Amy E. Casey talks handing over your light
Amy E. Casey’s debut novel, The Sturgeon’s Heart (Gibson House Press) won honorable mention as Chicago Writers Associations Book of the Year 2022 and has captivated readers looking for a modern twist to a monster tale. A self-proclaimed fish nerd, Casey’s perspective on the natural world and a persons internal and external landscape takes escapism to a new realm. I spoke with Casey about putting her novel in the hands of others, talking books versus deadly influence, and how to find your own lighthouse moment.
Q. First of all congrats on your debut novel, The Sturgeon's Heart. I shared the same sentiment as other readers that I could not put it down. What is it like to have this book out in the world and in the hands of readers?
A. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat! I'm so glad that the book captivated you. It's a surreal feeling to have something that was born in my mind turned into physical form, where it can now cast its own peculiar spell on anyone who opens it and is receptive to it. I feel so persistently grateful, and in a small way connected, to every reader who finds their way off the beaten path to the weird wonder of The Sturgeon's Heart.
Q. Your book has had quite a warm reception. But criticism is tough even when coming from seasoned professionals. With websites like Goodreads and Amazon, people are sharing their thoughts about books much more publicly and fervently than simply sharing with friends. While there is power in sales with word of mouth going WWW, do you think the behind the screen mentality, where everyone is very much a critic, has infiltrated the book world for the worse or the better?
A. I'm a voracious reader myself, and I do review everything I read, so I feel pretty distinct feelings about these things… I believe that stories belong to the people who read them. If I read a book, I'm going to have a personal experience with it that is uniquely mine. If I want to sound off about that experience, I'm contributing to the conversation, and I think all conversations about books probably err on the side of bettering the world.
But also, as a writer, I believe that all that noise is harmful to the creative process, so I never read the ratings or public comments on my own book. My job as a writer is to keep my mind free of that influence, so it can stay mine, so I can keep writing the next thing, instead of obsessively tracking every tiny development of this book's reception.
Q. Although you don’t reviews, does the continuous stream of questions and critique accentuate the feeling that a project is never finished? Does it make it harder to live and let go?
A. To be completely honest with you, it's wonderful to know that the book now has a life and momentum that continues past the final time I touched the manuscript. The project does feel like it's still unfolding, but my role in it has shifted. The writing is done, but I'm still caring for the story, helping it find the right people, having conversations with readers, and using the lessons I learned while writing it to teach other writers. But the constant call of new projects is always there!
Q. I never read reviews until I've finished reading a book, sometimes I find that others had similar hoorah or grievous moments, but other times it seems like we were all reading a different book, perpetuating the fact that stories are nuanced and layered and readers pick up on different layers of meaning. What are some tools that you have used as an author to help market your book and grow readership for those interested in different aspects of the story?
A. I think it's knowing the kind of imagery, genre, themes, and overall feel that my ideal reader enjoys. (As you pointed out, the right people can love quite literally any book. The wrong reader will give even Hamlet one star.)
People who dig The Sturgeon's Heart probably fit one of these descriptions:
They like their realistic, literary fiction with a dash of the fantastical.
They enjoy lyrical prose weaving a quiet, character-driven narrative.
They've been waiting their whole lives for a contemporary monster story set in the midwest.
They are fish nerds like me, and are in it for the sturgeon.
They enjoy natural imagery as a vessel for magic within a story.
When I'm promoting my book, I am talking directly to those people. My people.
Q. Writing a book and publishing it truly is a unicorn moment. A special and rare occurrence for writers across the globe, what advice do you have for those going through the process for the first time?
A. Be a part of the writer community from the start–wherever you feel you can offer a part of your journey to your fellow authors. For me, it's Instagram (@amy_e_casey) and posting book reviews on my website (amyecasey.com). Other writers are the only ones who can really understand the unstoppable desire to create something this way, and they are a wonderful support in helping weather the self-doubt and struggles that pave the way for the unicorn moments.
The other thing is this–keep writing. You have to believe in the worth of your endeavor with the fire of a star. You must be the first and strongest believer. You just keep handing your light to others, again and again, until someone finally sets it in a lighthouse and sends it beaming across the water into the night.
