Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristian Zenz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kristian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
Rather than call it the best or worst investment, I will call my first endeavor into publishing the “worst best investment” of my life. It is quite literally both at the same time.
Back when I was 14, in April 2018, I had a finished manuscript of what would become my first novel. I was desperate and excited to publish the piece. I felt it had merit, regardless if an audience considered the young age of its author or not. I didn’t know exactly where to start when it came to publishing– there were so many books in my school’s library, and so many at Barnes and Noble. I presumed it couldn’t be that hard to get my own book out there. How naive I was! Publishing my book was the most challenging thing I have ever done. I presume this feat will only be bested by finally signing a contract with a real publisher.
This is where the stipulation becomes evident– I had finally found a publisher who was looking to accept my submission. In a frenzy, in November 2018, I sent my manuscript to them, and they enjoyed it– at least, that’s what they said. It turns out that this process wasn’t typically how authors get their start, and become financially successful. What I had stumbled into was a vanity publisher, whether the author has to pay the publisher to get published, instead of them paying you for the rights to publish your work. A hefty sum of money went down the drain for my family when this process wrapped up.
Were these services that my family paid for worth it? For a large part of this worth, time will tell. If I become a highly recognized author, and am able to live off the royalties from my work, then this initial publication would have been absolutely worth it. But, in this present moment, it was worth it, but only to an extent. I have learned a lot when it comes to publishing, and I have learned about editing, marketing, formatting, and cover deign with the help of this vanity publisher. They were able to get my book onto Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and do numerous things that I simply didn’t have the knowledge or power to accomplish as a 14 year-old. It was my first break into the world of literature, and my name was established, for better or worse. At the end of the day, this experience was a learning one, and there is definite value from it, regardless of the financial burden that was paid. It was a hefty financial mistake, and if we knew better, we would have looked elsewhere. But, I would say this terrible financial investment was a good personal one– it is up to myself to turn this “worst best investment” into the simple “best” one.
The book is called 2050 and is still available on Amazon and Barnes And Noble.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a writer, an author, and a student of life. The latter sounds strange, but it is only true. I was 15 when my first book was released; now 19. I am currently a junior in college, and the author of three books. In my experience, it is unusual for someone so young to have written a full length book. The statement is quite impressive, and the task to other people of the same age seems daunting. But, beyond the precipice of the matter, the simplicity of how my love of writing came to be may tell the true normality that this feat has been.
My love for writing stemmed around 3rd grade. We were told to write freely in composition notebooks, with black and white covers and a binder without a ring. It seems the stars aligned at this point– the freedom of having a blank canvas to fill with words was nothing short of amazing to me.I would fill those books to the brim, from cover to cover. My teachers were both astonished at my capabilites, as well as the cost to buy more notebooks. Such a simple beginning started something that will most likely be poignant for the rest of my life. Since then, I have published my first novel, along with taking endeavors in short stories, poetry, and more.
With my newest book released, entitled “Vernacular Whirlwind,” I aim to push my poetic knowledge to its limit and challenge convention. Western literature is pretty much nothing new– nobody is inventing words or evolving the language to a new permanent fixture in the same vein as Shakespeare. The pieces are here to stay– if I can rearrange them in way that piques the interest of the greater literary community, then I’ll have succeeded at my ultimate goal. I combine numerous forms of art together, whether its mixed media, graphic design, drawing, poetry, or spoken-word. I take elements I see from outside my window or on the Internet, in my Oscar Wilde Poetry book or on the lyric sheets of my favorite artists. Everything is blended seamlessly to formulate my own vernacular, in which this vernacular is exposed and showcased in the new book.
The statistical aspect that sets me apart is my age- I have published three works, yet am only 19. Age is just a number for me, in the sense that despite whatever connotations or presumptions arise, I aim to defy and challenge them. This is where the actual distinction comes in– I aim to distance myself from the status quo and push words to their limit.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
The only goal that drives me is the finite amount of time I have on Earth. Earth is a beautiful, incredible place, and I want to honor that privilege of being able to reside on it. If I can somehow decrease the suffering that people feel and increase the connections and bring individuals together, then I will have accomplished what I need to. If I can represent when my generation feels, or at least what some of them feel in a clever way, then I will be satisfied with my decision to pursue my creative careers.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
There is an element of uncertainty when it comes to the creative career. You never have a full guarantee when it comes to financial stability, an audience, a roof over your head. Every single cent earned from selling book copies at the book fair must get reinvested back into the next event. It’s a cyclic process which leaves you with little luxury for yourself. Taking a non-creative career is the easy way out, usually– a fixed wage is guaranteed and you can reside peacefully with that knowledge. I like that feeling too, but something is missing when I take that route. I feel like a cog in a system when working under someone, or something’s wing. I feel like a human being who functions and does, but not a person who feels, thinks or reflects. I need to feel the world around me, and I need to challenge myself to be more than a mere body which someone else can use to profit from. I want to be my own individual, and be my own boss. This is what drives my journey into this creative realm, despite the white noise I hear from those around me. If I keep the pedal to the floor, I believe good things will happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kristianzenz.com
- Instagram: @kristianzenz
- Youtube: @kristianzenz
Image Credits
Keanu Moua Anna Zenz Jake Voegeli