William Kostakis: fringe benefits of authorship

William Kostakis's (s)mugshot
These days William Kostakis can scribble the words award-winning writer, author, public speaker, blogger and workshop presenter on his CV.

But a few years ago, he was simply: William Kostakis, teenager.

“It’s all because of Lola,” he says matter-of-factly. “Loathing Lola was the clap that started the avalanche.”

He is, of course, talking about his book, Loathing Lola, which was published by Pan Macmillan last year.

Although his grand vision of retiring to a castle at age 20 on the earnings of Loathing Lola hasn’t yet materialised (although he is still hopeful), his status as a young, published author has certainly launched his career as a professional writer.

Along with conducting speaking events to promote the book, William also writes a regular blog for Boomerang Books and will soon begin presenting creative writing workshops at a number of libraries around NSW.

“I wasn’t expecting any of this at all. But it is an essential part of being an author in Australia - working on top of writing. I am just lucky that I can actually work in the field,” says William.

Getting noticed

One suspects that the claim on his blog that he could be seen running down Sydney's busy George Street in a Loathing Lola-themed T-shirt screaming, ‘Buy my book! Please! Buy it now!’ has something to do with his sudden ‘fame’.

“Once I became published, no-one knew who the hell I was. It took about three or four months before people starting contacting me. But it’s about 80% me yelling and screaming, ‘Look at me, please love me,’ and 20% people approaching me,” he says.

William genuinely believes in the value of authors trading on their names to promote themselves and their books – although he admits it isn’t likely to get you the girls; “Oh yeah, nothing gets a girl in the mood like writing books for teenage girls,” he jokes.

In all seriousness, though, he says; “A big part of it is trying to get your name out there so that people know who you are and what you have written.

“I was a big reader as a kid, but I never went into a bookstore and stood there and waited for a book to jump out at me. I always walked into a bookstore knowing what I wanted to buy. It took that knowledge for me to realise that I have to make sure people know who I am.”

The 'write' career

For someone who began writing when he was still in lower primary school - 30-word, three-page ‘novels’ - winning the Sydney Morning Herald’s Young Writer of the Year award (for short stories) and scoring the book deal for Loathing Lola at age 17 may not seem so surprising; except maybe to his mum.

“I had to convince my mum that Pan Macmillan was a legitimate company and that I was actually getting published. When we go up to the offices (to sign the contract) she asks, ‘What are your intentions with my son?’” he says of the day his mum almost lost him the contract.

But William didn’t lose the contract and his labour-of-love finally got to see the light of day.

Having massaged, finessed, scrunched-up and rewritten the story countless times over the previous six years, William had had his fair share of rejection letters for Loathing Lola before a chance email to Pan Macmillan finally came up trumps.

“I am in the school library, meant to be studying for the HSC, and I am writing this email (to Pan Macmillan). That afternoon, I get an email back saying, ‘Great, we would love to read it’,” he says.

“It turns out that they hate what I had written, but the first chapter was good enough that it was something we could workshop and come up with something better.”

Lola's not so loathsome

What came out of that workshop is a quirky tale that explores the fair-weathered and fickle relationships that 15-year-old Courtney Marlow must navigate when she is thrust into her own reality TV show.

The story has it all:
• PI (politically incorrect) statements
Chloe stands out like… well, like a fat person surrounded by skinny people;
• Blasphemy
Oh. My. God;
• Timeless, thigh-slapping, low-brow humour
I have a brain fart…;
• Unmistakable visuals
He has a nose like a clenched fist and eyebrows that seem desperate to meet in the middle.

Like his book, William is gradually building up a name and public profile for himself. In between studying media and communications at Sydney University, he tirelessly promotes Loathing Lola , and is working on new manuscripts.

Suddenly coy, just about the only thing he will give away about his latest work is the name: Magnum Opus. "It is a mixture between the adult and young adult genre."

And...? "No deal as yet, but I'm hopeful," he says.

Until the deal is struck, William is content with the single, greatest fringe benefit that authorship has already delivered to him: “Being a smug bastard all the time. It’s really great,” he quips.

For more information about Pamela Wilson or WriteSmart, log on to http://www.writesmart.com.au/