Meet Uke Jackson, Author of Beach Tales
What inspired you to become an author?
I've been a professional writer pretty much all my adult life. My first play, a one act written at age 21, was produced at McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ. Soon after that I was writing for newspapers in New Jersey and for the New York Daily News. Pretty much my main inspiration was a lifetime of voracious, even obsessive, reading of books.
How did you come up with the idea for Beach Tales?
Putting these stories out as a book was pretty much a no-brainer. As I explain in the foreword, all but one of the stories were written for Tropic, the Sunday Miami Herald Magazine, when I was a writer there in 1998-99. Since they already existed, it was relatively easy to put out the book.
What do you think readers will enjoy most about your book?
The stories are kooky, sultry, and short. In today's world, where so many media vie for everyone's attention, these stories are a length that will let you get through one over a cup of coffee, on a bus ride, or while waiting for the dentist. Time is a factor in most folks' live these days. Written at the turn of the millennium, the collection is suited for the 21st century lifestyle (as are all my books, I hope).
What advice would you give to a new author trying to get their book published?
That's a tough one. If you're looking for a traditional publishing deal, and you're not some kind of rock star or movie star, you'll collect a lot of rejection slips. My main advice would be to take your time. When you're certain the work is complete, set it aside for a month or two, then come back to it and read it aloud with a pencil in hand. If you find yourself doing a ton of rewriting, repeat the process with each draft.
Always keep in mind that you're writing for the reader. It's readers who breathe life in a writer's efforts. Make no mistake about that. It's very easy to upload a piece of dreck. Just because you wrote something doesn't make it good. Just because you can publish it on Amazon and Smashwords doesn't mean you should.
Typos can be corrected, unlike some other mistakes we may make. There's nothing at all artistic about typos. If you need an editor, find an experienced one, not somebody just out of university. Be aware that there are a lot of people and companies out there willing to take as much of your money as they can. Package deals that some companies offer seem to me a complete rip off. One company, for example, offers to put your book into all ebook formats for $249. Meanwhile, eprintedbooks.com (who I use) will provide the same service for $50, just to give you an idea. Finally, spend more time reading than you do writing. If you think you can be a writer without being a serious reader, you've got another think coming.
Are you currently working on other books?
Right now I'm working on The Christmas Seeds, which is a paranormal thriller about seeds, gardening, and corporate oppression and malfeasance. I'm also working on the next vampire book, following on Broadway Vampire. I always keep two or three writing projects going at once. My plan is to write a total of four vampire novels. After that, who knows? I've got notebooks filled with ideas.
You can find out more about Uke Jackson and his many works by visiting www.ukejackson.com.
I've been a professional writer pretty much all my adult life. My first play, a one act written at age 21, was produced at McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ. Soon after that I was writing for newspapers in New Jersey and for the New York Daily News. Pretty much my main inspiration was a lifetime of voracious, even obsessive, reading of books.
How did you come up with the idea for Beach Tales?
Putting these stories out as a book was pretty much a no-brainer. As I explain in the foreword, all but one of the stories were written for Tropic, the Sunday Miami Herald Magazine, when I was a writer there in 1998-99. Since they already existed, it was relatively easy to put out the book.
What do you think readers will enjoy most about your book?
The stories are kooky, sultry, and short. In today's world, where so many media vie for everyone's attention, these stories are a length that will let you get through one over a cup of coffee, on a bus ride, or while waiting for the dentist. Time is a factor in most folks' live these days. Written at the turn of the millennium, the collection is suited for the 21st century lifestyle (as are all my books, I hope).
What advice would you give to a new author trying to get their book published?
That's a tough one. If you're looking for a traditional publishing deal, and you're not some kind of rock star or movie star, you'll collect a lot of rejection slips. My main advice would be to take your time. When you're certain the work is complete, set it aside for a month or two, then come back to it and read it aloud with a pencil in hand. If you find yourself doing a ton of rewriting, repeat the process with each draft.
Always keep in mind that you're writing for the reader. It's readers who breathe life in a writer's efforts. Make no mistake about that. It's very easy to upload a piece of dreck. Just because you wrote something doesn't make it good. Just because you can publish it on Amazon and Smashwords doesn't mean you should.
Typos can be corrected, unlike some other mistakes we may make. There's nothing at all artistic about typos. If you need an editor, find an experienced one, not somebody just out of university. Be aware that there are a lot of people and companies out there willing to take as much of your money as they can. Package deals that some companies offer seem to me a complete rip off. One company, for example, offers to put your book into all ebook formats for $249. Meanwhile, eprintedbooks.com (who I use) will provide the same service for $50, just to give you an idea. Finally, spend more time reading than you do writing. If you think you can be a writer without being a serious reader, you've got another think coming.
Are you currently working on other books?
Right now I'm working on The Christmas Seeds, which is a paranormal thriller about seeds, gardening, and corporate oppression and malfeasance. I'm also working on the next vampire book, following on Broadway Vampire. I always keep two or three writing projects going at once. My plan is to write a total of four vampire novels. After that, who knows? I've got notebooks filled with ideas.
You can find out more about Uke Jackson and his many works by visiting www.ukejackson.com.
Stacie Theis / beachboundbooks@yahoo.com / copyright 2012