Interview with Epic Fantasy Author Jim Melvin

We have a very special guest today at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion! Welcome Jim Melvin, author of the epic fantasy series, The Death Wizard Chronicles. Jim is here with us today to tell us how he pumps up his own online book promotion!

Jim was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla. He now lives in Clemson, S.C. Jim graduated from the University of South Florida (Tampa) in 1979 with a B.A. in Journalism. He was an award-winning journalist at the St. Petersburg Times for twenty-five years and retired in 2004 to become a full-time novelist. At the Times, he specialized in science, nature, health and fitness, and he wrote about everything from childhood drowning to erupting volcanoes. But he spent the majority of his career as a designer, editor, and supervisor. Jim is a student of Eastern philosophy and mindfulness meditation, both of which he weaves extensively into his work. Meditation helps to clear his mind for long bouts of writing. Jim is married and has five daughters. The Death Wizard Chronicles, a six-book epic fantasy series, marks his debut as a published novelist. He is represented by Dr. Uwe Stender of TriadaUS (uwe@triadaus.com).

You can visit his blog at www.deathwizardchronicles.blogspot.com.

Welcome to Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion, Jim! Can we begin by having you tell us what your series, The Death Wizard Chronicles, is about and why you wrote it?

It would be my pleasure. The Death Wizard Chronicles is a six-book epic fantasy that I describe as a cross between J.R.R. Tolkien and Stephen King: Tolkien because it contains many aspects of epic fantasy, King because it can be downright scary. My series is action-packed and filled with monsters and magic. Yet the plot also contains a wonderful love story. On top of all this, there is a lot going on between the lines. I am a student of Eastern philosophy, which fuels my world view. The art of meditation and the concept of karma play large roles between the lines. While deep in meditation, Buddhist monks have had recorded heart rates of less than 10 beats per minute. My main character takes this to the extreme. In an original twist never before seen in this genre, the Death Wizard is able to enter the realm of death during a ?temporary suicide.? Through intense concentrative meditation, he stops his heartbeat briefly and feeds on death energy, which provides him with an array of magical powers.

I wrote my first novel when I was 20 years old. It was a Stephen King-like horror novel entitled Sarah?s Curse. An agent who was a family friend shopped it around, and though it received some nice responses, it never found a publisher. But I wasn?t overly concerned because I believed my second novel would be the one to hit it big. In the meantime, I started my career as a journalist at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida. For me, the rat race officially began. Soon I was working 50-hour weeks and raising a family ? and there never was a second book. Twenty-five years later, I was fortunate enough to be able to semi-retire. In September 2004, I wrote the first word of Book One of The Death Wizard Chronicles. Seven-hundred-thousand words later, I?m in the final revision process of Book Six.

The Death Wizard Chronicles is epic fantasy. Why did you choose this genre to write? Did you choose it or did it choose you?

I was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., but I moved to St. Petersburg, Fla., when I was 5 years old and was raised on an island that jutted into Tampa Bay. I was lucky to grow up on a street on the waterfront that had about ten other boys my age, and we hung out morning, noon and night. We played all the usual sports that young boys love: football, baseball, basketball, ?kill the carrier,? etc. But we also, as a group, were obsessed with playing fantastical games that contained magic, monsters, and super heroes. We also played games based off popular TV shows of that era (the late 1960s) such as Lost in Space and The Man from Uncle. When I was a boy, I had white-blond hair, but I became a big fan of Robert Vaughn, who played Napoleon Solo. Vaughn, of course, has brown hair, and one summer I convinced my mom to dye my hair brown. Being a smart mom, she chose to use cheap hair dye, and within a couple of days my hair turned green. I spent the rest of the summer with green hair. That wouldn?t seem so unusual today, but back then I was the talk of the island. Anyway, my love and fascination for magic and monsters stayed with me into adulthood. And when I first discovered The Lord of The Rings, around the age of 15, epic fantasy was in my blood for good.

What have you been doing to promote your book online?

Sigh. How long do you have? The marketing aspects of promoting a book -- both online and otherwise -- are mind-bogglingly varied and time-consuming. The first thing I did, back in early spring of this year, was to start a blog. This was my first experience in blogging, and I had a lot to learn. But I talked to several friends who were veterans of the online process and also did a lot of research on my own. More than 5,000 hits later, my blog is doing well, both as a vehicle for my series and also as a way just to meet and interact with very interesting people all around the world. Already Book One has been purchased by a woman in Japan and another woman in Turkey. And that's just what I'm specifically aware of.

Secondly, I joined several online writers sites, such as Absolute Write and The Chronicles Network, a science fiction and fantasy portal. Both have been great learning experiences. One thing you learn is that there are a lot of highly talented and intelligent writers out there. Another thing you learn is that not all writers are likeable people. There's a little in-house jealousy mixed in with a lot of generous support.

Next, I entered my blog and my bio info into at least a dozen different search engines. This increased traffic dramatically. When I first started back in early spring, I got only one hit -- my personal blog -- when I typed "Jim Melvin The Death Wizard Chronicles" into a generic google search. Now I get almost ten pages of hits. I'm not saying this to brag, and I know I'm not setting records; there are authors with online presences that dwarf mine absurdly. But still, ten pages of hits is a lot better than a single hit.

In addition, I have interacted on a lot of other blogs. One popular blog did a great review of Book One along with a Q/A. And I've also done a couple of other Q/A's. This increases your online presence too. And it's stimulating.

Also, I've done one online audio podcast, thus far, with Mr. Media, a popular site run by nationally recognized book author Bob Andelman. That interview alone created more than a full page of hits on Google.

And finally, Dorothy, I hired you!

Of all the promotional items (bookmarks, press kits, etc.) you have used to promote your book, which one was used most effectively?

My publisher (Rain Publishing Inc.) put together a six-page press kit that is very nicely done, and it's already been sent out to 35-plus reviewers from the largest newspapers in the U.S. But my business cards and shiny black Death Wizard pencils also have come in handy.

Do you feel that the Internet has opened doors for authors who never dreamed they?d ever see a publishing contract? And how has it influenced you in regards to your own publishing journey?

The Internet has opened doors to all the authors who have signed with mid-sized and small-sized publishing houses. Before the internet, almost all sales were at the mercy of distribution. The larger the distribution, the larger the sales. But now, an author can create a buzz -- around the world -- just by tapping the keys on his or her laptop. That said, there are no guarantees. Quite the opposite: It's a time-consuming, often frustrating, and sometimes even grueling process. But the Internet is there, and you'd be a fool not to use it.

If you were in the middle of Manhattan (or any busy thoroughfare) and you wanted to call attention to your book, what would you do and what would you say?

I don't think I'd be the type to wear a crazy outfit, or scream and jump around a lot. Instead, I probably would do what I've done at my book signings: smile a lot, shake hands, and ask people if they're fans of epic fantasy. When they say yes and then take the time to listen to my description of the series, they inevitably buy it. I'm passionate about my work and it shows, especially to fans of this genre.

If you could trade places with any author just for a day, who would it be and why?

Well, I wouldn't trade with Tolkien. He's buried in a cemetery in North Oxford, so that wouldn't be particularly pleasant (just joking!). I probably would trade places with Stephen King, not because I'd want to live his life but because I'd love to be able to peek inside his brain and see how it's wired. Like him or not, the man is a genius.

Lastly, how do you determine your book’s success?

From age 21 until age 46, The Death Wizard Chronicles have been a part of my life. As I fell asleep at night, while I drove somewhere in the car, even while taking a shower, I daydreamed about this series ... to the point that I knew most of the characters and could recite entire scenes. So when I began to write the series three years ago, it poured out of me almost as if I were channeling. I took a big financial risk in leaving a high-paying job as a journalist to pursue the dream of writing this series, but the risk has paid off in that I'll be able to look myself in the mirror for the rest of my life knowing that I gave it my best shot. In this regard, the series already is a titanic success.

Still ... would I love to see it become a big hit in terms of sales? Yes! More than ever. In this regard, it is not yet a success. But by gawd I'm giving it my best shot again.

Thank you for coming, Jim! Can you tell us where everyone can pick up the latest book in The Death Wizard Chronicles Series?

Again Dorothy, it was my pleasure. From a profit standpoint, both for me and my publisher, it would be best if people ordered the book directly from Rain's website: www.rainbooks.com. But of course it also is available on www.amazon.com. The series can be found in select bookstores, but I'm hoping it eventually will be available in a lot more of them. Anyone willing to take the time to go to their favorite bookstores and ask them to order a copy from Rain would be doing me a huge favor.

Book One (The Pit) was released in September 2007. Book Two (Moon Goddess) was released in October 2007. Book Three (Eve of War) will soon be released in November 2007. Book Four (World on Fire) will be released in December 2007. Book Five (Sun God) will be released in January 2008. And Book Six (Death-Know) will be released in February 2008. So it's not one of those fantasy series where you'll have to wait a year or more between releases.

Tags: online bok promotion, book publicity, virtual book tour, Jim Melvin, The Death Wizard Chronicles, epic fantasy