Adam Interviews...Jacob Ryckman!

I think today's a holiday, isn't it?

If not, it should be. Fall is definitely in the air, and that means the long, hot summer is cooling off here in Colorado!

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Jacob Ryckman, an author who has made waves in the middle-grade and young-adult fantasy genres. From his creative process to his thoughts on the current state of the publishing industry, Jacob’s insights are as inspiring as his stories. He’s not just an author but also a full-time high school teacher, balancing his day job with his passion for writing. In our conversation, Jacob opened up about his journey into self-publishing, the challenges he’s faced, and his dedication to creating stories that captivate young readers. With a unique blend of fantastical elements and relatable characters, his books have already started to build a dedicated fanbase. Dive into our interview to learn more about Jacob’s world, his upcoming projects, and what drives him to keep writing.

Books

Legend of Samantha Torres (2023)

Arikala Academy: A Wave of Courage (2024)

Social Media Links

Website: https://jacobryckman.com/

Instagram: @author_jacobryckman

TikTok: @mrryckman

Reboots – a great idea or a lack of creativity?

I think that reboots definitely have a place in storytelling depending on what they are doing. If a reboot is able to add to the original work (either expanding on themes, relating them to a more modern audience, etc.), then I feel that a reboot is especially valid! Some examples I think that do this well is the James Bond franchise - each time they reboot with a new actor, there's a different tone that fits for the types of movies being produced at the time.

On the flip-side, there are definitely a lot of reboots that are unnecessary or don't add anything to the original. For me, the more recent Lion King remake had no reason to exist - it was still basically animated (just with CGI instead of 2D animation) and didn't have any additional story to tell. They might as well have re-released the original and children wouldn't have lost anything of value.

A book you’re looking forward to release (by someone else)?

Heist Royale, by Kayvion Lewis. I picked up the first book in the series, Thieves' Gambit, not really knowing what to expect, and really really enjoyed it! The sequel is set to release on November 12, 2024, and so I'm really looking forward to reading it!

A book that pleasantly surprised you?

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee was surprisingly great! I was a super-fan of the original Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series, and so I was a little concerned about whether or not a young adult novel set in that same world would necessarily work. However, it was fantastic! It continued to build on the world the animated series began and managed to add a lot of dimension to a character who had been fairly one-dimensional previously. I would highly recommend it for any ATLA fans!

Do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?

For starters, you just have to write. If an idea remains in your head, it will always seem perfect, but the reality is that writing good ideas takes a ton of practice.

My second piece of advice is to surround yourself with other writers. Whether it is joining groups online or finding writer/author groups in your local geographic area, being in contact with other writers will always improve your craft. I'd even add that you should try to find writers who don't necessarily write in the genre as you, as it will help you to see other styles of writing that you might not otherwise interact with!

What do you think makes a good story?

I don't think there is any one thing that makes a "good story": if a person can connect to the words and enjoyed the process of reading it, that's all that really matters!

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

Paleontologist! I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid (which, growing up in the 90s, who wasn't?) and thought that digging around looking for dinosaur bones would be the best thing ever.

What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

Recently, I'd argue the use of artificial intelligence in the writing world. Whether it's authors who use tools to write their novels, publishing houses that are replacing editors and the editing process with AI programs, or even just the simple fact that many AI tools have developed their supposed "skills" by stealing works from legitimate authors, artificial intelligence has proven to be a bane on the publishing industry.

The simple truth is that there are no fast-tracks to writing or publishing a novel - it takes countless hours or practice to learn one's craft, and that is something that an AI tool simply will never be able to replicate effectively.

Does a big ego help or hurt writers?

It definitely hurts. Publishing is full of rejection at every turn, whether you go the traditional or indie route, not to mention that the success of authors is utterly reliant on building connections with others in the industry: other authors, literary agents, editors, etc. If you come into it with the attitude of "I'm better than everyone else", nobody is going to want to work with you and you simply won't find success.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Not to be so hung up on failure. When I was a teenager, I was so worried about whether my writing was good or not that I ended up not writing for years, and I think that did loads more harm than if I simply wrote what I had been thinking of at that time. The reality is that my writing didn't start getting better until I actually spent years actually doing it!

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Self-publishing my first book made me think more seriously about what it took to be a published author. It took me about four years from start to finish with my first novel, which, looking back at it, is an insanely long time!

Publishing is not a sprint: it is a marathon. Realizing that after my first novel was published made me think more realistically about the timeframes I would need in order to produce quality writing - I couldn't spend years poring away on a novel expecting the first draft to be some elegant masterpiece. I simply needed to pump out that first messy draft so that I could give myself time to go in, find the good parts, and edit!

Do you write novels, novellas, short stories, episodic fiction, poems, screenplays, or something else? What is your preferred format?

I primarily write middle-grade and young-adult fantasy novels. I've written a few unpublished short stories and poems, but found myself limited by those formats and so I like sticking with the full-length novels.

Are you traditionally or self published? Or both? Do you feel there are advantages to one over the other?

I am self-published, but there are definitely advantages to both! With self-publishing, you have a lot more freedom, but it's also a lot more work. You are responsible for all of the costs and all of the marketing, and some people don't have the budget or time to do all of that!

In traditional publishing, you're bound to the whims of the market. If a book doesn't sell well, you can't just pick yourself up and keep working on the next one: the publisher might decide they don't want to publish your next book! And while you can end up earning enough to make a living, publishers have been shrinking advances and splitting them into smaller and smaller payments lately. There's also a more restrictive environment, as you have to meet deadlines regardless of what might be going on in your life, and some authors don't get a final say in their book cover or even their title. Of course, your book has a much higher chance of actually being in bookstores, though, so there's definitely advantages and disadvantages to both!

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

At this point I'm up to seven unpublished books and three half-finished ones.

What does literary success look like to you?

For me, literary success means being able to make a living selling my books. I'm a full-time high school teacher and would absolutely love to spend all of my time writing, but right now that simply isn't feasible.

That being said, I have gotten messages from young readers who enjoyed my stories - and even got a piece of fanart once! - so I feel pretty successful already!

What’s the best way to market your books?

Do what makes you happy.

That probably sounds lame, but it's the truth! If you are miserable while marketing your books, you're going to be really miserable a lot of the time. Find a platform you enjoy making content for, and use it to spread the word!

It took me some time to figure out my marketing groove - I started out solely making marketing posts on Instagram and TikTok before finding that I wasn't enjoying it a lot. Now I make all kinds of posts - book reviews, cat photos, general life stuff - and occasionally post about my books, and I find that it works out a lot better that way!

What do you have coming next?

I am currently finishing up edits on the second novel in my middle-grade fantasy series called Arikala Academy: A Spell of Wisdom. It releases in June 2025 and features corgi-dragons, blood magic, and a quest to discover one's true family!

Short Excerpt - Opening Sentences from "Arikala Academy: A Wave of Courage"

They say that you find out who you truly are during a time of crisis.

Take, for example, the Convocation situation. It was a crowded amphitheater: kids my age, about to go through their first Convocation; parents holding hands and watching with pride; teachers and other education-adjacent individuals running the show on-stage. You'd expect a nice calm, quiet environment. Excitement, sure. But relaxed excitement, with no major disturbances.

Only now, most people were screaming their heads off and running scared.

Well, not everyone. Some adults were tripping over themselves in terror, but others were grabbing kids and pulling them towards the exits, driven by an instinctual desire to protect. A tall woman in combat boots and a polka-dot blouse stood on the stage with a microphone, trying to keep everything organized. "Calmly make your way to the nearest exit!" she said. "Everything will be okay!"

A fireball exploded at her feet, knocking her backwards and creating a cacophony as the microphone clattered across the stage. Another, much larger fireball, slowly levitated towards ground-level, a cruel face grinning inside.

And I, a scrawny eleven year-old girl, stood defiantly before it.