Interview with Fantasy Author R. Scot Johns on New Book The Saga of Beowulf

R. Scot Johns is a life-long student of ancient and medieval literature, with an enduring fascination for Norse mythology and epic fantasy. He first came to Beowulf through his love of J.R.R. Tolkien, a leading scholar on the subject. As an Honors Medieval Literature major he has given lectures on such topics as the historical King Arthur and the construction of Stonehenge. He owns and operates Fantasy Castle Books, his own publishing imprint, and writes the blog Adventures of an Independent Author, where you can follow his progress as he writes The Jester´s Quest, his second novel.

Thank you for this interview, Scot. Can you tell us briefly what your latest book, The Saga of Beowulf, is all about?

Certainly. Quite simply, it´s the first complete novelization of the Old English poem Beowulf. Based on extensive historical research and steeped in Norse mythology and lore, it is the first time the story has been told in its entirety for a modern audience. At its core, the story follows the young Norse warrior Beowulf as he embarks upon a fateful quest for vengeance against the creature that slew his father, setting in motion a sequence of events that takes him from the fetid fens of Denmark to the sprawling battlefields of ancient France, all the while fleeing from the woman he has sworn to love.

Can you tell us what or who was the inspiration behind your book?

My first initiation into the world of Beowulf came through my love of J. R. R. Tolkien, a leading scholar on the subject. Professor Tolkien´s 1936 lecture changed the way academia viewed Beowulf, much to the chagrin of English students ever since. As an honors English lit student, I was dismayed by the way this oldest of English epics had become the bane of so many. But I quickly came to see that this had little to do with the story itself, and everything to do with how it was presented. Beowulf is written in a language no one speaks, in a form no poet writes in anymore, and is shot through with references no modern audience could understand without extensive study. I took it upon myself to rectify that dilemma, and bring this thrilling tale to life once more.

Is this your first published book and if so, can you tell us your experiences in finding a publisher for it?

Yes, this is my debut novel, but I went about publishing it in a wholly non-traditional manner. Initially I set out upon the standard route to publication, but as I´ve always been a very hands-on, self-dependent individual, I quickly lost patience with the policies and practices that leave an author waiting months between each submission to see how the whims of fate might fare. Being a fan of Emerson and Franklin, I decided to take things into my own hands instead, and started my own publishing company, Fantasy Castle Books, through which I released my book. To this day I´m still waiting to hear back from the third publisher I sent a query to. In the meantime, I´ve sold hundreds of copies of my novel, receiving a far greater share of the profits, and am busily working on my next book, which I have no intention of sending to the trades.

How has Fantasy Castle Books been to work with?

Well, I have to say it´s pretty nice being your own boss! But it´s also a lot of work. I would have had to do the vast majority of my own promotion either way, but in addition I also did my own editing and layout, created the cover art, built the website and all the content on it, including videos, audio excerpts, press kit and marketing materials, set up my own ad campaigns, and even fill and process orders placed through my direct buy network. It demands a lot of effort, and takes up every spare moment of my life, but I love having absolute control over every aspect of my work, and I wouldn´t change it now for anything.

Do you have an agent?

No thank you. Don´t need one. Don´t want one. They no longer serve a useful function, so far as I can see. With the advent of print-on-demand technology and internet retailing, there is no longer an economic need for these industry gatekeepers. The reading public can – and should – determine for themselves what is of value, and what is not. In a true capitalist economy, it is the consumers who must decide what deserves their investment, both of time and money. Word of mouth is the best and most effective promotion and filtration system in the world, and just because an agent decides a book is deserving of publication (or vice versa) doesn´t mean the reading public will agree. I once had a purported fantasy book agent respond to my query for this novel with just this: "364,000 words, are you kidding?" To which I replied: "Have you never heard of Robert Jordan?" That was the last query I bothered to send out to an agent.

Can you tell us how long it took you to write your book?

The Saga of Beowulf took ten years to create from start to finish. But I went about it in a very circuitous way. Initially I spent several years studying and researching the original Beowulf poem. At the time I was working as the manager of a retail video outlet, and it occurred to me that there had never been a film made of this epic adventure. I then spent several more years working through something like seven drafts of that and sending it off to Hollywood. Unfortunately, in that time two other scripts had sold, both of which have come out within the last few years, to mixed reviews. But for me this was a blessing, as it got me back to writing fiction, which is why I had gone to college in the first place. So I set to work on the novel, after having already spent some four or five years of serious interaction with the story. It proved to be a long and complicated affair to turn the script, which was tight and confined, into the 640 page narrative it is today. But in the end having first written it as a film gave the novel a stronger visual sense than it might have had otherwise, and I think a forward momentum that makes it feel much like "reading a movie," as more than one of my reviewers have put it.

Do you have any words of inspiration for other writers who would like to be wearing your shoes?

This is the best time for writers to be working in at least a century. Although the trade publishing industry in on the verge of collapse, what it signals for we authors is a new beginning, the advent of an era when writers can again commune directly with their readers, without the need of a meddling middleman. The reigns of power are shifting from the mega-corporations to the individual, where it belongs. This is truly the dawn of a new age, when even authors writing in the narrowest of niches can reach their target audience, wherever they may be.

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in March '09. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?

In practical terms, where a brick-and-mortar bookstore appearance might net you a potential audience of anywhere from a few dozen to perhaps a few hundred at the very best, on just one day, a single blog stop has a literally infinite reach, around the world in every house that has an internet connection, and for as long as the page is archived on the net. Not only that, but the cost is minimal by comparison. No plane fare or hotel expenses. No eating out or tight adherence to a schedule. No dress code, and best of all no sitting in an empty store when you could be at home writing!

What´s next for you?

My sophomore novel, The Jester´s Quest, is in the preparation stage. This is a book that I began some years ago, but left unfinished when the Beowulf project overtook my life. The Jester´s Quest is an adult fairy tale, and is intended to be an illustrated book, almost a graphic novel, but not quite. My current plan is to post my writing sessions on my blog each day, so that readers can follow along as the book progresses. This should theoretically begin near the first of April, once this book tour is completed. So be sure to stop by and see how things are going there!

Thank you for this interview, Scot. Can you tell us how we can find out more about you and your new book?

On my blog The Adventures of an Independent Author I write about my ongoing experience in the world of self-publishing, and as mentioned, will also be posting some of my writing there. But I also have a great website at www.fantasycastlebooks.com, where there is a host of free resources for your enjoyment of The Saga of Beowulf, from extensive author´s notes to early conceptual artwork and bookmarks you can download, plus promotional videos and audio excerpts and chapters you can read online or download, a Norse Rune Decoder (you´ll see why when you have read the book!), interviews, reviews, a study guide, and a great deal more. So be sure to stop by for a visit!