Ask the Author: Kim Moyer
Answered Questions (4)
Kim Moyer
Naysayers can come from so many directions, so dealing with this is something that may have to become well practiced.
I want to start by saying this: the way in which I created The One Who Had To may be different from other striving authors. I wrote this book to probably 90% before I even started looking into publishing options. This book is a true labor of self. Writing was (and is) my hobby - something I do for fun, to alleviate stress. I think that because I created my first novel this way, I avoided some of the naysayers that can so often pop up along the way.
Once I started looking into publishing options, I almost immediately turned toward self-publishing. This, too, prevents some of the frustrations from hitting walls with submissions to publishers. Self-publishing has been a beautiful thing to me - and also a headache. Let's be real about it: self-publishing means I am published. If I had pushed for a traditional publishing house, I might still be trying and waiting and hitting walls. This fact alone feels really good to me - I can enjoy the accomplishment and feel really good about my project completion, and I love it! The opposite side of the coin, of course, is that I have no publisher to help push my product. So there are, certainly, some down sides.
Publishers aren't the only negative people authors face, though - as I'm sure you know. During the first 90% of the process, I only told a hand full of people what I was doing - and truly, it was only in expressing that my hobby was growing into such an accomplishment - something would be finished! As I started making my way toward publishing, I felt a lot of subtle doubt. Most people in my life would never discourage me on purpose. What I felt instead was a strong maybe. I would say I'm going to finish my book and feel like "maybe" filled the air at the end of the sentence. I would state an approximately release date and feel the same "maybe."
This all makes sense to me! Writing 90k+ words in a novel - is a huge accomplishment. And outside of most people's ability to grasp. And that's okay! Surround yourself with people who don't send you silent "maybes" - and hold tighter to them when you get a letter back from a publisher with the loud resounding "no."
And maybe - just maybe - look at the beauty of self-publishing. It may not be for everyone, and it may not make you a best-selling author, but it might just give you an incredible sense of accomplishment. Just wait until you feel the paperback in your hands! It's a thrill, and you can do it, too!
I want to start by saying this: the way in which I created The One Who Had To may be different from other striving authors. I wrote this book to probably 90% before I even started looking into publishing options. This book is a true labor of self. Writing was (and is) my hobby - something I do for fun, to alleviate stress. I think that because I created my first novel this way, I avoided some of the naysayers that can so often pop up along the way.
Once I started looking into publishing options, I almost immediately turned toward self-publishing. This, too, prevents some of the frustrations from hitting walls with submissions to publishers. Self-publishing has been a beautiful thing to me - and also a headache. Let's be real about it: self-publishing means I am published. If I had pushed for a traditional publishing house, I might still be trying and waiting and hitting walls. This fact alone feels really good to me - I can enjoy the accomplishment and feel really good about my project completion, and I love it! The opposite side of the coin, of course, is that I have no publisher to help push my product. So there are, certainly, some down sides.
Publishers aren't the only negative people authors face, though - as I'm sure you know. During the first 90% of the process, I only told a hand full of people what I was doing - and truly, it was only in expressing that my hobby was growing into such an accomplishment - something would be finished! As I started making my way toward publishing, I felt a lot of subtle doubt. Most people in my life would never discourage me on purpose. What I felt instead was a strong maybe. I would say I'm going to finish my book and feel like "maybe" filled the air at the end of the sentence. I would state an approximately release date and feel the same "maybe."
This all makes sense to me! Writing 90k+ words in a novel - is a huge accomplishment. And outside of most people's ability to grasp. And that's okay! Surround yourself with people who don't send you silent "maybes" - and hold tighter to them when you get a letter back from a publisher with the loud resounding "no."
And maybe - just maybe - look at the beauty of self-publishing. It may not be for everyone, and it may not make you a best-selling author, but it might just give you an incredible sense of accomplishment. Just wait until you feel the paperback in your hands! It's a thrill, and you can do it, too!
Kim Moyer
I am in the thinking-it-out phase of the second novel in the Amy Musil series. At this point, I'm getting together a general story-line in my brain. I suspect this portion of the process will take a few weeks, and then I'll start writing things down. I hope to have the second book quickly, though I'm not inclined to put a date on it at this time.
Kim Moyer
Never stop loving what you do. If you want to be a writer, let it be about the joy of writing (or maybe even the personal accomplishment value) and not about the publishing, the money, the fame, etc, etc. Many people can grasp the idea of food being better when it is cooked with love - similarly, I think an author's works are better when they are filled with the author's heart, not forced. Love it - never force it.
Kim Moyer
If I go for a quiet walk - outside - I can usually get back to a place where my brain can move forward. However, sometimes it's not quite that simple. During the creation of The One Who Had To, I had at least two times where I went over a month without writing a word because I was stuck. When I get stuck like that, I just go on with my daily life and make any notes as they come to me so nothing is forgotten - but usually when the RIGHT next step comes to me, it's clear and harsh, like a jolt of electricity!
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more