About EG Manetti:
EG has always enjoyed a vivid imagination and the occasional scribbling. In 2010 she was struck by the inspiration for The Apprentice Volume 1. The draft of a single novel soon became three, and then more. In 2012, after several hundred thousand words, she finally worked up the courage to show her drafts to her development editor – Carolyn Manetti of CommonMarket Films and USC Film School. A miracle occurred – Carolyn turned the page. The Cartel: The Apprentice Volume 1 was published in December 2o12, followed by Bright Star in 2014 and Transgressions in January 2016. The fourth volume, Fortuna, is scheduled for 2017.
EG works as an IT consultant and writes as often as possible. When neither goes well, she cooks exceptionally and gardens adequately. EG resides on the East Coast of the USA with her beloved (and often confounded) husband and their severely OCD Jack Russell Terrier
Honor endures.
What inspires you to write?
The short answer: A wild imagination.
The long story: The first book in the series, The Cartel the Apprentice Volume 1 began as a vivid dream. As it happened, I had a five hour car trip that morning, so by the time I reached my destination I had the entire plot in my head. When I started writing it down I didn’t really expect it to turn into a publishable work, but the story kept coming. After two years I had enough draft material for several novels. At that point, I decided to get serious.
Tell us about your writing process.
With the plot essentials laid out over two years, turning drafts into novels became a multi-step process. First and foremost, I needed to scrub for Point of View and tense errors, making everything consistently third person and present.
After that, I needed credible 3rd party review. I am fortunate to have a creative editor who among her other credentials is a film producer and teaches graduate level film development at USC. While books and film are very different in presentation, both require good story telling. Developing the skill to tell Lilian’s and Lucius’ story in a compelling fashion required climbing a steep learning curve. I wouldn’t have succeeded without my creative editor which is why The Cartel is dedicated to her.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
All the time. Sometimes I feel like I’m interrogating my heroine, Lilian, she is so tightly reserved. When it comes to Lucius, the male main character, mostly, I listen. He has a very dominating personality. When The Cartel: The Apprentice Volume 1 was originally drafted, it was told entirely from the heroine’s, Lilian’s, point of view. Lucius, wasn’t having it. He insisted on having a voice.
What advice would you give other writers?
Listen to the opinions of people reading your work. Don’t take it personally, and don’t feel compelled to take the advice that is given, but listen. A writer’s most creative tools are on either side of his/her head.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
The decision to go the indie route was a practical one. The Twelve Systems Chronicles can be generally classified as Science Fiction or Fantasy. But, they don’t really fit either category. The Chronicles are genre mash-up of Scifi, Space Opera, fantasy, adventure, and romance. Very few traditional publishers are eager to take on the marketing headaches of such a mash-up. If Lilian and Lucius were to find an audience, I was going to need to help them.
For new authors who haven’t decided the path, it is worth it to do a little research. Look for titles in a genre similar to yours and see who publishes those books. Ask around in social media – Goodreads is a great place to find author discussions about publishing. It takes time and care to launch and promote a book.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Novels are going to move more and more into electronic and audible media. The relative price of an e-book versus a printed book make that inevitable. Audible books are becoming cheaper and commutes are increasing, so that trend is going to continue.
Games and streaming video are going to continue to pull market share from novel reading. At the same time, ebooks are not restricted by borders, and the world as whole is better educated every year. The demand for new novels will continue.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Space Opera, Adventure
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
EG Manetti Home Page Link
Link To EG Manetti Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
