Interview with an indie author (David Berger)

David Berger, author of Task Force: Gaea

If you were trapped on a desert island, and a magical talking stork could bring you one book (not yours) which would it be?

Lord of the Rings (assuming a trilogy could be carried together) 🙂

Which authors influenced/influence you most?

Even though I write fantasy, and writers like David Eddings, Terry Goodkind, Terry Brooks, Piers Anthony, J. R. R. Tolkien, et al have influenced my fantasy side, I also feel that people like Maya Angelou, Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende, and Mikhail Lermontov have influenced me. Their works, more grounded in reality (although García Márquez and Allende write Magical Realism), have shown me more complex styles to emulate.

What made you go indie?

After over 25 years of working on the manuscript, I simply wanted to get the book out into the world. The closest thing I can compare it to is being “pregnant” for that long and just wanting to give birth. I have poured my heart and soul into Task Force: Gaea, and going indie felt like the right thing to do. If a traditional published saw the novel and wanted to publish/promote it, that would be grand, but if not—then indie I shall be.

What’s your favourite part of indie publishing?

The control I have over everything, since I am a bit OCD about what I’m doing. I find that if my name is on something, then I need to have my hands into it all the way up to my elbows. Knowing that I get to decide design, format, and distribution makes me feel empowered, more so than I might if I had pursued a traditional publishing house.

What’s your least favourite part?

Marketing. I’m an introvert, so putting myself out there into the world and drawing attention isn’t my normal place to be. I use social media, like Twitter and Facebook, to promote myself, but sometimes I feel like I am saturating my friends with information they’ve seen over and over again. I’m toying with the idea of finding a publicist who specializes in independent authors to see what he or she can do not only to teach me about self-promotion, but also to do some things that show me how it’s done well.

Summarise your writing style (or books) in 100 words or less:

My style can best be described as true to who I am and also complex. I make no apologies for using strong vocabulary, and I think setting the bar a bit higher for readers can keep them interested as well as nudge them to think a bit more beyond the story. I strive to write something that I, and like-minded people, would want to read.

If you were offered a book-deal would you take it?

That would depend on the deal. I’m not willing to relinquish any creative control or any authorial control, but I would be open to a traditional publisher picking up my work.

Why should someone pick-up your book(s)?

Task Force: Gaea has all of the elements of high fantasy, Greek mythology, and intricate plot development to challenge a reader, especially one who enjoys the comfort of myths read as a child coupled with changes made to expand the scope of the original stories in fresh and exciting ways. Having some knowledge of Greek mythology may be helpful, but is certainly not required, to enjoy this novel.

What formats is it/are they available in and where?

Task Force Gaea is available at Amazon in both paperback and Kindle, at Barnes & Noble as Nook, and at Smashwords in formats compatible with other e-readers.