Meet R.K. Ashwick | Cozy Fantasy Romance Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with R.K. Ashwick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi R.K., can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In publishing, you have two main paths to choose from: the traditional route and the self-publishing route.

The traditional route is full of a lot of if’s. You can publish if an agent believes in your work, if an editor likes your book, if the publishing house is willing to make a deal… And it’s not just if’s. The traditional process takes time, with no guarantee your manuscript will see the light of day in the end.

The self-publishing route isn’t perfect, either. You have to handle your own marketing, financials, schedules- many aspects a publishing house would typically handle for you. But you also guarantee yourself that, in some shape or form, your manuscript will make it to readers. It’s just up to you to make it happen.

That’s why I decided to self-publish under RK Ashwick Books. I was tired of sitting in the query trenches- I wanted to get my book out there on my own terms.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My brand is cozy fantasy romance novels. It’s not a genre that’s as widely known as, say, rom-com or sci-fi. It’s technically a sub-sub-genre that’s been around longer than the term itself. For more classic cozy fantasy, think The Hobbit and Howl’s Moving Castle. For more modern cozy, think Legends & Lattes and The Spellshop. It’s all about lower stakes, character-focused stories, and gentle fantasy settings.

What I love about cozy- and why you should give it a shot, if you haven’t tried it- is that it allows both the author and the reader to take their time and delve into the characters. Not everything has to be a world-ending fight scene- a retired adventurer opening up a coffee shop can be just as compelling as a fearless, bloodied dragon rider. But it has to be crafted extremely well in order to maintain the reader’s interest, and that’s the main challenge of writing it.

Apart from navigating emotional buy-in around low stakes, the challenges of being an author are the same as what my author friends face in other genres. Battling imposter syndrome, balancing writing with day jobs and family, juggling social media without making it look like you’re begging others to read your books.

But having an author community makes all of that easier. You can ask advice, vent, and learn from them about writing techniques and publishing strategies. And in turn, you can give advice and listen to what they’re going through. I really can’t recommend the indie author community enough if you’re looking to self-publish.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Obviously, I’d have to take them to a few bookstores- likely The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, The Last Bookstore in downtown, and The Iliad near Burbank.

For food, you can’t go wrong with Din Tai Fung in Glendale or Porto’s in Burbank. (I should clarify here: I am not a fancy person. At all. I am but a simple hobbit with simple tastes.)

In terms of desserts: I’d be remiss if I didn’t shout out Salt and Straw, but I also just discovered The Chocolate Dispensary in Echo Park. If you like unique chocolate, definitely check it out. They don’t just have a massive variety of chocolate- they also have a cafe with drinking chocolate, flight tasting, and gelato.

Hang-out wise? I’m not sure if Matador beach is open, but that’s my favorite waterside spot in LA.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shout-out to my parents. They claim they don’t have a creative bone in their body (which is untrue), but they wholeheartedly encouraged my love of drawing and writing from an early age. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them supporting my creative endeavors.

Website: https://rkashwick.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rkashwickbooks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077304991259

Other: Goodreads Author Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22359595.R_K_Ashwick

Image Credits
R.K. Ashwick