… the key is to be constant, focused and deliver as promised. That said, it doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do! Rae Knightly
Start with Inspiration and Acquire Knowledge from Like-minded Authors
Inspiration often comes from paying attention to what is around us and captures our imagination. C.S. Lewis says a fawn with an umbrella inspired him to write the seven-book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Science fiction/fantasy writer Rae Knightly’s alien character, Mesmo, came to life when she followed a truck with missing letters and could not figure out what the word was supposed to be. Only the letters in his name remained, M E S M O. Now her six-book popular series, The Alien Skills Series, features young Ben who is being mentored by the alien in the use of his new skill.
Lyndi: You’ve lived in, and travelled to, various locations, like Mexico and Belgium. What are a couple of your favourite haunts and why were they special to you?
Rae: What an interesting question, Lyndi - and a tough one, because picking just two places is going to be tough!
I was born in Belgium but lived in Africa. Coming back to Belgium was a shock, and it took me time to appreciate this tiny country snuggled between France, Germany, Holland and Luxemburg. No doubt one of the most beautiful places in Belgium is the Grand Place in Brussels. Strolling through the Christmas market in December, burning your cold fingers on a steaming waffle, admiring chocolate pralines that look like jewelry and enjoying the light-show on the 15th-century facades is magical!
Here’s another striking memory from some time spent in Arizona: I was doing an internship at the Arizona State Museum, where I translated and transcribed 18th-century Spanish manuscripts relating to the region. As a result, I was invited to visit the Hopi Reservation for a couple of days. These Native American people live in villages on isolated, flat-topped elevations called mesas, with astounding views of the Arizona landscape similar to Monument Valley. I remember watching massive dark clouds roll over the valley, releasing bucket-loads of rain in their path. Thunder made the ground shake below my feet. Taking photographs, filming, drawing or taking notes of the visit was forbidden, making those couple of days unique because they now only exist in my mind.
Lyndi: You’ve mentioned that Mesmo got his name from letters on a truck. Once you had his name, how did you create his character, voice and desires?
Rae: I knew I wanted to write a ‘short’ story, just to prove to myself that I was capable of writing something from start to finish. Mesmo was as good a place to start as any. But who or what was Mesmo? I decided to keep an open mind and see what elements would fill his character.
Mesmo turned into an alien being that would become linked to a human child, Ben Archer.
Mesmo represents strength and knowledge and becomes the child’s mentor, while the child represents innocence and vulnerability, which is where I think humans still stand in their evolution. Ben and Mesmo’s destinies become interconnected, to the point where their lives and their missions depend on their mutual trust and friendship.
As I wrote the series, I went with the flow and let Mesmo’s character develop across the (now 6 book) story. His interactions with Ben have turned him from a distant, unreadable character into a warm, funny, dedicated one. With Ben’s help, Mesmo discovers what it means to be human.
Lyndi: What kinds of things did you do to develop your writing craft?
Rae: The main thing I did was write, edit, write some more, edit, edit again, keep writing… There really is no way around it. The more you write, the better you get at it.
I listened to advice coming from my editors, beta readers, reviewers, readers. They have all given me bits-and-pieces of knowledge that have helped me improve my writing, and that’s something I’m incredibly grateful for.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve edited book 1 in The Alien Skill Series and I know I would still make changes if I read it today. That said, the writing process has become smoother as I continue with the series. I now have a much better handle on writing from the correct point-of-view, expressing emotions from the inside or outside, reducing boring descriptions and ramping up dialogue…
I know I should read a lot more but haven’t found a lot of time to do so. It’s something I would certainly recommend for any budding writer.
Lyndi: You’ve become a part of a community of writers. How did this come about and why is it important?
Rae: Becoming part of a community of writers has been paramount for me! I don’t know what I would have done without access to the internet and social media, which have allowed me to access amazing groups of authors who have been willing to share knowledge and constructive critique. Writers are often faced with the same types of challenges and it’s comforting to know you belong to groups where you can ask for help and guidance from peers. In return, I try to comment on posts and share what knowledge I have as well.
Communities of writers are even more important when you are self-published (as I am). There is no such thing as a ‘self-publishing university’, so I would never have made it this far if I had not found like-minded authors who treated their writing as a business and were willing to share their knowledge. I owe my success to them.
Lyndi: Why did you decide to self-publish and how did you go about it?
Rae: Once I had my first manuscript, the question arose about how to publish it. I had no idea how to go about this, but I learned I could choose between self-, traditional or vanity publishing.
Vanity publishing quickly became a no-no: too expensive with no guarantee of return.
I had no idea how to go about finding a traditional publisher and, to be honest, I didn’t have a lot of faith in my writing. After all, no-one had ever read my manuscript and I had no idea if it was any good. Self-publishing soon became the way to go: it would allow me to test the waters and see if I had anything worth telling. Also, it felt great to have total control over my work without feeling the pressure of an outside source.
However, it did come as a surprise that I was going to need to spend a lot of time and money on marketing. I hadn’t prepared for that and had to learn quickly.
If you enjoy both writing AND marketing, then self-publishing is a winning formula.
Lyndi: Your six-book series has been ranking high on Amazon. How do you market your books?
Rae: Originally, my goal was to give away 10,000 copies of my first book for free, a number which I reached a few months ago. Some authors are against giving away their work for free, which is understandable considering the hard work that goes into it.
However, I wanted to achieve a couple of things. First, I wanted to receive feedback on my first book so I could figure out whether I had written anything worthy and to determine whether I should continue writing or give up altogether. Second, I hoped that those 10,000 readers would spread the word to 100,000 readers, who would then spread the word to 500,000 readers etc. In that sense, giving away an initial 10,000 books did not seem like a lot.
I gave away most copies through stacked promotions: I combined Amazon free days with book promotion sites such as FKBT and eReaderNewsToday.
My ranking has improved over time with each book I’ve published, reaching #2500 in the overall Amazon store before Christmas 2020. I think readers have grown fond of my main characters and want to know where the story is going. I also deliver as promised on a regular basis, which gives readers confidence when they preorder.
I use Amazon ads extensively as well as Bookfunnel and StoryOrigin for newsletter swaps and giveaways. I’m active on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) on a daily basis and I give exclusive information in my monthly newsletter (you can subscribe at www.raeknightly.com).
It’s a lot of hard work, but the key is to be constant, focused and deliver as promised. That said, it doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do!
Rae was born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1974 and grew up speaking French and Flemish. She lived in South Africa for 7 years, then went back to Belgium to complete a BA in Translation. But the wide world was calling her, so she spent 7 years in Mexico where she learned Spanish, worked at the Belgian Embassy as Assistant to the Ambassador and met her wonderful husband. They moved to Canada in 2011 and love their new home in British Columbia, where a good deal of The Alien Skill Series takes place.
