Q&A with Author John Reizer

• Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
  • After writing The Target List, I believed the story was really special. I had a gut feeling this short novella would make a great audiobook. I am so happy I acted on my feelings because I believe the final product turned out wonderfully.
• Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
  • I do believe certain writing styles probably translate better into audiobooks than others. I think thrillers, for example, are a natural fit for audiobooks. It’s the type of audio content that can grab hold of listeners and never let them go.
• Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
  • I think about half way through the writing of the book, I felt the story would make a good audiobook.
• How did you select your narrator?
  • After I became affiliated with ACX, the company that produced the audiobook, I held auditions for the project. As soon as I heard Allen Grunerud’s audition track, I knew he would become the narrator for The Target List.
• How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
  • We had several conversations about the book’s production. But in all honesty, I let Allen do his thing. I believed he had a good feel for what I had written and genuinely liked the story and most importantly, believed in the characters and what they were trying to bring to fruition.
• Was there any real life inspiration behind your writing?
  • There’s plenty of real life inspiration associated with the story. There’s a lot of truthful content embedded within the fictional construct of The target List plot. I think that’s one of the things that makes the story so special and so important for readers and listeners.
• How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
  • I believe it’s natural for all writers to have a form of writer’s block or burn-out from time to time. Personally, I try to write something each day whether I am involved with a specific project or not. This keeps me actively engaged with the creative part of my brain and limits the episodes of not being productive from a writing standpoint.
  • Most of the things I write about come from the experiences I’ve acquired throughout my 56 years of life. Like a lot of writers, I draw from those things that have affected me, and turn them into blog posts and sometimes fictional stories.
  • If I am really drawing a blank about something, I go for a long walk in my neighborhood. I find that this seems to work pretty well. Sometimes, pushing back from the keyboard for an hour or so allows my mind to reset, and when I return the writer’s block is no longer an issue.
• Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
  • I am new to audiobooks, but I really like them. It’s nice to be able to listen to a story while driving in the car or relaxing at home on the couch. It’s a very relaxing way to enjoy a great book.
• Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
  • I think the chapter in the book that takes place at the gas station, with the rocket launcher plays very well in the audio version. Allen did a great job with the entire book, but that chapter is one of my favorites.
• How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
  • I went out to dinner with my wife and daughter.

Author John Reizer’s Reasons to listen to this book:

My most recent novel, The Target List was written and recorded with the dual intention to entertain its listeners while teaching them about the many machinations currently taking place within organized medicine and through its handler, the pharmaceutical industry.

This book delves into a subject that most authors would probably steer away from. But one of the great things about being an indie author is that you have the creative freedom to do what you want.

The Target List is an important book, in my opinion, because it exposes listeners to certain truths embedded within a fictional construct that they wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to.

The idea for the book was borne out of my deep desire to educate healthcare consumers about these concepts and to do so through a fictional plot so that listeners would actually absorb the material and not be concerned that it was too far removed from the conventional paradigms that have been etched into our collective psyche.

Get audiobook here!