{"id":935,"date":"2016-06-25T14:16:09","date_gmt":"2016-06-25T14:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/willbly.com\/?p=935"},"modified":"2016-06-26T17:41:58","modified_gmt":"2016-06-26T17:41:58","slug":"5-questions-with-fantasy-author-john-adcox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/?p=935","title":{"rendered":"5 Questions with Fantasy Author John Adcox"},"content":{"rendered":"

“…with the economics of publishing changing, it\u2019s incredibly important for authors to be able to promote and market themselves.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I interview John Adcox and receive some of the most-detailed answers to date. We explore John’s varied background, relate his marketing background to writing, and ask him to predict the future.<\/p>\n

\"John<\/a>
John Adcox<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first impression I have of you is that you are a man who wears many hats \u2013 publisher, author, and screenwriter for starters. You also boast a solid background in marketing and communications, and have helped some notable companies develop their brand. As a writerly person how important is it to be flexible in the age of the internet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, with the economics of publishing changing, it\u2019s incredibly important for authors to be able to promote and market themselves. The publishers, even the larger ones, really don\u2019t do that anymore \u2026 at all. Even when they did, they never did it well. By and large, publishers have always marketed directly to booksellers, not book readers. That means, out of all the people in the world who might fall in love with your story, publishers are, at best, marketing to the few who happen to wander into bookstores.<\/p>\n

In marketing, we call that \u201cwhite hart\u201d marketing. That\u2019s a term that comes from mythology \u2014 the white hart is the object of the quest, a sort of walking Holy Grail. It grants wishes. The point is, they are (at best!) few, and they\u2019re really, really hard to find.<\/p>\n

The better way is to concentrate on all the other harts, the plain old brown ones. There\u2019s lots of those, and no one is after them.<\/p>\n

In this case, think of white harts as the people who frequent bookstores, and buy two or three books a week \u2026 pretty much every week. That sounds like the ideal audience, right?<\/p>\n

The thing is, there are hundreds of new books published every week, and this white hart is buying three.<\/p>\n

Books like, say, The Da Vinci Code<\/a><\/em> and the Harry Potter<\/em> <\/a>series reach way, way beyond the audiences that usually buy books. Those people are hungry for stories, too. They are the brown harts. Go after them. Of course, the publishers will never do that.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s pretty much up to writers. That\u2019s not something we\u2019re necessarily comfortable with, but I think it\u2019s easier if you think in terms of building genuine relationships with audiences, or potential audiences, rather than selling.<\/p>\n

Technology gives you amazing tools for communicating, and participating in the kind of communities that develop around stories. When you write, you\u2019re writing for an audience. As much as we all like to think of ourselves as writing for the entire world, we\u2019re actually writing for a smaller, specific audience \u2014 at least to start with. You might every well grow beyond that base, but you have to start someone.<\/p>\n

The people in this audience share things in common \u2026 interests, passions, hobbies. There\u2019s something in most of us, I think, that yearns to meet people \u201clike us,\u201d people who understand. C.S. Lewis put it like this in The Four Loves: \u201cFriendship \u2026 is born at the moment when one man says to another \u201cWhat! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .\u201d So those people tend to congregate somewhere.<\/p>\n

For example, my agent is shopping a book of mine that\u2019s set at a Renaissance fair<\/a>. At least five million people go to a fair somewhere in the US every year \u2026 twice. Now then. Count the ones who go once a year, or every other year, and you have a fairly significant audience. You can use, say, Facebook to find people who love Renaissance fairs and, again for example, fantasy and\/or paranormal romance, and you start to have a group that you can start interacting with.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find that most of them will say, \u201cwow, here\u2019s someone like me!\u201d And they\u2019re eager to help. Treat them with genuine respect and gratitude, and pretty soon you\u2019ll have an audience. Just be sure to give back.<\/p>\n

Your bio mentions that you are now focusing on storytelling, how do you bring everything together and streamline your efforts?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mostly, that was a case of eliminating all the things that weren\u2019t focused on storytelling. Sounds simple, right?<\/p>\n

My company, Gramarye Media<\/a>\u00a0was lucky enough to be accepted into a business accelerator, Georgia Tech\u2019s Flashpoint program. That program is designed to eliminate years of startup mistakes (and literally millions of dollars of wasted money). As a result, we were able to attract the attention of major investors.<\/p>\n

Now, my job is to make books and movies \u2013 we\u2019re the world\u2019s first cross-media story incubator (basically taking the Silicon Valley business incubator model and applying it to storytelling and franchise development). So I am always in that creative space. As a result, it\u2019s easier for me to switch gears when it\u2019s time to concentrate on my own stories.<\/p>\n

Plus, I\u2019m constantly surrounded by extraordinary individuals who raise the creative bar so high that I can\u2019t help being awed and inspired. I can\u2019t say enough about the idea of creatives working in community.<\/p>\n

Which one of your works best represents you? Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s way hard to answer, because I think on some level, they all do. At the very least, there\u2019s something in all of them that I am passionate about, or even that I love dearly. Otherwise, why on earth would I devote so much time and energy to them? I think writing has to come from passion. It\u2019s the difference between art and artifice.<\/p>\n

But if I absolutely had to answer, I guess I\u2019d say The Widening Gyre<\/a>\u00a0or The Sword and the Grail<\/a><\/p>\n

\"John<\/a>
John Adcox getting his pirate on.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You are an avid reader with an interest in Arthurian lore. Tell me, what is your favorite Arthurian work to read and way?<\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s just as hard to answer! I borrowed from so many (and I tried to acknowledge as many as I could) in The Widening Gyre<\/em>. If I had to pick, I\u2019d go with the first ones I fell in love with as a child, the ones that have never quite left me. One was (I think) The Boy\u2019s King Arthur<\/a><\/em> by Sidney Lanier (I was in the second grade at the time, so it might have been Howard Pyle\u2019s.) The other was The Once and Future King<\/a><\/em>. I adored that, and it changed me as the best books do. It\u2019s where I learned philosophy, lovely writing, irony, and the ache of loss.<\/p>\n

Tell me, what does the future hold?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Okay. Let\u2019s see.<\/p>\n

Sloths will one day rule the world. Seriously. Sloths. Don\u2019t let the apes fool you. This will happen not when mankind dies out, but when we finally perfect the holodeck from Star Trek, because seriously, when we have those, why would anyone ever come out?<\/p>\n

Aliens will make contact within the next century, mark my words. However, they will turn out to be the equivalent of intergalactic Amway salesmen, and everyone will be just all kinds of disappointed.<\/p>\n

We will be able to buy self-cleaning clothes, but we\u2019ll still find it too much trouble, and they\u2019ll still wind up in piles in the corner.<\/p>\n

The flying car will (soon!) become a reality. Alas, the invisible car will become real at about the same time, and it won\u2019t go well. I blame the sloths in their secret, slow-moving labs.<\/p>\n

Student essays and government bills will both be limited to 140 characters. They still won\u2019t be read.<\/p>\n

Walt Disney, who really IS frozen under Disneyland, will be thawed out to save the dystopian future with the magic of imagination. All of the news channels will use the tagline \u201cDisney on Ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smart homes will become real. Unfortunately, that means most people will have to live elsewhere.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s will exit fast food and go gourmet. The McQuick-seared Salmon with McMint-lime Cream Sauce will be to die for. The kid-sized portion, only available well done, alas, will still come with a Happy Meal toy, but they will all be sloths dressed as Marvel or Disney characters. No one will question this. It is all a part of the plan.<\/p>\n

Star Wars Episode XXIII: The New Shadow will have an all-female cast. They still won\u2019t release female action figures.<\/p>\n

A frustrated electorate will demand that a third option, \u201cLet\u2019s Just Do Without a President for the Next Four Years\u201d be added to the ballot. It will be a landslide.<\/p>\n

The porn industry will collapse and die out when technology makes nurses, flight attendants, and pizza delivery boys obsolete. I mean, without the stories, why would anyone want to watch?<\/p>\n

Lost will be remade, and it will still piss people off. [Editor’s note, I still haven’t finished the last season of Lost.]<\/p>\n

Jesus will return in glory, and the Westboro Baptist Church will be there to protest.<\/p>\n

Shortly after all this has come to pass, Patrick Rothfuss will finish book three.<\/p>\n

If you’d like to find out more about Mr. Adcox please visit his website www.johnadcox.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“…with the economics of publishing changing, it\u2019s incredibly important for authors to be able to promote and market themselves.” I interview John Adcox and receive some of the most-detailed answers to date. We explore John’s varied background, relate his marketing background to writing, and ask … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[16,1],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6aT9B-f5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":183,"url":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/?p=183","url_meta":{"origin":935,"position":0},"title":"\"I'm going to Gramma's\" Popular Caption","date":"April 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I have been creating content for an internet entrepreneur for a while now, and have helped generate some nice growth for his Facebook page. My most successful caption\/meme has been without a doubt been this little fella. The caption is inspired by my own life experiences. My mom always plies\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Copywriting"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1017,"url":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/?p=1017","url_meta":{"origin":935,"position":1},"title":"5 Questions with Fantasy Reader and Hobbyist Writer John Blenkinsop","date":"July 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I think the real fun thing about this interview is that John writes for children he knows in the same way that Tolkien did. Stories written for specific children tend to resonate with others, and the same can be said about the Worlds of\u00a0Yifan books. Prince Yifan and Princess Yifan\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Author Interviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":331,"url":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/?p=331","url_meta":{"origin":935,"position":2},"title":"Ethereal Princess submitted to inkitt.com writing contest.","date":"May 10, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"John is arrogant, conceded, and the finest hero in the land. He raids his arch-enemy\u2019s fortress, comes across a fair maiden, and promptly puts her to sleep with ether. To the victor goes the spoils? I recently entered the short story Ethereal Princess into a writing contest at inkitt.com. 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Join\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books, Novellas, and Stories"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":345,"url":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/?p=345","url_meta":{"origin":935,"position":4},"title":"RITS, Ethereal, and the future near and far","date":"May 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The digital release of Ravens in the Sky has thus far been a modest success. RITS has, in fact, found its way to the Smashwords' best-seller list for Dark Fantasy. Remember to use redemption code QA44R to purchase RITS for $1.00. Feedback has been really positive, along with reports of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books, Novellas, and Stories"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1311,"url":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/?p=1311","url_meta":{"origin":935,"position":5},"title":"Five Questions with Science-fiction Author Nathaniel DeZago","date":"April 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I find it hard enough to write while being the dad of two sons and a dog. Nathan is a dad to five kids. The challenge must be real, but nonetheless he finds the time to push out a science fiction book, Cries of Battle: Selstra Book 1. He's known\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/willbly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/0E21BB01-7F1E-489C-9A46-5DEE2A1FF0C6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=935"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":948,"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935\/revisions\/948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willbly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}