Interview With Author Paul King
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was a professional journalist for nearly 40 years, working first in daily newspapers and then transitioning to trade magazines; specifically, the foodservice industry. I retired from my last job in 2015 and began to pursue my passion, which is history. I have written 3 books. The first, Iconic Pittsburgh: The City’s 30 Most Memorable People, Places & Things, was published in 2020 by The History Press. The follow-up to that is called Colorful Characters of Pittsburgh, and it was released in October 2023. The third, Whitsons’ Way, is the history of an unusually successful, family-founded food management company on Long Island, NY. It is set for publication later this year.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is actually in the writing phase. The working title is “Trailblazers & Influencers: Pennsylvania Women Who Changed History.” When I was researching Iconic Pittsburgh, I discovered that there were a number of women who had made contributions to the betterment of the city, the state, and even the world. Yet they were not considered “iconic” by most people. I decided I wanted to tell their stories. Surprisingly, when I took the idea to my editor, he told me the publisher wouldn’t consider it because “books about women don’t sell.” That sealed the deal; I don’t like to be told “no.” So, I am seeking a new publisher for this book.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual? I think most normal people would consider all writers’ habits “unusual.”
What authors, or books have influenced you?
In my genre, my “holy trinity” of historians would be David McCullough, Walter Isaacson, and David Grann.
What are you working on now?
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Because I have a traditional publisher, I have a dedicated marketing person who helps to promote my books. But sometimes, that’s not enough. To augment that I have turned to Facebook. When I was writing Iconic Pittsburgh, I used to post updates on FB, introducing the profiles and throwing out a fact or two about each.
After Iconic Pittsburgh came out, I set up a page called Paul King’s Pittsburgh Books to help market it and to generate interest in Colorful Characters of Pittsburgh. For that book, I created a contest called Who Am I?. I would post a brief description of a person, and the first reader who could guess the name received a signed copy of the book when it was published.
Lately, however, FB has become more trouble than it’s worth. I have been getting messages telling me that my page has violated some copyright law, and that the page is going to be taken down. They’re all bogus, but I’m tired of seeing them and FB security can’t do anything to stop them. So I am going to transition from the page to a website, which I am in the process of setting up.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
For writers starting out I would say, if you are not willing to immerse yourself in the business of writing, don’t bother. Writing is hard work, and depending upon what you are writing, it can also be a painful process. You have to be prepared to embrace that and endure it. For me, the act of writing is simple and breezy. But the process of taking that first draft and making it over into something that is publishable is agonizing. In short, if you find that writing is easy, you are doing it wrong.
Once you have completed a manuscript, be prepared to seek out–and accept–criticism. There is not a successful writer out there who hasn’t been edited by someone else. I liken it to athletics. No matter how much talent you have, without a teacher or coach, you are never going to succeed. I knew a man who claimed to have written 5 novels, but he had never had any of them published. Why? He told me that every time he approached a publisher, he was told that the book would be successful if he was willing to change this, that or the other thing. He always refused, saying that changing the book would ruin it. Don’t be that guy.
Finally, understand that self-publishing is not a panacea. Too many authors turn to self-publishing because it’s easier than turning your book over to a traditional publisher, or even finding one who will take on the project. Self-publishing isn’t easier; it’s just different. All of the rules still apply. You just shift the burden from someone else to your own shoulders. The biggest benefit, in my mind, of having your book published in the traditional manner is the knowledge that someone else believes your work is good. An unbiased outsider has told you that your manuscript is good enough for public consumption, good enough that someone is willing to take on the burden of printing and promoting your work. In self-publishing, you earn all of the profits, but you will have to do all of the marketing yourself. And you may not know just how good your work actually is. I’m not saying, “Don’t self-publish.” I’m simply noting that you should weigh one against the other, and not be afraid to open yourself up to the criticism of a traditional publisher.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you want to write, read. Read anything you can get your hands on, and absorb all that you learn.”
What are you reading now?
“August Wilson: A Life,” by Patti Hartigan, a biography of the Pittsburgh-born poet and playwright who told of the African-American experience through a series of 10 plays that includes “Fences” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
What’s next for you as a writer?
Even as I work on my book about influential women in Pennsylvania’s history, I already have begun researching my next one: From Chipped Ham to Cheesesteak: A Culinary History of Pennsylvania.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Only 3 or 4 books? Kill me now and end my suffering.
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