Here it is: the requisite FAQ. Yup. Frequently Asked Questions. Let's get started:
Q. Who publishes your novels?
A. Both of my novels are self-published through CreateSpace under the Threat Quality Press imprint.
Q. What is Threat Quality Press?
A. Threat Quality Press is a blog and imprint run by novelists Chris Braak and Jeff Holland. You can visit the site here, and you can find a listing of TQP books here.
Q. Who did the editing, layout, design, and made the covers?
A. All internal work - design, editing, layout, etc - was done by my wife, Lindsay Stares. The covers get a bit more complicated. I designed both versions and wrote the back copy, but beyond that things get fuzzy.
There have actually been two covers for For Love of Children: one featuring a symbol drawn in Photoshop, and the current version, where that's been replaced with a similarly shaped sculpture. I made the original, while Lindsay made the updated one.
The cover for Facsimile took both of us. Lindsay created the sculpted head, and I did the rest.
The cover for Facsimile took both of us. Lindsay created the sculpted head, and I did the rest.
Q. Is "Erin L. Snyder" your real name?
A. Yes, that's my real first name. My parents liked the name and didn't realize that the spelling was gender specific. They found out soon enough, and wisely enrolled me in school under the name "Aron Snyder" to keep me alive. I didn't find out it was actually Erin until I was ten. By the time I graduated from high school, the original spelling had grown on me, so I kept it.
The "L" stands for "Lee," and I have a very good reason for using it on the covers of my books: when I was setting up this website, www.erinlsnyder.com was available, and I wanted it to match.
The "L" stands for "Lee," and I have a very good reason for using it on the covers of my books: when I was setting up this website, www.erinlsnyder.com was available, and I wanted it to match.
Q. Why did you decide to self-publish?
A. The short answer is I didn't have much choice. Here's the long answer:
This is a really bad time for publishing, particularly if you're not famous. Publishers are reluctant to gamble on new authors - and who can blame them? I did shop my novels around to agents before publishing, and a few asked for more information. Nothing came of that, so I was left with a choice: either self-publish now or hold off and keep sending queries.
Even though I'd like to see my novels get as wide an audience as possible, I know that this isn't a good time. This is really the era of the YA adventure, and my books don't fit that category (you could make a case for For Love of Children, but it would be awfully disingenuous).
With Facsimile, waiting for things to turn around wasn't really an option. The story is built around technology and ideas that are changing and being developed. For all I know, in five years, it might not be relevant. Or, just as damaging, a dozen high-profile books could come out dealing with the same ideas.
This is a really bad time for publishing, particularly if you're not famous. Publishers are reluctant to gamble on new authors - and who can blame them? I did shop my novels around to agents before publishing, and a few asked for more information. Nothing came of that, so I was left with a choice: either self-publish now or hold off and keep sending queries.
Even though I'd like to see my novels get as wide an audience as possible, I know that this isn't a good time. This is really the era of the YA adventure, and my books don't fit that category (you could make a case for For Love of Children, but it would be awfully disingenuous).
With Facsimile, waiting for things to turn around wasn't really an option. The story is built around technology and ideas that are changing and being developed. For all I know, in five years, it might not be relevant. Or, just as damaging, a dozen high-profile books could come out dealing with the same ideas.
Q. Favorite books? Movies? TV shows? Comics?
A. In terms of books, I love The Last Unicorn, Watership Down, The Cyberiad, A Clockwork Orange, The King of Elfland's Daughter, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and Lord of the Rings. The House at Pooh Corner and Peter and Wendy also belong on that list, but I’m listing them separately since they’re supposedly children's books.
My favorite movies include obvious choices The Incredibles, Lord of the Rings, and The Empire Strikes Back; quirky favorites Being John Malkovitch, Donnie Darko, and The Nightmare Before Christmas; and underrated works of genius Speed Racer, Sky High, and The Chronicles of Riddick.
My favorite TV shows of all time include Firefly, Batman: The Animated Series (and spin-offs), the animated Tick series, and Jim Henson’s The Storyteller. My favorite shows CURRENTLY on TV are Batman: Brave and the Bold and The Avengers.
Moving on to comics, I think Watchmen and Swamp Thing are the best series I've read from Alan Moore (who is in turn the best writer the medium has ever known). Gaiman's Sandman is right up there, too, and Geoff Johns just keeps writing amazing books.
I'll close with a category that's generally overlooked: favorite RPG. And that honor goes to Adventure, a brilliant game that raises the bar.
My favorite movies include obvious choices The Incredibles, Lord of the Rings, and The Empire Strikes Back; quirky favorites Being John Malkovitch, Donnie Darko, and The Nightmare Before Christmas; and underrated works of genius Speed Racer, Sky High, and The Chronicles of Riddick.
My favorite TV shows of all time include Firefly, Batman: The Animated Series (and spin-offs), the animated Tick series, and Jim Henson’s The Storyteller. My favorite shows CURRENTLY on TV are Batman: Brave and the Bold and The Avengers.
Moving on to comics, I think Watchmen and Swamp Thing are the best series I've read from Alan Moore (who is in turn the best writer the medium has ever known). Gaiman's Sandman is right up there, too, and Geoff Johns just keeps writing amazing books.
I'll close with a category that's generally overlooked: favorite RPG. And that honor goes to Adventure, a brilliant game that raises the bar.
