READERSVOICE.COM: There seems to be a pretty healthy comics and pulp and fantasy publishing scene in the South. What’s your opinion of this publishing industry?

BOBBY NASH: I love the fact that there is a large concentration of creative professionals in the area. I’ve gotten to know several. My daily life does not include a lot of face-to-face creative talk so it’s always nice when I can get together with other creators and talk creative things.

I love writing and reading so I hope the publishing industry remains healthy. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen by the closing of bookstores and comic shops, that’s not always the case. I do hold out hope that books will continue both in print and digital formats. Fingers crossed.

RV: What sorts of conventions have you attended over the years, and do you plan to attend?

BN: I love conventions and attend a lot of them. So far this year I’ve been to fifteen and still have three scheduled before the end of the year. Plus, I’ve already booked a few for 2012. I am planning to cut back a bit next year because of financial reasons because conventions are expensive and travel/hotel/tables are not always covered. Of course, I say that every year so we’ll see. I would like to get back to San Diego Comicon or New York Comicon next year. It’s been a few years since I’ve attended either. I keep a list of the cons I’m doing at my website, www.bobbynash.com.

I really like the conventions that are a mix of different genres and mediums. Because I write comic books, novels, pulp, crime, sci fi, etc, I do better at say a Dragon Con than a straight comic book convention because one is more diverse than the other. Both are great shows, but for me having a table and trying to cover expenses, the multi-interest cons work best.

RV: What are the main lessons you’ve learned about plotting stories, and getting started in the business overall?

BN: One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that if you want to be a writer you have to sit yourself down and write. You have to meet deadlines, you have to follow the publisher’s guidelines, and you have to treat it like a job because that’s what it is. I’ve also learned that there’s more to being a writer than writing. There’s marketing, promotion, social media, interviews, reviews, conventions, signings, podcasting, visiting shops, and a lot of sleepless nights. It’s a lot of hard work, but you know what, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love my job.

As for getting started, man, it’s tough. There are more people wanting to write for publishers than there are spots on the publisher’s rosters. You and your work have to stand out, which is also difficult. All I can suggest is that you stick with it and get some work out there then use that work to get the next work. It’s a process. I meet a lot of people that think that after you have your first story published that the stress of breaking in is gone. It’s not. I broke in with my first project. Then, for my second, I had to break in again. And again. And again.

– Visit www.bobbynash.com. 

– copyright Simon Sandall.