Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Dorough
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always had a love for storytelling, and I started writing short stories when I was in middle school and high school. Back then, I was a big fan of mysteries, and I was determined to be a mystery writer. I grew up in Atlanta, and I would go to all the book signings to meet mystery authors anytime one came through town. I majored in computer science at Georgia Tech, and that took my focus away from writing for a while. I thought for a while that I wanted to be responsible and work in technology, and it took a while for me to realize that wasn’t where my passion was.
After working in marketing and as a voiceover artist for several years, I eventually found my way back to writing in the late 2010s. By then, I was an avid fantasy and science fiction reader, and all my story ideas were in those genres. I started writing my first novel, Akithar’s Greatest Trick, in 2018, and I didn’t let anyone know I was working on a book, because I wasn’t confident I could actually finish it. I did finish it in 2019, though, and I started educating myself about the business of writing and publishing. My intention had been to seek a literary agent and follow the traditional publishing path. The more I learned about how traditional publishing worked, the more I realized that path wasn’t a good fit for me. I wanted more control over my books and my career, so I taught myself everything I could about independent publishing.
I published Akithar’s Greatest Trick in 2021 under my own publishing imprint, 908 Press. A few months later, I heard from other authors that TikTok was a great place for promoting books, so I signed up for an account. I had no experience in talking on camera or making videos of myself, but I learned quickly and started posting videos every day. I was very fortunate in that my early videos picked up a lot of traction. My following grew quickly through the BookTok community, and I was able to build a strong readership though my videos.
Since then, I’ve continued writing and publishing, and I regularly post social media content about my own books but also about the craft and business of writing and self publishing. I’ve had the opportunity to appear on many podcasts to talk about my writing, and I’m frequently invited as a guest to speak and sign books at events like DragonCon, MegaCon, and elsewhere.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The entrepreneurial path is always a bumpy road, and that’s true for self publishing as well. I knew from the beginning that I wanted everything I released to be as excellently written and as professionally published as possible. Handling my own publishing took a good bit of money to get started and then requires additional investments every time I publish a new book. Traditionally published authors are able to rely on their publishing houses for most of the tasks involved in getting their books out to the readers. Being independent, I’m responsible for hiring my own artists, handling editing costs, coordinating all the details of printing specs and schedules, getting the books distributed into stores, and every other little detail along the way. Running my own publishing business while continuing to write the books and creating constant content for social media can be a big ongoing struggle, but I’ve settled into a good and productive routine.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m very proud of my ongoing epic fantasy series called Teshovar. It’s often categorized as gaslamp fantasy, because it has an aesthetic with Victorian elements but is set in a world of magic and wonder. The first novel in the series is Akithar’s Greatest Trick, and it tells the story of the most famous stage magician in a realm where real magic is outlawed. My books tend to have ensemble casts, with several main characters, and my readers always let me know which ones they love (or love to hate!) the most. I’m also known for writing books with lots of surprising plot turns and twists. In addition to writing and publishing my own books, I also create a lot of educational content on social media to help other writers become published authors.
What matters most to you? Why?
Kindness matters most to me. At the top of all my social media profiles, I’ve written, “Be kind, be generous, and have empathy,” and I do my best to live by those guidelines. We all live on the same spinning rock, and it’s up to us to take care of each other. One of the main themes in my books is about finding hope in the midst of despair, and I love writing about ordinary people who fight to make a positive difference in a world that’s set against them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jasondorough.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasondoroughauthor
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/jasondoroughauthor
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@JasonDoroughAuthor
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasondoroughauthor
- Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jasondoroughauthor
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/jasondorough
