Reg : Hello Ian, welcome to Struggling Authors.
 
Ian : Thanks Reg, good to belong to this aptly named website.
 
Reg : Ian, as you know, Struggling Authors is about helping people to get in to print. You're a published author now but everyone has to start somewhere, so how did it all begin for you?
 
Ian : Well I started the book in about 1993 as a way of learning how to use a computer and word processing software after purchasing a 486 - remember those? It was only intended as a short story and was based on myself and some of my experiences flying in the Royal Navy. I enjoyed putting 'pen to paper' and so continued tapping away with two fingers, as I still do to this day, and the story evolved into a book of about 70 - 80,000 words or so. I had the story read by close family who thought it was quite good which amazed me as I only just struggled a 'C' pass at O level English language. I finally managed to get the book published with a small house last year.
 
Reg : Have you any tips or ideas that might help someone reach publication with a publishing house?
 
Ian : I must admit that I didn't have a clue how to go about getting published but soon found out that the first thing to do was to find a literary agent. There in lies the first problem! Most agents don't accept un-solicited material and I literally wrote to exactly 100 agents with a covering letter, literary CV and stamped addressed envelope. I received a grand total of 5 replies and not one of those was interested in even reading a chapter. I tried again and again at odd intervals with no joy and it was purely by chance that I was picked up by a small local publishing house. Lincoln holds a book fair annually, and walking through it last year I spotted a book written by my solicitor on one of the stands. Picking it up, I was telling my wife Fran all about him when a man sidled up to me and asked if I knew the author. To cut a long story short we got chatting and I mentioned I had penned a novel. He asked me to email a copy which I did and two days later he was hooked and rang Fran asking me to get in touch. When she asked who it was, he replied: “Tell him it’s his publisher.” Eight months later I was in print. Tips? Well, use whatever contacts you have and just persevere to 'get yourself read'. Until someone reads it, or part of it you won't get published. Be mercenary if you have to – if I had exploited my solicitor’s contact with the publishing house when he was first published I may have had the book in print 5 years earlier. Once you do get picked up then be prepared to put in a lot of effort, especially if it is a small house. My publisher does all the stuff such as getting it into shops, websites; handling all the distribution details etc. He has also contacted local press and radio, but it has come down to me to push these people into covering my story. Writing the book's the easy part and just the beginning, getting people to read/buy it is the start of the hard work.
 
Reg : "Time and again" took a long time to come to fruition, what was the story behind it; just large scale writer's block or were there other factors?
 
Ian : Luckily writer’s block is not something I’ve suffered from yet. As I said above, I wrote the first part of the book and attempted publication. In January 1996 I was involved in a mid-air collision between two Tornado jet fighters and was on the receiving end of injuries not dis-similar to those suffered by my hero in the book, just a little more severe. I suffered a fractured skull with frontal lobe brain damage, a severely broken neck at C1/C2, a massive shoulder injury that left my left arm paralysed for about 3 years, a collapsed lung on one side and six broken ribs on the other as well as cuts and bruises. I was lucky to survive let alone walk again. Anyway that put me back a few years; I spent just short of a year in hospital, with a few breaks at home, and then a further year recouping at home. At some point I re-read the book and decided to put in an extra twist which brought the book up to a good sized novel; about 125,000 words. Following a divorce I tried a few more times to find myself an agent; finally shelving the book until the chance meeting with my publisher. Now published I am able to use my accident and it’s similarities to the written word as a tool to gain publicity.
 
Reg : How close are your characters to the people you once knew in the Air force?
 
Ian : As a navigator actually; if I was the pilot we wouldn't have hit the other jet!!!! I was in the Navy before the RAF and I based the initial characters around that. I used my experience and knowledge of dog fighting and fixed wing flying to write some of the WW2 scenarios and a few of the characters in the book reflect some of the guys I met and worked with in both services. The sequel (in editing at the moment) involves more flying and in fact one scene fairly closely emulates my own flying accident. What it comes down to is write about what you know.
 
Reg : You make a donation to charity with every 1000 books sold, tell us about it please?
 
Ian : I have always given to charities, either regular payments or 'one offs' in support of sports aid, red nose day etc. Since retiring those donations have had to reduce and our regular charity is with Action Aid supporting underprivileged children in Africa. I thought the idea of donating a percentage of my royalties would give me the chance to bring the little help I can offer closer to home. To that end for every 1000 books sold, £100 goes to charity split equally between Children in Need and Cancer Research. I have 5 children and, so far, 2 grand children and following my accident I learned that you never know what's round the corner. I know there will always be children in need, and you never know how close to home that need might be. Fran my wife works with severely disabled children and I'm lucky enough to have some involvement and regularly see that it is a good cause to support. As for cancer research; I believe cancer touches us all in some way at some point in our lives, so again what better cause?
 
Reg : In no more than twenty words, sell us your book... GO!
 
Ian : An action adventure novel full of twists, that in the words of my publisher means "you can't put it down." (20 words - not bad for an author!)
 
Reg : Thanks very much for your time Ian, on behalf of Struggling Authors I’d like to wish you all the best with your book and any other future publications.

R R Jones May 2010