IN THE LIBRARY WITH PAULA R.C. READMAN

GREETINGS, BOOKWORMS! I’m Aisha Kandisha, Head Librarian at Kandisha Press. Join me in the dusty stacks of the library I will never leave again as I chat with some of my favorite Women in Horror. Today we chat with author Paula R.C. Readman!

---

Paula R. C. Readman is a prolific writer. She shares her life with her husband, Russell, and two cats. Paula works with three different publishers and has penned six books and over a hundred short stories.

Blog: https://colourswordspaper.blog or just Google Paula R C Readman and something is bound to pop up about her.

---

What made you want to become an author? Did you have an “Aha!” moment when you knew you were born to write? Or perhaps a beloved book inspired you?

I never dreamed that I could become a published author as I struggled with dyslexia and left school poorly educated. I worked in low-paying jobs until one day I decided to set myself a challenge to get something published. I had to learn how English grammar worked and the skills needed to write well enough for publication. My husband bought second-hand books from eBay, which I read at work during my breaks. In 2012, I had my first short story published by English Heritage in an anthology. That’s when I started to see myself as a writer. In 2020, I had the first of six books published and now I feel much more confident with my writing.

What do you believe are your strengths in writing? And when you need to improve on a particular writing skill, how do you go about it?

I’m driven to keep revising my work until I reach the point where the plot becomes clearer and more satisfying for me. I’m always fearful I might miss a vital hint while editing. This might spark some fresh ideas that could elevate a strong plotline into an outstanding one.

My writing skills are mostly self-taught from reading a wide variety of books, so whenever I need to improve on something, I just look for a book on that topic and read more. Reading more helps me to distinguish between good and bad writing so I’m an avid reader who reads outside the genre I write in.

What are your thoughts on the book industry today, or more importantly, about the book community? Do you feel it is getting harder or easier to make it as an independent author these days?

In today’s world, there are many routes to take to achieve your dream of becoming a published author. From self-publishing and having full control over the process, to finding a small press that matches your genre and can offer you some support. However, if you aspire to work with one of the big six publishers, you will need an agent who can advocate for you and sell your manuscript. This can be a difficult and lengthy process, which requires perseverance and resilience, but some writers do succeed.

I’m happy with the three small publishers I work with because there’s less stress and more flexibility to write the books I want. The most challenging part of the book industry is marketing, and for all authors, whether you’re self-published, or with a large publishing company, or a small press you’ll need to market your books to some degree. You can spend a lot of money on it, but there is no guarantee it will boost your book sales. As in the past, it’s still difficult for authors to make a living from purely writing books. Most authors need to be supported while writing; because we don’t know when or if we will ever have a bestselling book.

Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?

As a gothic novelist, I draw inspiration from the Victorian writers. They explored the dark, mysterious aspects of life without relying on blood and gore to create suspense and horror but also used psychological, and emotional effects those elements had on the characters and settings within their stories. To answer your question which of my six books is my favourite is tough but they all represent different stages of my development as a writer. If I had to pick one, it would be my latest novella, ‘Never Reaching the End’. It may be short, but it packs a lot of punch and depth. It started life as an idea for an Australian Publishing company that wanted a set of three horror stories. The theme was a story set in a house, one in space, and one on a ship. Kandisha has published the space short story, The Last Thread in the anthology, The One That Got Away. The house story became Never Reaching the End and I still have the ship story on my computer.

What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?

My plan has always been to write thirty books before I die. Whether I achieve this goal, or not, I shall, at least, die trying. I think it is important for one’s mental health to focus on plans and dreams but with the understanding not to drive yourself insane trying to achieve the impossible. I have two books planned for this year. I’m busy writing a follow-up novel to The Funeral Bird and then a different type of book. This one will be a more light-hearted tale. If an author wants to make money at writing, it’s best to write books the larger population will want to read. As an author of dark quiet horror, I have witnessed readers’ faces cloud over at the mere mention of the word Horror. I then have to explain to them that there are many sub-categories within horror and they might find they will enjoy them. It’s funny how romance and crime writers don’t have this problem.

---