We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alley McCall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?
I believe asking family and friends to support your business is the crucial first step to success. After all, they are the ones who believe in your mission or endeavor as much as you do. For me personally, my inner circle have been a part of my journey from the very beginning. I remember sitting at a baby shower of all places and looking over at my mother and telling her ‘I want to write a novel’. She didn’t balk at the news or tell me the reasons why I shouldn’t, she told me she believed in me and that I could do it. My family and close friends have been my biggest supporters, in small ways and big ones too. They share my business and tell others to offer support, offer advice, or even listen to me rant at times. I consider them part of my team, and I am where I am today because of them.
Alley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have always been an avid reader and wordsmith. I grew up journaling and making up stories in my head, until one day I decided I wanted to try my hand at crafting my own novel. At the time, I was in a really dark place. I had recently graduated from college and was unsure which direction I wanted to go in life. In a way, writing saved my life, in the sense that it gave me purpose again. It was something I felt called to do and also helped me work through some mental health issues. I had been struggling with anxiety and the creation of my Haunted America series was born from that struggle. The series follows my protagonist, Hildy James, who can see and communicate with the dead. In Hildy’s journey, I found healing and my niche. I also went back to school and received my Master’s in creative writing and recently released a brand new novel under a different pen name. A work that is very dear to my heart. I think that is what I am most proud of. Having the courage to be vulnerable in my work and then allowing others to glimpse that vulnerability.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
The publishing industry is highly competitive, and at times, it can be discouraging on days when you have no sales or feel that your own novels are lost in the masses of other stories waiting to be read. For me, resiliency has been ingrained in me since I was young. My parents always pushed us to work hard, have a strong work ethic, and to never give up. Writing is something I am passionate about, and because of that, I will continue to set goals for myself that I will fight to meet. In the midst of discouragement, there is always a light that shines through the dark cloud that can sometimes settle over you. Recently, at an event, I was able to meet a reader who told me she was my biggest fan and that she loved my books. It was a pivotal moment in my life because I have always said if I could only reach one person, then I know I am doing something right. I reached my one, but it also led me to wonder how many more people I could positively impact with my words. It was a humbling experience and also a reminder to not give up on my dreams.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
I use Amazon and their publishing platform to sell my novels. In so many ways, I love Amazon and their commitment to the industry. They offer so many tools to help author achieve success and they have the best customer service. I also really like their promotion options if you are enrolled in kindle unlimited, a con being these tools are not available to you unless you are exclusive to Amazon. One of the biggest downsides is the categories on Amazon. There is a constant shuffling of categories and they are creating new subcategories all the time, and because of this, books tend to lose their visibility at a rapid rate. I love Amazon and will continue to use them in the future, but I do wish their categories were a little more organized.
Contact Info:
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/authoralleymccall?mibextid=ViGcVu https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553032371463&mibextid=LQQJ4d https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKZZPNS/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=1C31GD8X2W9WR&keywords=alexandra+noble&qid=1699567955&sprefix=alexandra+noble%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-5 https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Alley+McCall&ref=nav_bb_sb