Interview with Self-Published Author Kaylin McFarren

In our series of self-publishing interviews, we are talking to Kaylin McFarren who has received more than 45 national literary awards, in addition to a prestigious Golden Heart Award nomination for FLAHERTY'S CROSSING - a book she and her oldest daughter, New York Times/USA Today bestselling author, Kristina McMorris, co-authored in 2008. Kaylin's latest book is the time travel/thriller HIGH FLYING.
  

You self-published your latest book, High Flying. Would you please tell us why you chose the self-publishing route? 

While attempting to publish my first book, Flaherty’s Crossing, I went the “normal” submission route by sending out letters, receiving handwritten rejections in the mail and being told that although my story was well written, it crossed genres. You see, it wasn’t formula fiction romance or a cleverly told suspense story. It was a combination of both, which made it impossible to find a slot on a book shelf. Mixed genres at the time were considered taboo and extremely difficult to market. Eventually, a small publisher in Canada accepted my manuscript and then it became a battle of wills. The cover they designed didn’t fit the story, they had no funds for marketing and were primarily focused on eBooks, which weren’t popular at the time. When I received a large direct print order from Kroger’s, they couldn’t fill it and my credibility was damaged to say the least. By electing to go the self-publishing route with all of my other books, I maintained control of not only my storylines but also the ability to market the type of book I enjoy writing.

Authors who go the traditional route have an edge over self-published authors in regards to distribution to bookstores. How did you handle that as a self-published author? 

I’ve contacted various stores and brought in copies of my books. After encouraging readers to shop there, I set up book signing events, worked with a PR company and had some success at library gatherings. However, I find that my sales are far better through outlets like Amazon and B&N.com.
 
On the other hand, self-published authors have the edge over traditional books in the regards that the author has all the control. I’d like to begin with your cover. Did you make it or did you have someone else design it? If you had someone else, can you tell us who it is?

I love the idea of controlling my cover art, titles and the wordage used on my books. Fortunately, I have a very artistic daughter with extensive graphic design training. Her name is Amanda Tomo Yoshida, and she works with very little instruction. She listens to my story idea, character descriptions, and the plot I’m creating. Then she goes to work producing artwork in less than two days. We bounce ideas back and forth, and she makes the final changes. Just for the heck of it, I entered several of her covers into contests and she won hands down. I’ve also recommended her to other authors who often struggle with cover designs.

So where do you see self-published authors making the biggest mistakes overall?

Even though a self-published story is exciting and fun, and worthy of printing, authors tend to overlook the importance of professional editing. And believe me, there’s nothing worse than catching dozens of errors while reading. Personally, I have two readers review my manuscript the first round, then I have a professional editor follow up on the second round. Finally, I pay for editing services through my publisher to insure that a missing “a” or “the” is not overlooked before going to print.

What do you believe the biggest advantages are when self-publishing?

Obviously, the advantages include receiving a larger share of your book sales and deciding where you want to market your work. You have complete control over your stories and how often you chose to write…whether it be daily or weekly. There’s no pressure to get the job done unless you impose it on yourself. 

What was the hardest challenge for you to self-publish your book?

You’re only as good as your last story, which applies to published and self-published authors alike. Getting the word out about a new release involves countless hours and selling not only yourself as a talented writer but also your story—what makes it unique and worth the time invested in reading. Marketing becomes a huge challenge for any writer. There’s the important matter of cost. How much are you willing to invest in selling your book and will it pencil out in the long run? Word of mouth goes a long ways, yet this involves a great deal of time with social networking…and the cost of advertising continues to go up. So I guess there’s no easy answer. There’s just a lot of long hours, commitment and dedication involved.

They say self-publishers are control freaks. Do you think there is a lot of truth in that?

Although this might apply to some writers, the vast majority of self-publishers simply like the idea of being creative with no restrictions involved. If you’ve invested your time and hard-earned dollars into a project, of course, you want some say-so as to how it turns out. But critic partners and editors are still an important part of the process and good authors need to be open to criticism. Falling in love with the way something is written makes it difficult to implement changes. We all need to be willing to accept different points of view and occasionally act on them, although it’s not always easy.

Did you get someone to format your book for you or did you do that?

I’ve worked with Create Space in formatting several of my book and now with Amazon’s publishing service available, I used a suggested editing and book design company to give my finished book a professional look.

What steps are you taking to promote it?

I’m involved with blog tours and social networking. I also hired a wonderful PR gal who is helping to get the word out and to hopefully create excitement over High Flying.

Do you have any advice you’d like to share with other self-published authors?

Stay committed no matter what. This involves not only staying true to your story in the writing and selling of it, but also in the type of author you want to be. If writing is a passion that fills every waking hour, then turn your thoughts loose and type away with wild abandon. However, at the same time, keep in mind that you’re writing for a discriminating audience. Be prepared for the negative reviews or opinions that might follow. And above all, never let a pointed remark discourage you.

If you would like to find out more about Kaylin McFarren and her books, take a look at her website and follow him on Facebook or Twitter.