Interview With Kerry Wilkinson

Kerry Wilkinson, thank you for being with us today. You are being called an accidental author after your success in the series. How did all this happened? Can you tell us about your writing to publishing journey?

I always thought I was capable of doing something other than simply "having a job". When I turned 30, I figured it was about time I got on and actually tried, so I started writing...




Why self-publishing rather than traditional one, tell us about your e-publishing experience? What was the most difficult part?

I did a small amount of reading up on the publishing part - the submitting to agents, the wait, the rejection, the battle to get a deal even if you get an agent ... and so on. I'd enjoyed writing the book and figured that if I put myself through all of that, what had been a positive experience would end up being a negative one. I was never that desperate to "be published" anyway, so I figured I'd have a go myself. I didn't particularly struggle with any of it.


Do you have any suggestions for the newly published or soon to be published authors?

Be realistic. Self-publishing isn't very hard - which means anyone can do it. On the one hand, that means YOU can, on the other, that means lots and lots of other people can. If you go into it thinking you're going to become famous, make a fortune, get a book / film deal, etc, then you'll likely end up disappointed.


What do you think about e-publishing’s future?

Ebooks are popular because that's what consumers want. It's easy for publishers, agents and authors to complain - but if no-one bought ebooks, there'd be no market. Things are changing very quickly, with consumers taking power into their own hands about all types of media that they consume. Ebooks will be as popular as the public want them to be - and I suspect that will mean sales will overtake all physical sales in the UK within a few years.


How did the Jessica Daniel books come up? And why do you think so many people enjoy them?

I try to write about people and relationships as opposed to "things". You can have an amazing premise, great dialogue, and crisp prose but if your characters are dull, then - chances are - so is your work. I think they became popular because a lot of people saw bits of themselves in Jessica. Parts of the books are raw, unpolished by publishers and people churning out idendikit stuff. That leaves the character with a chance to breathe, rather than have an Editor on your shoulder saying "this bit's not crucial to the plot, so it should go". Well, yes it could, but you'd also take away part of the character too.


Crime fiction is full of impossible puzzles – at least in good ones – for me, how do you think of your stories and settings? Do you start with a solution or a problem and find a solution on the way?

There's no specific process. I have pages of notes for all sorts of things.

I read that you are a sports journalist, how did you start writing crime fiction?

A bit of an accident really: I simply had an idea, so started writing. If it had been in some other non-crime genre, then that's what would have ended up being written.


What is your writing process like, do you outline?

It's evolved slightly. Now, everything is plotted quite extensively, beat by beat, chapter by chapter. My summaries can be 10,000 words. But when I've got that, I find the writing itself relatively straightforward. Things still change plot-wise as I write but not much.

And your characters, why Jessica Daniel, why did you choose her?

She just came together in my head as I was beginning to plot Locked In. The more I wrote her, the more I enjoyed it and had further ideas of where to take her.

Can you tell us about other books in the series, shortly please?

After Locked In and Vigilante, there is The Woman In Black, then Think of the Children, which is out in the UK in February 2013. Playing with Fire is out in July 2013, then book six early in 2014. I've got notes and plots for a fair way beyond that.


I know that you have designed your own cover in Locked In, why a so simple cover? And are you still doing your covers yourself?

Pan Macmillan, my UK publisher, do all of that type of thing. Sometimes I think less is more - so something very basic indeed stood out precisely for that reason.

What should we expect from Kerry Wilkinson next? 

As well as all those future Jessica books, I have a sci-fi, young adult fantasy trilogy coming out - beginning at the end of 2013.