The Mark Watson Interview

Author of Crybaby and The First Mann on Mars

It’s time to meet author Mark Watson, and right now, his children’s book, Santa Claus and You, is part of Bookmotion’s Amazon $1 Sale.

If there’s anything an author loves more than writing, it’s marketing, and because that couldn’t be farther from the truth, I starting our conversation by asking Mark for his marketing tips.

Mark Watson, author of Crybaby and The First Mann on Mars:

Ten years ago, when I published my first book, The Shark in the Park, I realized something critical: if I didn’t promote it myself, no one else would. This is a realization all self-published authors come to sooner or later. There are only two ways to go about this—analog and digital. In other words, shouting from the rooftops or promoting your work on social media. I opted for social media.

At the time, I was an avid player of World of Warcraft, and I noticed a surprising similarity: instead of farming gold in a virtual game, I would be farming "gold" in real life by promoting my little creation. The first and most important step was to grow my social media presence—a long but necessary process that should ideally begin before you hit the publish button. The concept is simple: the more people you can reach, the more likely it is they will read your book. Even family and friends need to know it exists, and social media is as effective for this purpose as picking up the phone and calling them all.

The first step is to create accounts on all major social media platforms, such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter (now X), and the newer ones like BlueSky. Once you’re set up, the next challenge is learning how to craft posts that will grab attention. This includes understanding hashtags, calls to action, and how to use your book cover effectively in your promotions. Additionally, join as many relevant Facebook groups as possible, such as "Promote Your Book Here." Finally, it’s essential to have the determination to sit down and say, "Right, I’m going to create promotional posts until I sell a book." That’s it! The main ingredient for success is tenacity. You need to take advantage of every opportunity, start promoting, and never stop. It’s all about posting, pushing, and consistently showcasing your work—because, after all, it’s your own product.

Ten years! How many books have you published in that time?

Nine children's books and a few different translations of each one; The Shark in the Park, Milo & Ze, The Hairy Fairy, The Traveling Circus, St George and The Dragon, Super Sausage, The Haiku Zoo 1 - Lion, The Haiku Zoo 2 - Tiger and my latest, Santa Claus and YOU!

Is Crybaby your first book for adults?

Yes, I've always been fascinated with killer animals like Great White Sharks and Polar Bears but incredibly, a person a day is killed by an elephant and some of the more notorious killer elephants have murdered over twenty people, four times as many as the shark in Jaws!

And then The First Mann on Mars? Any others?

Not at the moment, I started writing The First Mann on Mars in parallel with Crybaby because I realised I had enough time in the week to write two serial novels at the same time and it's a different genre, humourous science-fiction which means I don't put myself under pressure to hit a certain word count per chapter. However, The First Mann on Mars is the one that does better in terms of organic readers.

I believe on Medium and Substack, sci-fi gathers more organic readers but I couldn't tell you why.

Interesting. Do you write ahead with your serials or do you write and publish as you go?

I write and publish my stories as they unfold. With Crybaby, I have a clear vision of the destination—I know exactly how it will end. But with The First Mann on Mars, it’s an entirely different journey. I don’t plan ahead; I let the story surprise me. Each chapter is a discovery, shaped by moments of inspiration after a few days of reflection. Crybaby is now racing toward its thrilling third act and conclusion, while The First Mann on Mars is just embarking on its adventure. Two very different stories, two very different creative processes.

I'm a pantser as well, or what I prefer to call a discovery writer. What are your plans for the books when they're done?

I'm going to self-publish them. I've never done a kickstarter before so I might look into that but I'll certainly be using your ARC services.

What inspired you to start writing?

I've always wanted to be a writer, it's something I was good at even back in school Being famous, selling books, making money etc doesn't really matter, I just want my voice to be added to the vast library of human culture.

What's your greatest source of joy as a writer? Greatest source of frustration?

My greatest source of joy is when I get a letter from a reader in a far-off place I couldn't imagine my book would have ever reached. I can't think of any frustrations, bad reviews aren't great but inevitable.

Wonderful. Tell me again where you live. Has it played a role in your writing journey whether as inspiration or added red tape? Also, how do have such a large Substack. What's your secret?

I live in Spain, near Barcelona in a beautiful city called Mataró and the only thing it really did is forced me to learn how to sell online as I didn't have any of the outlets, a market stall or school/library visits that I'd have in my native UK. My Substack is so large because I brought my audience over from my social media such as Linkedin, Facebook etc and for many years I had my own wix sites to promote my books. I generate about fifteen or twenty subscribers a day from notes, the trick is to find something that works and keep posting variations, I like to post a painting or illustration relating to reading or books. The secret to all marketing is to be relentless, people won't even consider buying something unless they've seen it twenty times and it's the same with your Substack, for people to sign up for it they have to be familiar with it.

Also, I'd like to point out that it isn't a joke, you really do have to show up and promote every single day, forever. You need to be like a marketing machine, that can't be reasoned with. That doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And you absolutely will not stop... ever, until you sell a book!

People aren’t going to believe me when I say I hate marketing. I know how important it is, but I’d rather write in obscurity than try to sell my own books. It’s one of the reasons I started Bookmotion. Here, I’m helping people, and that’s easier than doing it for myself. The idea is that it will encourage me to include my own work in some of that effort, as well as promote the newsletters.

Thank you, Mark, for spending time with me.

For my readers, remember to check out our Christmas $1 book sale, including Mark’s Santa Claus and You!

— Thaddeus Thomas

P.S. — Don’t miss any of my on going series on Literary Style. The latest entry in on phonetic flow.