Letitia Matthews - Interview

Q: Please introduce yourself.
A: Hi, I’m Letitia, and I am addicted to words😊. Well, I should clarify – the written word, more than the spoken word! Although I care deeply about people, humans are not my favorite creatures and I enjoy silence (in large doses). Aside from writing, I enjoy nature, photography, graphic design, paper crafts and more recently, I have begun to dabble in watercolors.

Q: What are you working on now?
A: To be very honest, I have committed to getting all my unpublished projects published by the end of 2017, before I’ll allow myself to really get into my new projects. So, I am re-working my first novel, which I wrote more than 15 years ago. Hopefully, I’ll publish it before the end of December. I have two children’s stories to publish in that time-frame too. However, my next projects are already consuming my thoughts, so I suppose it’s fair to say I have started them already… One is a novel – a contemporary Christian romance, and the other is my personal journey of awakening, as I learned to hear and obey what God speaks into my spirit. It sounds serious, but it’s quite a humorous account of my rebellions and God’s grace in spite of that.

Q: Why did you decide to write your current work?
A: Hard to say! I feel as though my stories lie dormant in my soul for a long time, before they germinate in due season. So, in a way, they have always been a part of me, until I had eyes to see them, and the heart to write them.

Q: What genre do you usually write in? Do you typically write novels, short stories, poems, etc.?
A: Another tough question… I’m an avid blogger, and some of my readers have said my posts are on the long side… I own that. So, it will come as no surprise that I write novels. My favorite genre is romance, with a splash of history now and again. I have written a fair amount of poetry too – all still unpublished. Perhaps, I’ll publish that one day too.

Q: What have you written in the past?
A: I have written three complete novels, a one-month daily devotional, a children’s story, and more blog posts than I can count. I also write for clients around the globe, on a freelance basis.

Q: How long have you been an author?
A: Although I completed my first novel more than a decade and a half ago, I only published my first book in July 2017 (4 months ago). Ironically, I published my third novel first, the second after that, and the first one will hopefully see the light of day soon.

Q: What made you want to become an author?
A: I first knew I wanted to write when I was around ten years old. Writing is just a part of who I am. It is something I need to do, like breathing. My characters first made me want to publish – I felt their stories as intensely as I experienced my own journey, and felt they should be told. Family and friends also encouraged me to publish – they shared that my posts often encouraged and challenged them.

Q: If you are currently supporting yourself from writing alone, how long did it take you to get to this point since you began seeking to make writing a full-time career?
A: There have been days when I could identify with the plight of artists who virtually starved to death, before their work became recognized – ha-ha! It hasn’t been that bad, but it has been tough! My published titles are not supporting me (yet – she says with hope). Freelance writing and web-design work has been my income, as I’ve taken the leap of faith to write full-time.

Q: Have you self-published, traditionally published, or both? If both, do you prefer one over the other? Do you have any advice for authors seeking your chosen method of publication?
A: I am self-published. It has been a learning curve for me, and the only advice I would give other authors considering self-publishing, is keep your options open. I published my first one via Amazon’s KDP select. For my subsequent titles, I went with Amazon, Create Space, and Smash words.

Q: Do you have any advice for beginning authors? (Please answer even if you are a beginning author yourself.) For example:  How do overcome writer’s block? What marketing tactics have you found to be the most effective? Any advice at all.
A:Don’t give up! Your dream matters and your message might be exactly what someone else needs to hear. For me, the blessing of writing, is hearing that my work and my words, which are an expression of my heart, have impacted a reader. I almost gave up once… I suffered a severe writer’s block that lasted a decade, after my first husband died of cancer. I eventually resigned myself to the fact that I would never write again.

Fortunately, God disagreed, and He breathed life back into my writing. It has been a blessed relief for me, and I think there is no stopping me now. There is no perfect time to write – so if you are waiting until you have more time, or are more skilled, it might never happen. Carve out a bit of writing time each day, and just write a little – indulge yourself. It’s addictive, and as you flex your writing muscles, the words will come.

I also think it’s unwise to aim for perfection during a first draft. Just let it flow, and fix it later. Trying to correct as you go, can obstruct your creativity.

Most of all, stay true to your calling. Writing is not something you do from your hand or mind – it comes from the heart. Don’t let others douse your inspiration or style. Hear constructive criticism, yes. But, don’t let it define you, or your story.

As for marketing, I think Facebook is hard to beat when it comes to value and targeting a specific market. I also recommend having an author page, and giving books away for free in competitions, sometimes generates interest too. Also, build a mailing list, so that you can reach your fans with new releases (Mailchimp is a great free tool for this).

So, why are you still here? Go write! -)

Learn more about Letitia and her works at the following: www.letitiamatthews.co.za,
www.zebraonmystoep.co.za, and www.wordscount.co.za.

Her published works are Garden of Torment, Zulu Love Letters, and Whispers in the Wild.