Writing as a State of Euphoria: Booklife Talks with Mitch Reinhardt
A sponsored Q&A with the author of the Darkwolf Saga series

After finishing The Iron Citadel, the second book in his Darkwolf Saga series, Reinhardt took a step back from writing to evaluate whether he wanted to continue. Then, a mother contacted him asking when the final book, The Scarlet Queen, would be published. Her kids loved the series, and that, Reinhardt says, erased “any doubts I had about whether or not I should continue. I believe the most a writer can ask of any reader is for them to invest their free time and read the books. I sincerely appreciate any reader who has taken a chance on my books, and I hope they find something in my writing that resonates with them.”

Why did you choose to make The Darkwolf Saga a YA series?

I had bits and pieces of this story bouncing around in my head for more than 20 years. I wish I had started writing much earlier. The teen protagonists, Geoff, Jane, and Sawyer, were always lurking in the back of my mind, and I knew I had to do something about that. I first considered writing The Darkwolf Saga as a middle grade series. However, when I finally spent some time developing the characters’ personalities and traits, I decided a YA series was more appropriate. It’s true that the YA genre is crowded with so many talented authors writing amazing stories, but I didn’t let that deter me. An author needs to write the story he wants and not worry about what others are writing.

How do you imagine readers at this moment will connect to your books?

Perhaps they will identify with at least one of the main characters, or maybe there is another element of the story that will catch their attention. Every reader is different, of course, and I hope they find something within this series that resonates and compels them to know what happens next. The Darkwolf Saga is a character-driven fantasy loaded with high adventure and a narrative that, with any luck, will appeal to readers of all ages.

What advice do you have for other self-published authors?

I know this is a cliché and we hear it all the time, but it’s the truth: Write, write, write. You can add edit, edit, edit to that as well. Self-published authors have to find a way to do everything for themselves. They have to find a good copy editor within their budget, a designer with the artistic skills to put together an eye-catching cover, and a formatter who can properly format your e-book as well as a print version. Doing all of that in addition to writing, editing, and revising your manuscript is challenging, but it’s worth the time and effort. At some point, you’ll realize you’re running a small business and that you need to advertise. Try to read books outside of your preferred genre when you can. Another piece of advice would be to reach out to other authors and network. You’ll be surprised at how approachable and responsive most are. Start by emailing me if you wish. And, above all, never ever give up. You never know when a reader will contact you and ask when your next book is coming out.