Interview with the Author of black&white - Episode 1: HUE - Soph Tang

Soph Tang is an independent author with an obsession for storytelling. After leaving her university life of cognitive science research in 2020, Soph decided to take a leap and pursue her lifelong dream of being an author. Her debut dark-fantasy novel, Osea, released in July of 2024 to overwhelming positive reception, though it remained somewhat obscure. Her newest novel, Decadence, released on Valentine's Day of 2025 and is a contemporary literature piece focused on raw human emotion, psychological dissonance, and love.

Q&A

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?

this question caught me at such a weird time! i wish i could say black&white - Episode 1: HUE, but it's actually a super experimental and weird book called the book of unsorted thoughts. one of my friends encouraged me to write a "poetry/advice book", which i was immediately resistant toward because it sounded super self-absorbed.

but the more i considered it, the more i thought that "this could be a fun project to really get weird and messy with". what i ended up settling on is a unique mix of genuine, heartfelt thoughts, funny anecdotes, and digital paintings. i didn't expect anyone to want to buy it, but the fact that my readers are genuinely interested in it is both fascinating and humbling.

that said, i'm not sure i would recommend it to anyone. i'm not even sure if i'm going to list it on my website yet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

i think any advice meant for all authors is bound to fail most of them. that said, one of my favorite things to tell aspiring novelists is: "the only way to fail writing a novel is to quit or never begin".

it's also a quote that appears in the book of unsorted thoughts.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

i've learned so much about myself through writing Decadence and black&white. They're both extremely personal, deeply emotional stories, and I've grown so much through the trials and tribulations of my characters. I've struggled with them, cried with them, healed with them, and grown stronger with them. The emotional rawness of these stories is something that readers have really resonated with, and I've been extremely moved that these stories have helped others heal and grow as well.

i think one of the biggest things recently is that i've stopped demonizing my own emotions, and have started to become a lot more comfortable expressing my needs and wants to my partner.

What does being a successful author look like to you?

this is cheesy, but i'm already so happy with where i'm at. i'm so thankful to be able to write the stories that i want to write-and have readers who are supportive and love my work. of course, it would be nice to not be broke af, but you know. that'll come with time (hopefully).

What genre do you consider your book(s)?

this is a question that gives me serious existential dread. i never think about genre while i'm writing, so it's really confusing to try to categorize it later. Decadence, for example, is too literary to be romance, too romantic to be literary. it's not sexually explicit, but it's too sexual to not be considered sexual.

from my pov, i just write stories. they are whatever they are.

Who designed the covers?

i did! i design and paint all of my covers, myself. they're certainly not the best covers, but i think the fact that my readers know that i hand-painted each and every single one of them gives them a unique and personal value. i only started my art journey a few years ago, but i'm super proud of how far i've come in painting and visual design.

What was the hardest part of writing your author bio?

everything. i hate trying to sell/market myself. if i could get away with it, i would write my author bio as like: "shitposter who write even shittier novels", but i don't really think that would exactly translate into sales. trying to convince people to read or care about my writing always feels like a constant struggle between my integrity/authenticity and an endless list of musts and shoulds.

anyway, i'm still figuring out the author bio thing. if anyone wants to write one for me, i would be eternally indebted.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

hmm... i don't know if there's any particular element of writing itself that i find more challenging than others. when i'm writing in Isarine, it can be a lot to keep track of all the different characters & historical events since many of their stories are interwoven. i think ultimately i enjoy every aspect of the actual writing process.

otherwise... maybe just getting overly immersed? i frequently feel my characters' emotions as my own, which can be really overwhelming at times. there are many instances while writing both Decadence and black&white that i had to step away from the computer to hug my partner or snuggle my cats. it was a lot.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

you guys are all so amazing and i'm so unbelievably grateful for each and every one of you. my readership is still relatively small, but i genuinely believe that i have the most amazing and supportive readers in the entire world. i wouldn't trade them for anything, and i hope to continue to create amazing and heart-wrenching stories for them for years to come.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

i recently started a Patreon! it's free to join and i post frequent updates about my work and life updates. i also post a lot of art, side-stories, and all sorts of goodies for people who are interested in peeking behind the curtain or getting a little more out of my stories and worlds. you can find me on Patreon @sophieindustries.
https://www.patreon.com/sophieindustries

black&white - Episode 1: HUE is available for purchase on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/black-white-Episode-Across-Space-ebook/dp/B0F2ZGFD7X

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This release was published on openPR.