Life & Work with Mark Hunter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Hunter. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My Michigan story began when I met my first wife way back in 1987. By that time, I’d been writing seriously for something like fifteen years and trying to get published for seven years. Naturally, I’d traveled to Michigan before, but my future wife’s family had a cottage along Lake Bellaire, and for the rest of our marriage we spent all the time we could there. 

It was she who convinced me to try writing for the romance market–I’d been writing science fiction and action/adventure before that. Since all my free writing time was being spent in northwest lower Michigan, it only made sense to set my first novel up there. 

But the writing business has lots of twist and turns, and “Radio Red” turned out to be my seventh published book, not to mention my humor columnist job. By the time Torrid Books published “Radio Red,” I was married to my second wife! But we still get to come up to the cottage and stay with my kids and grandkids during summer vacations. I can’t imagine a better place to relax and plot out my next story. 

Sadly, I still haven’t been able to give up my day job as a 911 dispatcher… otherwise, I’d be up there more often. But with my wife’s help, our writing business is gaining ground. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t believe there’s such a thing as a smooth road for small businesses. That’s especially true in the writing business when it seems like there are fewer and fewer readers every year–and more and more writers. As I said earlier, I still haven’t been able to give up my day job. 

It’s always been hard to make a business out of writing, especially writing fiction. Although it’s easier to get published today, thanks to the self-publishing boom, you have to turn out a lot of content to stay on the reader’s radar. (And Amazon’s.) So, the Catch–22: You have to write full time in order to make enough money to write full time. That’s why, for the last several years, I’ve basically been working two full-time jobs. 

I don’t know if this can be compared to the more typical small business problems. Still, I think with all small business people, there’s the challenge of carving out a niche in the market and getting the attention of customers. I started writing seriously at the age of 13-14. I started submitting to publishers and agents at 18, landed a part-time newspaper writing job at 25, and sold my first novel at 45. Now, eleven published books later, I still put a lot of time into promoting and selling my work, and sometimes it feels like swimming against the tide. I doubt I’m alone in that. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I have the misfortune of being an eclectic writer. It sounds great: I’ve got a book for every reader! Romantic comedy, action/adventure, young adult, history, humor, short stories, come and choose! But that plays hell with developing a brand. If I specialize in anything, it’s humor. But someone who loves my four romantic comedy novels isn’t necessarily going to be pulled in by my young adult adventure or humor books. People in other regions sure aren’t likely to buy my local history books. 

Still, I did have a humor column that ran for twenty-five years (before the newspapers that printed it were bought out). I like humor; I like to make people smile and pull them away from the tragedies of life for a little recharging. That being the case, I think I’m most proud of “Radio Red”, which was the first book manuscript I decided to inject humor into. Yes, it’s a romance–but my off-the-wall hero and his zany Bellaire-area radio station gave me lots of chances to add some laughter to the love. The book’s heroine … well, she isn’t so sure, but she comes around. 

Hopefully, when I walk out the door, people will be happy because I made them that way, not because they’re glad to see me leave. 

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Don’t give up! About a decade ago, I was diagnosed with Seasonal Affected Disorder. Until then, every winter, I would get depressed over my struggle to get published and give up. I didn’t stop writing, mind you–I could never do that. But I would give up trying to publish. To make matters worse, this was pre-internet, when I couldn’t commiserate with other writers with similar struggles. 

Now, with proper treatment, I spend the winter working on my writing business. Why not? I sure don’t want to go outside. 

Others are going through the same thing you are, and many of them are ready with support and understanding. If your dream is worth dreaming, keep working at it. 

Pricing:

• 3.99 on Kindle for Radio Red
• 16.99 trade paperback

Contact Info:

• Website: https://markrhunter.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ozma914/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkRHunter
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkRHunter
• Other: https://markrhunter.blogspot.com/

Image Credits
Emily Hunter
Charis Koehl