One of the more prolific indie writers I’ve discovered on social media is K.T. Carlisle, the pseudonym for a writer who has two murder mysteries to her credit (Reasonable and Forget-Me-Not) and two more in progress (Unhinged, which will be out this November, and I Know What I Saw, which comes out next January). The first three books are part of a series she calls, “What Happened to Mia Davis?” The fourth book is a young adult paranormal thriller.
K.T. also is active on X (Twitter), where she harnesses the power of that social media platform to promote her work, grow her audience, and connect with other writers.
Despite (or perhaps because of) her experience working in a literary agency, K.T. decided to self-publish her novels. In addition to writing murder mysteries, she offers copywriting, website development, and social media management services through a niche marketing agency she founded in 2018. Somehow, while juggling all these activities, she found time to share insights about her writing, her influences, and her use of social media as a marketing tool.
1 – You mention on your blog that you’ve always known you wanted to be a writer. When did you decide to become a mystery writer, and why this genre instead of some other?
I don’t know that I decided to become a mystery writer, but rather, an idea just came to me and it happened to be in the mystery genre.
I’ve always been drawn to the darker things in life. While other kids watched Barney or Sesame Street, I was watching Dateline and America’s Most Wanted. Something about true crime has always piqued my interest; maybe it was my father’s bookshelf full of serial killer biographies, or maybe I just want to understand what could possibly make someone snap to the point of hurting another person. Either way, my fascination with the macabre has always led me to the mystery/thriller genre. I’ve written in other genres in the past (mostly literary fiction and poetry), but this is definitely the space where I feel most at home.
2 – What two or three writers would you say have most influenced you as a writer, and why?
Stephen King, J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith, and Dani Shapiro have been the most influential writers for me. Stephen King for his intricate storytelling and rich descriptions (and, of course, his completely demented subject matter). J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith for her gripping voice and careful attention to detail. But Dani Shapiro’s book, Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life, is what shaped me as a writer. I’ve read that book so many times cover to cover that the pages are starting to fall out. If you’re looking for a book that helps you establish a routine and build the groundwork for completing your first novel, that’s the only book to read, in my opinion. So much of what I do each day is informed by that one book.
3 – You’ve done a lot of writing in your career as a copywriter, freelancer, etc. What lessons from your non-fiction writing experience has been most helpful to you as a writer of fiction?
Don’t stay married to anything that you write, and don’t be afraid of constructive criticism (but also don’t be afraid to stick up for your stylistic decisions). I tell my clients all the time, “Don’t tell me what you liked. Tell me what you hated, because it’s the only way I’ll get better.” Sometimes constructive feedback can be a tough pill to swallow, but if you only ever pay attention to the positive things that people say about your work, you’ll never improve or realize your full potential. It’s a hard thing to learn how to do, but it’s necessary if you want your work to truly shine.
4 – You’ve self-published your first two novels and plan to self-publish your third later this year. What do you see as the advantages to self-publishing versus going the traditional route of querying, finding an agent, etc.?
The traditional publishing landscape has changed dramatically since the time I was in training to become an agent, and in my opinion, it hasn’t been for the better. Life-changing publishing deals are few and far between, and seem to be only reserved for long-established names, giving newcomers even less of a fighting chance. If you are lucky enough to get an agent, that’s not the end of your struggle. You still need to hope that a publisher will pick up your story after putting it on submission. If your book doesn’t get picked up, not only will you be forced to shelve the story you’ve worked so hard on, but you may be at risk of losing your agent and starting from square one. It’s an unfortunate reality that I’ve witnessed many authors struggle with, and which has even discouraged them from continuing to create.
By contrast, self-publishing allows you to get your story and your name out there right away. You don’t have to deal with the heartbreak and uncertainty of never having your book see the light of day—you’re the one in control. And that control has many advantages. You can create your own cover, you can do your own marketing, you have the final say in what stays in your book and what gets cut (if anything). True, you may not get an advance or see your book in brick-and-mortar stores (although, this is still possible if you approach indie bookshops and local libraries), but I think there’s much more to be said for the creative control and immediate reward of finding your readership than there is for holding out hope for a book deal that may never come (and may kill your creative energy along the way).
5 – You’re very active on Twitter/X, both as a conversationalist with other writers and to promote your own work. What advice do you have for other indie authors about generating publicity or visibility for their work?
My success on Twitter comes as much of a surprise to me as it does to everyone else. When I joined, I did it because I was querying and realized that many agents asked for your Twitter handle. I thought to myself, Gee, this must be important. Guess I’d better check it out. I didn’t think that I’d reach even 100 people. A year later, and I’ve somehow accumulated over 3,300 followers on the platform.
I’m a marketing strategist who specializes in social media campaigns, so I have a little bit of an advantage there in that I understand what it takes to be successful on any given platform. The secret really isn’t complicated: Post often (once a day at the minimum, but more often if you can), engage with others (don’t just post and hope people engage with you; it’s selfish and inauthentic, and people see that), focus on friendships rather than followers (again, authenticity is the goal), and respond to everyone who takes the time to comment or share your posts (within reason; some people are best left on read).
The Twitter writing community is one of the kindest and most genuine you’re going to find online. I encourage all indie authors to get involved with the community there and make connections. If it weren’t for that platform, I wouldn’t have half the readers or book sales that I have today. But it’s so much more than that: I’ve made some of the best friends of my life on that platform, all just from having the courage to reach out to fellow writers and talk shop. Don’t get intimidated by large followings. Some of the most responsive and amazing people I’ve connected with were those whom I thought would never give me the time of day, but I took that chance and have been rewarded in invaluable connections, genuine friendships, and even some wonderful reviews of my work.
Follow K.T. Carlisle on X/Twitter at @KT_Carlisle.
Andy writes! 