Indie Spotlight
is our monthly column on self-publishing. This month Siobhan Daiko interviews Nicki
Chen about her debut novel, Tiger Tail
Soup: a novel of China at war. When
the first bombs fall, An Lee is pregnant and her husband is missing. He won't
be home for another seven years. It's up to An Lee to protect her family.
Surrounded by the Japanese military, An Lee struggles to survive, enduring
hunger, loneliness, and fear. Then, on December 7, 1941, the enemy invades and
occupies their little island on the coast of China, and An Lee's strength is
put to the test…
Nicki Chen was
born in Washington State, USA, in 1943. While studying at Seattle University,
she met her future husband, a Chinese engineer. They lived for a time in her
hometown, but then his job took them to the Philippines. They didn't return to live in the United States for
another twenty-two years. While an expat, Nicki earned an MFA in Creative
writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, a feat that required nearly
round-the-world travel twice every year. Beyond writing, Nicki is an
accomplished Chinese brush painter and a batik artist.
So: over to Siobhan
and Nicki…
Why did you set Tiger Tail Soup in Xiamen, China? And
why during World War II?
My late husband was a natural storyteller. From the
time we started dating, he entertained me with tales of his childhood in China,
Taiwan, and Japan. My favourite stories were the ones about his earliest years
in Xiamen during World War II.
In 1983, after several years of marriage, my husband
and I had an opportunity to visit Xiamen and Gulangyu with our three teenage daughters.
On that trip I saw for myself the house where he was born and the island that
one day would be the setting for my novel.
By the time I started writing, my husband’s childhood
had become as real to me as my own, and twice as interesting.
What are the
themes and the premise of the story?
Theme: A strong woman can suffer the horrors of war,
the loss of loved ones, and the extended absence of a spouse without losing
hope.
Premise: Left alone when her husband joins the
military, a young Chinese woman struggles to keep her family alive when the
Japanese invade and occupy her city.
Why the title Tiger Tail Soup?
During World War Two there were still thousands of tigers
in Fujian Province. In fact, the Amoy tiger from Fujian is thought to be the
ancestor of all the world’s tigers. In one of my husband’s tales about his
childhood, two tigers swam across to Xiamen from the mainland. The first was
killed by a farmer; the second by a Japanese soldier. The Japanese ate the
tigers and sold the leftovers to the Chinese. Under occupation, people were
malnourished and starving. My husband’s family bought a length of tail and made
it into a soup. To me, that soup was a symbol of the will to survive.
Are you a full
time writer?
Writing is my main occupation. I write on most
weekdays. Even though I spend less than forty hours a week writing, I do consider
myself a full time writer.
What led you to choose
self-publishing, as opposed to taking the traditional publishing route?
I tried the traditional route, but after having a bad
experience with an agent and then putting my novel aside for a while, my
daughter encouraged me to self-publish.
Any advice you can give to authors thinking about taking the indie route to publication?
Hiring a good editor and researching the various
options available for self-publishing are the obvious and necessary first
steps. Opportunities are changing every day, so ask advice of people whose
experience is current. Being new to the game, I chose Dog Ear Publishing, a
company that provided lots of support. It was expensive, but for me it was
worth it.
Before publication, you should research and prepare
for your marketing campaign. Build up
your brand through social media. Get out there on Facebook and Twitter.
Consider starting a blog. Find
pre-publication reviewers. Prepare for a blog tour and a book launch party.
How do you reach out and connect with your readership?
A year before publication, I started a blog, Nicki Chen Writes. I post
something new every Sunday, sometimes more often. My blog is geared toward my
readers, that is, anyone who might be interested in the subject of my novel. I also reach out to readers on Facebook, Google+,
Pinterest, Goodreads, and my Amazon author page. One of my favourite ways to connect is
by attending book club meetings.
How would you
describe your target readership?
I’ve had some excellent reviews of Tiger Tail Soup from men, but the majority
of my readers are women of all ages. World War II affected the whole world.
It’s a huge subject, but China’s part in that war has been underrepresented in
Western literature. People who want to expand their understanding of World War II
as well as those interested in learning about another culture are part of my
target readership. My novel is also of interest to anyone who likes family
stories, love stories, and stories of strong women challenged by world events.
How you approach
marketing?
I try to do some marketing every week, and whenever an
opportunity presents itself, I grab it. The friends and readers I’ve made
online help spread the word, but meeting people face to face is even better. I
always carry my business cards and give them away whenever possible.
Can you tell us
a little about your work-in-progress?
The novel I’m working on now is set in Manila and the
South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. It features an American expat woman who
quit her job and followed her husband abroad with the expectation that they
would start a family. It’s been two years now, and she’s still not pregnant.
Something has to change.
What are your
plans for developing your career as an indie author?
My focus right now is on writing my as-yet-unnamed
novel. When it’s finished, I’ll decide the best method for sending it out into
the world.
