Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Interview with Author David Tory

 


 

1.      What motivated you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and turning it into this book? After I retired from ECCF in 2011, I wanted to write a thesis about the unique challenges in charitable fund raising in New England. I assumed it had something to do with the puritan ethic and so started researching the early puritan history here. I became immersed in the historical research and found fascinating information about the early exploration of New England, why and how it happened, the events and the people as well as the political, religious and commercial strife and intrigue that drove it all. It was a history of the settlement of New England not generally known, told from an English perspective.

 

2.      What is it about and who is it for?  I turned the history into a story, told by the narrator, a fictional character named Isaac Stanfield, in the form of a journal written to his friend Will Whiteway (a real person, incidentally) back in Dorchester, England about his adventures as he observed and participated in the events and met as well as worked for the people that eventually made the settlements happen. At the same time it is the story of Isaac and his love, Aby Baker. It is written for anyone who enjoys a good read of a maritime and historical fiction.

 

3.      What takeaways might the reader will be left with after reading it? The reader will have a much better understanding of how and why the Pilgrims came to settle in Plymouth, Massachusetts as well as enjoy a bittersweet romantic story.

 

4.      How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The cover designer was given three themes with a mockup of the themes in three layers:  - a ships log, a compass and an old sailing ship in a storm. The title signifies that the book, Exploration, is the first book in the chronicles (or journals) of Isaac Stanfield.

 

5.      What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers? I wrote the story because the history fascinated me. However, I needed the discipline and took the advice of good editors to make it a compelling story. Writers can’t afford to have too much of an ego about the pearls of wisdom they craft through sweat and tears. Also, keep writing even if inspiration fails. If one part of the story creates a block, go elsewhere in the story to continue to write. Finally, listen to and follow the lead of the characters you are writing about. Inhabit your characters.

 

6.      What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I hope there will always be a large readership that enjoys reading a book on paper, however it really doesn’t matter what the format is as long as the reader enjoys the book.  I believe the publishing industry is at a critical point. The number of books being published by any means is staggeringly enormous and getting larger. The traditional agency/publisher approach is being overwhelmed by submissions. So, unsolicited submissions are rarely accepted. Independent publishers, hybrid and vanity presses proliferate with very mixed results. More and more bespoke service providers are promoting their services. Authors rarely have a clue about where to turn. As a result, the online book publisher/supplier has taken over. Amazon is the dominant book seller world-wide. It is now easy to publish a book though Amazon, but at what cost to quality. With little expense to the aspiring author Amazon, without any quality control, is itself being overwhelmed, which means the reader is overwhelmed.  I believe the reader needs help navigating through this morass, which is why independent and respected book reviewers dominate the industry. Yet, they are also being overwhelmed, so they tend to rely on the literary agent or traditional publishing house for submissions to review – so closed loop. Which is why independent book bloggers come into their own.

 

7.      What challenges did you overcome to write this book? Stopping the research, retreating from the rabbit holes and writing a compelling story.

 

8.      How would you describe your writing style?  First person narrative.

 

9.      If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Historical relevance. New England is celebrating its 400th anniversary.


About the Author: David Tory launched his 30+ year career in the computer software industry, starting out in the UK in 1962. He is the co-founder of the Essex County Community Foundation, a non-profit organization that inspires philanthropy to strengthen the communities in Essex County, Massachusetts. His debut novel, Exploration is the first in the Stanfield Chronicles series. The second volume has been written and being edited prior to publication. Tory lives north of Boston. The author’s website is https://davidtoryauthor.com/

 

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2021. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. 

 

 

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