SiP received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Richard Cunningham.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
SiP, and it was published on June 6th, 2024
What’s the book’s first line?
‘Jim?’
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
SiP is a comedic sci-fi adventure for middle school kids about a giant drinking straw that appears from orbit and begins to drink the Atlantic Ocean. Our hero, Jim Moss, is the son of a naval commander whose ship is sent to investigate the straw. When the ship mysteriously disappears in front of a live TV audience, Jim sets out on an adventure to save his father.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
An idea. The Earth is one of the rare planets to possess liquid water, residing in the Goldilocks zone around our nearest star. Wouldn’t it be fun if something came to drink it? From there, the concept of the giant straw developed as the story’s central motif because it asks the reader a question they can’t answer without finding out for themselves – what is at the other end?
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
The stories that I treasure are the ones that surprised me. I want to read something new, something different that has yet to be done a thousand times. I like ideas I have never considered and twists I can’t see coming. The same goes for my writing. SiP is going to take readers somewhere they have never been before. I want the reader to feel like they have been on a journey, to feel the same sense of wonder as the characters on the page. That is what excites me the most.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Jim Moss is a twelve-year-old boy and the son of a navy commander. He wants to emulate his father and join the Navy, but there is one small problem—he is afraid of water. Jim’s fear conflicts with his desire to save his father, so something has to give. Jim was never written with someone in mind. Although he bears a resemblance to one of my daughter’s friends, his personality is a blend of many different people and characters, myself included.
When did you first decide to become an author?
In my twenties. I had dabbled with writing scripts and short stories since my teens, but I finally realized in my mid-twenties that my imagination would never give me peace until I started committing my ideas to paper. I write in bursts, so I can produce a lot of content or none, depending on my headspace. The first few years were prolific. If I never have another idea, I will still be writing until I’m pushing daisies. Writing is what I’m supposed to do. Whether I am successful at it is irrelevant. I do it because it brings me pleasure and gives me a purpose.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am an account executive in the technology industry.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
Every opportunity I get. I wrote a lot of material over four years when I was commuting to Manhattan for work. I would sit on the bus and the subway and write on my phone. I work full-time and have a family, so it is about maximizing my available time during the day. Sometimes, that might be writing, research, marketing, or all the other work that comes from being an independent writer.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part is the writing. My answer would be the same if I was traditionally published. I am at my happiest when I am writing. The hardest part of being an indie writer is promotion, whether it’s down to a lack of knowledge and experience or your personality. I am lucky to have worked in digital marketing for the past decade. I have a foundation, but it is still a steep learning curve, and ultimately, it keeps us writers from doing the thing we enjoy the most: writing.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Research everything. Whether that’s writing or the peripheral activity that surrounds it. We live in an age where information has never been so readily accessible. If you want to know how to publish the book, the information is out there. Don’t know how to market it? There are thousands of resources you can use. The hardest part is not finding the answers but knowing how to separate the facts from the fiction.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
If you had asked me that question ten years ago, I would have snapped your hand off for a trad pub deal. Now? I like the creative freedom to shape my career the way I want to. I don’t answer to anyone. What I love about being an indie writer is that I no longer have to ask permission to share my writing with those who might enjoy reading it. The publishing industry is gatekept, so I love the democratization of creativity.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
If you crave fame and fortune, I can suggest far easier, less time-consuming, and less lonely paths to becoming a superstar. My motivation comes from enjoying what I do and wanting to share it with others. Once I decided what I wanted to be, it was a matter of hard work, time, and patience. It took me twenty years to complete this interview.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
Foundation by Isaac Asimov.