IndieView with Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins, authors of Foul is Fair

Foul is Fair is dedicated to the late Sir Terry Pratchett, and for several reasons. We certainly hope it has a good sense of humor and has some sort of blend of the fantastic and the common-sensical. 

Jeffery Cook and Katherine Perkins – 12 July 2015

The Back Flap

Lots of girls play Fairy Princess when they’re little. Megan O’Reilly had no idea the real thing was like playing chess, guitar, and hockey all at once. 

Megan had known for a long time that she wasn’t an entirely typical girl. But living with ADHD—and her mother’s obsessions—was a very different thing from finding out she wasn’t entirely human. Somewhere out there, in a completely different world, her father needs help. There’s a conflict, revolving around Faerie seasonal rituals, that could have consequences for humanity—and if Megan’s getting the terminology straight, it sounds like her family aren’t even supposed to be the good guys. As she’s further and further swept up in trying to save her father, Megan may be getting too good at not being human.

About the book

What is the book about?

Foul is Fair is about Megan O’Reilly, a high schooler with ADHD who finds out suddenly both that her long-lost father is the Unseelie King of Faerie—or, as Megan puts it, “ ’80s David Bowie: glammed up, stealing babies, turning into owls”—and that now he’s missing.

When did you start writing the book?

Fall of 2014, started during National Novel Writing month

How long did it take you to write it?

The rough draft was put together by the two authors over Nov. and Dec. 2014, with most of the editing and rewrites happening in the first quarter of 2015.

Where did you get the idea from?

Jeff had one of his dream-up-a-character-while-waking-up moments. He got up and told Kate, who’d previously been his editor on Dawn of Steam and had co-written short stories with him.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

By Chapter 26, we were fighting. Keeping a single story consistent when two authors (in different time zones) are equally contributing takes a lot of work and communication.

What came easily?

The voice-testing portions are frequently fun. Bouncing new ideas and world-building is one of the best parts. Sharing some of the more inspired parts of the story, such as some of Kate’s snippets of dialogue are also frequently fun. There may be a lot of work and communication involved, but it’s worth it for the end result.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Entirely fictitious.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Foul is Fair is dedicated to the late Sir Terry Pratchett, and for several reasons. We certainly hope it has a good sense of humor and has some sort of blend of the fantastic and the common-sensical.

Do you have a target reader?

While we try to write to appeal to a broad audience, and there’s references and comments aimed at older readers, the primary characters are high school girls, and the book is generally aimed at a middle school to high school audience.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

After we created the initial outline, Kate would go through and write sections of dialogue completely non-sequentially throughout the book. Then Jeff would go in and fill in between them. Then Kate would go back, smooth out the rough edges, and edit.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Jeff has an established tradition of making an outline, using it until it stops working, then scrapping it and making another outline.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

We edit after each chapter, after it’s finished, after it’s beta-edited—we do a lot of editing.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Kate is a freelance editor, so there was that expense saved.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

One of the first things Jeff does with any new book is creates a playlist for that book. Every playlist is different. Foul is Fair‘s playlist includes a lot of contrast, including some light, bouncy, whimsical songs, and some minor key, very dark themes.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

After having gone through the process with Jeff’s first book, Dawn of Steam: First Light, we did not do so with Foul is Fair.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

We wanted to get the book out sooner rather than later, which trying for any sort of traditional publishing didn’t seem conducive to. Although Jeff has published through a small press for another work, it didn’t feel right for Foul is Fair, so self-publishing it was.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

The cover was done by a professional, Clarissa Yeoh.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

We’re working on getting as many reviews as possible, doing blog spots, online takeovers, etc. Jeff also has an active schedule planned for the Summer, doing a lot of live sales. This includes sci-fi/fantasy conventions, local fairs, farmer’s markets outside local bookstores, and multi-author networking events.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Make sure you have a good editor in place. Jeff says Kate has been a godsend throughout the writing process, from where she started as his editor on the Dawn of Steam novels, to being the editor on our jointly written books now. When you look at reviews of indie works, critiques of the editing tends to be a major factor in less-than-stellar reviews. It really does make a huge difference.

About You

Where did you grow up?

(Jeff) I grew up all over the U.S. and Canada. I’ve moved 33 times, with at least reasonably long stints in 13 different states, and Alberta. I started out in Boulder, CO

(Kate) I grew up in Louisiana. We’d move occasionally to other parts of Louisiana.

Where do you live now?

(Jeff) I finally settled down in Maple Valley, WA, and will be quite happy if I never have to move again.

(Kate) I’m in the middle of the process of moving from Iowa to Alabama.

What would you like readers to know about you?

With more than a foot’s height difference and different physical handicaps on each of our ends, we would make the worst three-legged-race team ever. But we work well as a writing team because we have completely different strengths. Jeff is better at getting words onto paper, and Kate is better at keeping them consistent and correct. Jeff is better at action, and Kate is better at succinct dialogue.

What are you working on now?

We’re currently working on at least two projects. First is a possible comic adaption of one of our co-written short stories, to be sent to Oni Press. The bigger project for now is working on the second book of the Fair Folk Chronicles.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Fair is Foul  from Amazon US (paper or ebook) or Amazon UK (paper or ebook).