‘We Watch You’ – I answer your FAQs!

Since publishing We Watch You, quite a number of people have asked me the same questions about the book. In this blog post, I’ll do my best to answer them!

What do the reviewers say? I’ve been very fortunate to get some fantastic thoughtful reviews of my book. Everyone seems to agree that it’s unpredictable and suspenseful, with compelling characters and believable setting. A few readers have been a little confused by the number of viewpoints or by the crossing of the psychological thriller genre with science fiction. Many have said that they really enjoyed the book and that they got through it quickly because they just had to keep reading!

Will there be a sequel? No, We Watch You is a standalone novel and although some readers have said that the ending invites a follow-up, from my perspective the book is more effective without one. Also, I spent 3 years (on and off) in the company of these characters and settings. I’m content not to revisit them.

Have you sold many copies? I sold about 50 copies in the first 6 weeks. 80 copies were downloaded for free in my 48-hour Kindle promotion, which doesn’t provide royalties but at least it gets my book into readers’ hands and will hopefully result in more reviews. In addition, several thousand pages have been read in Kindle Unlimited. This would be disappointing for a famous author with the might of a marketing team behind them, but for a self-published one with few resources and limited time, I think that’s pretty good.

How did you get the awesome cover design? Thriller author Luke Richardson recommended a designer, Dave Berens, who specialises in the genre. I put together a collage of covers from Amazon which had elements I thought would suit my book, specifying the colour schemes and other details needed for the design. Dave came up with a custom design very similar to the one you see now. I asked for a few tweaks and it was completed within a few days.

Are the characters and settings based on real life? If you’re asking whether I’ve put you in the book, the answer is no! However, all fiction reflects the author’s influences and experiences to some extent, meaning that ‘real life’ informs the novel. You can’t write fiction without it.

How can I get a copy of the book? It’s available on Amazon. You can buy the paperback, buy the Kindle edition or read it on Kindle Unlimited (which is a subscription library available to some Amazon regions). You don’t actually need a Kindle device; all you need is the Kindle app on your tablet or phone.

Are you working on your next book? Yes! It’s another standalone psychological thriller with a speculative twist. I think this one will have fewer narrative perspectives and be more on the mystery side of the thriller genre, rather than crime. I’m hoping to complete it within a year, but as I have work and family responsibilities I’m not putting pressure on myself.

Thanks for reading! If you have any other questions about my book, I’d be happy to answer them.