Interview with C.W. Gortner, Author of The Last Queen - Page 4

So, the advice I’d give writers is twofold: take time to find the right agent for you. Check out what the agent has sold in the past and who he or she represents before you query and establish that this agent is someone you’d like to have representing you. Be selective. Remember, this is business and you’re providing the product. Every writer is different, and so is every agent. Talk to the agent who offers you representation to get a sense of their philosophy around selling books, ambitions for your writing, and the current climate for your type of work. The next advice I’d give is inform yourself as much as you can about the business of publishing, from the agent’s role to the editor’s, to marketing and publicity, as well as sales. There’s a ton of available information; make use of it. A well prepared writer is an asset to an agent, plus you should want to know as much as you can about the business where you hope to succeed.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

Readers can visit me at: www.cwgortner.com. My website has a link to my blog. My blog is called Historical Boys and I interview historical fiction writers, as well as share anecdotes about my writing experiences and talk about books I’ve read.

Do you have another book on the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?

I’m currently completing my editor’s suggested revisions to my book about Catherine de Medici, which will be published by Ballantine sometime in 2009. I’m very excited about this novel, because Catherine is another of those maligned, misunderstood historical figures, and I was completely transformed by my research into her life. I started out wanting to write a book about an ambitious, power-hungry woman and ended up discovering someone quite different. She’s so unlike Juana, both in her outlook and the challenges she faced; and yet they share striking similarities.

As an author, what is your greatest reward?

Readers. Every time I get an e-mail from a reader who tells me he or she enjoyed my work, that’s my reward. The simple truth is, I write to be read. I revel in the process of writing, of course, and while I’m working I’m so focused on the character’s voice I don’t think about much else. But once those unwieldy pages have been pruned and polished into a manuscript, the reader comes into play. I need their eyes and hearts to experience my story; I need them to live it. Readers and writers are soul-mates; we need each other to be complete.

Article Author: Mayra Calvani

Mayra Calvani is the National Latino Books Examiner for Examiner.com.

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