I met Justin Reed at the Treasure Valley Indie Book Fair back in March and am really glad we’ve finally gotten our ducks in a row to be able to bring you this Q&A. By a strange stroke of coincidence, I should be starting his book today. So you’ll be hearing more about him soon. But for now, let’s introduce him.
Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
My name is Justin Reed. I live in Boise, and I am an author, publisher, consultant, software engineer, and investor. I have published one novel—However Long the Day—a historical adventure set in 1918 NYC about two young men who switch places for a day and nothing goes to plan (think The Prince and the Pauper meets A Tree Grows in Brooklyn). People can find me at justinreedwrites.com, and on Instagram (@justinreedwrites), Facebook (@JustinReedWritesNovels), and LinkedIn (@justinreedwrites). People can buy a hardcover copy of However Long the Day at Rediscovered Books in Boise and/or Caldwell; from my website (in which case I’ll personalize the inscription); and at online book retails (bookshop.org, B&N, and The Great Smiling Beast). You can also borrow a copy from most of the libraries in the Treasure Valley (though they share a few copies, so you might have to put a hold on it). The ebook is available here, and can also be borrowed from Treasure Valley libraries (any of the Lynx libraries, I believe). And you can listen to the audiobook on Audible, Apple Books, B&N, libro.fm, and on Overdrive (if you have a local library card).
Are you a native Idahoan? What is it about Idaho that keeps you here?
I am a native Idahoan, born and raised in Boise. I went to Capital High School, and graduated from Boise State University with a Computer Science degree. Beauty, freedom, and family keep my Idaho.
Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author.
I run a writers workshop of sorts at the Lake Hazel branch of the Ada Community Library. I call it Group Therapy for Writers, and it gives us attendees an opportunity to support each other in our writing goals. It’s nice to talk about the writing process with others who care about the process of turning thoughts into words on the page, and words on the page into something compelling to read.
First, that’s a great name. Have others in your group gone down the publishing road yet, and have they been able to help you through it—or are you the group’s guinea pig?
It’s a great group. We’re a mix of folks who have published and those who haven’t. Everyone in the group is experimenting with their style, genre, etc., hence the need for outside perspective. We’re taking a break for the summer but plan to start back up in September.
What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
I’ve attended the Indie Book Faire at the Nampa Public Library, and I’ve attended several events at both the Boise and Caldwell Rediscovered Books locations. I would enjoy attending more events like these, as well as other author get-togethers.
What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
However Long the Day is my debut, so I’m still in the audience building phase. My focus is older teens and adults of all ages. Most of my readers are here in Idaho.
Do you have a plan on expanding that audience? Or are you in more of a “see what works” phase of life?
I am definitely more in the see what works phase in which I try a bunch of ways to grow my audience. As you might expect, most of these come to a deadend, but I’m certainly learning a lot in the process.
Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley? (possibly both)
Boise is geographically isolated, which is both a blessing and a curse. I would love to more easily visit other metros and talk books (including mine), but that isn’t as easy in the Treasure Valley as it is in other places. However, the isolation is part of what makes our town—and the rest of Idaho—such a great place to live. I’m not very connected to the writing culture here in the Treasure Valley, but I suspect that is more because of my introverted nature than anything. I suppose we all have the chance to build the writing community if we take it.
Do you bring Idaho (or some sort of Idaho-sensibility, assuming one exists) to your work? Whether or not anyone else sees it, can you look at some aspect of your writing and think “That’s Idaho” or “I would do ____ differently if I was a Kentuckian or from Illinois?”
The first novel was set in Idaho during the earliest part of our existence as a US territory (1864 gold rush era), so in that regard I bring Idaho into my work. Unfortunately, that novel hasn’t been published yet because I just can’t get it right. Even so, I bring my Idaho sensibilities into all my writing, both published and unpublished. I try to mute my voice as much as possible and let my characters speak for themselves, but complete silence is an impossible objective.
Thanks for your time and participation! Hope you enjoyed it!
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