Differently Abled with Jeffrey Baer
Not only an author, Jeffrey Baer is also a basketball columnist and a social humorist. An author of two novels, so far, and a couple of fiction stories, which can be seen on his website, Mr. Baer is definitely a multi-genre writer. Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 2002, he is differently abled to chase his passion for writing. Hopefully this interview will encourage you to follow your passion no matter your diagnosis.
1. When did you discover you wanted to be an author? When I discovered I had something to say.
2. What inspired you to publish your first book? An astonishing number of agent and editor rejections. I refused to stop querying until someone agreed to represent my work, but I realized I was wasting my time. So I took a leap of faith and signed on with CreateSpace (now Kindle Direct Publishing) to get A SONG APART into print.
3. Did you have any fears of publishing before you started? Not really. I knew it would be difficult since creative success depends on how well an artist’s work connects with people, especially the gatekeepers.
4. What were three things you learned about the publishing process? For one thing, the amount of control traditional publishers can have over someone’s project, like the book title or even a recurring main character. Second of all, some people say small presses can be receptive to new authors, especially if they query on their own rather than via an agent. But if their form rejections are any indication, I might as well have contacted one of the Big Five major houses. Lastly, I lost count of all the bestselling novels I read that contained typos. Wow…
5. What was the most surprising thing your learned in the process? The number of books on bookstore shelves represents roughly two to three percent of all hopeful authors intent on getting published. Yeesh…
6. Have you done any unique marketing that other authors can borrow? I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 2002, so I look out for groups that promote creative efforts by those of us on the autism spectrum. I found one such group on Facebook so far.
7. What is the title of your latest book? THE STRICKLAND FILE
8. What is a brief summary/synopsis of the book? A recently fired college graduate, not to mention future father and husband — in that order — finds a new job in an office where business becomes personal.
9. What inspired/encouraged you to write this book? The worst office job I ever had — collections manager for a trade magazine publisher, calling advertisers to remind them of amounts owed to us. I believe my boss resented young employees doing the work he preferred to do by himself. But when I accepted what he considered a thankless job — especially since I was an undergraduate who lost a previous job without warning — he criticized me no matter how much money came in each day. Over time my boss saddled me with menial tasks that took me away from managing the incoming money, and the other staff members mistreated me because they saw him kick me around. I had enough trouble finding work and convincing managers I could be a team player, but the politics at this company went beyond the pale. And in the midst of it all, I figured there had to be hundreds of employees who could empathize.
10. What advice would you give an aspiring writer? Be yourself in your writing.
11. What lessons have you learned from 2021 that you are taking with you in 2022? If you have more time on your hands than you expected, use it productively.
12. Are there any events you have coming up in 2022? No, unfortunately. Ever since I published A SONG APART in 2011, I found the cost of these events are prohibitive, and most events are staged outside my hometown of New York City, alias The Publishing Capital of the World. I haven’t completely given up on participating, however.
13. Are you currently working on any new projects? DESPERATE PEOPLE, a satire of Sidney Sheldon’s larger-than-life novels. I don’t know why I chose his work to poke fun at; perhaps it’s more like poking fun at an approach to storytelling.
14. Where can your future fans follow you on social media?
Twitter: @baer10134
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.baer.7/
15. Do you have a website? http://www.jeffreyhbaer.com/
16. What book have you recently read that you would recommend? A MURDER IN TIME by Jonas Saul. He’s best-known for his series about vigilante Sarah Roberts, but this was a unique twist on time-traveling stories. The book cover reminds me of the intro to “Time” from Pink Floyd’s classic album Dark Side of the Moon.
Jeffrey Baer’s novels, short fiction, and columns can be found on his website. I hope you invest your time to take a visit through his writings.
