IndieView with Sean Campbell, coauthor of The Grifter

I wanted to write an accurate, interesting fraud story that portrayed both halves of the story. That morphed into the revenge story as the victim became more and more prominent.

Sean Campbell – 21 September 2021

The Back Flap

One will rise. The other will fall.

Kent Bancroft’s rise to fame and fortune was nothing short of meteoric. Once a simple teacher in London’s East End, he’s now on course to become Britain’s youngest billionaire.

But his success has come on the back of those he’s trodden upon to get there. Among them is a man whose fall was as swift as Kent’s rise. He used to be a sparky until a freak accident robbed him of one leg.

And then Kent Bancroft robbed him of everything else.

Forget forgiveness. Forget turning the other cheek. And forget waiting for karma.

This is a victim who won’t stand idly by.

He wants revenge.

And he’s going to get it.

Kent Bancroft will never see him coming.

About the book

What is the book about?

The Grifter is the story of two men: Kent Bancroft, a wanna-be billionaire running the biggest con in the history of London, and one of his victims, now destitute and out for payback.

When did you start writing the book?

Eighteen months ago. I’m usually a one-a-year writer but the pandemic hasn’t been kind to my creativity.

How long did it take you to write it?

Approximately 3200 hours all-in. That’s full-time for eighteen months.

Where did you get the idea from?

The underlying fraud is very similar to Bernie Madoff while the “swap” the two men undergo is vaguely inspired by Trading Places. I wanted to write an accurate, interesting fraud story that portrayed both halves of the story. That morphed into the revenge story as the victim became more and more prominent.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Timelines! The story is loosely anchored around a fictional wedding which was how I’d plotted everything initially – days until, days post, etc. Against that timeline, I mapped the cash position of each man (as both struggle with money worries albeit on different scales).

But then I realized I had a “real life” event, the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, that became a key plot point, and that had to reflect the real date so everything else had to shift to accommodate that, essentially moving my entire timeline off by six weeks or so and forcing me to recalibrate which events were on which days as everything is sequential and much of it occurs at specific times (e.g. during working hours for the City when trading is happening).

What came easily?

The structure. I wanted an A/B/A/B narrative with each of the two men getting one chapter each at a time. Seeing both sides makes both halves more interesting.

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

I borrow little bits here and there. Not whole people. I might pinch a quirky turn of phrase or mannerism, or a physical detail.

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?

This one is heavily influenced by Harry Markopolous, the guy who saw Madoff’s fraud before everyone else, tried to whistle blow several times, and put himself and his family in the firing line in the process. I highly recommend his book No One Would Listen.

Do you have a target reader?

Thriller lovers. Those who want a clever, complex story with lots of layers.

About Writing

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

For around four months of the year, I’m in research mode. I hoover up everything I can find. Non-fic, fictions, movies, documentaries, podcasts, whatever.

Then the rest of the year is writing/ editing when I’m usually up at the crack of dawn and work through to late evening. When the words are coming, there’s no point stopping.

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

I prefer to have enough of a plan that I know the highlights but I don’t always know the little details.

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

Both. I tend to cycle back and forth, tidying up earlier chapters before progressing. Then I’ll do several rounds of editing at the end.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Several. I work with a developmental editor to refine the story, a copyeditor to tidy up the grammar and fix sentence level issues, and then proofreaders to catch any lingering errors.

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

I tend to have a lot of background noise while working at home. That suits me just fine.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Nope. Margins are thin enough without giving up 15% in commission, thank you.

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

I’ve been indie since 2012. I have sold rights before (e.g. the audiobook of my debut is published by W F Howes; that gave me access to a top tier narrator I wouldn’t have had if I’d self-published the audio).

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

I use the best designers I can find.

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

Each book launch gets a comprehensive marketing plan covering social media, newsletters, PPC ads, review copy submission to the media and bloggers, live interviews, and much more.

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

Plan everything. Test everything. Data is your best friend. See what works for you and then do more of that.

About You

Where did you grow up?

Portsmouth, England. The home of the navy (together with Plymouth to the west). It’s a vibrant, densely populated city full of sailors and students.

Where do you live now?

London.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m an accidental novelist. I took up writing because of a bet back in 2012, trying to prove that I could write a book in 90 days or less. That was Dead on Demand which went on to move 75,000+ copies that year and millions more since. My writing career has been a happy accident from the get-go.

What are you working on now?

Getting some sleep! It’s been eighteen hard months working on The Grifter with my co-author Ali Gunn. Next up for me is a book tentatively called Murdered by the Mob, a spin-off from my DCI Morton series (which is now complete – the 7th and final book came out last year).

End of Interview:

For more from Sean, visit his website, like his Facebook page, and follow him on Twitter.

Get your copy of The Grifter from Amazon US or Amazon UK.