When did you decide to become a writer?
Frank Johnson: Fresh out of college I got a job with a magazine publishing company
as an assistant editor. Before I knew it, I was writing feature stories,
not because I was any good but, rather, because they were so cheap about
paying authors. I really enjoyed it. Many of the stories I wrote focused
on history, my BA was in history, and I just gravitated. Eventually I
had to grow up, get a better paying, more secure job in the real world,
etc. But I never lost the desire to write. So one day I just decided to
start a book. The plot had been kicking around in the back of my mind
for years.
Where do you get the ideas for your writing?
Frank Johnson: The idea for Roseanna's Reply originally started as a sequel to the
story of The Great Waldo Pepper. Waldo didn't really die. But I was
also fascinated by the role that women played in WWII and, in
particular, how they were generally dealt a rotten hand. The glass
ceiling used to be made out of 1" thick steel armor plating. As it
developed, the book turned into a story with so many different things
going on that it didn't really fit any formula. I think that's a pretty
good definition of historical fiction. Unfortunately I wasn't able to
use the Waldo Pepper name because of legal issues with the copyright
owner, so one of the main characters simply became "Waldo."
Although it's considered taboo, are you ever tempted to create yourself in one of your characters?
Frank Johnson: Never. Just not interested in that. I was much more interested in
honoring the contributions of the "Greatest Generation."
As a creator of literary works, do you consider yourself an artist?
Frank Johnson: For the kind of works I produce, I would describe myself more as a
writer/engineer rather than a writer/artist. Once you have a command of
the mechanics of writing and have a good story in mind, the biggest
challenge is engineering and building the work. This is especially true
when you are dealing with a mystery/crime/espionage story where
everything has to be carefully placed. But for sure there have to be
those inspired...if not magical...passages where hopefully you are able
to turn a phrase or paint a scene that can bring a tear to the reader's
eye. That's the "artist" part. How successfully that was incorporated
into Roseanna's Reply is just something the readers will have to decide.
Did you acquire an agent to submit your work to a publisher?
Frank Johnson: No. I contacted a few agents early on but quickly came to realize
that none of them had the time or interest to read through a book as
long and involved as mine. And I knew that it would take someone with
remarkable ability and a real interest in the subject to sell my book
because it is so unorthodox in the way it is constructed.
Did you make simultaneous submissions of your work?
Frank Johnson: No. Once I decided I had to do the things on my own terms, I realized
I was going to have to find a small publisher I could work with on a
personal level to make the kind of deal I wanted. I just wasn't willing
to change the story to conform to the standard formula.
How many rejection letters did you receive before a publisher accepted your work?
Frank Johnson: Actually I did get a rejection letter from one publisher I
approached. Many years ago I had worked pretty closely with the Naval
Institute Press and I knew some folks there and liked the work they did.
They were the first to publish Clancy's Hunt for Red October years ago.
But they turned me down because my story was largely about the Air Corps
rather than the Navy.
Were you asked to change anything about your work as a condition of acceptance?
Frank Johnson: I wasn't asked to change my work per se, but I did have it read by a
number of really helpful, indulgent, smart people and they all suggested
changes. Most agents and publishers are very strict about their
submission format and want the manuscript typed and double-spaced, blah,
blah. Normal people hate reading that. They want to read a book. So I
had a few dozen "editorial proof copies" printed up with each draft, by
some local pod printer...it's pretty cheap. Then you could hand someone
a softcover 6x9 copy that looked sort of like a book and ask them to rip
and tear. Most of the people I asked to do that enjoyed the book and
found a lot of typos for me. And I didn't limit myself to people who I
thought would like the book because they were WWII or aviation buffs. In
fact, readers who weren't particularly interested in that genre, ended
up being the best editors.
Once accepted, how much time elapsed until your book hit the shelves?
Frank Johnson: Some of the authors I spoke with...people who specialized in
historical fiction, were waiting two years to see their books in print.
This was another reason why I wanted to have at least some interest and
control in the production process.
Was the road from inception to publication what you expected?
Frank Johnson: This is going to sound stupid... I knew that was a legitimate
question, but it was one I decided not to ask myself. Writing the book
was a huge commitment in time and before I started, the question I
decided I had to answer was not whether I thought I had a realistic
chance of selling it, but whether I thought I could write a story that a
lot of people would want to read. So I never thought about what to
expect. I just wrote the book and loved the process. Now I'm dealing
with the business end of the process...promotion, marketing,
distribution...and for me, it isn't nearly as rewarding as writing. I
certainly don't mean to discourage other folks who are capable and
enthusiastic about promoting themselves and their work. It just isn't
something I have a taste for so we are looking probably at getting some
professional help.
CP: Did your contract with your publisher include future books?
Frank Johnson: No.
Did you receive an advance?
Frank Johnson: No. Advances to new authors are usually pretty small. I was more interested in a substantial portion of the back end as well as maintaining other rights that you normally give away to larger publishers.
Of all the things you didn't know, what was the biggest revelation to you about the publishing process?
Frank Johnson: I can't honestly say that anything really surprised me. I tried to do my homework and deal with each step in sequence.
What was your most pleasant surprise on the road to publication?
Frank Johnson: I knew Roseanna's Reply was going to be aimed at a specific type of reader...someone who enjoys historical adventures. But because it was such a weird story in terms of the characters and formula, I wasn't at all sure how it would be accepted. What really pleased me the most is that the comments and reviews have generally been very positive. I think for people who don't like long, detailed reads, it will probably just put them to sleep. But at 512 pages, I wanted to make sure people got their money's worth.
What was your biggest setback?
Frank Johnson: My biggest miscalculation was in how long it took to properly edit the book and get all the typos and mistakes out. Now that it is out in hardback, my wife finally started reading it and found three misspellings. That just drives me nuts.
For the person hoping to be published, is there a single piece of advice you would like to pass on?
Frank Johnson: Take the time to enjoy the writing. Don't put yourself under some difficult self imposed deadline. There is certainly a line that has to be drawn for those of you out there who lean too far the other way and tend to be such perfectionists that you never finish, but it is important to stay flexible. After my first draft, I did a major revision to the book and took out 80 pages. That was a little hard to swallow but I got over it in a couple of days and then tried to enjoy the challenge of getting the re-write right.
What does the future hold for Frank Johnson, the author?
Frank Johnson: I certainly would like to write another book and I'm constantly thinking about story lines. Among the folks who have read Roseanna's Reply and enjoyed it, usually the first thing they ask is if there will be a sequel.
