An Interview with Jonathan Selwood
Based on my conversations with the guy, I have concluded that Jonathan Selwood is an all around cool guy. He’s a Portland based author who has recently self-published his second novel, Die Like a Girl. He is also the author of The Pinball Theory of Apocalypse and wrote a story for Portland Noir. All three of those books are available on Amazon and are worth checking out. Mr. Selwood was nice enough to answer a few questions about his latest book for me. You can follow Jonathan through Twitter (@jselwood) or by checking out his blog, Literary Suicide.
How did Die Like a Girl came about?
JS: I was hanging out and drinking Old Crow with a drug dealer friend of mine, when she spontaneously starting telling me stories about her life. They were some of the funniest/scariest/craziest stories I’d ever heard.
Of course, for legal reasons, she swore me to secrecy, but it did give me the idea that a female drug dealer could be one hell of a protagonist. I’ve been trying to track her down so I can give her a copy of the novel, but she’s currently missing.
Who or what made you decide to publish Die Like a Girl as an e-book?
JS: It’s clear to me that e-books are the future. It’s also clear to me that most (if not all) of the major publishers haven’t really accepted this. They’re still pushing print and clinging to an antiquated system where it takes 18 months for a finished manuscript to make it to market. Self-publishing with ebooks (and Print-On-Demand) allows me to get my work out to readers instantly, avoiding the antiquated system altogether.
Both of your books feature a female protagonist whose world seems to start spinning out of control. Is there anything that draws you to that type of character?
JS: I think I’ve always seen the world as spinning out of control. I don’t know if this is the result of my Hollywood upbringing, or simply because the world REALLY IS spinning wildly out of control. As for why I tend to write female protagonists, I honestly have no clue. If only therapy wasn’t so pricey.
What’s your writing process like?
JS: Profanity ridden. I mean, to an absurd extent. It’s like a tick. I end up taking out something like five “fucks” a page during the editing process. Even so, there’s still a fuckload of fucking “fucks” all over the fucking fuck.
What’s next? More ebooks or are you retiring off all money you’re making by cutting out the middle man and self-publishing?
JS: The next book in the series (Kill Like a Girl) is already in the works. However, if I do start raking in that sweet sweet ebook cash, I plan to ditch the hoodie and start wearing a crested blue blazer wherever I go… possibly a yachting cap as well.
Tags: Interview, Jonathan Selwood
