Author Interview with Leon Stevens

Thank you for joining me on Indie Author Insights. I love the sound of your book, Euphrates Vanished—it’s going on my TBR list. But before we chat about it, could you tell me a little bit about yourself?

I started writing poetry in 2018, finally getting up the nerve to publish my first collection in 2020. I then turned to my favorite genre, science fiction, writing a series of short stories which, along with some post-apocalyptic poetry, went into my short story collection, The Knot at the End of the Rope.

Post-apocalyptic poetry sounds interesting. My book AVA is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Tell me about your book, Euphrates Vanished.

Euphrates Vanished started as a humorous short story called Sci-Fi Saved My Life, but I decided to turn it into a science fiction mystery, with some elements of humor. It is about a young man who wakes up onboard a starship but has no recollection of who he is and how he got there. He begins to remember some things, and has to piece together the clues to discover his identity, rank and friendships. Oh, and he also gets stranded on an alien planet during his first away mission.

Sounds brilliant, sci-fi with a twist. It makes me think of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. What are you working on at the moment?

I am writing the prequel to my latest book. I knew it was going to be a series, but a prequel seemed needed for readers to know the backstory of the characters and how the Earth became part of the Orion Arm Alliance.

So, as all authors can testify, writing has its highs and lows. Can you tell me about a high point in your writing career and how you overcame a low?

Every time I publish a book, it is a rush. Then you spend a lot of time and money to market it. Then the sales are less than you hoped. That's the hard part, but I enjoy writing, so I keep at it.

Yep, I totally get that. Lack of sales can be demoralising. But keeping hold of your love of crafting novels is the important part. And marketing, where to begin?? Do you have any tips for indie authors?

Maybe they have some for me... There are many ways to market and each one may be better suited to a person or genre, so it's hard to say which ones will work. It's also difficult to know where sales are coming from if you are marketing across multiple platforms.

Well, I am hoping this newsletter will get your book in front of a few more pairs of eyes! If you could go back in time, what writing advice would you give your past self?

I'd go back even further than that and tell myself to pay more attention in school. Maybe give myself the idea for a book about a guy who gets stranded on Mars...

Do you have any other hobbies apart from writing?

I do play guitar and enjoy writing music for it. I had been cartooning regularly and posting them on Instagram, but I haven't for a few months.

I’d love to learn to play an instrument, but I am 100% not musical! Thank you so much for chatting with me, Leon, and I hope all goes well with your prequel.

Fancy getting a copy of Euphrates Vanished?

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