Marathon Man: My Life, My Father’s Stroke and Running 35 Marathons in 35 Days received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Alan Corcoran.
What is the name of the book, and when was it published?
My book is ‘Marathon Man: My Life, My Father’s Stroke and Running 35 Marathons in 35 Days’. I published ‘Marathon Man’ in June 2021.
What’s the book’s first line?
In 2011 my dad, Milo Corcoran, returned to Waterford after a UEFA meeting in Switzerland.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
My book is about my lap of Ireland charity run – 1,500 kilometres. It’s about all the little and large turns in my life that led me, a twenty-year-old college student and an inexperienced long-distance runner at the time, to try to run 35 marathons in 35 consecutive days after just eight months of training.
It starts in a traditional style with the background of my upbringing, delves into the difficulties of my dad’s stroke and my response with a blow by blow account of getting to my start line and working towards my finish line.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
What inspired my 35 consecutive marathons mainly was seeing a documentary production about Eddie Izzard running 43 marathons in 51 days and watching a video about Terry Fox, a cancer patient and amputee, trying to run across Canada. These running feats were incredible, but it was the onscreen story that reached me. I would never have been inspired if it weren’t for the creatives who told these stories. I want my book to pass that baton on and show almost anything is possible if you truly want it.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
It’s conversational, humorous, yet it’s a warts and all account of an endurance challenge few could dream of and less have attempted. It’s an example of the mindset you need to overcome all the obstacles that will try to stop you from achieving your goals.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
Yes, this is my debut book. I’m nearing completion of my debut documentary film and my second book about my subsequent adventure – swimming the length of Ireland, a 500-kilometre sea swim.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part is ultimate freedom and creative control. Being indie is a lot of extra work but with additional work is a greater sense of achievement. For me, the most challenging part was everything post-publication – marketing, promoting, making book stores aware of the book and convincing them it’s industry-standard and competitive, despite the lack of a brand logo.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Get professional help. Books are a team effort, and the professional input will show in the finished product. For me, that meant recruiting editors (structural, copy, proof), beta readers, a designer and a photographer. It’s definitely worth the effort and expense.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
For the correct terms and conditions, yes, but certainly not at all costs – want it, don’t need it. I would go traditional for a new experience, to gain access to better cover and print quality, but mainly because of the increased reach. As an indie author, I can’t afford the risk of writing a blank cheque and offering book stores sale or return. Many stores require this. You’re much more likely to get recognition from awards and media outlets with a traditional publisher, which means more people buy and read your creation.