Bookpleasures.com welcomesas our guest novelist Faith L. Justice. Her work appeared in such publications as Salon.com, Writer’s Digest, and The Copperfield Review.

Her most recent novel Twilight Empress, plus her previous work, is available through Raggedy Moon Books. Faith is the chair of the New York City chapter of the Historical Novel Society and Associate Editor for Space and Time Magazine. For fun, she likes to dig in the dirt—her garden and various archaeological sites. 

Norm: Good day Faith and thanks for participating in our interview.

Faith: Thanks for hosting me, Norm! 

Norm: Why do you write and how long have you been writing? Was writing always a career move for you or did it grow into one? 

Faith: I love this question. I’ve heard a lot of authors answer, “because I have to.” They have some burning need to write and are unhappy if they can’t. That’s never been the case with me. I came to fiction writing in my middle age after years of non-fiction, academic and business writing in my various jobs.

I’m a history buff and wanted to tell the stories of women who made history, but didn’t make it into the history books. I turned to historical fiction to tell those stories in a way that people will enjoy. I want to entertain folks and if they learn a little something along the way about unknown women or an interesting point in history, that’s gravy! 

Norm: What would you like to accomplish as an author that you have not?

Faith: I like expanding my craft. I feel that I’ve mastered the short story, the novella and the novel. I’ve published academic studies, general non-fiction, and children’s books. I’ve won a few awards (although not any of the big ones).

I recognize I’ll never be a poet or playwright. I’ll probably never write mysteries, suspense, romance or literary fiction—and I don’t care to.

Probably the most significant thing I would like to do is expand my reader base. Because I feel I have an (up-to-now hidden) educational agenda, the more people who read my stuff, the more people will know about remarkable historical women who don’t get enough press. 

Norm: What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had received, or that you wished you would have listened to?

Faith: Writing is a craft and can be taught. There are aisles full of good how-to books on writing in bookstores and libraries, but the one thing any writer—fiction or non-fiction—needs to master is storytelling.

How do you develop your characters, plot, and setting in such a way that it draws the reader in and keeps them turning the pages. A good storyteller can get away without sparkling prose, but the opposite isn’t true. If you don’t like learning from books, take classes or join a critique group. 

Also persistence and a thick skin help. I’ve known several people over the years who (I felt) were wonderful writers with original voices and compelling stories, but they gave up after getting a couple of rejections.

Write your story or novel to the best of your ability, put it out there (and keep putting it out after every rejection), and move on to the next.

All writing is practice and useful. Someone once said you need to write one million words before you get good. Rewriting the same sixty thousand over and over doesn’t count.

If writing is important to you, show it. Create a writing schedule and stick to it, even if it’s 15 minutes on the subway, or 1 page a day before you go to bed. (365 pages will net you a book in one year.) If you are fortunate enough to write full-time, then treat it as the profession it is. Whether you feel creative or not, put butt in chair and fingers on keyboard. Set realistic goals and go for it!

Norm: How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?

Faith: I’ve lost count! If we’re just talking about my writing career, my early science fiction and fantasy stories took anywhere from ten to thirty-five submissions before they found a home.

I was much more successful with my non-fiction, usually placing my articles in one-five queries. I got turned down by dozens of agents until a friend recommended me to his. As I said earlier, I started writing in mid-life, so I had realistic expectations about the business of publishing and a good dose of resilience that I had built up dealing with ordinary life obstacles. 

I did have a dark period when I pitched my first novel. My agent was getting nice rejections with lots of “engaging characters, lively writing, exciting plot but…there’s no market for 5th Century/non-marquee protagonists/women’s fiction, etc.” And my favorite response: “Does she have any stories about the Tudors?” (This was when The Other Boleyn Girl reinvigorated the historical fiction market.)

After three years of this, my agent wasn’t interested in doing more or taking on my second book, so we parted ways. Having already invested six years in the process and produced three novels with no return, I took a five-year novel-writing break in favor of short stories and non-fiction.

Then self-publishing hit its stride. Print on demand became reasonably priced and, when Amazon came out with the Kindle, I joined the boom. I had my first book professionally edited, the cover professionally designed, and put it out to see if I had any future in novels.

If it didn’t sell or the reviews were bad, I’d give up on novel writing.

BookPleasures.com gave me a rave early review, which I used in my marketing. (Thanks, Norm!) Readers’ and reviewers’ responses were wonderful with a 4.2 average rating on Amazon. That gave me the confidence to continue writing and marketing my novels. The internet has let me reach my audience directly without going through the gatekeepers of the big traditional publishers. 

Norm: Why have you been attracted to writing historical fiction and what are your thoughts as to why people read historical fiction?

Faith: Like a lot of authors, I write the books I’d like to read. I grew up reading historical fiction—much more exciting that the history texts in school. I think a lot of people feel the same way.

We can immerse ourselves in a different world with exotic settings, but still see the humanity that binds us, through stories, across time—and learn a little something about history.

As I grew older, I read more straight history and noticed something depressing: nearly all the subjects were men and their accomplishments (usually in battle)! I ran across a Jane Austen quote that accurately summarized my dismay: 

“History, real solemn history, I cannot be interested in… The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars and pestilences in every page; the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at all.”  Catherine Morland, in Northanger Abbey, ch. 14

When I started digging, I found all sorts of fascinating women—scientists, generals, pirates, mathematicians, empresses, courtesans, spies, adventurers—too many to write about in one lifetime. I wanted to share their stories with a general audience, so historical fiction was the right fit. It allows me to tell women’s stories—specific and general—from all classes and situations. 

Norm: Do you write more by logic or intuition, or some combination of the two?  Please summarize your writing process.

Faith: I’ve always been a logical writer—outlines are my bibles. Because I write fact-based fiction, I do a tremendous amount of research and have to organize it so I can access it during the creative process.

For my series on Theodosian women, I wanted to tell the stories of fifth century women who ruled Rome during a time of tremendous upheaval. Twilight Empress tells the story of Placidia who ruled in the West and shaped the face of Europe during the so-called Dark Ages. I have two other novels in that series in the works, plus a prequel novella and a short story.

I started with primary sources (which were scant and controversial) and moved on to secondary sources such as histories and biographies to establish a basic timeline. My timelines are dense with not only births, deaths, marriages, battles; but notes on imperial and church politics, laws, food, clothing, architecture, technology, trade and natural disasters—anything that adds color and context to my character’s lives.

My next step is creating characters that a reader could see doing the things we know they did. I create psychological and personality studies for my main characters. What obvious trauma/triumph did they experience in their lives? If unknown, what can I make up to explain this person. I combine the timeline and character studies to put together an outline of scenes, which is my writing guidebook, but I do take excursions off the planned path. I always know the beginning and the ending of my book, but the middle gets mushy as the creative process sometimes takes me in a different direction for individual scenes or chapters.

When I complete my first draft, I let it sit for a while and come back to it with fresh eyes and a willingness to make changes and add details. I send my second draft to several beta readers who act as content editors. They help me identify any lingering plot or character problems. I incorporate my final changes in my third draft and send it to a copy editor for a final polishing. The whole process can take between two and three years. 

Norm: Many people have the skills and drive to write a book, but failure to market and sell the book the right way is probably what keep a lot of people from finding success. Can you give us 2-3 strategies that have been effective for you in promoting your book?

Faith: There are tons of marketing/promotion gurus out there who claim to have the keys to the kingdom. Some tout blog tours, others pricing strategies, still others swear by Facebook/Amazon/Google ads.

All can be effective if executed properly. On top of that, traditional publishers want their authors to be on social media—ALL social media—and constantly flogging their book. It can be a nightmare, especially for introverted writers who just want to write their next book.

I’ve dabbled with a number of strategies over the past ten years with varying degrees of success. I think the one piece of advice that still holds true and can be a guiding principal is “Sell yourself, not your book,” also known as “author branding.”

This means authors should be writing more than one book (and the fact that they are good books is a given). Marketing a single is difficult, marketing a series is much easier. Authors should be looking to build a fan base—people who love their writing and will buy anything they put out.

Two key tools help authors build their fan base: a website and an email list. Those are the basics. An author should have both before branching out to other social media and using the tactics of giveaways, price reductions, ads, etc.

If an author is comfortable with one or more social media platforms, they should definitely incorporate them with their marketing campaigns. If not, don’t sweat it. Something I haven’t done, but hope to try in the future, is join or start an author marketing co-operative. I hope by the time I give it a try, it hasn’t lost its effectiveness. Tactics change so fast in today’s market! 

Norm: Some authors have said that they have difficulty in getting their works published unless it takes place in a particular world they created in their previous work with success. Have you come across this with any of your books? As a follow up, for your writing, does the story come first, or the world it operates in?

Faith: I haven’t run into that—primarily because all of my novels are set in the same general time period and setting (Imperial Rome). I do have a multi-volume family saga set in the colonial period I’d like to write. When I pitch those, I’ll better be able to answer your question. As to the second question, because I write fact-based fiction set in historical times, the story comes first, but the world is closely integrated. 

Norm: What would you like to tell us about your most recent book Twilight Empress and what has your other work taught you that you have been able to apply to your most recent book?

Faith: Twilight Empress is the first book in my Theodosian Women series and is available in paperback, eBook (all formats) and audio book at all the usual places. It’s described as "a fast-paced historical novel filled with romance, courtly intrigue, and drama that will keep you turning the pages. [It]

will appeal to fans of Margaret George, Libbie Hawker, and Ki Longfellow" (History From a Woman's Perspective). If you're looking for an "addictive...fun, fast read" (Kirkus Reviews) about a "female character who's not written about to death" (Historical Novel Society), check out this book. It's an "utterly captivating read." (So Many Books, So Little Time). It’s also available free on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review until August 9, if any of your readers are members there. 

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and your work?

Faith: MY WEBSITE  has links to all my books and reviews, plus my blog and lots of additional stuff on history and writing. Your readers can get a free eBook there (Angel of the Marshes) which features the origin story of one of my favorite fictional characters from Twilight Empress. I’ll also be having a TE audio book giveaway in the near future. 

Norm: What upcoming projects are you excited about? 

Faith: So many projects, so little time! I hope to have Dawn Empress out this fall. The beta reads are in and I have to do the final draft. In addition, I have a prequel novella to Twilight Empress to polish and get out (working title: Twilight Princess).

I’m workshopping my second middle-grade book in my Adventurous Girls series based on original folk tales from around the world. (Book #1 Tokoyo, the Samurai’s Daughter is already available in paper, eBook, and audio book.)

I’ve also got outlines and several chapters for the final Theodosian Women book (working title: The Athenian Maid) and a sequel to my female gladiator book Sword of the Gladiatrix.

To further complicate my life, I’m putting out a ten-year anniversary audio edition of my first book Selene of Alexandria and blogging about the audio book experience. 

Norm: As this interview comes to an end, what question do you wish that someone would ask about your books, but nobody has?

Faith: Good one! Question: “Why should I leave my comfort zone and invest my time in reading about little known women in an obscure time?” Answer: “Because they are great stories, well-told, at a reasonable price. And you might just learn something new! Sample my work (chapters are available on my website) and judge for yourself.” 

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

Faith: Thank you, Norm for hosting me on Bookpleasures.com. And thanks to all your readers for dropping by. Happy reading to you all!