Meet Jon Wasik of Star Dragon Press in Green Valley Ranch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Wasik.

Jon, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve been a storyteller all of my life! It started in my Grandma’s kitchen telling her tall tales over milk and cookies, but my life as a writer began when I was ten years old and I wrote my first short story. I had grand dreams of becoming the next big sci-fi/fantasy writer, and I dedicated myself to that goal! It wasn’t long before reality struck, and I realized that becoming a successful author couldn’t happen overnight, especially for a ten year old. As time went on and I practiced my craft and learned everything I could, I realized I would need a dreaded ‘day job’ and pursued English as a degree in college. Once I finished my degree, I promptly started a career in Information Technology…bit of a left turn there, but so far it’s worked out well!

But I never stopped writing. I never stopped trying. I knew what I wanted. To light the spark of imagination in readers around the world, just as countless books had done for me throughout my life. I wanted to create that refuge, that sense of home and comfort that can only come from becoming absorbed in a good book.

Four years ago, I self-published my first fantasy book. Followed by another, and another. I thought that while ‘traditional’ publishing might have been the easier way to go (spoiler alert – it isn’t, it’s just different,) I’d read so many self-published authors who enjoyed the creative freedom it allowed. So I buckled down and did the research, realizing early on that many of my past hobbies such as graphic design and website building, would come in handy. I learned some hard lessons along the way, but it turns out my creative mind combined with my technical aptitude meant self-publishing was the right way to go!

What really helped things take off for me was when my wife, who is herself very creative and talented, and has a knack for design, helped me rebuild my books’ designs from the ground up. I re-released my first two published books as 2nd editions along with a brand new book and the changes have made a huge difference in getting my books noticed in this insanely crowded and competitive market.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road so far has been full of overgrown paths, bumps and cracks in the surface, and consisted of a few self doubts. Okay, more than a few. There’s a saying that every writer experiences hundreds if not thousands of rejection letters, even the big names, and there is so much truth to that. I’ve experienced a healthy share of rejections and a few negative reviews, and it can be downright heartbreaking and demotivating. In reality, perseverance is one of the key factors to a successful author. Or stubbornness.

Adding to the rejections, self-publishing is its own beast. In a time when anyone can publish anything, with as much or as little effort as they choose, the key is that you have to make your product one that stands out in the crowd while not making it so different that it is ignored by your target audience. The nebulous ‘key to success’ being, “Make it the same, but different.” I struggled with that early on when it came to the designs of my books and book covers.

Please tell us about your business.
The Sword of Dragons is my first published high-fantasy series of novels, and has been a passion project of mine for the better part of a decade! One of my favorite things to do is to take fantasy tropes and turn them on their heads, but doing so in such a way that the tale respects one of the genres I grew up loving.

That evil dragon hoarding treasure in the mountain is actually a sacred guardian protecting one of the most valuable (and dangerous) weapons in the world! And that weapon that could spell the doom of millions? It’s not evil. But who wields it will determine the fate of all.

The characters are not always who they seem to be. And if you think someone falls into a stereotypical trope, you’ll quickly find out that’s not the case. All characters in this world are treated as people, regardless of gender or skin tone. Anyone can be a hero. Anyone can be a villain. And while there are clear-cut villains and heroes, they are the exception. At its heart, the Sword of Dragons is a fantastical adventure of swords and magic, dragons and wizards, and the struggle of good against evil.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My ultimate success will be when I can leave my ‘day job’ and write full time! However, I learned a long time ago that success as a writer is more often than not incremental. With each book I publish, I gain more readers and I receive more fan emails, and that gives me hope. Beyond the monetary aspect, there’s a few other markers of success. I’d love to see fan art some day, or fan fiction based on the Sword of Dragons.

In fact, that was one of my earliest successes! Over 20 years ago (back in the wild west of the internet,) I wrote and ‘published’ several short stories online for free. When I finished that series of short stories, one of my readers wrote fan fiction that took place after the series. It was a huge boon to my self confidence as a writer!

Pricing:

• Rise of the Forgotten – The Sword of Dragons Book 1 – Print Edition $13.99
• Rise of the Forgotten – The Sword of Dragons Book 1 – Kindle Edition $4.99
• Burning Skies – The Sword of Dragons Book 2 – Print Edition $14.99
• Burning Skies – The Sword of Dragons Book 2 – Kindle Edition $4.99
• The Orc War Campaigns – A Sword of Dragons Story – Print Edition $14.99
• The Orc War Campaigns – A Sword of Dragons Story – Kindle Edition $4.99

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.theswordofdragons.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kataar2002/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjonwasik/
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Jon-Wasik/e/B00X4Y6116

Image Credit:
Personal photo taken by Wayne Adams. All other photos taken by myself or my wife, Beck Wasik.

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