An Interview with William Grant

William Grant holds a BA in Fiction Writing and Photography from Columbia College Chicago. He’s had work published in Hypertext Magazine and The Lab Review. He currently lives in the Chicagoland area with his partner and their cat. With Your Friends is his first novel.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I’ve always loved story-telling and my grandmother was one of the biggest advocates of reading and writing. She always had a book with her and would read to me whenever she was babysitting me when I was growing up. I attribute my love of writing completely to her. My original plan was to try to have the book traditionally published, but we found out in January of 2022 that we likely only had a few more months with her. Thankfully the actual manuscript was complete so I worked with my best friend, Amber Burnett, who is a visual artist to have a cover produced and was able to self-publish the book two months later. Before we lost my grandmother in May, she was able to not just hold a copy of the book in her hands, but read it and dictate an Amazon review for my brother to type up (which was very important to her). Still so grateful to have been able to make that happen.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I’ve been working in various Supply Chain roles for the past seven and a half years, but my most interesting job was when I was one of the founders and content managers of an online lit-mag called Not Your Mother’s Breast Milk. We’ve sadly closed the site now, but the years I spent working on it were a blast and I still can’t believe I got to do it. One of the highlights was interviewing Olympic athlete Adam Rippon for our Pride Month series. Such a nice guy with a lot of interesting insight into being queer in sports.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title, With Your Friends, actually came about super easily. There’s a line toward the end of the book that goes, “Maybe the greatest romance you can have when you’re young is the one you have with your friends.” As soon as I wrote that line, I knew what the title would be because that line ultimately encapsulates what the book is about.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

It’ll sound cliché, but it really was a dream come true. Since my best friend designed the cover, it really feels like a work of love. I’m so happy every time I see it on the shelf in my office or in a store.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Funny you should ask…there’s actually a playlist on both Apple Music and Spotify that I put together! It’s comprised of songs I listened to during the writing process to help set the mood or tone of the scene I was working on at that time.

You can find the playlist on Apple Music or Spotify.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

My main goal with writing this was to tell a story about how we handle the difficult times that inevitably happen in our lives and who helps us keep our head above water. I hope readers finish my book knowing that there’s always someone out there to help you when things are falling apart.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Given that it’s mostly out of the author’s hands how a book will be received, I didn’t focus much on reviews once I published the book. Since I put that aside, I was able to focus on the outpouring of love from friends and family who supported me and helped get word out about the book. I’m so grateful to be surrounded by so much love.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

So I’m in the early stages of my next book which is completely unrelated to With Your Friends. I’ve got an outline and have begun chipping away at the story, which spans several decades and follows our two protagonists from childhood into adulthood. Feeling really excited about getting this story into readers’ hands!

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.