We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ben Schenkman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ben, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

You can’t publish a book without writing one, but that’s not where the real challenge starts. I wrote the draft of my first novel, My Boss is the Devil, during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2014. Self-publishing was getting more popular but still had a lot of stigma associated with it. It was the “second choice” or the “fallback.” So the next step in the process was to put my manuscript out there (query) and see if I could find a publisher or agent interested in picking up the project.

The short answer: I couldn’t. Some people query for years without finding representation. I didn’t have the time or energy to do that. So while I did pursue traditional publishing for a brief time, I also flirted with some of the crowd-funding options at the time with similar lack of success.

I shelved the manuscript for almost ten years. Life got in the way, I had my son, and didn’t think too much about it despite having the nagging disappointment in my mind that I had written a book that no one would read. Fast forward to 2023, and I was doom-scrolling on TikTok. One of my favorite creators (AtomicApplePie) does these short reads of bad prose written by men, usually romance novels, and they are truly awful. I said to myself, “I wrote a book, once. If these guys are published, why aren’t I?”

So I decided it was time to dust off the manuscript. I added some more content, edited again, got some early readers among my friend group, and looked at the publishing landscape. “Trad pub” is worse than it has ever been, as far as finding an agent or publisher to take on a project. The market is highly saturated and the slog to be traditionally published is long and arduous.

I decided I didn’t have time to waste. I’m in my early forties, and sat on the project too long as it was. I wanted my work out there, to get my book into people’s hands, so I decided to take a risk and self-publish. I joined a number of online communities, got involved in a local author’s group, and had some covers professionally made. Starting in early 2023, I was ready to publish by the end of the year. Just before new years, I hit the button on Kindle Direct Publishing, and my book went live.

Self publishing isn’t better or worse than traditional, but it’s a different risk. You’re taking all the responsibility on yourself. You’re your own agent, marketer, social media consultant, and ad manager. But it’s worth it, if you want to get your book into the hands of readers.

Was there an audience for my book? Yes, there was. As of today My Boss is the Devil has almost 300 ratings and 90 reviews with 4.3 stars. Your story will have an audience, and for me the risk of self publishing feels very worth it.

The author’s coop I’m a part of has even started our own indie press, Caffeinated Terrier Press, with an anthology coming out this December. Finding community and support is so important for success in independent publishing, it’s a blessing to be working with such talented individuals.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a fantasy writer, specifically Urban Fantasy at the moment. I’ve always written, even from a young age, though not professionally. It was short stories in elementary school, poetry in high school, and then more work related to improv and playwriting in college. I took a long hiatus from writing, but it’s back with a vengeance now.

My books tend to focus on big themes. The largest of those, in my first series The Devil You Know, leans heavily into whether the ends justify the means. My stories are dark comedy, with plenty of banter, but there are big questions that the characters explore through their own experiences.

What I’m most proud of is when I can make a reader think, while they’re also having a good time. Sarcasm and snark are peppered throughout my books, and you’ll be laughing at a bit of dialogue before realizing you’re questioning the meaning of good and evil.

Another thing I’m proud of is getting my series out there in such a short time. I wrote my first book years ago, and revived it last year. Since then I’ve published the next two in the series this same year. I’m even writing a new book, in a new potential series. Hopefully I can keep up the creative juices for a while yet.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Art is subjective. People who aren’t involved in the arts don’t always understand that their taste isn’t going to impact your success as an artist. My books aren’t for everyone, but there are plenty of people who love them.

That’s the lesson, you have to understand that your art has an audience, and if you can find them even better. Don’t worry about people who don’t like your art because it’s “not for them”. That’s okay, it’s honest feedback and there’s nothing wrong with it.

Take criticism to heart, but only the constructive kind. Use it to make your art better, for your audience.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

We need to support each other. Artists are rarely in competition with each other. Sure, there are limits to consumer spending, but me writing a book doesn’t take away from you writing a book. Even if we’re in the same genre it doesn’t mean we can’t both have success. The world is a big place, with plenty of people to enjoy our art.

Now, society. The best thing society can do is to support independent artists! Corporate culture makes people think that independent art and artists are somehow “less than” and it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Give independent art a chance, and you’ll find some of your favorite music, books, and visual media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://benschenkman.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benschenkman.author/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100070644815479/
• Twitter: https://x.com/BenSchenkman
• Other: https://linktr.ee/benschenkman
  https://caffeinatedterrierpress.com/