional giveaway from International Thriller Writers' Debut Class Member and Entertainment Attorney, Robert Rotstein!

Now, on to the interview!

CM:  Your ARKANE series blends history, Biblical knowledge, and mystery/suspense/thrillers.  What first attracted you to this particular blend of story?

JP:  I first visited Israel in 1991 when I was 16 and fell in love with Jerusalem, subsequently visiting several more times and one day I would like to live there again for a longer period. Those trips started my obsession with the interplay of religion and politics, as well as a deep love of archaeology, architecture and the darker side of history.

I went on to get a Masters degree in Theology from the University of Oxford, Mansfield College which further shaped my interest. I specialized in the psychology of religion, and although I’m not religious myself, I’m curious (and respectful) of why people believe and I consider myself ‘spiritual’. So these themes are weaved into my stories, for example, Carl Jung’s Red Book becomes a clue in Pentecost, and the famous Milgram Obedience studies form the basis of a technology in Prophecy.

JP:  So these academic and cultural influences have always influenced my reading and when I decided to try and write fiction, I wanted to write what I love to read - basically kick-ass, brainy thrillers that explore deeper themes but still give you a hell of a ride!

CM:  How do you feel when people compare your work to that of Dan Brown?

JP:  Dan Brown changed my life with The Da Vinci Code, because he made the ‘religious-conspiracy thriller’ a household genre. Previously, the only bestselling example was Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. So I am happy to say that the ARKANE books are ‘Dan Brown meets Lara Croft’ (Think Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider or Salt).

However, I do think that Dan Brown is a victim of his own success now, so his more recent books have been disappointing to me as a reader. As a writer, they have helped me understand what his early readers might still enjoy and I try to fill that gap with more in-depth character development, a strong female protagonist and deeper research to surprise and delight readers.

CM:  How did you decide to self-publish your first thrillers?

JP:  I wrote Pentecost, the first ARKANE thriller as part of the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge in 2009. I decided to do it as I had been writing non-fiction and building an audience on my blog and felt that trying fiction would give me something new to blog about. I certainly didn’t believe I could actually write a novel at that point!

But over the subsequent 14 months, I wrote the manuscript and went through a number of editing processes as well as blogging the journey and my lessons learned along the way. By the time I completed the book, I had people who wanted to buy it, who had followed me throughout the process. So I didn’t even query it or consider traditional publishing, I just went ahead and self-published, selling to my existing audience.

CM:  What do you think are the biggest “pros” for you personally regarding self publishing?

JP:  I’ve had my own business for years and been a serial entrepreneur, as well as a business IT consultant, so I’m used to making a decision and acting on it immediately. I like the freedom and control of being self-published, of being able to do a promotion and see the results, of knowing that every dollar I earn is based on my own effort. I also like the creative freedom to write what I want to, and choose the covers that resonate with me, instead of being defined by any particular box. Plus, I like the fact that I can exploit the various rights myself and build multiple streams of income out of the books. So I have print, ebook and audiobook versions so far, with German translation and other projects on the way. But I am certainly not a militant indie and intend to try all kinds of adventures in publishing in the years ahead.

CM: What were the biggest challenges of self-publishing?

JP:  The actual publishing part is pretty easy these days, but the writing and marketing is still just as hard as ever!

Selling the first 1000 books was probably the hardest thing, as well as finding a professional team to rely on for each project. But once you know what you’re doing, and you have a repeatable process, you can focus on delivering amazing books for your readers. I’d recommend that people take the long view if they want to self-publish, as it can be frustrating at the beginning, but I suspect that is the same for any new author.

CM:  What made you decide to try to get an agent/go towards traditional publishing?

JP:  After I had sold ~40,000 books, an author friend suggested I get an agent and see where else the books could go. I was in New York at Thrillerfest at the time and connected with a couple of agents and subsequently signed with one of them, based on the understanding that I would continue to self-publish at the same time.

My aim is to be a hybrid author, like CJ Lyons, Hugh Howey, Bella Andre and others who decide PER BOOK which is the best route for publication. My agent currently has a crime thriller that I haven’t self-published yet, the first of a new series, and it is with various editors. But of course, I will continue to self-publish as well. It’s the best of both worlds!

CM:  There is sometimes a feeling of competition, it seems, between authors who self-publish and authors who are traditionally published. As someone deeply ensconced in researching industry trends and their effects on authors, from where do you think this “feud” stems?  What are your thoughts on the competitiveness?

JP:  I think some of the negative attitudes stem from trying to defend a position within the market, based on a scarcity model where authors/publishers think this is a zero sum game. But I don’t see it like that at all, because reading is growing throughout the world and with internet distribution we can sell globally to niche markets we could never reach before.

Whatever the origins, I’m hoping the feud is almost over, since now the publishing environment contains ‘agent-assisted publishing’ as well as the big publishers buying self-publishing companies (e.g. Penguin with Author Solutions). Big name authors and brands are also moving into self-publishing - like Jackie Collins, Jim Carrey and recently, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright David Mamet. So it is not ‘them’ and ‘us’ anymore, it is a complex environment with a rainbow of options. Authors should be savvy and keep in mind their goals in order to navigate the market.

CM:  What’s something readers would be surprised to know about you after they read one of your books?

JP:  I can’t even watch a Tarantino movie, or gritty TV crime dramas, as I can’t tolerate the violence. This may be a surprise as my books feature a nun being burned alive on the banks of the Ganges, a murder of a child in a bone church and ritual sex on the altar of an Egyptian tomb. But I’m a really nice person ... honest ...

CM:  What’s the best book you’ve ever read and why?

JP:  That’s a hard one because I read so much, but I have to choose Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles, which is the self-help book that changed my life back in 2007.

I used to be a miserable IT consultant, chasing the ‘success’ that other people had defined - the career, the house, the consumer goods etc. But I was desperately unhappy and frustrated, and my creativity and spiritual side was dying. The Success Principles opens with “Take 100% responsibility for your own life” and goes through a series of mindset changes to get you from where you are to where you want to be. It started me off on the journey to become a full-time author, speaker and entrepreneur, so I highly recommended if you want to change your own life!

CM:  If your house caught fire, what are the four things (rather than people) you’d save?  (Because everyone asks “three,” and I think you should get four!)

JP:  My laptop would probably be the only thing I would grab as it contains everything I have created, although much of that is also online. It also contains my photos, so even photo-books can be left behind.

I don’t really have anything else as I am a huge fan of being able to move on and so I’m not really attached to ‘things’ anymore. A few years ago, when we moved from Australia to London, we made the decision to downsize. Since then, we have just kept on simplifying, so we no longer own much stuff at all. We even rent furniture!

I suppose I could add my journals, but I have so many now that I wouldn’t know which ones to choose. So let them burn!

CM:  What is your favorite word?

JP:  Freedom

CM:  Least favorite word?

JP:  Boredom

 

***J.F. Penn is giving away a signed copy of Exodus to one commenter on this post. So, don't forget to comment!***

ABOUT J.F. PENN: J.F.Penn is the author of thrillers of the edge, including the ARKANE thrillers Pentecost, Prophecy and Exodus. http://www.JFPenn.com  Joanna is also the bestselling author of Career Change, as well as the Amazon #1 bestseller How To Market A Book. Joanna’s site for writers www.TheCreativePenn.com has been voted one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers 3 years running and offers articles, audio and video on writing, publishing and book marketing. Connect with Joanna on twitter @thecreativepenn.

 

With An Additional Giveaway From

ROBERT ROTSTEIN

 

***Another lucky commenter will win an autographed copy of Corrupt Practices by Robert Rotstein!***

ABOUT CORRUPT PRACTICES:  A Los Angeles church, considered by some to be a powerful cult, charges Rich Baxter with embezzling millions. Rich reaches out to former colleague and star trial attorney Parker Stern to come to his defense. Parker despises the cult, but he hasn’t entered a courtroom since developing severe stage fright after his mentor, Harmon Cherry, committed suicide. Rich claims that Cherry did not kill himself—he was murdered by someone connected to the church. At first, Parker doesn’t believe it . . . until disturbing events force him to question what’s really happening. 

As the case takes an unexpected turn, Parker surprises himself and agrees to take on the church. But to represent his client and uncover the truth he must overcome his own long-buried secrets.  Find out more at www.robertrotstein.com.

Rotstein asks that you visit the website Help Keep A Sister Alive, http://helpkeepasisteralive.com/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/helpkeepasisteralive?hc_location=stream, where his friend and colleague provides information and observations about ovarian cancer and other cancers.

 

Comment for your chance to win both J.F.'s and Robert's giveaways!

 

What event in history most intrigues you?  What people or event from ancient times do you think would make an interesting conspiracy story?