S.G. Basu is an aspiring potentate of a galaxy or two. She plots and plans with wondrous machines, cybernetic robots, time travelers and telekinetic adventurers, some of whom escape into the pages of her books. Although she’s an engineer by training, writing has been her passion since childhood. Her other loves include extra-hot lattes, fast cars and binge watching sci-fi movies.
Find out more about the futuristic worlds she creates at sgbasu.com. She can also be reached at sg@sgbasu.com.
Books by S.G. Basu:
The Lightbound Saga series (YA Dystopian Science Fiction)
Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy
Maia and the Secrets of Zagran
Maia and Regency Protocol
The Lightbound Saga 3 Book Bundle
The Firefly League-A Lightbound Saga novella
Elementals-The Serial Thriller (Paranormal Science Fiction)
Population Morpheus (Near Apocalyptic Science Fiction)
Jumpers (Paranormal Thriller)
You can visit the author’s website at www.sgbasu.com or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.
Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?
As a first-time writer, I had to do a lot of craft-related research when I began with The Lightbound Saga. Punctuation is the bane of my existence (especially that pesky comma) so I had to work a lot to improve my skills there. I also read (I still do) a lot about story beats—the three-act structure, the hero’s journey, and similar subjects. Although my first book is soft science fiction, I had to research various scientific aspects (planetary motions, gravitational forces, etc.) also as I set up the rules of its universe.
Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?
While I’m a hybrid author (both traditionally and indie published), for The Lightbound Saga series, I went on my own and self-published. When I started the project, I was unsure whether to go traditional or indie. I got myself an agent and she queried a few publishing houses. But soon, the allure of indie publishing won me over. I like having control over everything I do and the more I studied the model of self-publishing, the more I liked it. However, that meant even more hard work learning the ropes but I have enjoyed it every step of the way.
If self-published, did you hire someone to format the ebook version for you or did you do it yourself? Can you tell us what that was like?
I did not hire anyone to format the ebook. In the beginning, my budget was small and mostly taken up by cover design and editing services. I used Calibre to format my ebooks at the time. It was a good tool, although sometimes finicky. My training in computer engineering helped quite a bit during this phase since the files needed some tweaking once in a while. A year or two down the line, I purchased Vellum. It was a game-changing moment, and one of the best investments I have ever made as a professional writer.
If self-published, how did you determine the price?
I do a lot of research to determine the price. This includes looking up comparable titles on Amazon (genre, length, etc.) and also reading up various author accounts of their experience with price points.
Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book? Why?
I did not choose a specific month to release my book. However, I try to not release in December because readers are mostly too busy celebrating the holidays to pay attention to book releases. Also, I am busy with my family to promote my books full-time during those times.
How did you choose your cover?
The covers started with the research of comparable titles. But for the most part, they were products of trial and error. My first cover for the series was quite terrible (in my opinion, although it had some fans), and I quickly changed it, only to another terrible cover. Then I found some awesome artists on deviantart.com who designed the entire series of covers I have currently.
Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?
I am a staunch believer in a not-so-perfect (insert your favorite advective here) first draft so my first draft is rough as they come. I start by writing broad outlines for my book and the first draft is derived directly from that. During this phase, I simply let words and ideas flow out and do not look for mistakes, logical, grammatical, or otherwise. Once I complete the first draft, I put the work away for a week or two and work on a different project. Then I go back and revise it, as many times as needed, before my alpha team gets a copy to tear into.
Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?
There are several items ready to be gifted. First is a t-shirt with a printed graphic that depicts Core 21, Maia’s team in The Lightbound Saga series. I plan to hold a contest (a trivia quiz on the series) on my website and the winner will receive this. Also, I plan to give away lapel pins with cute graphics of the various characters from the series.
What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?
I think giving a book away is a great way to introduce readers to new titles. With millions of books being published, it is hard for readers to find ones they might like. A free book enables readers to take a chance on new authors. However, there is a downside to it also. When a lot of authors offer free books, readers are often swamped with these free ones and again, they are faced with a difficult choice of which to spend their time on.
Currently, Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy, the first book in The Lightbound Saga series is free on Amazon as the first in series. It has worked well as an introductory book to the series. However, I am considering changing it to a paid book soon.
What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?
- Before publishing a book, get the best, genre-appropriate book cover that your budget allows. Also, get the book edited by a professional proofreader and copyeditor. If a new author, consider getting a developmental editor.
- If the author has a newsletter and a subscriber list, update them on the launch. If the author has an ARC team, sending them the new book and requesting them to review the book is a great next step.
- Set up promotions/blog tours during the launch to drive traffic and make the book discoverable.
What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?
- Take a small break! It’s hard to find time for oneself as an author, but this is a time to celebrate. It is not an easy job bringing a book from concept to print and you have done it. So pick up a glass of wine, sit back, and relax a bit.
- Continue the promotion of your book regularly after the launch period. Running promotions every few months is a good way to keep the book in front of readers.
- “Write more books” is the best advice ever. I have seen the benefits of this first hand so I can vouch for it. If a reader likes a book, they will want to read more from the author. The bigger backlist that the author has and the more books they publish directly translates to more readers reading them.
What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?
I have a presence on Twitter (twitter.com/fromsgbasu) and FB (https://www.facebook.com/authorsgbasu). I also have a newsletter that I send out once every few months where I announce upcoming books and preorders (if available). Other than that, I run ads on Amazon to keep the earlier books in the series in the readers’ view.
Do you have a long term plan with your book?
Other than continuing to run promotions to keep the series in front of readers, I have been thinking of two ideas with this series going forward. I want to explore optioning the series for the film medium and releasing it as a graphic novel. These are just thoughts at this point but definitely something I plan to look into seriously soon.
What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?
The world out there is a tough place at the moment. We have barely come out of the biggest pandemic in recent history and now there’s war and inflation and everything else that makes you sigh and want to wish it away. Well, we can’t wish tough times away, but here’s a book series that will make you laugh and bring you joy.
The Lightbound Saga is fun and full of hope, and as you cheer the protagonist, thirteen-year-old Maia on her tough and epic journey to unite and rescue her world, you’ll surely find your heart surging with happiness. Pick up the first book in the series, Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy, now FREE on Amazon.
And to all my fans out there, everyone who has patiently waited for me to complete this series—hope you enjoy the final installment as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Inside the Series
13-year-old Maia is a land-dwelling
Solianese living on the planet of Tansi. She has been raised by her
doting grandfather. Her mother, Sophie, supposedly deceased, is accused
to be a traitor who fought for the Xifarians who have subjugated Tansi.
Loathing her family’s history, Maia has put herself into self-exile,
vowing to steer clear of the temptations that led her mother astray. But
when she is drafted into a peace summit by the Xifarians, she must walk
into Xif, the planet she has always wanted to avoid. Here she meets
loyal teammates Kusha, Dani, Nafi, and Ren, as well as Miir, their
Xifarian team mentor who is as accomplished as he is temperamental. As
Maia and her teammates thwart a plot to harm the underwater settlements
on Tansi, she also discovers that her mother, Sophie, was not what she
seemed. Sophie sacrificed herself to save Tansi before the Xifarians
could destroy the Tansian system.
Maia visits the Jjord nation in their
underwater colonies on Tansi. More of Sophie’s secrets come to light
while she is in the colonies as well as more of the Xifarians’ plots to
rebuild the dark heart of Xif. As Maia’s link with Sophie becomes
apparent, Maia soon finds herself in the crosshairs of the Xifarians who
kill her family and send her running for shelter across the dead lands
of the Solianese. Chased by the Xifarians, Maia barely manages to stay
alive with the help of her teammates.
While on the run across Tansi, Maia
meets a mysterious man who unlocks a power within Maia. When her mighty
Xifarian foes corner her, Maia unleashes the power on them, overpowering
everyone, including her former mentor, Miir.
Maia struggles with her newfound
power. The team is on the verge of fracturing when Maia reveals she
might have killed Miir. Meanwhile, the R’armimon, an ancient and
powerful enemy of the Xifarians, are on the way to the Tansian system,
seeking vengeance from the Xifarians. On finding this, the Xifarians
grow desperate to resurrect the dark heart that would enable them to
leave the Tansian system. Maia narrowly escapes the Xifarians’ trap with
a mysterious ally but her new alliance takes a toll on her friendships.
Maia is alone and hopeless but she
forges on to regain the trust of her teammates and tries to convince the
Tansian leaders of the impending threat of the R’armimon fleet. With
help from her allies, Maia continues to uncover more of Sophie’s past.
Together with her friends, Maia rushes to find the artifacts needed to
thwart the R’armimon as the massive Execution Fleet of the R’armimon
appears next to Tansi.
Purchase Information for Series
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Tb71xt
13-year-old Maia is a land-dwelling Solianese living on the planet of Tansi. She has been raised by her doting grandfather. Her mother, Sophie, supposedly deceased, is accused to be a traitor who fought for the Xifarians who have subjugated Tansi. Loathing her family’s history, Maia has put herself into self-exile, vowing to steer clear of the temptations that led her mother astray. But when she is drafted into a peace summit by the Xifarians, she must walk into Xif, the planet she has always wanted to avoid. Here she meets loyal teammates Kusha, Dani, Nafi, and Ren, as well as Miir, their Xifarian team mentor who is as accomplished as he is temperamental. As Maia and her teammates thwart a plot to harm the underwater settlements on Tansi, she also discovers that her mother, Sophie, was not what she seemed. Sophie sacrificed herself to save Tansi before the Xifarians could destroy the Tansian system.
Maia visits the Jjord nation in their underwater colonies on Tansi. More of Sophie’s secrets come to light while she is in the colonies as well as more of the Xifarians’ plots to rebuild the dark heart of Xif. As Maia’s link with Sophie becomes apparent, Maia soon finds herself in the crosshairs of the Xifarians who kill her family and send her running for shelter across the dead lands of the Solianese. Chased by the Xifarians, Maia barely manages to stay alive with the help of her teammates.
While on the run across Tansi, Maia meets a mysterious man who unlocks a power within Maia. When her mighty Xifarian foes corner her, Maia unleashes the power on them, overpowering everyone, including her former mentor, Miir.
Maia struggles with her newfound power. The team is on the verge of fracturing when Maia reveals she might have killed Miir. Meanwhile, the R’armimon, an ancient and powerful enemy of the Xifarians, are on the way to the Tansian system, seeking vengeance from the Xifarians. On finding this, the Xifarians grow desperate to resurrect the dark heart that would enable them to leave the Tansian system. Maia narrowly escapes the Xifarians’ trap with a mysterious ally but her new alliance takes a toll on her friendships.
Maia is alone and hopeless but she forges on to regain the trust of her teammates and tries to convince the Tansian leaders of the impending threat of the R’armimon fleet. With help from her allies, Maia continues to uncover more of Sophie’s past. Together with her friends, Maia rushes to find the artifacts needed to thwart the R’armimon as the massive Execution Fleet of the R’armimon appears next to Tansi.
Purchase Information for Series
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Tb71xt
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