SFFMP 186: Using a Multi-Author Boxed Set to Launch a New Series + Challenges of Historical Fantasy

June 19, 2018 SFFpodcast Author Interview, Podcast

This week, one of our first guests ever on the show rejoined us after more than three years to talk about switching from contemporary fantasy to historical fantasy/steampunk. Becca Andre, author of the Final Formula series and her new Iron Souls series, publishes regularly while working full time and being a mom. We talked time management, the unique challenges of selling historical fantasy, and what it was like to use a big multi-author boxed set to launch a Book 1 in a new series.

Here are a few of the specifics we discussed:

Switching from urban/dark fantasy in a contemporary setting to a historical steampunk fantasy setting.
The challenges of researching and publishing historical fantasy.
Marketing a unique historical setting and story idea versus something that follows more popular tropes.
Using a multi-author boxed set to launch a brand new Book 1 in a new series.
Launching a Book 1 on its own after it already went out to your core fans in a boxed set.
Why Becca decided to try KDP Select/Kindle Unlimited for this series after having been wide in all the stores for years.
Fitting in time to write and market when you’ve got a day job and a family.
Choosing a cover design when you’re writing something unique and there aren’t many examples.
Amazon categories that can be used for historical fantasy and using a keyword to get into the new “gaslamp” fantasy category.

You can visit Becca on her site, and check out her new Iron Souls series on Amazon. Her Final Formula books are available in all stores.