Talk about a brilliant release week! Michael J. Sullivan’s latest sci-fi novel, Hollow World, is bookseller top pick from Barnes & Noble and listed as an Audible bestseller for Contemporary Fiction. Plus he was featured in Goodreads’ April newsletter!
Can you believe he once vowed never to write again? Unbelievable!
Today I’m happy to share a conversation I had with Michael that ranges from his writing process, the importance of moving with the changing times of the publishing world, who he couldn’t time travel without, his future endeavors, and more.
Happy reading!
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Hi Michael! So great to chat with you today! Congrats on the official release of HOLLOW WORLD. What would you say has been the biggest difference with this release compared to your others?
Hey, thanks for having me. This has been a really unusual release. In the past I’ve either been all self-published or all traditional. With Hollow World it’s a bit of both. The ebooks are released through me, Tachyon Publications has done the print version, and Recorded Books the audio version. Trying to keep everything on track when there are others involved is interesting. For instance, for some reason Amazon and Barnes and Noble started shipping early, so I had to quickly flip the switch on the ebooks. Luckily, they were all done and waiting, so it was just a matter of hitting the button and waiting for them to go live. Usually that kind of thing is someone else’s headache to worry about.
I had to laugh when Pax (such a charming and genuine character) remarks to Ellis: “Things really were very different in your day, weren’t they?” Let’s see – no genders, no religion, no weather, no hamburgers (!!), just to name a few – pretty much a total departure from the world we live in now. Which if these omissions would be the most jarring to you if you were in Ellis’ shoes?
Unlike Ellis, I have a wonderful marriage, so I wouldn’t take the jump unless Robin and I could fit into the time machine together. She’s really the only thing I would be lost without. But assuming she is coming, I think I would miss physical books. There are very few left in Hollow World anymore. My guess is most have been re-mastered into other formats (electronic, audio, visual), so people don’t read on paper anymore.
On the flip side, which quality of Hollow World would you like to see applied to the way we live today?
I think I would get along quite well in Hollow World, because it is a place where no one has a “day job” and everyone pursues whatever they want to do. I’m already doing that now, but so few people can say the same. I know what an incredible gift that is, and if everyone were free to do what they want to do (rather than what they have to do), we’d see some pretty interesting things come into being
I can’t commend you enough for writing a story that was not only so rich with details but also hit upon so many relevant themes (religion, individuality, sexuality, global warming). How were you able to perfect this world while you were writing? Did you have most of the details planned out beforehand or did some of them pop up as you were writing?
A lot of the concepts, like what is needed to create a post-scarcity world where all our material needs are met, have been with me for a very long time. I’ve spent decades contemplating things like this, but never for the purpose of a novel. They are just conversations I’ve had with people, usually over a few pints of Guinness. I like to play devil’s advocate, and often argue a point I don’t believe in, just to see if I can convince others about a particular point. Then I’ll swap positions and drag them there as well. It’s a lot of fun. I never planned on putting any of these into novel form, but when the idea for Hollow World came along it provide a perfect canvas for them. I don’t think any new concept was added during the writing. It was fun figuring out how I could incorporate them. Unlike some social science-fiction, I’m not trying to be preachy or advocate my personal agenda. It’s not about what I think, it’s about making others think. My true opinions are nicely hidden, and it’s been fun watching people express what they think I’m advocating, knowing they are way off the mark.
You’ve had quite the journey as a novelist (writing 13 novels, quitting, starting up again years later for fun and family, small publishers, self publishing… whew!) and I think there’s a pattern here. You’ve always embraced the vast possibilities of publishing even when those options weren’t the most popular. Why is it important for authors and readers to be open to the changes in the publishing world?
Yeah, I’ve been a bit of a trail blazer, walking paths before most people start heading that way. A lot of that was due to Robin’s “never say die” mindset. If an obstacle is in her way, she’s going to climb over it, dig under it, go around it, or smash it to pieces. It’s a matter of feeling so strongly about something that she doesn’t let anything stand in her way. All the publishing aspects of my career have been controlled by her, and she has done an amazing job.
For authors, they DEFINITELY need to keep up with all the changes going on in this industry and look for opportunities wherever they find them. This is difficult given we’ll have several “game changing” events occurring in a single year. If authors think they can simply write and ignore the business side, they risk never having their work read and probably a lifetime of squeezing in some creativity around a day job.
For readers, I think it’s the other way around. They don’t need to keep up with the changes in publishing…publishing needs to keep up with the changes in readers. One thing that sometimes frustrates me is the big-publishers’ focus on others in the industry (for instance buyers at large retailers or those who commission books for libraries) as their “customer,” while I want them to focus on the readers. This is starting to change, but I think it’s coming late, and they need to do more. What should be first and foremost on their minds is how to delight and woo readers. If they did, they would be removing DRM, bundling ebooks with print purchases, and providing the books in as many venues as possible…even experimental ones such as Oyster / Scribd. / Entitle, who are experimenting with a “Netflix for books” model.
There was an article this week in Atlantic Weekly about the sci-fi genre and its role as the underdog. What are your thoughts on the possibilities of sci-fi moving toward the forefront as far as fiction goes? In your experience, what’s the best way to get sci-fi in the hands of a reader who doesn’t gravitate toward it?
Genre fiction has always been treated like the red-headed stepchild by those who focus on “serious literature.” But then again some of the most highly regarded books fall into that category including: 1984, Brave New World, Frankenstein, Slaughterhouse Five, Fahrenheit 451, Flowers for Algernon…I could go on and on.
I think the reason some people shy away from sci-fi is because it seems so alien (pun partially intended) to them. Literary snobs won’t change their stripes, but we don’t need them anyway. We need voracious readers who find a new category of books to obsess over. For them we need “gateway drugs.” Books that are fun and engaging such that it doesn’t matter if the setting is fantasy or science fiction. The Princess Bride uses humor and pokes at troupes in a way that non-fantasy people can appreciate. Watership Down, with its story of a band of rabbits on a classic hero’s journey, is a book that doesn’t “feel” like fantasy…even though it clearly is. I’m hoping Hollow World has some part to play and already I’m hearing from people who don’t read sci-fi saying it’s making them change their mind.
Let’s chat about the future… maybe not two thousand years in the future… but I hear you are working on a fantasy series right now. What can readers expect from your new work? With all the buzz surrounding Hollow World, does the writing process get easier? What’s a publishing hurdle you see yourself confronting with upcoming releases?
My current work in progress is indeed a fantasy series (either three or four books, I’m still trying to decide). It’s based in the world of my Riyria stories but in the distant past…during the forming of the first empire. What I wanted to explore is the difference between myth and reality. History tends to take an individual and make them larger than life. I wanted to show how the deeds of a bunch of “nobodies” (who time has forgot) are usurped by those in power. It can be enjoyed by anyone, even those that haven’t read Riyria, but for my veteran readers, they’ll realize that much of what I’ve told them about Elan’s past, has all been a lie.
As for buzz surrounding Hollow World, I’m pretty amazed at the reception it’s getting. I really expected it to have a much harder birth, because it deals with some pretty controversial subjects. But from a writing perspective, how one book is doing doesn’t affect the one I’m writing. With each one I want to push myself to a higher level and hopefully take risks and grow. A new release does mean some additional promotional activities (like this interview or guest blogs), but that doesn’t cut into my daily word production. I always write at least 2,000 words a day, 365 days a year (yes even on Christmas). It just means that some of my “free time” is spoken for.
I’m not really expecting any “hurdles” with the next release. It is fantasy, which I’m known for, and it’s a good solid series, so I think Orbit will definitely want to publish it. My other books from them continue to sell well, and I’ve earned back my rather high advance thrice. So the “risk quotient” will be smaller this time around. The real issue will come down to “terms.” Do they place the same value on the property that I do? What rights will they insist on and which ones will I be willing to part with? The good news is there are a lot of options available to me. I’ve already had some publishers trying to court me away from them, and even if absolutely no publisher wants this series, I’ll take on that role. The fact is I wouldn’t be writing it if I didn’t believe in its value. So I already know there will be people who want to read it. If a publisher wants to be part of that, and we can agree under what circumstances that partnership will operate, then I’ll go that route, but one way or another the book will get “out there” and I’ll let the readers be the gatekeeper (as they always have been). That’s the nice thing about the current state of publishing, the only two essential people in the chain are the readers and the authors.
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Huge thanks to Michael for taking the time to chat!
Keep up with Michael on his blog | twitter | facebook
HOLLOW WORLD on goodreads | amazon | b&n | audible
