Today, we’re sitting down with bestselling Inkubator Books author Miranda Rijks. We’re celebrating a huge milestone with her—over 1 million books sold! Congratulations, Miranda!
How did it feel when you realized you’d sold one million books?
I didn’t believe it! I had to ask my publisher to triple check the numbers. And then I started jumping up and down and screeching like a kid!
Which book do you think changed everything for you as an author?
The first one – I Want You Gone launched me as a psychological thriller author and gave me the confidence to carry on writing. My latest book, Don’t Answer the Phone, has done really well. Perhaps it’s because I set it in the USA and it resonates with American readers.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from publishing so many books?
It’s essential to understand your genre and to meet readers’ expectations. It’s also important to be prepared to kill off your darlings! I welcome critique from my editors and early readers, and if something isn’t working, I’m happy to change it.
How do you keep ideas fresh in such a competitive genre?
I often get ideas from current events. I think that makes my novels resonate with readers as it brings an edge of realism. But it’s certainly difficult to come up with new, original ideas in an over-saturated marketplace.
What’s the strangest place you’ve found inspiration for a novel?
At the top of scaffolding. We had to put a new roof on our current house. I climbed up four ladders to the apex of our roof and then came up with a book idea. It’ll make sense when you read my next full-length psychological thriller, which will be published this summer!
How do you balance shocking twists with believable characters?
I think I’ve got better at that with every book I’ve written. In the early days, my editor often told me my characters were acting hysterically and not in a good way! I try to ask myself, would that really happen? Would someone really react like that?
What’s one psychological thriller trope you love—and one you try to avoid?
I love toxic friendships. Well, not in real life, obviously! I’ve experienced a few and it’s quite cathartic drawing upon things that have happened to me. I’m not so keen on unreliable narrators and I avoid cliff hangers at the end of my books. Some of my book endings might have you wondering what will happen in the future, but I try to tie up all the loose threads.
How do you handle self-doubt or creative burnout?
Badly. The self-doubt never ever goes away. I have a crash in the middle of every book and my editor, Jan, has to remind me that I always doubt myself and my books at that point. Fortunately, I don’t seem to get creative burnout. I love anything creative and when I’m not writing, I’m knitting, weaving, painting or crafting. That, and nature, particularly mountains, fills my soul.
What’s been the most surreal moment of your publishing career so far?
Being approached by Inkubator Books in the first place (they contacted me after reading my first self-published thriller, and that sort of thing never happens!). And it’s been pretty surreal to be approached by other publishers who have wanted to poach me! It’s very gratifying. And of course, hitting that one-million copies sold is huge.
If you could go back and give your debut-author self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t overwrite. Don’t try to be too clever. Believe in yourself.
What can readers expect from your next book?
Deep fakes. A celebrity chef. And a mother whose life is spiraling out of control. Oh, and some surprising twists, obviously.
After selling one million books, what goals still excite you most as a writer?
The dream that one of my books might be turned into a film. The possibility of having more of my books translated into foreign languages. Seeing my books on bookshelves in shops. But most of all, it’s the writing. A good day is a writing day. I count my blessings daily that writing is my job.
