Interview with Jay Mackey

Author of The Third Rescue

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and grew up in Montana. I live in Cincinnati now.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

After graduating from Montana State with an engineering degree, I went to Northwestern University to get an MBA. After getting my MBA I got a job with Procter & Gamble in brand management and came to their headquarters in Cincinnati. There, i met and married the love of my life, and have never left.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I’ve long wanted to be a writer. After working in advertising for many years, I turned to writing novels to fulfill my dream. My first published book, The Third Rescue, is actually the fifth novel I have written.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

I write thrillers. The Third Rescue is a sci-fi thriller. Often, thrillers are big stories, with the fate of the world, or of the universe, hanging in the balance while the protagonist, who is uniquely qualified in some way, attempts to save the world. But I tend to like smaller stories, in which ordinary people are put into extraordinary situations. So, for example, in The Third Rescue, CJ starts with a seemingly simple quest–to find his grandmother’s parentage. However, he finds himself in conflict with a sixty year old government secret which put him, and his friends and family, at risk.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Readers who like suspense, who like fast-moving stories with interesting characters. In The Third Rescue, the protagonist is a 17-year-old high school student, so it classifies as young adult. That means the primary audience are readers 14-21. But I think the story works for anyone who likes a bit of sci-fi and adventure. My next book, Runner Boy, which I will be publishing soon, is also young-adult sci-fi, and again I think readers of all ages can enjoy it.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

In writing, I learned how different writing a novel is from the sort of business writing I’d done throughout my career. The planning, plotting and character development required in novel writing is much more demanding than I’d thought. The biggest surprise, though, was how difficult it is to get published by traditional publishers.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

I think I’d tell myself not to waste the years and extreme effort that I put in trying to get published, but to move more directly into self-publishing.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I’d love to reach thousands, but I now feel that the number isn’t that important. More important is that the readers I do reach enjoy my books.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Again, the frustration is largely about getting published.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I think I write good, engaging, quick-moving books. In publishing, I think I’ve managed to self-publish the right way. That is, i’ve found professionals to help with editing and cover design, and I’ve followed advice on how to format the book. All this leads to publishing a professional product that differs little from the books put out by large publishing houses. I spent my career in marketing, so I understand how to market a product.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I don’t think I’m particularly strong on description. Part of this is intentional, but sometimes I add more descriptive detail when I’m doing rewriting and editing, just so the reader gets a sense of the setting and people. In publishing, I’ve not done a good job selling my work to publishers. Writing a query letter is a different talent than writing the novel, and I’ve not done well at the querying process. In marketing, I’ve made a conscious decision not to devote a lot of time or money to the marketing effort, so that I’m probably not reaching the largest possible number of readers.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I will publish my second book, Runner Boy, before the end of 2019. I’ve already started writing a sequel, which I hope to publish in the first half of 2020.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I’m self-published.