Several months ago, Tellest had the opportunity to speak to a budding young author with an exuberant disposition, an eagerness to write, and a quickly growing catalog. Aaron Alberto has kept his nose to the grindstone, unleashing more books into the world, and he’s back to tell us how his writing journey has been since he’s last checked in. Read on to learn more about this fantasy enthusiast and find out what new magic he plans to impart on his readers.
Tellest: Hello again Aaron! I wanted to thank you for coming back to Tellest to let us know what you’ve been up to since the last time we chatted. You’ve had a few more books come out, had new experiences, and new successes, so it will be great to catch up and see what you’ve been up to. I appreciate you taking time out of what must be a busy schedule.
Aaron Alberto: Oh, for sure! Yes, I have sold almost 100 book copies independently, and I just find that truly amazing! It is great to be interviewed again.
T: I usually open these interviews with a talk about what inspirations you might have had that led you to your writing journey. We know from your last interview that you were given some motivations by authors like R.L. Stine, writing on the Fanon Wiki, and we know that Ms. Axt had a huge impact on you. Have you got any new inspirations driving you forth for your next set of stories?
AA: Ah! It is so difficult to find new inspirations when I feel the art world has been lacking as of lately, so I am just doing my own thing now, since nothing around me is inspiring me. I have been reflecting on the strangeness of my dreams and utilizing them as spins to my tales! I am actually waiting to surpass 300 units of indie book copies sold before I write anything new.
T: With writing on the back burner for now, how are you keeping yourself preoccupied?
AA: I go to the gym when I am not making art a lot, or I get a job and work temporarily, waiting to go to college for next year. The rush of excitement is becoming thrilling for me to get my debut novel and EP test album finished, time to make a jump.
T: So, there’s a lot of information to digest there! You mention art, your novel, and an EP test album. We’ve got to know more about each of those!
AA: For art, well that is the novel, my legacy indie books and my EP test album/mix tape or whatever you want to call it! I am hoping that the folks who come across and read this interview support my legacy books on Amazon and purchase a few copies! It would mean the world to me! Secondly, I am rushing to finish the first draft of my debut novel, I am thrilled to complete it so that I can get it proofread and edited, to query it out as soon as possible so that there can be a possibility of it to hit the bookstores! As for my EP test album, I plan on releasing it on BandCamp, my father was a musician so I’m using this time to make some songs up and get his help to polish it so I can create an album for fun and even get the songs played on the radio.
T: Including Birdhazard, which launched after your last promo for Life In Colors, it looks like you’ve released three more books. Is it getting easier to release your stories now that you’ve got a good grip on the process?
AA: Yes! For sure! I now have an artist, Hana from Slovakia, who is marvelous at what she does and has become my first legacy artist to design the covers of my books! And I can write and publish stories at a faster rate now more than ever. It is truly wonderful, especially as my books have managed to surpass 100 book copies sold!
T: How many books total have you published, and which one is your favorite thus far? Which one is your newest?
AA: I have published a total of seven books independently on Amazon. My favorite one has to be The Magical Train; it had the most ambitious story with well thought out dedication and it is the longest one as well. The newest one is Mythological Reign. I had written most of it back in the beginning of 2020, then I realized that it had a highly strange ending, and story structure—very avant-garde, so I shelved it. A few months later, however, I said, you know what? Let me publish it for some extra creative enthusiasm!
T: The Magical Train also has the distinction of having a series attached to it. Is Aarthscape something you’re planning on further exploring? Is it specific to the Magical Train universe, or does it connect some of your other books as well?
AA: Great question! The Magical Train itself is like volume 1 of what I want to explore a trilogy, after I query my first novel which is the same story but extended much bigger. The indie edition of The Magical Train is loosely connected to all of my other indie books, and there are subtle references to it all over my books on Amazon. I’ll let the readers figure out the timeline. Yet once I complete Volume 2 of The Magical Train and if I do get representation for it to hit the bookstores then that itself will be the official start of the Aarthscape series ! Too soon yet to predict though!
T: This interview is built around a new promotion for your book The Magical Train, which was your first fantasy, and your most successful book the last time we spoke. What do you think lends to its achievements? What are its best qualities that have made it so appreciated?
AA: I think the fact that it all occurred so unannounced! Almost as if I just went at it without any knowledge of how or what, yet the writing was strong, having graduated from High School and taken AP Language recently during that time. It is truly fantastic that we made it this far and are starting to take off!
T: From a marketing standpoint, what are you doing to help get the word out for your books? Do you do things like price drops, promotions on sites like Book Barbarian and Bargain Booksy, Facebook ads, anything like that?
AA: I do book promotions every once in a while. My independent success has to be credited to the fact that so many people in the waking world cherish me and have my back, especially having graduated from high school recently and doing pro wrestling in the east coast, family and friends combined. They were the engines to this powerhouse.
T: Okay, now I’m curious again. Were you participating in professional wrestling among all these other things you were exploring? How do you find the time?
AA: After I finished Life In Colors, I was like I got two chapter books available to buy on Amazon, why do I not find the time to do something else? So, I decided to pursue and train for professional wrestling for a few months and got immediately hired in Delaware for an underground wrestling company to do two matches. It also served as promo to get my book sales up. Once I returned to the state I’m currently inhabiting, Nevada, I went back to writing some more, to complete and publish all my later works! To this day, I still get support for my art from the wrestling fans!
T: You write at a very quick pace—something that most readers and superfans are very appreciative of, as they want new work from their favorite authors before too much time passes. What would you say are your secrets to writing quickly and consistently, and what advice would you give to someone else who is starting their writing journey, and want to deliver regular updates to their readership?
AA: I would say, do not hesitate, whatsoever. Go for it, write, write, and write no matter how difficult things get. Go for it, do not stop, you have a unique talent, and you can only get bigger and better with time!
T: Conversely, what kind of pitfalls would you warn new writers about? What are some things you’ve learned throughout the process that you would do differently if you knew then what you do now?
AA: The biggest pitfalls for new writers would be that if you have a story brewing around your head, you can’t let it stagnate. Go for it and write it down as fast as possible! Also have a marketing plan or people by your side that are ready to purchase your books. Never allow anyone to attempt to put you down for having such a wonderful talent.
T: What’s next for you on the storytelling front? What books do you plan on releasing throughout the rest of the year?
AA: I actually won’t write anything new until I surpass 300 book units independently, however, for my next indie book project I am considering writing a sequel to BIRDHAZARD or a story based on Greek mythology, only time will tell. I am at the moment finishing my first fully fledged out novel and considering querying it at anytime!
T: When you say you’re querying it, you mean querying it to literary agents?
AA: Yes, of course! Who else is going to represent my book? I am getting highly ready and excited for this, to think it can perhaps make it into bookstores!
T: You had also managed to get your books out into places like Walmart in the past as well, so bookstores probably aren’t too far behind. Speaking of bookstores, do you ever think about doing something like a reading for an audience there?
AA: Sure, I would absolutely love to if there is demand for it, or if I got really lucky, then perhaps for the fun of it to spread the world. A barstool, out loud book reading tour would be fantastic! One of my books, Life In Colors, was temporarily available on Walmart’s website during the spring season, and that was what incited me to start taking my novel seriously. You got something here, take your time and complete it and now I am nearing that time!
T: Aaron, I want to thank you again for taking some time to speak with me. I’m learning now that even when you’re taking a break from writing, you’re doing an incredible number of artistic things to express your creativity. With all that in mind, are there places where people could find you and your work beyond Amazon?
AA: Thank you for the interview, it was great to give insight on my work. At the moment no, Life In Colors was temporarily available on Walmart’s website for a limited, but after that my books remain only on Amazon. I am eyeing the possibility of expanding my future work and perhaps legacy books to IngramSparks as well. In the meantime I hope to query this novel that I am completing in order to at last, get an art product of mine- physically in stores!
You can find me on Instagram here: https://instagram.com/aarth.scape
Once again, I’d like to thank Aaron Alberto for spending some of his time to talk to Tellest about his books and his other activities. Alberto has been working diligently on his projects throughout the year, and he’s got a bright future ahead of him. We most recently looked at The Magical Train, so take a look at that promo, or pick up the book on Amazon today!
Michael DeAngelo
Latest posts by Michael DeAngelo (see all)
- Character Art – David Garus - November 29, 2023
- Interview with the Authors of The Golden Gull – Steve Drew - November 29, 2023
- Special Tellest Newsletter – November 2023 - November 28, 2023