When did you decide to become a writer?
J B Kohl: I have written since childhood, but decided to go into medicine as I thought it sounded much more glamorous. Not true. There is nothing glamorous about medicine. Of course, there's nothing glamorous about writing either, but at least it makes me happy!!! I began writing professionally two years ago when I jumped in with both feet. I walked away from my job and started typing. I figured life is too short to let a dream pass you by.
Where do you get the ideas for your writing?
J B Kohl: The ideas for my writing come from anywhere and everywhere. I love to watch people anywhere I go...the store, the mall, out for a walk. I like to imagine "what if" for all of them. I like to wonder where they are going, what they are doing, etc. I also get ideas from dreams I have...if I can remember them! And I get ideas of course from the news and from people I know who would make interesting characters.
Although it's considered taboo, are you ever tempted to create yourself in one of your characters?
J B Kohl: I'm far too boring to make a good character!!! However, I will admit that some of my characters are allowed to get away with things I wish I could get away with. They are allowed to say things I wish I could say. So there are aspects of my characters I aspire to be like...but no one that is actually me.
As a creator of literary works, do you consider yourself an artist?
J B Kohl: I wouldn't call myself that, no. I consider artists to be experts in their fields and I can't say that I'm even close to that. I try to perfect what I write. I try to make it entertaining. And I try to have fun with it. But I fear that if I considered myself an "artist" I'd begin to take myself too seriously and start smoking a pipe and wearing reading glasses and tweed jackets with patches on the elbows. Then I'd start looking down my nose at everyone I spoke to and ask them why they've never bothered to read the Odyssey five times like every true literary genius. No. I don't consider myself an artist. I consider myself a student...
Did you acquire an agent to submit your work to a publisher?
J B Kohl: No. I didn't have an agent. It's hard to get an agent prior to publication and a new author, in this day and age, doesn't really need one. There are independent publishing houses willing and eager to sample new talent and I would highly recommend exploring smaller publishing houses to any new or unpublished writer.
Did you make simultaneous submissions of your work?
J B Kohl: Yes. I made simultaneous submissions of my work...I'd send out three or four queries every day for a week. I kept a record of who I submitted to and when they rejected me. (LOL) Once I had a batch of rejections, I'd submit again. And again.
How many rejection letters did you receive before a publisher accepted your work?
J B Kohl: I received around 24 rejection letters. I've kept them all.
Obviously, the rejection letters did not deter you. How did you handle the rejections internally?
J B Kohl: I kept in mind that everyone has been rejected. EVERYONE. I knew that diligence was what would lead to publication. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get discouraged, but I tried to keep a good attitude and I connected with other writers going through the same thing. And there's no one who "gets" what a writer is going through like another writer.
Were you asked to change anything about your work as a condition of acceptance?
J B Kohl: No. I wasn't asked to change a thing. My work was accepted as it was...another benefit of going with an independent publisher.
Once accepted, how much time elapsed until your book hit the shelves?
J B Kohl: I signed a contract in December, the week before Christmas. My book was released by the end of January.
Was the road from inception to publication what you expected?
J B Kohl: I was lucky enough to get in with a new publisher (Arctic Wolf). They were wonderful. I'd have to say the road was much easier than anticipated. Any phone calls I made were answered directly or immediately returned. Any e-mails I sent were answered within 24 hours. Any questions I had were answered quickly. I think a lot of that had to do with the size of the company. (Small) And the age of the company (New)...but that ended up being a very good thing. All in all I'd have to say that my publisher had the overwhelming task of taking on a new author and, rather than exploiting my inexperience, he made it as painless as possible.
Did your contract with Arctic Wolf include future books?
J B Kohl: No.
Did you receive an advance?
J B Kohl: No. No advance, but I think that is status quo for new writers...especially fiction writers. Fiction isn't what most big publishing houses want these days. They want non fiction because it sells. I wasn't expecting an advance from anyone.
Of all the things you didn't know, what was the biggest revelation to you about the publishing process?
J B Kohl: I was surprised at how hard it is to make a living as a writer. And that led to a deep respect for all those who give up a steady job to try to make a living doing something they feel compelled to do. Writing isn't easy. And the respect I had for writers, already huge, got even bigger.
What was your most pleasant surprise on the road to publication?
J B Kohl: The interactions I had with other writers surprised me. There's this whole movement of independent writers and publishers out there with nothing to offer but encouragement and support of one another. I expected fierce competition in the writing world and I was timid about approaching other writers. But the reality is that everyone is pulling in the same direction and everyone understands how tough the road is. It's like an enormous support group out there in cyberspace...there's MySpace, ImpNow, Canvas and Pen (of course) and numerous online critique groups like Deadly Prose and Book In A Week that give writers amazing support. I'm continually surprised by the community of writers in the world.
What was your biggest setback?
J B Kohl: Truthfully, the biggest setback was marketing. It is hard to find time to do booksignings and maintain a website and work on another book. That has taken some adjustment for me. I'm still learning how to budget time for it all, but I remind myself I'd rather be struggling to find time to do it all than struggling to find a publisher!
For the person hoping to be published, is there a single piece of advice you would like to pass on?
J B Kohl: Keep submitting. It's the one sure way to end up published.
What does the future hold for J B Kohl, the author?
J B Kohl: Right now, I'm working on the sequel to The Deputy's Widow, which I hope to have done in the next month or two. I'm also nearly done with a crime novel I'm writing with Eric Beetner. He lives in L.A. I live in Virginia....so it is a fun experiment in bi-coastal writing and another great plug for the internet in the world of writing and marketing.
