Despite the Odds Writers Write!

My interview with the author  formerly known as Karen Kendall. https://www.kdalden.com/ I had the pleasure of interviewing good friend and talented author  Karen Moser who has written under numerous pseudonyms. I'll let her  share. All I will say is that talent tells. Now on with the conversation.

Question 1: When did you first know you wanted to become a writer?

Answer: I “published” little stapled books on the fridge door at the age of 5. At age ten, my best friend Amy and I began writing our first novels by hand, in spiral notebooks. I got to p. 53 before realizing that I needed something …hmmm … what was it? Oh, maybe a plot!

Question 2: Initially who were you published by?

Answer: Avon books was my first publisher. I’ll always be grateful to them for giving me my first opportunity.

Question 3: Did you set goals as to what you wanted to accomplish in the publishing world?

Answer: Not at first. I just had a dream of becoming a writer and publishing ONE book.

Question 4: You started off writing romance. What made you change genres?

Answer: I loved writing romantic comedy. But after publishing over twenty of those, I wanted to branch out and try something new.

Question 5. What are some of the most memorable moments in your publishing history?

Answer: My first sale happened in a really odd way. I entered a writing contest, and one of my judges was kind and generous enough to tell a former editor of hers to take a look at it. I hadn’t finished the book yet, but once I did, that editor offered me a contract.  That type of thing has happened to me more than once—contracts “falling out of the sky” from sources I don’t even know, when I least expect them. All I can say to the universe is, THANK YOU.

Question 6. Given the changing publishing world, what do you wish you had done differently?

Answer: A lot of things! I should have written connected books from the get-go, with recurring characters. I probably should have stayed with romantic comedy—which is hot again, now. I should have taken business and marketing courses … but I was a dreamer, and I always focused on making each book the best it could be, given the circumstances of my life at the time.

Question 7. If I am not mistaken, you have a degree in Art History. Why did you not follow that path?

Answer: I fell in love with modern and contemporary art. Wanted to work in museums. I went on to grad school and completed my course work for an MA—but I’d had some upheavals in my life and that call to write a book became a scream. So I listened to it, though the timing was awkward. I wrote my first (terrible!) novel instead of my thesis. … and after I got published, I never looked back.

Question 8. Many writers are no longer writing. Why do you think that is?

Answer: It’s because publishing is an incredibly difficult industry. It truly is rare for an author to begin a career in this business and maintain an upward trajectory that leads to an ability to make a living, much less hit bestseller lists and become a brand name. Consider the fact that 500,000 to 1 million new books are released each year by traditional publishers. Then think about the 3 million to 3.5 million new books per year that are self-published. Then take a look at all the podcasts and movies and games competing with books. Each title that an author produces is up against almost impossible odds … and most authors being dreamers, their hearts get broken when their books don’t sell well, when their publishers move on to other writers. (I’m not faulting the publishers for that—they cannot survive operating in the red.)

Question 9. There have been so many changes in the industry. Publishers merged .Editors lost their jobs. eBooks took over. Do you see the publishing world shifting again?

Answer: I do. I think it has to keep reacting to changes in the world, in technology, in readers themselves and how they spend their leisure time. Ebooks are one thing—and they’re here to stay. But I notice a big shift towards podcasts and audible versions of books. Listening to a book (instead of sitting and reading one) enables any hurried, harried American to enjoy a story while driving or cleaning house or raking leaves or exercising. I think more and more books will bypass print production and go straight to audio. And who knows what AI will bring!

Question 10. No one predicted the way that ebooks would take off the way they did, or that Indie authors would be on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. What are your thoughts?

Answers: I think ebooks have led to some fantastic opportunities for authors and readers! And I’m very happy about that. But I’m also a little old-school, in that I believe in traditional publishers and their ability to spot talent, edit/hone that talent and package, distribute and sell important stories. It’s their expertise. Quite a few authors I know do really well as “hybrids.” They do both: self-publish and publish traditionally.

Question: 11 What advice would you give to beginning writers?

Answer: Hmmm. I’d say that if you have the dream to write, then honor that dream. WRITE. But writing for yourself is very different than entering the publishing industry. If you do, don’t lose the stars in your eyes, but DO chuck your rose-colored glasses and grow a skin like a rhino hide. Rejection is part of the business. It hurts. Get used to it and don’t take it personally. Find a local writing group. Friendship and support and networking are crucial in this business. Learn about the publishing market and about marketing itself. Find an excellent editor to help hone your work—and accept that revisions are part of making your book(s) better. Hang in there! Give yourself permission to fail … and learn. Also give yourself permission to succeed. YOU define what success is, whether it’s journaling and just enjoying flexing your creativity; whether it’s one book or a hundred.

Question 12: What are some of the pseudonyms you’ve written under and why?

Answer: Ha! You’re asking me to blow my cover(s). Well, okay … but shhhh! Don’t tell anyone. I wrote over twenty spicy romantic comedies for three different publishers as Karen Kendall. Then I wrote two young adult spy adventure novels as Kat Carlton—taking a different pen name because my new readers were younger, and I felt that the more adult scenes in the KK novels might not be appropriate for them. Following that, I co-authored three small-town “sweet” romances with a good friend under the name Liza Kendall. Those were all released during Covid and  the market was just as unpredictable as the virus. And in the middle of those, I began my very first historical fiction novel as K.D. Alden. I discovered (to my horror!) that I absolutely loved history and researching. These books, A Mother’s Promise and Lady Codebreaker, have truly been the books of my heart.

Question 13. Finally, what’s next for your writing career?

Answer: I’m excited to say that I’m working on another historical fiction novel! Right now it’s Top Secret, and if I told you, then I’d have to figure out how to kill you, and that would require even more research, and I’d start having so much fun that I’d forget I wa s supposed to kill you … and I’d probably start writing cozy mysteries or thrillers!

The End!

K.D. Alden is the award-winning, best-selling author of over 25 novels for major publishers. While she's created hundreds of characters under multiple names, she herself has only one personality!

She grew up in Austin, Texas, is a graduate of Smith College and resides in south Florida with her husband and two rescue greyhounds. Please visit www.kdalden.com to sign up for her newsletter or drop her a line, and follow her on social media @kdaldenauthor.