JP Pomare is best known for his literary thrillers, including Call Me Evie and In the Clearing. Photo / Supplied
There's no shortage of people who'll tell you that you can't make a living as an author, says best-selling crime writer JP Pomare.
Pomare, who has proved them all wrong by doing just that, grew up on a horse-racing farm outside of Rotorua, and spent years getting by with little or no income.
"I really embraced being completely broke for a while," Pomare tells the Money Talks podcast.
In his late teens and early 20s he took to the road.
"I was quite nomadic, I was hitch-hiking around New Zealand."
Pomare, who eventually headed for Australia where he embraced his passion for writing, says he never saw money as an end in itself.
He did however recognise the opportunity that specialising in crime writing had to broaden his audience, even though he retains a passion for literary fiction.
He has five successful novels in print. His first, Call Me Evie, won the Ngaio Marsh Award for best first novel. His latest, The Wrong Woman, is out now.
He's about to tour New Zealand alongside Val McDermid and Michael Robotham as part of the Crime After Crime tour, while his previous release, In the Clearing, is being developed as a TV series by Disney+.
Money was never an end or a goal in itself, Pomare says.
"But I do like the idea of financial security and I think that's a distinction people miss."
One of the problems in the publishing industry is that only people who don't need to make money are able to take the chance on writing a book, Pomare says.
"You only get people that don't need to make money to support the family.
"People can't take risks, they have to take the job at the meatworks or as a labourer. You can't go out on your own and start a business because the risk of failure is too great."
Pomare initially had a passion for literary fiction but acknowledges that even following that passion would have been more commercially difficult.
"I think I'm writing to my strengths. And you can sustain a career writing for a broader audience."
Having In the Clearing picked up for production by Disney+ has been an exciting development, he says.
"I think there is a growing appetite among the big streamers for Australian and New Zealand content - and not just for Australian and New Zealand viewers. The UK in particular seems to be picking up a few.
"In the States I think the Outback noir thing - in terms of the books - has been a bit of a hit."
• Money Talks is a podcast run by the NZ Herald. It isn't about personal finance and isn't about economics - it's just well-known New Zealanders talking about money and sharing some stories about the impact it's had on their lives and how it has shaped them.
• Money Talks is available on IHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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