Interview with Sawyer Cole, debut author of COMING HOME

 

Hey everyone!!! I am so very excited about today's interview! I've been following this person on social media for a while and I was so excited when they announced that they were releasing a book of their own. Today's interviewee is Sawyer Cole Hobson, debut author of their upcoming memoir COMING HOME.

In this interview we talked about what made them want to write this book, their favorite part of writing this book, and some of their favorite queer books.      

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Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me.
Can you explain to the people who haven't read your book yet, what made you want to write this memoir?

I wanted to write this memoir because, growing up, I felt as if I were alone. Living in the South, and especially being queer, I felt as if I had no one to turn to or look up to. Writing this memoir, and getting it out into the world, will hopefully let others in the South know they aren't alone.

That is such a heartfelt and honest reason to want to write a book like this. I truly hope this book finds that audience, the people who need to know they aren't alone.
How long did this book take you to write?

From start to finish, it took me about a year and a half, going on two years to complete.

Ooh, that's a good chunk of time. I don't know if I was expecting it to take more or less time.
What was the publishing process like for this book, and for you?

Publishing is no joke when it's self-published. Luckily, I had an amazing author friend who guided me along the way as far as how to turn it into a book. It's mostly edits, proof-reading, proof-reading some more, editing. You get my drift. Tedious work, but it pays off in the end.

Sounds like a lot of work went into making this book as good as it could be. I'm glad you stuck with the work and that it's paid off in the end.
What was your favorite part of writing this book?

My favorite part was definitely writing about the kids. I love them with my whole heart and sharing stories about them, how they've made me into a better bonus parent and person truly is the best thing.

That's amazing and sweet.
This book includes chapter titles related to the content of each chapter. When you first started writing this book, was that the plan? Or was this something that changed as you wrote and edited the book?

Yes, I definitely wanted my chapter titles to reflect the contents of each chapter. I originally wanted quotes to coincide with the chapters but decided against it. I always like going into books knowing what each chapter is about, so I wanted by book to reflect that, too.

Very solid reasoning for that. I also like books that give a hint to what each chapter will be about.
What was the editing process like for this book?

The editing process looked a lot like me going to Starbucks and sitting there reading my words over and over again checking for grammatical errors, typos, etc., until my eyes eventually crossed. Ha. In all seriousness, it definitely was a lot of breaking the book into chunks, and editing a little at a time so it wasn't so overwhelming. When I got the edits back from my editor, it was daunting. So, if you're an author, I highly recommend breaking your book up into bite size pieces to edit a little at a time. It was a lifesaver for me.

That's a very smart plan! Breaking the book into little chunks definitely sounds like a more...manageable way of handling the editing process.
Do you plan on writing any other books in the future?

I have two in my mind, but I haven't started writing them yet. I want to relish in this book being released so I'm in no rush to complete them just yet.

Completely understandable! I'm excited about what else you might write, but I definitely get wanting to give this book time to settle and such first!
What are some of your favorite queer books?

I love George Johnson, so definitely their books - All Boys Aren't Blue and We Are Not Broken. Hari Ziyad's Black Boy Out of Time. My fiancee and I have a special connection with One Last Stop and I couldn't possibly forget Felix Ever After. I love queer books!

I don't think I've read any of those yet. They're on my list, I just haven't gotten around to them! (I love queer books too!!)
Early congratulations on the release of your book! I wish you the best in any future writing endeavors, but for now I wish you rest and the time to properly appreciate this book being finalized and published.

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You can find Sawyer Cole Hobson on their Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

You can buy Sawyer Cole Hobson's books from Amazon.

If you can't buy her books but you still want to read them, consider requesting them to your local library or suggesting them on Overdrive!