Moon: How would you describe KG MacGregor?
KG: Who is KG MacGregor? I apologize in advance for an answer that is decidedly unromantic. KG MacGregor is, of course, a pseudonym, a derivative of my cats Katie & Gracie, and my Scottish ancestors. The real person behind that persona is Sue; and in actuality, I'm sort of the CEO of KG MacGregor, Inc. KG is very much a business, a company of one that puts out about three books a year in the lesbian fiction genre. As an author, I work as an independent contractor for Bella Books, and I employ vendors to assist me in promotion & marketing.
I'll give you just a moment to stop yawning ...
I know that description sounds awfully dry, but it's remarkably similar to the one I would have given five years ago if you had asked me about Sue, the independent market research consultant. Only the nature of my work has changed. KG is Sue when she's at work. On my website, I've included a "Bio" page, but your question makes me realize that the bio I've presented is about Sue, not KG. KG doesn't really have a bio, only a history of the company, which was "founded" in 2002 when I posted my first story, Shaken, on the Internet. The other thing I realize is that by saying all of this, I'm apt to give some people the impression that the KG they met in Provincetown or at book signings or conferences is a fake, just a facade Sue puts on. There's probably some truth to that, but it's no different from anyone else who goes to work and puts forth the face of their business. That said, I've made some wonderful friends in this fabulous arena of lesbian fiction, and I like to think most of those friends belong to Sue rather than to KG, and that if I stopped writing tomorrow, they would still be there.
Moon: You mention promotion and marketing. What challenges have you faced working in the field you do with those tasks? What advice would you have for other author looking at facing the same needs for their work?
KG: So many challenges ... so few resources.
Probably the biggest challenge for everyone in the book industry is the continuing decline of pleasure reading among adults across all sectors. Within those who do read for pleasure, we have to reach the potential audience for lesbian fiction. Then it's a matter of convincing those readers to add my book to their stack.
My advice to other authors who want to promote/market their books could be summed up in these four tenets:
1. Sign with a publisher who has a proven track record in promotion/marketing. Do their books get reviewed in outlets that reach the target audience? Are their books in bookstores? Are they consistently in stock at online distributors?
2. Maintain an attractive, easy to navigate website that showcases your books.
3. Say yes to events that get you noticed, and that get your name out there. Take advantage of events (e.g., conventions, panels, readings) in which someone else is handling the publicity. And if you get a chance to do a public event, take it seriously and do your best to make a good impression.
4. Write the best book you can. Attend workshops, read articles on the craft of writing & find an editor who will bring out your finest work. Nothing sells your next book like your last one.
Moon: What about lesbian fiction drew you to want to write in this market? What genres do you prefer to write your stories in?
KG: The stories I tend to write are the ones I've always wanted to read, though I'm sure that's a standard to which most authors would ascribe. I see lesbian romances as our stories, and the stories of our friends -- the coming out tales, first loves, second loves, surviving loss, making love work -- stories that overcome the mainstream cliche and let lesbians be happy in the end. I'm a lucky person that I get to spend my working hours in a community of lesbians and those drawn to lesbian fiction.
I enjoy writing romance because it lets me play the ultimate matchmaker -- everything always works out just the way I want it.
In addition to romance, I've had a lot of fun writing intrigue, such as in Malicious Pursuit, and more recently, in Secrets So Deep (due out in May '08). These types of tales are especially challenging, but I find that I can't simply create the scenario. I have to wait for those ideas to fall out of the sky, but then I very much enjoy formulating an intricate plot.
Moon: I know a lot of writer that struggle with crafting mystery stories. What tricks did you use to write you mystery novels? Do you use outline to plan out those or any of your other stories?
KG: I don’t have any hard and fast procedures, whether I’m writing a mystery, an adventure or a romance. I usually begin by talking to friends about an idea. That idea could be a setting, a character, a how-we-met scenario, or even a resolution. Bit by bit, I add flesh to the bones, often by telling the story to an imaginary audience as I’m driving or walking alone in the woods. Once the story arc is complete in my head, I may write it out in a short summary form, especially if it involves intricate details that I don’t want to forget, or if I know I won’t have a chance to start writing for several months. Some stories call for outlines, others for character portraits, and still others for complicated chronologies. And some stories flow so quickly that I don’t take the time to make any additional notes. Nine times out of ten, I deviate so far from early ideas that the outlines or summaries I’ve written aren’t even relevant anymore. I get to know the characters as I write them, and sometimes they refuse to be forced into behaviors that don’t fit their profiles.
With all of my stories, I keep a list of proper names—characters, fictional stores and settings, company names, etc.—along with a few relevant details. That helps me maintain consistency throughout the story. It’s jarring to a reader when minor details change, when Teri becomes Terri, her blue eyes turn green, and her Toyota Corolla magically morphs into a Honda Civic.
The last thing I want to write is a predictable story. Even a romance—which by definition has a happy ending—ought to have a nice twist, something that takes the reader to an unexpected place. Surprises are especially important in mysteries and thrillers, but it has to be plausible and fair. The trick is to set up the ending without giving it away. If I explained how I did that, it wouldn’t be a surprise.
Moon: Was your foray into lesbian fiction your first as a writer, or have you written other fiction before that?
KG: I've always enjoyed writing, and I've even published a few scholarly articles. But all of my fiction is lesbian fiction. I don't mind if you call me a purist.
Moon: You mentioned making friend at some of the conferences you've been to. What are some of your favorite stories from these places or from your travel in general?
KG: One of my favorite stories happened a couple of years ago at GCLS in Atlanta. I was glad to have my partner Jenny along on the trip, though she typically wanders around on her own at these conferences when I'm meeting readers, signing books, or talking business with editors and publishers. As we were taking our seats for the awards banquet, someone shouted her name and she turned to see two women she knew from 30 years ago when they all worked in Lexington, KY. The women were fans of Karin Kallmaker, and they had followed her Amazon blog to their first GCLS con. They had never heard of me, but I quickly fixed that, comping them my first Bella book, Just This Once.
Moon: With all the things you've learned since making the choice to write professionally, what do you wish someone had told you before it all began?
KG: Ah, the old "if I knew then what I know now..."
In retrospect, I wish I had taken my first book to Linda Hill at Bella and begged her to publish it. I learned a great deal about the book business from publishing with a small, now-defunct start-up press, and even more through self-publishing, but I believe they call that the School of Hard Knocks. Writing and promotion are hard enough. I like having the marketing and distribution in the hands of professionals who know what they're doing.
When I migrated from my consulting work to writing full-time, I had a little trouble at first treating this like a job. That's because I began writing as a hobby, and it took a bit of adjusting to get myself committed to a work schedule.
Moon: Where would you like to see yourself in a year? 5 years? 10 years?
KG: A year from now, I plan to be working five books ahead of my last release, Without Warning, which came out January 14th. I'm currently two books ahead (Secrets So Deep and Aftershock, which is the 2nd book in the Shaken Series), almost ready to start the third. I give myself three months for the first draft, and an extra month for edits. That keeps me on pace for three books a year.
It's hard to see five years ahead, but if I'm still bursting with story ideas, I hope to be writing them as fast as I can. I'd like to have another project under my belt by then, perhaps a screenplay. I expect media to continue to evolve, so maybe we'll see more venues for sharing our stories.
Ten years from now, I hope to still have fresh ideas. If not, I hope I realize it before my readers.
Moon: What sort of things inspire your creativity?
KG: Story ideas can come from anywhere, either a single character, a setting, a how-we-met scenario, or even just one scene. Inspiration is the easy part. Unfortunately, I'm rarely given the whole tale in such a flash.
The Shaken Series was inspired by my neighbors and friends in the Bay Area sharing tales about their experiences in the Loma Prieta quake of 1989. Malicious Pursuit was a twist on Three Days of the Condor. The House on Sandstone arose from my own high school reunion in a small town. Mulligan was character-inspired, in that I fully realized my characters of Marty & Louise--who they were, the big events in their lives, their barriers to finding love in their sixties--well before I was able to tell the story of how they met and fell in love. The Road from Kilimanjaro, coming next January, was based on my experience climbing that peak with a friend back in 2001.
Right now, I have two stories taking shape in my head. One was inpsired by an exhibit of erotic photography; the other by a cruise I took last year.
What's much more interesting than the source of inspiration is the work that follows being inspired. When I have only one piece to start, I then have to fill in the other components that fit around that inspiration. That's when the real work starts. Whether I set a story in New York City (Out of Love) or Sumter, TN (Sumter Point) dictates who the characters are and how their surroundings will drive the action. Other times, I may have a character and setting fixed in my head, but no conflict. And when a character is especially well-defined (e.g., the Republican congresswoman at the center of Secrets So Deep), I have to work hard to balance her with an equally interesting love interest.
Moon: Do you think all the traveling you do add a special something to your work, and what are some of your favorite places you've been?
KG: The fact that I've traveled so much definitely adds a dimension to my work, in that I'm not afraid to take on new settings in my stories. One of these days, I'd like to write a thriller set in Europe or Asia, but right now that's just a germ of an idea.
My partner's travel tastes lean toward guided tours and nice hotels in Europe. I'm a little more open to adventure and exotic locations.
I've enjoyed different places in Europe for different reasons. For wonderful art museums, I think of Paris & Madrid. For picturesque cities, Prague & Stockholm. For a stirring reminder of the horrors of war, Berlin & Budapest. Throughout Asia, it's hard not to lament the adverse impact of industry & transportation on their people and cities. And it's places like Vietnam and Tanzania that have given me a real appreciation for the struggles of living day to day in poverty.
Moon: Besides you own books of course *wink* what other stories have you read, lesfic or otherwise, that have really affected you or even inspired you.
KG: I was probably never more impressed with a book than I was with Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden. For an American man (from Chattanooga) to write such a riveting first-person account of a young girl coming of age in Kyoto, Japan was a spectacular feat. Obviously, I feel most comfortable writing lesbian characters, and I don't have any plans to step outside the genre of lesbian fiction. But when I write a significant male character, such as Justine's husband JT in The House on Sandstone, or Dennis in Sumter Point, I'm inspired by Golden to try to reach beyond the cliche.
Another author who dazzles me with her ability to get inside a character's head is Barbara Kingsolver. In The Poisonwood Bible, she convincingly takes on the diverse personalities of all the women in the book. The most I've ever managed in first-person is a short story, and that was a mighty struggle.
Moon: It's been a great time talking to you, and before we open the floor to comments I've got one more question for you. Do you think it is possible and advisable for lesfic to do things be taken more seriously in the future as a mainstream market, and if so, what steps do you thinks would we as authors, reader, and publishers need to do to make that happen?
KG: The issue of lesbian fiction sliding into the mainstream is a quandry, at least for me, because I'm not sure the general audience is prepared for love stories with lesbians that parallel those that have been the staple of mainstream entertainment. Sadly, the cliche is alive and well, in that lesbian characters are acceptable by the mainstream as long as they are peripheral to the story, demented, or sufficiently titillating for the male audience -- and a happy ending for the lesbians is rarely an option. I appreciated the movie Imagine Me & You, not because it was particularly moving or well-made, but because it was marketed to a general audience and broke the mold for depicting lesbian relationships in the mainstream. I'm hoping characters like Batgirl, the lipstick lesbian of DC Comics, will pave the way for a broader lesbian presence in entertainment media. If and when that happens, those who are oriented toward books will find our stories. In the meantime, we can probably push the envelope by writing compelling fiction that features strong lesbian characters, but plays down their romantic and sexual aspects. That's tough for a romance writer, but certainly workable for those oriented toward thrillers, mystery & sci-fi.
Appealing to the mainstream is probably necessary for those writers who are striving for commercial success. I don't know anyone in my circle of writer friends who wouldn't celebrate a book that made lots of money, but there's a lot to recommend a work world that is lesbian centered.
The bigger issue for me with regard to the mainstream is that I write genre fiction, which will never be taken seriously in the literary arena, irrespective of my characters' sexuality.
If you want to lean more about this wonderful author go check out KG’s website and blog. And here for your enjoyment are a few of the book you can find available from KG MacGregor.
Without Warning (new as of January 14th)
Just This Once
Undercover Tales
(an anthology KG did with great authors like Blayne Cooper and SX Meagher)
Malicious Pursuit
Coming soon
Secrets So Deep
KG: Who is KG MacGregor? I apologize in advance for an answer that is decidedly unromantic. KG MacGregor is, of course, a pseudonym, a derivative of my cats Katie & Gracie, and my Scottish ancestors. The real person behind that persona is Sue; and in actuality, I'm sort of the CEO of KG MacGregor, Inc. KG is very much a business, a company of one that puts out about three books a year in the lesbian fiction genre. As an author, I work as an independent contractor for Bella Books, and I employ vendors to assist me in promotion & marketing.
I'll give you just a moment to stop yawning ...
I know that description sounds awfully dry, but it's remarkably similar to the one I would have given five years ago if you had asked me about Sue, the independent market research consultant. Only the nature of my work has changed. KG is Sue when she's at work. On my website, I've included a "Bio" page, but your question makes me realize that the bio I've presented is about Sue, not KG. KG doesn't really have a bio, only a history of the company, which was "founded" in 2002 when I posted my first story, Shaken, on the Internet. The other thing I realize is that by saying all of this, I'm apt to give some people the impression that the KG they met in Provincetown or at book signings or conferences is a fake, just a facade Sue puts on. There's probably some truth to that, but it's no different from anyone else who goes to work and puts forth the face of their business. That said, I've made some wonderful friends in this fabulous arena of lesbian fiction, and I like to think most of those friends belong to Sue rather than to KG, and that if I stopped writing tomorrow, they would still be there.
Moon: You mention promotion and marketing. What challenges have you faced working in the field you do with those tasks? What advice would you have for other author looking at facing the same needs for their work?
KG: So many challenges ... so few resources.
Probably the biggest challenge for everyone in the book industry is the continuing decline of pleasure reading among adults across all sectors. Within those who do read for pleasure, we have to reach the potential audience for lesbian fiction. Then it's a matter of convincing those readers to add my book to their stack.
My advice to other authors who want to promote/market their books could be summed up in these four tenets:
1. Sign with a publisher who has a proven track record in promotion/marketing. Do their books get reviewed in outlets that reach the target audience? Are their books in bookstores? Are they consistently in stock at online distributors?
2. Maintain an attractive, easy to navigate website that showcases your books.
3. Say yes to events that get you noticed, and that get your name out there. Take advantage of events (e.g., conventions, panels, readings) in which someone else is handling the publicity. And if you get a chance to do a public event, take it seriously and do your best to make a good impression.
4. Write the best book you can. Attend workshops, read articles on the craft of writing & find an editor who will bring out your finest work. Nothing sells your next book like your last one.
Moon: What about lesbian fiction drew you to want to write in this market? What genres do you prefer to write your stories in?
KG: The stories I tend to write are the ones I've always wanted to read, though I'm sure that's a standard to which most authors would ascribe. I see lesbian romances as our stories, and the stories of our friends -- the coming out tales, first loves, second loves, surviving loss, making love work -- stories that overcome the mainstream cliche and let lesbians be happy in the end. I'm a lucky person that I get to spend my working hours in a community of lesbians and those drawn to lesbian fiction.
I enjoy writing romance because it lets me play the ultimate matchmaker -- everything always works out just the way I want it.
In addition to romance, I've had a lot of fun writing intrigue, such as in Malicious Pursuit, and more recently, in Secrets So Deep (due out in May '08). These types of tales are especially challenging, but I find that I can't simply create the scenario. I have to wait for those ideas to fall out of the sky, but then I very much enjoy formulating an intricate plot.
Moon: I know a lot of writer that struggle with crafting mystery stories. What tricks did you use to write you mystery novels? Do you use outline to plan out those or any of your other stories?
KG: I don’t have any hard and fast procedures, whether I’m writing a mystery, an adventure or a romance. I usually begin by talking to friends about an idea. That idea could be a setting, a character, a how-we-met scenario, or even a resolution. Bit by bit, I add flesh to the bones, often by telling the story to an imaginary audience as I’m driving or walking alone in the woods. Once the story arc is complete in my head, I may write it out in a short summary form, especially if it involves intricate details that I don’t want to forget, or if I know I won’t have a chance to start writing for several months. Some stories call for outlines, others for character portraits, and still others for complicated chronologies. And some stories flow so quickly that I don’t take the time to make any additional notes. Nine times out of ten, I deviate so far from early ideas that the outlines or summaries I’ve written aren’t even relevant anymore. I get to know the characters as I write them, and sometimes they refuse to be forced into behaviors that don’t fit their profiles.
With all of my stories, I keep a list of proper names—characters, fictional stores and settings, company names, etc.—along with a few relevant details. That helps me maintain consistency throughout the story. It’s jarring to a reader when minor details change, when Teri becomes Terri, her blue eyes turn green, and her Toyota Corolla magically morphs into a Honda Civic.
The last thing I want to write is a predictable story. Even a romance—which by definition has a happy ending—ought to have a nice twist, something that takes the reader to an unexpected place. Surprises are especially important in mysteries and thrillers, but it has to be plausible and fair. The trick is to set up the ending without giving it away. If I explained how I did that, it wouldn’t be a surprise.
Moon: Was your foray into lesbian fiction your first as a writer, or have you written other fiction before that?
KG: I've always enjoyed writing, and I've even published a few scholarly articles. But all of my fiction is lesbian fiction. I don't mind if you call me a purist.
Moon: You mentioned making friend at some of the conferences you've been to. What are some of your favorite stories from these places or from your travel in general?
KG: One of my favorite stories happened a couple of years ago at GCLS in Atlanta. I was glad to have my partner Jenny along on the trip, though she typically wanders around on her own at these conferences when I'm meeting readers, signing books, or talking business with editors and publishers. As we were taking our seats for the awards banquet, someone shouted her name and she turned to see two women she knew from 30 years ago when they all worked in Lexington, KY. The women were fans of Karin Kallmaker, and they had followed her Amazon blog to their first GCLS con. They had never heard of me, but I quickly fixed that, comping them my first Bella book, Just This Once.
Moon: With all the things you've learned since making the choice to write professionally, what do you wish someone had told you before it all began?
KG: Ah, the old "if I knew then what I know now..."
In retrospect, I wish I had taken my first book to Linda Hill at Bella and begged her to publish it. I learned a great deal about the book business from publishing with a small, now-defunct start-up press, and even more through self-publishing, but I believe they call that the School of Hard Knocks. Writing and promotion are hard enough. I like having the marketing and distribution in the hands of professionals who know what they're doing.
When I migrated from my consulting work to writing full-time, I had a little trouble at first treating this like a job. That's because I began writing as a hobby, and it took a bit of adjusting to get myself committed to a work schedule.
Moon: Where would you like to see yourself in a year? 5 years? 10 years?
KG: A year from now, I plan to be working five books ahead of my last release, Without Warning, which came out January 14th. I'm currently two books ahead (Secrets So Deep and Aftershock, which is the 2nd book in the Shaken Series), almost ready to start the third. I give myself three months for the first draft, and an extra month for edits. That keeps me on pace for three books a year.
It's hard to see five years ahead, but if I'm still bursting with story ideas, I hope to be writing them as fast as I can. I'd like to have another project under my belt by then, perhaps a screenplay. I expect media to continue to evolve, so maybe we'll see more venues for sharing our stories.
Ten years from now, I hope to still have fresh ideas. If not, I hope I realize it before my readers.
Moon: What sort of things inspire your creativity?
KG: Story ideas can come from anywhere, either a single character, a setting, a how-we-met scenario, or even just one scene. Inspiration is the easy part. Unfortunately, I'm rarely given the whole tale in such a flash.
The Shaken Series was inspired by my neighbors and friends in the Bay Area sharing tales about their experiences in the Loma Prieta quake of 1989. Malicious Pursuit was a twist on Three Days of the Condor. The House on Sandstone arose from my own high school reunion in a small town. Mulligan was character-inspired, in that I fully realized my characters of Marty & Louise--who they were, the big events in their lives, their barriers to finding love in their sixties--well before I was able to tell the story of how they met and fell in love. The Road from Kilimanjaro, coming next January, was based on my experience climbing that peak with a friend back in 2001.
Right now, I have two stories taking shape in my head. One was inpsired by an exhibit of erotic photography; the other by a cruise I took last year.
What's much more interesting than the source of inspiration is the work that follows being inspired. When I have only one piece to start, I then have to fill in the other components that fit around that inspiration. That's when the real work starts. Whether I set a story in New York City (Out of Love) or Sumter, TN (Sumter Point) dictates who the characters are and how their surroundings will drive the action. Other times, I may have a character and setting fixed in my head, but no conflict. And when a character is especially well-defined (e.g., the Republican congresswoman at the center of Secrets So Deep), I have to work hard to balance her with an equally interesting love interest.
Moon: Do you think all the traveling you do add a special something to your work, and what are some of your favorite places you've been?
KG: The fact that I've traveled so much definitely adds a dimension to my work, in that I'm not afraid to take on new settings in my stories. One of these days, I'd like to write a thriller set in Europe or Asia, but right now that's just a germ of an idea.
My partner's travel tastes lean toward guided tours and nice hotels in Europe. I'm a little more open to adventure and exotic locations.
I've enjoyed different places in Europe for different reasons. For wonderful art museums, I think of Paris & Madrid. For picturesque cities, Prague & Stockholm. For a stirring reminder of the horrors of war, Berlin & Budapest. Throughout Asia, it's hard not to lament the adverse impact of industry & transportation on their people and cities. And it's places like Vietnam and Tanzania that have given me a real appreciation for the struggles of living day to day in poverty.
Moon: Besides you own books of course *wink* what other stories have you read, lesfic or otherwise, that have really affected you or even inspired you.
KG: I was probably never more impressed with a book than I was with Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden. For an American man (from Chattanooga) to write such a riveting first-person account of a young girl coming of age in Kyoto, Japan was a spectacular feat. Obviously, I feel most comfortable writing lesbian characters, and I don't have any plans to step outside the genre of lesbian fiction. But when I write a significant male character, such as Justine's husband JT in The House on Sandstone, or Dennis in Sumter Point, I'm inspired by Golden to try to reach beyond the cliche.
Another author who dazzles me with her ability to get inside a character's head is Barbara Kingsolver. In The Poisonwood Bible, she convincingly takes on the diverse personalities of all the women in the book. The most I've ever managed in first-person is a short story, and that was a mighty struggle.
Moon: It's been a great time talking to you, and before we open the floor to comments I've got one more question for you. Do you think it is possible and advisable for lesfic to do things be taken more seriously in the future as a mainstream market, and if so, what steps do you thinks would we as authors, reader, and publishers need to do to make that happen?
KG: The issue of lesbian fiction sliding into the mainstream is a quandry, at least for me, because I'm not sure the general audience is prepared for love stories with lesbians that parallel those that have been the staple of mainstream entertainment. Sadly, the cliche is alive and well, in that lesbian characters are acceptable by the mainstream as long as they are peripheral to the story, demented, or sufficiently titillating for the male audience -- and a happy ending for the lesbians is rarely an option. I appreciated the movie Imagine Me & You, not because it was particularly moving or well-made, but because it was marketed to a general audience and broke the mold for depicting lesbian relationships in the mainstream. I'm hoping characters like Batgirl, the lipstick lesbian of DC Comics, will pave the way for a broader lesbian presence in entertainment media. If and when that happens, those who are oriented toward books will find our stories. In the meantime, we can probably push the envelope by writing compelling fiction that features strong lesbian characters, but plays down their romantic and sexual aspects. That's tough for a romance writer, but certainly workable for those oriented toward thrillers, mystery & sci-fi.
Appealing to the mainstream is probably necessary for those writers who are striving for commercial success. I don't know anyone in my circle of writer friends who wouldn't celebrate a book that made lots of money, but there's a lot to recommend a work world that is lesbian centered.
The bigger issue for me with regard to the mainstream is that I write genre fiction, which will never be taken seriously in the literary arena, irrespective of my characters' sexuality.
If you want to lean more about this wonderful author go check out KG’s website and blog. And here for your enjoyment are a few of the book you can find available from KG MacGregor.
Without Warning (new as of January 14th)
Just This Once
Undercover Tales
(an anthology KG did with great authors like Blayne Cooper and SX Meagher)
Malicious Pursuit
Coming soon
Secrets So Deep
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