Interview with E.M. Kaplan

Interview with E.M. Kaplan 

How many books have you published? (Checkout her books here)

I have five out so far. Three are Josie Tucker mysteries and two are epic fantasies in a series called Rise of the Masks. I'm working on mystery #4 right now. Then I'll finish the fantasy series and make it a trilogy.

Under what names do you publish?

I use EM Kaplan. M is my middle initial, but people also call me Em for Emily.

What is a day in the life of an author like? Do you write a certain number of words, do you write in the morning or evening, etc? 

I have a full-time day job with Motorola, but I sometimes write during lunch because I telecommute from home. I aim for 1,000 words a day. So sometimes I get them done at night before bedtime. I recently got a FitBit though, so now I'm trying to make 10,000 steps a day in addition with my words. Those two goals don't go well together!

Do you plot the entire book first, then write or plot as you go?

Usually I think of the twist or the crux of the book first. I chose the location next. Then I think of a catchy opening scene. I start from there and push forward without plotting too much. I like some spontaneity when I write. Good things can happen accidentally.

How do you promote your books?

Marketing books has been the steepest learning curve in the whole process of becoming a writer. I started with creating a Facebook and Twitter presence. I have almost 60K followers on Twitter. From there, I met a lot of other authors who have unknowingly mentored me. I write a blog, create promotions, and run ads. I'm experimenting with the best book advertisers. So far, no one comes close to BookBub, but with steady and constant tweaking, I'm still hoping to get ahead in this game.

Who is your favorite author?

Gosh, I don't know. When I'm not writing intensely, I read 4-5 books a week. All genres. I love finding new writers who haven't hit it big yet. I used to work in a bookstore when I was in grad school in the mid-90s. I'd read a book that I kept trying to foist on all my friends. They got sick of hearing about Game of Thrones, but I didn't stop pushing it. I love Jennifer Crusie, Kristan Higgins, JK Rowling, Agatha Christie, Robin Hobb, Richard Russo, and David Sedaris...

Do you write with pen and paper or a computer?

I use a laptop that I take with me around my house. But I also scribble things on random pieces of paper I find, make notes on my mobile phone, or send myself email. All of my actual writing is on a computer now. I type much faster than I write. Sometimes faster than I can think. :)

Click here to read a review of The Bride Wore Dead.