Meet J.W. Webb | Fantasy Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with J.W. Webb and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi J.W., what do you attribute your success to?
As a self-published author of 15 books, visibility is the key. Without that, you’re a ghost. Clear branding and good marketing are essential. For example, good (relevant) book covers that hint at the story inside and blurbs that hook the reader. Like any business, you have to stand out among your peers, and that involves a lot of work when you haven’t got the clout of a Stephen King or Brandon Sanderson. Success comes with quality – inside and outside the books. As a fantasy genre writer, my work appeals to fans of DragonCon and Celtic/Norse sagas and myth. There are hordes out there, but there’s also plenty of talented authors too. Success is defining your stamp. Being unique but also fun and engaging. Know your audience and make sure they enjoy what you produce. This is key, as ultimately making my readers happy is what I’m about.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
They say nothing worth doing is easy. Being a successful novelist requires stamina and luck, and a gritty determination. Much like the music industry or other art, it’s very hard to push yourself up through the madding crowd and be visible. As I mentioned earlier, clear branding is key. And making your own mark. My books draw much from some of the classic fantasy writers of the 70s and 80s – my time. I’m very last century. That said, they stand on their own feet and also breathe myth and magic. There are the usual fantasy tropes, but my characters are three dimensional and well fleshed out, forthright and quarrelsome and sometimes downright obnoxious. Folk we can relate to. If they get too bad, I kill them off. My series Legends of Ansu is now fifteen books and I’ve plans for at least seven more over the next three years.

The challenges were many. Mainly marketing, which never gets easier and is always changing like quicksand under your feet. But there’s a lot of good advice out there for newbie writers, and of course a murky ocean of bad advice with eager fees attached. Caveat emptor! I learned that the hard way. Too many rabbit holes chased and dollars wasted. Big learning curve. But stubborn determination and self belief/discipline will see you through. It’s a journey. You might as well enjoy the show. I was a trucker once across the Pond. Life is a dance. If you stop moving, you die. There are so many brilliant authors out there in every genre. And fantasy’s a big genre. It’s hard to be an individual. But for me, that’s the whole point.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I spend little time in the city these days. I used to frequent the Midtown area and enjoyed the vibe. Most of my interests and friends are up in the Marietta/Alpharetta region. I love Georgia and have always found the people wonderful, from the mountains to the Low Country. So if a friend had come from afar, we would visit the city but also go to the beach and lurk up in Blue Ridge or Dahlonega.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I use/have used quite a few wonderful professionals for artwork and editing. It’s just too big a job to do everything thing yourself. In the early days, I had great support from the late JRR. Tolkien artist Roger Garland, who became a fan of my books. Roger, and his wife Linda – another fabulous artist created many images/sketches and maps for my ongoing world – Ansu. I could also mention people like Ravven my book cover designer who’s a joy to work with and Francesca Baerald a wonderful cartographer and gamer who’s worked on Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings, Warhammer projects, to name a few, and recently created a stunning world map for my series which will feature in exhibitions cons and shows which I plan to do in the future.

Website: jwwebbauthor.com

Twitter: @LegendsofAnsu

Facebook: Facebook.com/jameswebb61