Behind the debut with Nikolas Allen

Welcome back to Behind The Debut, a podcast to shine a light on first-time authors and their journey to publication.In this episode, I’m delighted to welcome Nikolas Allen, a lifelong creative with a background in art, music, and video production, and the author of two non-fiction marketing books. His first fiction novel, Juniper Falls, came out in January 2025.In our conversation, you’ll hear:- Nikolas’ creative history from music, art, film production and marketing (including writing a marketing book for creatives) to becoming a realtor (or estate agent) and finally writing his own fiction- How Nikolas went from discovery writing Juniper Falls (albeit with a lot of structural knowledge) to planning out his current trilogy and the book he recommends for outlining- How to find the time to write your novel- The ‘signature’ technique that Nikolas used in his debut book to create dramatic tension, that he’s continued to use in his second novel- 10 years and 10 drafts - how leaving his book in a drawer for an extended time made the story better in the long run- The number of drafts that Nikolas went through and how he worked with a developmental editor before serialising on Substack before self-publishing- His refreshingly positive attitude to marketing and how he’s used it to promote his book - from advertising to social media.- Nikolas’ writing routine and how he fits that around his day job and the tools he uses to write, format and distribute his books as a self-published author- The super exciting, speculative fiction trilogy that Nikolas is working on now starting with “Surreal Estate”.ABOUT JUNIPER FALLSA small-town mystery thriller with a bold, stylish view of modern America.Welcome to Juniper Falls, CA––population 3,300.This small mountain town features a diverse community of creatives and misfits, drug addicts and do-gooders, hard workers and layabouts, and everybody knows each other’s business.When a young drifter––one of many drawn to the town––overdoses on a dangerous new street drug, his death shakes the town to its core, and forces its residents to rethink everything they thought they knew about Juniper Falls.Featuring an unforgettable ensemble cast grappling with universal struggles of passion versus purpose, and choice versus destiny, this bold and stylish view of contemporary America will make you laugh, cry, and cringe in equal measure.This year, take a memorable trip to Juniper Falls...if you dare.Connect with NikolasSubstack / Instagram / Facebook / Youtube / NikolasAllenMusic.comHOW TO LISTENListen on your favourite podcast players including Apple podcasts, Spotify and PocketcastsIf you’re interested in appearing on the show, drop me an email to [email protected] music by music_for_video from PixabayCONNECT WITH MICHELLEJoin me on Substack at michellreeveswrites.substack.com where you'll find the latest episodes of Behind the Debut, plus behind the scenes chat about author life, books, writing, publishing and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellereeveswrites.substack.com