Today we’d like to introduce you to N.N. Britt.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve been creating art for as long as I could remember myself, but the written word always fascinated me the most. I started reading early on and continued to devour books of different genres (American, French, and British history, romance, horror, adventure, classics, non-fiction) through my high school years and college. Up until my move to the US.
I began writing around the time I started having insomnia. I believe I was around 12. Most of those hand-written stories were never finished, but I continued to jot down ideas until I was finally able to write my first crime novel at the age of 17. The novel ended up with everyone dying during the finale and was pretty bad.
I took a break and return to writing in my late twenties. For a while, I considered querying my first romance novel. But after doing some research, I decided that I liked the self-publishing model more mainly because of the fact that I have full financial and creative control of the content and the entire brand. I published that very first novel in March of 2019. I have since published three more books.
I’m enjoying meeting new people and connecting with readers via social media. This wasn’t possible when I was growing up, so I am thankful to today’s world of technology for making this possible.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, it hasn’t. Mainly because there’s always self-doubt. I try to learn something new every week about the craft. I also do a lot of research and reading on publishing and its trends in general. Two years ago, I knew absolutely nothing about the publishing process. Now, I do pretty much everything that a small publisher would do for me. We are talking everything from securing advance copy reviews to uploading the actual manuscript to the retailer sites. I’m proficient with interface of all major (and some smaller) book distribution platforms. It’s actually super easy. I can format my own book in minutes.
But, there were a lot of sacrifices along the way. Social life. Health. Physical and mental. Bad release. It’s always an uphill battle.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I tell love stories.
Let’s be honest. In some circles, romance genre is still being frowned upon or laughed at. For whatever reason, there’s this ongoing stigma that romance can’t be considered real literature. I beg to differ. Romance/Erotica is actually the genre that makes the most money per year. ($1.44 billion according to the recent statistics).
Makes us wonder if John Lennon was right and all we really need is love.
What am I most proud of? I’m proud that despite the fact that I didn’t speak a word of English 30 years ago (okay, maybe a word or two), I’m able to weave the story I want to weave and readers love them. Again, not all; some readers may not like what I write. And that’s okay. You can’t force someone like oranges if they hate citrus.
I write what I know. My books are all about music and flawed people who navigate the world of music. I’d like to think that the emotional content of my books mixed with realism sets my works apart from other writers in my genre. But again, I can’t be the judge of my own work. An artist is usually his/her own harshest critic. I let the readers decide.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I’d love to write and publish more books that are set in the same bookish universe I’m creating. I also would like to try a different genre. Right now, I’m writing only contemporary romance, but I’d like to change that. I dipped my toes in paranormal before. I want to do that. I also want to explore women’s fiction. I have some ideas on the back burner.
Basically, more books.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://bit.ly/2Iimx
- Email: [email protected]
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