All in with Kisha Green Interview by The Heat Seekers
The Heat Seekers Magazine: Tell us a little about yourself? Kisha Green: Well, first, let me say thank you for this opportunity. I do not know where to begin as I wear a lot of hats, but rather, I am an entrepreneur and then Author, Blogger, Publisher, Podcast Hostess, Virtual Assistant, Literary Consultant, and Certified Life Coach. THS: What prompted you to get into the literary world? KG: I was always an avid reader, but it wasn’t until reading through some of the old diaries I had when I was a teenager that I saw that my writing was dramatic but did not pay too much attention to it, but 1999, I read Flyy Girl by Omar Tyree and loved that his novel was about people who looked like me. I grew up reading Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Mary Higgins Clark, V.C. Andrews, Stephen King, and Jackie Collins, so it was refreshing to read something “new” that piqued my interest to attempt my first manuscript. THS: When did writing become a priority for you? KG: In 2006, I decided to see if I had what it took to be an author. I took my income tax to self-publish my first novel. I knew if I did not get a return on my investment, I would not need to quit my day job. THS: What influenced you the most? Was it a person in the field? KG: I was influenced to write because I loved reading and figured I could sell books because there were many people just like me. THS: What prompted you to self-publish your debut novel? KG: I had sent my manuscripts to a few publishers and never heard anything back, so I took that as a sign that they were not interested in my storytelling style. I saw an advertisement from iUniverse, and my research found that Barnes and Noble owned them. This seemed like a win/win as an author because my books could be on those bookshelves in no time...or so I thought. THS: What did self-publishing teach you? KG: It taught me that if you properly plan, it will succeed. You must know your target audience and stay consistent. THS: What was the common mistake you saw many self-published authors make? KG: They needed to set a realistic budget and timeline. Too many took too many shortcuts instead of learning the business. Many entered the industry as a popularity contest; others saw being an author as the new hustle while never treating it like a business. THS: How did you create the first award-winning literary show, Writer’s Life Chats? KG: When my first book came out, another author suggested that I
46
THE HEAT SEEKERS MAGAZINE
hire a publicist. So I hired one who said he couldn’t obtain any interviews for me since I was a newbie author after several rejections. I decided to create my radio show to talk to newbies like myself. I spoke to anyone who had written before, poets, authors, singers, hip-hop artists, and screenwriters. THS: You have worked with many authors over the years; who was your favorite and why? KG: That is a tricky question because I enjoyed every author I have worked with. I always set out to learn something from each experience and vice versa. THS: How did the eBook craze affect you? KG: With any business, you have to take the good and the bad and prepare for shifts within your industry; at first, I was bothered by it, but as time passed, I embraced it. It made book production quicker and cheaper because, with ebooks, there wasn’t any purchasing of paperbacks. You just needed a quality book and a properly formatted book. I went on to publish many short stories in ebooks. THS: What is Literary Management Group? KG: LMG is the home to a few of my entrepreneur gigs: my Literary Coaching, Virtual Assistant work, and other clerical and administrative duties. I recently changed the name from Literary Management to Literary Media Group since this will cover all aspects of literature and film. THS: How did Covid affect you? KG: I work full time in Healthcare, so I went to work every day, but on the weekend during the lockdown, I was in my kitchen constantly cooking and eating (lol)...During this time, I created a spice line, KGBlends, for the conscious. I created three blends; salt free, all purpose and teriyaki jerk filled with healthy herbs and spices but packed with garlic, turmeric, sage, ginger, and elderberry. I also kept busy hosting my weekly podcast, Digital Foreplay where i discussed sex, dating and relationships that later led to my own magazine column, with the same name.
