Brian Terence
I write a wide range of science fiction stories, both full novels and short stories. Covering subjects such as Humour, Post-apocalyptic; Space Adventures; Mysteries; Paranormal; Alien Invasion; Time Travel; & Robots. Some are humorous, and others are more poignant and thought-provoking.
When asked where I get my ideas from, I can only explain that my mind is like a septic tank; weird bits of, well, you know what, float to the surface from time to time and become the kernel of my stories.
As a middle-class, middle-aged, white bloke – If you need anything ‘mansplaining’, I’m here to help!
I’m a husband and a father, living in East Anglia, UK, and share my home with various animals, including dogs, cats, chickens, a duck and a goose.
Member of Writers Anonymous. – https://www.writersanonymous.co.uk/
Member of The British Science Fiction Association.
No AI was used in the preparation of any of my manuscripts. My work has been reviewed by my editing consultants – Claire @ Cherry Edits or https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-ant… prior to publication.
Brian can be found at:
BlueSky: @brianterence.co.uk
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/52410012.Brian_Terence
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianterence42
Bookbub: bookbub.com/authors/brian-terence?list=author_books
YouTube: @BrianTerence42
Tell me what inspired you to write your (debut) book?
That’s not such an easy thing to answer. I’ve been making up stories all my life, especially when my kids were small. But what inspired me to try writing professionally was when a friend of my wife’s asked me to review her book, as she knew I was keen on sci-fi. Afterwards, it started me thinking, I knew she was self-published and asked her about the process and whether she thought I would be able to try. She was most supportive, encouraging me to try a few short story competitions and to join two writers’ groups. Things have gone much better than I expected. I’m very grateful to her for her support.
What came first, the characters or the world?
My head is full of ideas, it’s generally the scene, scenario or concept that comes first, the background and the characters are secondary.
How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?
It was much easier than I had anticipated, but then I’m self-published, so it’s not a fair comparison.
How long did it take to write?
I decided early on to focus on short stories. I’ve been writing for just over 2 years, and in that time, I’ve written 51/2 books, 3 collections have been self-published, 2 novels are still waiting to be edited, and my next collection is about 50% finished.
Do you have a writing playlist? If so, do you want to share it?
No, I prefer silence when I’m actually writing.
How many publishers turned you down?
N/A, self-published.
What kind of reactions have you had to your book?
Surprisingly positive, given I’m greener than the Grinch, I’ve got organic reviews over the approx. 9 months, my first book has been out, my Goodreads average rating is 4/5 stars, so as a newbie, I’m very happy with that. Although I appreciate that many have a problem with Amazon, I must say watching my KDP page reads go up, almost in real-time, is very rewarding. I like the page-reads arrangement as it allows people to read my work without the upfront cost; they don’t need to take a gamble on an unknown author. So, when the page reads go up, I know they are reading because they want to, rather than because they paid for the book. My page reads, after some 9 months for 1 book, a couple of months with the 2nd, and a few weeks with the 3rd, are well into 5 figures.
What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?
Not really to my books, but to my social media comments, one woman, who later became a reader and left reviews, once DM’d me to tell me she thought ‘I was so fucking funny,’ – job done!
What can you tell us about your next book?
I’m hoping to release 3 more collections in 2026. The Revenge of St Vitalis & Other Stories should be out by June ’26 and is a dark & spicy collection. Great for holiday reads.
Do you take notice of online reviews?
Yes and no, some reviews I’ve received obviously have an agenda, I get revenge by using them for social media marketing to actually boost my sales, the ultimate revenge on the trolls!
But sometimes they are useful; one reviewer mentioned that there were typos, so I checked and uploaded a revised manuscript.
Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?
Not really, I suppose I sometimes push the boundaries of what is sci-fi, but I’ve no desire to write anything completely unrelated.
What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?
I take the fifth!! No, it doesn’t involve prison time…
Which author(s) inspire you?
This is going to be a long list: Asimov, Harry Harrison, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H G Wells. There are just too many to mention them all. I’ve always been an avid reader of sci-fi.
Which genres do you read yourself?
Almost exclusively sci-fi, unless it revolves around improving my craft, or science, history, or something that might become the seed of an idea. I listen to mostly audio, podcasts, as well as audiobooks.
What is your biggest motivator?
I would say money, but I do enjoy the writing for its own sake, but dare I suggest one day I’d like my writing to make a few quid…
What will always distract you?
Social media! There’s always some idiotic pedant on the socials who needs to be informed of his stupidity!
How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?
This is possibly your most controversial question. Many trad-published authors have little (make that NO) control over their covers and yet still get criticised if the publisher uses AI, for example. As I’m a self-published author, I have full control; all my covers are created using Canva Pro, although my first book cover was a gift from a friend of my wife’s. So that one I didn’t control, as I say, it was a friend of my wife’s, if you know, you know.
Were you a big reader as a child?
Yes, many in my family, especially my grandfather, were keen readers. I’ve still got many of my grandfather’s books, some a hundred years old. He used to let me read them, and then we’d discuss the books; it gave us a strong bond.
What were your favourite childhood books?
The Barsoom series by ERB would have to be high on the list.
Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?
I did, there was a small independent shop in walking distance from my grandparents’ house, I got most of my new books there. Sadly, it closed many years ago.
Do you have any rituals when writing?
Nope, just sit in front of the computer and write. Many of my ideas pop into my head while I’m doing something else, but no, there’s no magic to it, no mystical rites, just start hitting that keyboard. I did suggest to my wife that deflowering virgins might help with my writing, but she wasn’t amused!
What is your current or latest read?
When Platinum Rusts, by Anka B. Troitsky https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23095827.Anka_B_Troitsky
Any events in the near future?
I might try to attend the London Book Fair, it’s a possibility at the moment, there are some more local events in June ’26 that I might take part in. It’s always finding the time that’s the challenge.
and finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?
All the great books I’ve read, sci-fi has a different feel to other genres, not sure I can say more than that, but the idea of writing in another genre has never occurred to me.