interviews
hope I can continue to do it every time,
because like I said earlier, it’s all about you.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH
MATTHEW BETLEY, AUTHOR OF
OVERWATCH & OATH OF HONOR
Matthew Betley spent ten years as a Marine
officer and was trained as a scout sniper
platoon commander, an infantry officer, and
a ground intelligence officer. His experiences
include deployments to Djibouti after 9/11,
and Fallujah, Iraq, prior to the surge, both
in staff officer support billets. Finally, and
most importantly, Matt is a recovering
alcoholic with nearly eight years of sobriety.
He credits the Marine Corps with providing
a foundation in discipline and personal
accountability for his desire to initially seek
help. Matt is open and direct about it and has
spoken in front of large groups of people
with one clear message––if he can get sober,
so can anyone. He credits his recovery with
providing the authenticity for Logan West’s
struggle with his inner demons.
Now, onto our discussion with Matt Betley:
Why do you think your books are so successful?
I approached writing my first book simply –
as a fan of action-packed, roller-coaster-ride
novels, movies, and books, I wanted to write
something that I would want to read. I
thought, I’m just an average guy. If I write
something I like, someone else might, too. My goal
with each novel is to viscerally suck the
reader into the pages from the beginning,
send them roaring down the literary tracks,
shake them violently from side-to-side the
entire way, and have them breathless at the
end, begging for the next ride. And I
believe readers have responded to it. I just
www.TopShelfMagazine.net
How do you work with an editor without pride
making a guest appearance like Jack Nicholson
in The Shining?
Call me crazy (see what I did there?), but I
love editing and view it as a way to make the
final product better. It also helps that I’m
with Emily Bestler Books, where I first had
Megan Reid as my editor before she left to
be an international literary scout, and now
have Emily Bestler herself. Both are brilliant
and know how to fine-tune a thriller into a
high-throttle race-car. I also have several close
friends that I use as beta readers and ask for
critical feedback. This speaks to one of the
larger issues and requirements for this
business – you have to have thick skin to be in
this game. I view it as a team sport, and my
editor is a HUGE part of that team.
What is the most difficult part by far about your
craft? What's the one thing about being an
author you wish you did not have to do?
Easy. For me, an impatient former Marine
officer and recovering alcoholic who’s trying
to make up for lost time, only one thing –
the waiting!!! I’m fortunate that I’m with an
outstanding publisher, but we’re trying to
build a brand, and it takes time – literally,
several books and years – to build that kind
of following. I’m confident we’ll get there,
but the length of time is much longer than
I’d deluded myself in anticipating.
On the flip side, what’s the best part about what
you do? That one thing that makes the answer
to that last question worth every minute it?
Every time I get feedback along the lines of,
“Sir, you kept me up all night,” “Hey, you
stole my sleep,” or “You interrupted my
My editing routine is very methodical now,
after I heard this suggestion from Steve
Berry and took it to heart. Since my novels
are comprised of major action sequences I
label “Parts,” usually six to seven per book,
I’ll write a part, edit it, write the next part,
go back and edit both parts, write the next
part, edit all three parts, and so on and so
on, so that by the time I reach the end, the
first part has been edited six or seven times.
work and personal life,” it makes it all
worth it. (I also usually directly respond
to those readers with a playful, “That
sounds like a you problem.”) There is
only one real thing that matters to me
in this business – the experience that
each reader has with each of my books.
It’s my obligation to maximize that
immersive experience, and I take it
seriously. For me, it’s all about the
readers. On another and more serious
note, as a recovering alcoholic, I’m also
fortunate that I can share my story in a
way that people who are struggling with
drinking might be able to relate to and
act upon. I’ve written a blog for Joan
Lunden, and I talk about it freely and
openly in almost every book event I do.
Trust me – if I can get into recovery,
anyone can.
Do you edit and proofread your own work or do
you just write it and hand it off to an editor?
INTERVIEWS
Please explain to aspiring authors and
booksellers just how much work is required,
even as a traditionally published bestselling
author, to maintain your level of success?
To put things in perspective, I’m at the one-
year mark of my career, I’m with a Big Five
publisher (S&S), one of the best imprints in
this business and genre (Emily Bestler Books)
and have a great publicist, and am represented
by The Gernert Company in NYC and
Creative Artists in Hollywood for a potential
movie deal. But guess what? Having said all
of that – and I don’t want to be discouraging,
just instill realism – this is a brutal business.
There are no guarantees. Everything is based
on sales and how the books are received by the
readers. I tell every new author I speak to a
few key things: 1) take full ownership of your
trade – this is what you want to do as a
profession; 2) have a business plan – most
don’t think of the business side of publishing;
I did, and I was fortunate to have S&S use it
for my first book, Overwatch; 3) have thick
skin – I’ll be blunt here; if you can’t handle
rejection and criticism, stop writing now
(seriously, stop) and save yourself the
emotional agony; and 4) persevere – there is
nothing that can make up for determination
and pure gut-wrenching perseverance; even
though there are no guarantees, the more
you persevere, the greater you increase your
chances and create opportunities for you to
be one of the successful ones.
Read more of our interview with Matt Betley:
www.TopShelfMagazine.net
TOPShelf magazine
JUNE2017 13