I have a good idea of where my story is going, but I like to be open to surprises as the story unfolds. If I were writing a musical piece, I’d describe it as knowing the theme but finding the variations as I’m composing.
Peter Faur – 8 December 2016
The Back Flap
In 2005, hedge-fund manager David Brown of Galileo Capital spots a rare opportunity. China’s voracious appetite for copper is flooding Red Metal Corporation with cash, and Red Metal CEO Jeff Fowler appears hell-bent on leaving most of it in the bank.
Fowler knows the boom-and-bust cycles of the copper-mining business, and he plans to hoard cash to make it through the next downturn. After buying up a big chunk of Red Metal stock, Brown gives Fowler an ultimatum: Make smart investments with the money, or return it to shareholders. If you don’t, Galileo will find someone to acquire Red Metal, and you’ll go down as the CEO who let a 130-year-old company fade into oblivion.
Will Fowler escape Brown, walk into Brown’s traps, or get spooked into making foolish moves that bring his world crashing down around him?
About the book
What is the book about?
In Red Metal, set in the period 2005 to 2007, hedge-fund manager David Brown spots a hot opportunity. Because of skyrocketing demand for copper in China, mining company Red Metal Corporation starts taking in money at a record-setting pace.
CEO Jeff Fowler decides to bank most of the money to be prepared for the next downturn in the boom-and-bust cycles that copper always follows. Brown’s Galileo Capital Management fund gives Fowler an ultimatum: Make smart moves with the money, or give large chunks of it back to its rightful owners, the shareholders.
If Fowler fails to comply, Galileo will find someone to acquire Red Metal, and Fowler will go down as the CEO who let a 130-year-old company fade into oblivion. Will Fowler escape Brown, walk into Brown’s traps, or get spooked into making foolish moves that bring his world crashing down around him?
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing in late January 2015, but I spent about five months before that in doing research for the book.
How long did it take you to write it?
I finished in late March 2016, so about 15 months. I didn’t work on it full time, but I was able to carve out about a day a week for writing.
Where did you get the idea from?
I worked in corporate communications for the now-defunct Phelps Dodge Corporation, which became a target for a hedge fund named Atticus Capital. The timeline and events in the book rely upon the conflict between those two entities, but large parts of the book are entirely fictional.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I had to spend the most time developing the back stories for David Brown, his partner Gary Gutzler, and their wives. Brown and Gutzler came from Catholic, middle-class backgrounds in Oak Park, a Chicago suburb. The Catholic part took a while to make its influence known in their lives, but it becomes more prominent as the book progresses.
As Brown explains of their post-college days: “… we both ended up on Wall Street, learning our craft from the best and brightest. We knew if we became any good, we’d be widely viewed as sharks and weasels, but we figured the money we’d make would compensate for any ridicule we might suffer and any pangs of conscience we might have. We roomed together in SoHo, took part in our share of debauchery on the weekends, and eventually discovered the money poured in, the ridicule rolled off our backs, and our pangs of conscience never materialized. Good times all around.”
What came easily?
Because the book was based on true events, they unfold easily in the book. I wanted to make sure, however, that I had a good understanding and recollection of those events, so I spent a good time in research to refresh my memory.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
They are much more fictitious than not. I have never met a hedge-fund manager in real life, so those characters are entirely made up. I’ve worked with several CEOs over my career, and Jeff Fowler incorporates traits from all of them. I’ve tried to make all the characters human, with a combination of the noble and the not-so-noble.
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?
I love Ernest Hemingway for his lean style, F. Scott Fitzgerald for his wonderful characters, and W.P. Kinsella for his imagination. In the past couple of years, my favorite novel has been All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I admire how he structured his story and brought all its many strands together.
Do you have a target reader?
I think anyone interested in stories about the drama of business will be interested in Red Metal. If readers enjoyed Moneyball, The Big Short, Thank You for Smoking or similar books, then Red Metal could be a good match for them.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I try to get all my major research done before I start writing. For the writing itself, I just sit down and start writing. I try to finish at least a full scene before ending a session.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I have a good idea of where my story is going, but I like to be open to surprises as the story unfolds. If I were writing a musical piece, I’d describe it as knowing the theme but finding the variations as I’m composing.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I spent a good part of my career as an editor, so it’s hard for me to follow the advice of “write everything down and edit later.” I tend to edit and re-edit as I go along.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I didn’t hire an editor, but several friends in the business read it and caught a number of things I didn’t. Even so, I’m finding a few minor issues, but nothing serious.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I usually write in silence, even though I love music. I tend to start singing along or humming along, so it doesn’t work for me.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I started by contacting a number of agents. After about 10 months, I became frustrated with the process and decided to publish through Amazon’s CreateSpace service.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
It was a gradual process, but it also was informed by two authors I know who found publishers but still didn’t receive much marketing support or guidance. Honestly, early on, I think I’m doing better in sales than they did with small publishers behind them.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
My son, Paul, has a bachelor of fine arts degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York. He did the cover and the interior design for the book.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I have a plan using email and social media, but I’m learning a lot as I go along.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
This is my first experience as an indie, but I think it’s a worthwhile path. So many fields have experienced disintermediation – eliminating the middlemen between producers and consumers – and I think the stigma surrounding self-publishing is much lower today. So, if you have a product you believe in, build up an initial base of support, and then approach them through email and social media. Ask them to be your audience and help expand your reach.
About You
Where did you grow up?
St. Louis.
Where do you live now?
Phoenix.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I have a great family.
I love reading, movies, running and learning.
If I could give advice to my younger self, it would be to lighten up and be more daring!
I hold master’s degrees in journalism and business administration.
I went to Woodstock, so yeah, I’m that old!
End of Interview:
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Get your copy of Red Metal from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
