Interview with Richard Mercer

What languages you can speak and write?

English is my native language, although I can speak a paltry amount of Spanish.

How many books have you written?

I've written so many I've lost count, though if I had to guess I'd say somewhere around 30.

Can you list some of your books here?

Sure! My latest release is The Orb of Zimtau, my most popular books however are Final Shipment, The Outpost: Book 1 of the Nuclear Survivors series, and The Cheddar Unicorn.

Where do you publish your books?

Amazon, they fit me perfectly and I enjoy the benefits of KDP Select. I enjoy the freedom to watch my stats and change things when I wish!

If you are using KDP and CreateSpace, did you try traditional publishing?

No I haven't tried traditional publishing. The market is very much moving toward self-publishing and I feel like the perks are well worth it. While it would be nice to have a company to help me with some of the editing, I can outsource that or do it myself.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced when writing your book? How did you 

overcome it?

My biggest challenge is a recurring one, and that is to stay on track. When writing a story of any length I usually start to get bogged down toward the end, it's very difficult to keep going, but I've learned how to struggle through it!

How do you promote your books?

Author Interviews and free giveaways.

What is your favorite genre and why?

I have many favorite genres, but  by far my favorites are Fantasy and Science Fiction

When did you start writing? What is the purpose of your writing?

I started writing a long time ago, ever since I was a kid I wanted to be a writer. I devoured books as a child which contributed greatly to my writing aspirations. The purpose of my writing is to create something beautiful that people enjoy. Something that makes them think. Something that makes them care. Whenever I go to the movies and watch a really good movie, or read a really good book I tell myself that that's what I want to create. Something that gets the brain moving and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside!

Which of your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?

14 books of my 30 written have been published. Here's the description of my latest book The Orb of Zimtau.

Res is an orphan who was taken in by the Infar Monastery at a young age. He is trained to become a monk, a holy man who follows the Great Creator's wishes and is empowered by his faith. Res is sworn to use the Great Creator's blessings only in great need or if attacked, but instead he is taunted into a fight, his anger getting the best of him. Kicked out of the Monk's ranks, Res learns that the Orb of Zimtau, a special artifact that is essential to the world's survival, has been stolen. Without the Orb of Zimtau in its rightful place, beings of shadow are materializing in the night, murdering anyone they come across without mercy. Determined to become an official monk once more, Res sets off to find the Orb of Zimtau and to return it to its rightful place at the temple of Ungriz. 
The Orb of Zimtau is a fantasy novella at about 20,000 words. 

Are you working on more books?

I am almost always working on more books!

What four top most things you take care of while writing a book?

Well I'd have to say that the four things I focus on would be prose that flows smoothly. Prose that shows not tells. I try to make sure there is suspense and action, but a large amount of that stuff happens not while writing the book, but in the massive amount of editing afterward.

What is the hardest part of the book writing process?

Editing by far, at least it is for me. It's very time consuming and it does not come easily for me. I do not like editing, I'd prefer to get back to the good bits, the rough drafts.