TALK: L.K. Watts, Author of Confessions of a Webcam Model

#writing #selfpublishing #interview #author

L.K. Watts has built an enviable career writing women's fiction and publishing on the internet. L.K. lives in the U.K with her partner and two adorable dogs. She spoke to StoryWorld about her new book, publishing and being eclectic.

Tell me about Confessions of a Webcam Model!

I can certainly say it’s been the most fun book I’ve ever written. I came into this writing lark after I spent three years travelling the world. My first book is a memoir about backpacking Australia and due to its success; I thought I’d write a second book about travelling Canada.  My third book is chick lit and although I had fun writing that, it wasn’t the same fun as I’d had writing my first two books. Confessions of a Webcam Model is about a fictitious character but it’s based upon real life situations as the result of a years’ worth of extensive research. Basically I wanted to write about a character that was financially hard up but didn’t give a flying f**k what anyone else thought. I’ve always been praised for writing candid, witty stories in the past, so I thought I’d play into those strengths again for my fourth book. Confessions of a Webcam Model is not for the faint hearted but I can guarantee it will make you guffaw. You have been warned. Do not read it in public places!

This is your fourth book. What drives your motivation to write?

This is a tough one to answer. While I believe most people can write if they set their mind to it, I also believe that writing has to be in you if you’re going to write everyday and be serious about making a career of it. I’ve always written various things even though I didn’t think I could do it for financial gain until a couple of years back. I guess my motivation to write comes from within as a deep need to express myself. It’s also great when I receive reviews or fan mail from a reader telling me just how much they enjoyed my book. That always keeps me going too.

How are you finding the world of self-publishing? Do you see it as a viable future for indie authors? 

I definitely do believe people can be successful if they put their minds to it. You might not be able to make a living with it overnight as a lot depends on which genre you write. But I do believe if you write enough books you can make a half decent success of yourself. More books equals more visibility and if you write an electric range like I do I’m sure you’ll find some sort of audience. Most writers seem to have better luck if they just stick to one genre though so maybe from now on I’ll just write chick lit. This genre is still popular over here in the U.K. so I’ll have to see how it goes.

Do you plan your work, or do you just start writing?

I have to say I’m a plotter as I don’t think I could set out to write an 80,000 word novel without knowing where I was going. I have a strong feeling I would just end up going round in circles. For my fifth book, I have done an extensive amount of plotting so hopefully it’s going to be easier to write.

Are you working on anything new at the moment?

I have just started my firth book. It’s another chick lit book that this time is all about a shy girl who has absolutely no self-confidence but wants to find true love. The story is set in Edinburgh which happens to be my birthplace. Things start to change for her when she joins a dating agency and I want it to be a fun adventure for her with a twist at the end.

What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve been given?

Do not just write one book and then spend all your time promoting it. Write more books as writing is the only thing you have control over. Don’t focus so much on sales because unless you hold everyone to knifepoint, you have no control over them. Even if you do advertising or other forms of marketing there’s no saying it will bring you more sales. So just write otherwise you’ll drive yourself mad.

Thanks Laura! Check out the L.K Watts website at http://lkwattsconfessions.blogspot.com/ and click the images below to see more about her books.