GREETINGS, BOOKWORMS! I’m Aisha Kandisha, Head Librarian at Kandisha Press. Join me in the dusty stacks of the library I will never leave again as I chat with some of my favorite Women in Horror. Today we feature author K.M. McKenzie
What do you believe are your strengths in writing? And when you feel you need to improve on a particular writing skill, how do you go about it?
My writing strengths live and die on my imagination and worldbuilding skills. I have been told I can change my tone easily–from the serious to the mature, to the comical, which is hard to do,
so I’m proud of that. What I need to improve on is writing people better–for that I study people around me, people I meet in real life–that never fails. I now ask myself, what would such and
such do in this situation?
What are your thoughts on the book industry today, or more importantly, about the book
community?
The book community has become more deconstructed, divided into its own little cliques and corners–not much universality anymore. We had a moment a few years ago in young adult (YA)
fiction, and then the bubble burst. I do notice that bestsellers have become more corporate, more fine-tuned by industry to match trends rather than grown organically on original ideas; the
rise of romantasy genre being an example of this.
Do you feel it is getting harder or easier to make it as an independent author these days?
I feel it’s getting harder, though in many ways, easier, too. It’s rewarding to go the DIY route. It helps that the tools for doing so have never been more available. And the rewards, if you are
good at it, are far greater. That said, nothing beats having a major corporation with connections
that can get you into top bookstores or featured in the New York Times. That remains the main advantage of traditional book publishing–connections and marketing. Nonetheless, the go-it
yourself model is here to stay. Maybe some hybrid model is coming down the line. I have seen some where writers do the hard work and pay the traditional publishers to promote it.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
Currently, I am promoting my novel, The Civilization (Iskanchi Press), released at the end of 2024. It’s my first official fantasy novel. It’s a high stakes fantasy that takes place in an ancient African kingdom lost to the known world. It’s the product of years of hard work. It’s about a young woman finding her place in the world, where she belongs, and discovering what she’s made of when she’s thrust into a world that challenges everything about herself and everything she believes to be true. It’s full of mystery, African-Inspired mysticism, original ideas, and romance.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
Currently, I am working on the two planned sequels for The Civilization and hope to complete them by the end of the year. I also have plans to publish another contemporary novel, which I hope to get out by the end of spring 2025. It’s on a long delay. Ha!
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