Author Spotlight: Heather Kindt (Anniversary Edition)
We're bringing you a new blog series featuring some of your favorite authors. Find out what they've learned on their journey, what their first manuscript was, and if it'll ever see the light of day.
Heather Kindt
First published: December 2017
What was your first published piece?
Not Quite Dorothy. A romantic comedy retelling I published in December of 2017.
What were your initial feelings toward the pre-publishing work?
It was very therapeutic. My first book is a reaction to a witch of a principal I had. She’s the Wicked Witch of the West in the story.
There is so much to learn...but what was one key thing you learned in your publishing month?
That it’s not just writing books. You have to find an editor, cover designer, possibly a formatter, and then you have to market your book which is a whole other beast.
If an aspiring author asked you for ONE piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t give up. I wrote my first book, the Weaver, in 2008 after I graduated with a master’s degree. I tried query letters and received lots of rejections. I wrote Not Quite Dorothy and let it sit on my computer with my other book for eight years. I entered Not Quite Dorothy in a contest and won first place! The prize was to help me publish my first book. I haven’t looked back since.
What was the hardest thing to overcome on the road leading to publishing?
Self-doubt. I think most authors have imposter syndrome. When you get a bad review, it can sting. But when you find your readers, the ones who love anything you write, that’s when you know to keep going.
As far as dreams go, where do you see yourself in 5 years? How many books?!
Cabo San Lucas. I was recently part of an Indie Capstone Project with a group called 20 Books to 50K. In that group, the high-earning authors get invited to go to Cabo. Our little capstone group has the dream of going. My goal is 3-4 books a year, so in 5 years, I’d be at 24 - 29 books.
What are three things you believe every author needs in their writing journey? (People, items, resources!)
First, you need a supportive family. My husband is my biggest fan even though he hasn’t read most of my books. He gives me the space and tools I need to be successful. I also need a good laptop.
Your very first draft of your very first piece of work... pitch that (mess or not) in 1-3 sentences!
A girl who writes historical fiction has the antagonist from her book show up in a Boston subway, pushing her down the stairs and attempting to steal her manuscript. He wants her to change the ending of her story. The only problem… it means killing the character she’s in love with.
Now the above piece of work...did you publish it?
Yes. It’s called the Weaver and is now a trilogy through Parliament House Press.
Any last min advice or anything to add?
I once heard that most people who write a book, don’t sell more than 100. I’ve sold over 2,000 on Amazon and many more in person. I’ll even hit 1 million page reads this year. It can be done with persistence.
You can hang out with Heather Kindt on social media!
Facebook.com/heatherkindtauthor