[Interview: Part 2 of 2] Jay Mandal

Gay romance author, Jay Mandal's work includes the novels, All About Sex (BeWrite Books, 2006) and Precipice (Bewrite Books, 2005) as well as the short story collections, The Loss of Innocence (BeWrite Books, 2003); A Different Kind of Love (BeWrite Books, 2002); and Slubberdegullion (BeWrite Books, 2001).

His work has also been featured in anthologies that include Best Gay Romance 2009 (Cleis Press, 2009)and Best Gay Romance 2010 (Cleis Press, 2010).

In this interview, Jay Mandal talks about how his poems, short stories and novels have been received:

We had our first interview about three years ago. Have the challenges you face as a writer stayed the same or have they changed?

On a personal level, my depression seems to have worsened, which means I can’t write as much as I’d like.

Oddly enough, as my depression gains more of a hold, my writing seems to be becoming lighter in tone. I’m not sure whether that’s some form of escapism, if it’s normal change, if I’ve temporarily exhausted my supply of more sombre pieces (or if gay life is generally more accepted/acceptable/less angst-ridden) or if I’ve found ‘my voice’. And there have been legal changes recently, one being that gay couples can legally register their partnership in the UK.

As far as publishing goes, there are fewer bookshops around, both individual, independent stores and chains. We authors must wait to see if Print on Demand and ebooks take up the slack.

You've written poems, short stories and novels. Of the three, which do you think is easier or more difficult to write? And, why do you think this is so?

A novel is certainly hard to write. It’s far longer and has many more opening and closing scenes to create. With All About Sex, I wrote numerous short scenes out of order and then had to rearrange them.

I don’t feel I know much about poetry, although I’m pleased with some of the poems I’ve written.

Where do you get your ideas from?

Sometimes I really don’t know. But books, magazines, television, conversations -- even misheard ones -- are all sources of inspiration. Then there are news items, problem pages, holidays I’ve taken, pictures and photos, songs, a word taken at random from a dictionary.

I may start writing without any clear idea as to where the story is heading, and just hope for the best.

My target is 100 words per day -- in a year, that adds up to nearly 40,000. But I suffer from depression, so often don’t manage to write anything at all.

How have your novels been received?

Generally well -- I’ve sold over 2,500 copies of them (excluding the anthologies); and they were borrowed from UK libraries nearly 1,500 times for the years ended June 2008 and 2009.

Readers encourage me to look again at Dandelion Clock as a screenplay. I think All About Sex would also be interesting as a film or television drama as it’s got plenty of dialogue and action.

Opinion on The Dandelion Clock, which has sold 1,500 copies, is polarised.

The Dandelion Clock is a gentle book more concerned with thoughts and feelings. It’s not an action book. A reader did comment on the amount of tea-drinking which went on, so, much of that has gone when it came to the second edition.

So far, you've written over 300 short stories. Generally, how long does it take you to craft a story from start to finish?

It’s difficult to say.

Some may take years, but I’ll have been working on them only intermittently. A story may not be quickly finished if I’m not well or if I can’t think what happens next.

Flash fiction -- perhaps 200 words -- may be written basically in a day or two, and then it might undergo editing.

Have all the stories you've written been published?

My stories have been published by BeWrite Books in three collections (A Different Kind of Love; The Loss of Innocence; and Slubberdegullion; and there are nine together with the novel, Precipice.

One appears in Best Gay Romance 2009, while another is appearing in Best Gay Romance 2010.

Some others are in process of being placed.

I occasionally toy with the idea of self-publishing, but am put off by the amount of time and effort I would have to expend on this route (which doesn’t guarantee much in the way of reward -- better to find a decent publisher who will do the donkey work for you, even if it’s a small publisher and much of the promotion side is down to you).

I’d obviously like all my finished stories to find a home. This may involve self-publishing occasionally, but BeWrite Books is very much on my side and will at least consider my work for full editorial treatment and ‘proper’ publication. You can’t hit the mark every time, though.

How have your short stories been received?

BeWrite Books and Cleis Press have published my stories in paperback form (e-books are available, too, from BeWrite Books and, shortly, Kindle versions through Smashwords).

Judging from reviews the stories have received, they are popular in the UK and US.

For example, one reader posted a review of BGR2009 on Amazon UK, and said my story was ‘the jewel in the crown’ of the anthology.

Which of the short stories would you say have been most successful?

It was the story, "Chiaroscuro", which received the ‘jewel in the crown’ mention.

I have also won a short story competition which had over 1,000 entries. And, oddly enough, that wasn’t a gay tale.

Some short stories I’ve sent to several famous people who’ve been kind enough to reply, so to some extent I can claim that these have been successful. Others have been mentioned specifically in reviews. Some stories are more humorous or poignant than others, and appeal more to readers.

Related articles:

• Jay Mandal [Interview: Part 1 of 2], Conversations with Writers, May 2, 2007
• Novel steams up Olympics-era gay Atlanta, By Mike Fleming, Project Q Atlanta, August 30, 2010
• Interview with Jay Mandal [spotlight], the short review

[Interview_1] Jay Mandal

Jay Mandal’s novels and short stories are written with the gay audience in mind.

So far he has written three novels and over 200 short stories.

His books, which include the novel Precipice and the collections of short stories, A Different Kind of Love, The Loss of Innocence, and Slubberdegullion, have been well received. His debut novel, The Dandelion Clock has sold over 1,000 copies, mostly through online sales. His latest novel, All About Sex, is currently at number six on the Amazon (U.K.) gay romance section.

In an email interview that took place in August of 2006, Jay Mandal spoke about his writing, his newly released novel, the challenges emerging writers face and how new technology is changing the publishing industry.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

It was something that happened gradually. As a child, I'd make "books" by folding sheets of paper, and I'd make up episodes of shows I watched on television. It wasn't until about 10 years ago that I began to write short stories with the aim of getting them published.

As a writer, my main concern is probably that of every author: I want readers to enjoy what I write whether it's serious or humorous.

Who influenced you the most?

My favorite authors are Douglas Adams, John Steinbeck, Bill Bryson and Armistead Maupin, and my favourite books are Il Gattopardo, Wuthering Heights and To Kill A Mockingbird.

It was The Tales of the City books that encouraged me to start writing again and not to give up until I had a publisher. Armistead Maupin's books were written in the sort of style that I liked, and they had a track record. There was humor and pathos, and I wanted to attempt a British equivalent.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

I've suffered from depression and in Precipice I explore its effect on one of the main characters. Overall, though, it's not a depressing book.

Precipice is about coming to terms with cancer, and learning to live with the disease and its consequences.

The novel took about a year -- I let it languish in a drawer for a considerable length of time before sending it anywhere. It was published in 2005 by BeWrite Books.

Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?

The chapter dealing with depression took a lot of work. I'd jotted things down as they occurred to me, and had to get them into some kind of order and not overload the reader.

What sets Precipice apart from the other things you have written?

The very first word is "Cancer." Right from the start the reader knows it's not going to be a comfortable book to read. But despite the theme, there is a lot of humor in the novel.

Which themes will you be exploring in your next book?

My next book is entitled, All About Sex, which gives a clue! But it'll be classified as romance rather than erotica on Amazon, so loyal readers should not be put off by the title. It's due out in the autumn.

How did you get there?

I try to write 100 words every day. It's not a vast amount, but it soon adds up. It allows you to continue with your daily routine -- few authors make enough to live on their earnings. And I was lucky enough to find a publisher willing to take a chance on an unknown writer.

What are the biggest challenges that you face?

Publicity is a huge challenge, but it's one that writers are now expected to undertake themselves to some extent. Not only is there a flood of manga on the market, but there are also very few independent bookshops left. Manga refers to the mostly Japanese graphic books. In the top 20 of my genre, 14 books (70 percent) are manga ("yaoi").

The chains are unwilling to take a chance on books by relatively unknown authors, and content themselves in a cut-price war of bestsellers that the small publisher can't hope to compete with.

The big chains refuse to take advantage of the new print-on-demand technology, as the latter means they have to pay upfront for books and can't simply return unsold ones for pulping.

Of course, self-publishers using print-on-demand may not have access to the same level of editing and proofreading expertise, so some errors or poorer writing may slip through. Also, the print-on-demand books have so far been a bit more expensive than those produced by mainstream publishers, as printers are not always able to take advantage of the economies of scale.

What effect does this have on readers and writers?

Readers who obtain their books from high street shops are forced to buy bestsellers and books by celebrities. New, unknown authors aren't stocked, which means that publishers are even more reluctant to take a chance on them.

It's a vicious circle.

Writers are now following the self-publishing route more and more which, in turn, means there's less likelihood of their books being stocked and promoted.

Unless a new way of selling develops, readers are likely to find even less choice in the future.

What is print-on-demand technology? How does it work?

Print-on-demand means books are printed as and when ordered, and is the technology used by some book publishers. This does away with stockpiles in publishers' warehouses or authors' garages and spare rooms, and means capital is not tied up in unsold books. It's more efficient, and a book never becomes out-of-print.

Self-publishing describes the whole process of producing a book, including editing and proofreading, and is paid for by the author himself. It may use either print-on-demand technology or the more traditional larger print-runs.

Print-on-demand technology -- used by publishers rather than directly by writers -- is still in its infancy but is growing fast, fueled by the large number of books written.

In time, quality can only improve and quantity increase. Different outlets -- such as cyber cafes -- may offer facilities for downloading books.

How do you deal with the challenges that you face?

I read writing magazines as well as the books sections in national newspapers -- these give you ideas.

There are also writers' Web sites to which I belong. Members often draw attention to writing competitions and literary festivals being held. Most of my books are sold online, where print-on-demand is not a problem.

Do you see a time when online booksellers will replace the traditional bookseller? Why is this? What effect will it have on readers and writers alike?

Nothing compares with the pleasure of browsing and of actually being able to hold the book in your hands. However, there are few independent bookshops left, and very few chains, too, and the latter rely heavily on bestsellers.

Online bookstores offer a vast range and are able to include reviews of many books -- not just those that win prizes or have been written by celebrities or those reviewed by newspapers and magazines at their editors' discretion.

Then there are e-readers -- hand-held electronic devices that store numerous books -- which could replace textbooks in schools. But I hope there will always be a place for the traditional bookseller.

Related books:

,,

Related article:

Jay Mandal [Interview: Part 2 of 2], Conversations with Writers, September 13, 2010