Ten questions with Jonathan Payne

Jonathan Payne’s debut novel Citizen Orlov is out tomorrow and has fantastic reviews. Publisher’s Weekly offers this praise: “[t]his auspicious debut announces a bright new voice in comic suspense.” Thanks to Jonathan Payne for taking the time for an interview on the eve of publication.

1. Please tell us about your debut novel.

CITIZEN ORLOV is a spy thriller with a difference. It's set in an unnamed European country after WW1. It follows the exploits of an unassuming fishmonger named Orlov who answers a telephone call meant for a secret agent and becomes embroiled in a covert plot to assassinate the king. Orlov is an honest, working-class guy who tries to do the right thing but is out of his depth in the world of espionage and somehow finds himself on trial for murder.

2. I’ve read that only 4% of the people who start a novel, finish writing it. Why do you think you beat the odds?

I can only speak to my own experience, but it seems to me that writing is a life-changing choice, not a hobby. I started writing fiction seriously about ten years ago, and I soon realized that it's an all-or-nothing proposition. For me, it was either I dedicate the rest of my life to doing this thing well or I don't do it at all. I couldn't see any middle ground there.

3. Was your debut novel the first book you wrote? (Any prior efforts hiding on your hard drive?)

CITIZEN ORLOV is my fifth full length novel manuscript, but the first one to be published. I wrote three manuscripts before deciding to get my MA in creative writing, then another manuscript as part of my MA course. Immediately after graduation, I started writing CITIZEN ORLOV. Three of those earlier manuscripts will never see the light of day: I wasn't ready. I might potentially resurrect and rewrite one of them at some point.

4. What helped you become a better writer? Any books or resources you found helpful?

One superb resource I'd recommend to any writer is Stephen King's On WRITING. It's short but full of excellent advice. More generally, I'm a huge advocate of getting a degree in creative writing. I see a lot of negativity about that in the world of writing; there's plenty of people out there telling you it's not necessary. But for me it was essential, because I didn't just want to improve my technique, I wanted to understand the context of my work.

5. What was your process like getting an agent? 

I still don't have an agent. I spent a few months pitching this book to agents but got little reaction. I don't have any evidence that any agent actually read any of my work. So I switched to small presses and got an offer almost immediately. Like many small presses, my publisher buys manuscripts from both agented and un-agented writers, so it's a mixture.

6. How did you celebrate when you learned your book would be published?
My wife and I went out to dinner. For me, that moment was the start of the journey, not the end. But we needed to mark it. When the advance arrived, I bought myself a Google Pixelbook which I now use for all my writing.

7. What was the most exciting moment involving the publication of your debut novel? (The moment you first saw the cover? The call when you learned when it was being published? When you cashed your advance check?)

The moment when I saw the cover concepts for the first time was really interesting. There were five of them, all quite different, and I had the chance to send feedback to the publisher, which was a fascinating challenge. But my favorite part of the process was working with my developmental editor. She really understood what I was trying to achieve, and so the process was a real pleasure.

8. What’s your best advice for someone who wants to be published?

Several years ago I saw Justin Cronin (author of THE PASSAGE) speak at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC. Someone asked this question and he said: polish your work to make it the best it can be but - more than that - make it different. Find a way to make your work stand out from the rest. I think that's great advice. For me, that meant finding my own voice. I needed to distill all my influences until I'd arrived at my own style. And it took me five manuscripts to get there.

9. What are you currently reading? Or, what's one of the best novels you've read lately?

I'm currently bingeing on Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon novels. I've just read the fourth one (A DEATH IN VIENNA) and about to start the fifth (PRINCE OF FIRE). I think Silva is a serious contender for the best espionage writer working today. If there's a better writer of spy thrillers out there, I haven't found them.

10. What are you working on now? Any projects coming out soon?

I'm currently writing the sequel to CITIZEN ORLOV. I'm also working on a novella which is a retelling of the Russian classic THE OVERCOAT by Nikolai Gogol. I don't know the timing of either just yet, but readers can follow my progress at my website and on Twitter.