Author Life - Greg Bailey

Greg Bailey, the author of 'In Search of Bliss A Tale of Early Buddhism', released his book in September 2019. We wanted to catch up with the new author and see how life had been treating him since he was published. 

1. Did you always dream of becoming an author? 

Yes

What was your first job?

Working as a public servant for the Australian government.

3. How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?

I had already written many academic pieces as part of my job as a university lecturer. When my daughters were young, I began making up stories to tell them. Several prose short stories developed from them and then a few more significant novels later on.

4. What was your life like before you became an author?

The same as it was before I became an author. Hard work and constant research and writing.

5. Did you face any struggles before becoming an author? If so, how did you overcome them?

As an academic, I have had few problems in having articles and books published. Writing fiction is a different matter. It is much harder to get published as celebrification has become so prominent in contemporary publication. But when you write something you have to just keep sending your manuscript to publishers or acquire an agent.

6. Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all?

Not at all except that I have to continue writing in many different fields, including fiction and non-fiction. That takes time and effort and the overlap is not always easy.

7. Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?

Get up about seven. Drive down to get the paper. Have breakfast and read Letters to the Editor. Undertake some Sanskrit translation for a forthcoming work or for a Sanskrit reading class in which I am involved. Read some online blogs. Attempt to throw some ideas together about new fictional works in a variety of genres. Have lunch, followed by a short sleep. Translating and writing in the afternoon, with occasional work in the vegetable garden and other kinds of unrelated academic work–refereeing articles and manuscripts submitted for books. Dinner about seven and then watching some old British police shows on television.

What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author?

The constant hard work of writing when one consistently has writer’s block, and the need always to be highly disciplined.

1. In a few words, how would you review your experience with Pegasus Publishers?

My experience with Pegasus has been excellent. When my manuscript was accepted within a very short time of receipt an editor was appointed. The editor made many excellent suggestions and helped improve the knowledge. In addition, the production team and the marketing team–the hardest part of getting your work known–have been excellent and the final product is of a very high order. I am very impressed with Pegasus.

Why did you choose Pegasus Publishers?

I picked them purely at random. I had pitched my manuscript to a few Australian publishers, but none were interested. I let it lay in abeyance for a few years then decided to try and find an agent. I googled agents and somehow came across Pegasus and sent them the manuscript. In short, it was a random encounter on the Internet, but a happy one.

9. In a few words, how would you review your experience with Pegasus Publishers?

My experience with Pegasus has been excellent. When my manuscript was accepted within a very short time of receipt an editor was appointed. The editor made many excellent suggestions and helped improve the knowledge. In addition, the production team and the marketing team–the hardest part of getting your work known–have been excellent and the final product is of a very high order. I am very impressed with Pegasus.

10. Why did you choose Pegasus Publishers?

I picked them purely at random. I had pitched my manuscript to a few Australian publishers, but none were interested. I let it lay in abeyance for a few years then decided to try and find an agent. I googled agents and somehow came across Pegasus and sent them the manuscript. In short, it was a random encounter on the Internet, but a happy one.