The Nobody People represents the growing trend of indie authors who are bypassing traditional publishing routes in order to offer the reader an alternative, according to author Richard Daniels.
Set in Lincolnshire, the book brims with all the energy of an author that’s uninterested in waiting for mainstream discovery – it addresses an audience who are hungry for stories that most publishers consider too unusual.
The Linc spoke to Richard to find out more about the author behind the book, which is available now in paperback and as an eBook via Amazon.
So tell me about yourself, give me some background info.
By day I teach at a college and any other time I’m not doing that I try to be writing. To be honest, I even try and write when I am at work – scribblings between lessons or when I should be marking. Maybe such an obsession isn’t healthy, so to counterbalance that I go running and try and surf when I can.
What’s the book about?
The Nobody People is essentially about a group of misfits that have to stick together when a burglary goes horribly wrong. It also features mind altering drugs, a trained assassin and a retired wrestler. There’s a trailer I made with some friends on YouTube.
What made you decide to write this book?
It started out as an idea for a short story, but then it just kept getting longer as things developed. That was part of the fun. The ideas had been floating about in my mind for a while.
Have you written any others? If so which is your favourite?
I have written other things. I have two pieces available digitally from Amazon. They’re both good! One is a short story called The Dog, The Girl, and the Magician and the other is a collection based around the same character – Jack Belmond: Unwitcher Rising.
Where did your inspiration come from for this book?
Its backdrop is the decaying British seaside, specifically Mablethorpe. I grew up on the coast so I’m familiar with the sorrow and surreal nature of it. A friend of mine said my story reminded him of a Shane Meadows film. It was such a nice thing to hear.
How long did it take you to write this book?
It’s really about novella length. It took me about four or five months.
Have you always been a writer?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I have worked in a prison, delivered prescription drugs, worked in a ski resort, sold double glazing. I didn’t actually manage to sell any double glazing!
What do you think makes a good story?
One where you have to know what happens on the next page and the next page and the next.
What response have you had from the public about this book?
So far it’s been very positive. There are some nice reviews of it on Amazon. Hopefully its reputation will keep building.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I think I always wanted to write but as I grew up, I sort of told myself that it was a silly idea. Then it took a long time and lots of jobs to realise it was the only thing I wanted to do. I understand how clichéd it sounds when people say follow your heart. But clichés endure because they carry some truth.