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 Kay Hanifen!
Kay Hanifen was born on a Friday the 13th and once lived for three months in a haunted castle. So, obviously, she had to become a horror writer. Her work has appeared in over fifty anthologies and magazines. Her first anthology as an editor, Till the Yule Log Burns Out, was published in 2024. When she’s not consuming pop culture with the voraciousness of a vampire at a 24-hour blood bank, you can usually find her with her black cats or at kayhanifenauthor.wordpress.com.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheUnicornComi1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katharinehanifen/
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?
I think one of my strengths is consistency. I try to write 1000 words every night, and unless I am dedicating a night to sending things out, I usually hit that word goal and then some. When I want to improve on a writing skill, I look to other writers who I admire and study what they do well. So, for example, if I want to start writing protagonists with clearer flaws, I read and watch shows with messy protagonists and pay attention to what makes them so compelling.
What are your thoughts on the book industry today, or more importantly, about the book community?
It can be rough out there, but I’ve met so many wonderful people through the book community, particularly indie authors and editors. We’re all supportive of one another and find ways to promote each other’s work. Because the industry in general is so tough, it’s important that we look out for one another.
Do you feel it is getting harder or easier to make it as an independent author these days?
The hardest part of being an indie author is that you can’t just write. You have to be your own marketing team, PR manager, and algorithm expert. The algorithm is the worst part, in my opinion, especially when there are bad actors who use AI generated books to game the system and bury the work of writers who love their craft and put effort into it. I actually quit a ghostwriting job because they switched over from collaborative ghostwriting with people to AI dreck. That said, I’m very lucky because I have family who are incredibly supportive of me and my writing career. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
Till the Yule Log Burns Out is probably my most ambitious project to date. It’s an anthology/novella hybrid with eight other indie authors. I was the managing editor and the author of the wraparound novella. It was my first time editing an anthology, so, of course, I had to pick the most complicated idea lol but it all came together nicely. I’m incredibly proud of it and the other authors involved.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
My debut novel, The Last Ballard, is expected to come out this year. I’m incredibly excited for it! I also plan on sending out stories to as many anthologies as I can and hopefully editing some of my trunk novels to send out.
KANDISHA PRESS 
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