Today I had the honor of interviewing author Dandi Daley Mackall. Dandi has authored 400 books in various genres, such as children's picture books, early children's books, young adult books, and adult-themed books. Discover why she says finding a niche earns more money, but following your heart brings more pleasure...

How did writing become your career? Did it find you or did you find it?

I've always wanted to write. Before I could print, I'd make up stories and tell them to anyone who would listen. My dad used to make up bedtime stories and let me fill in parts-character names, the colors of the horses.

When I got to college, I majored in journalism, but they wanted me to write facts! So I majored in foreign languages (because I loved learning new languages) and wrote on the side: doing articles for national magazines my last years in college.

While I was at the University of Missouri, I found a personal faith in Christ that made sense of the world. I became a missionary and again wrote on the side. I honestly thought that's the way it would be, that I'd write on the side. Then I came back to the States, and some of my books began to actually make money.

I married a writer/teacher, and we both wrote part-time and taught at a university part-time. Then we made a pact that the first one to make more money writing than teaching, could quit; and the other one would teach full-time and get the medical benefits we needed. I won the following year. Husband, Joe, is a wonderful writer, though, and still writes, while teaching. I've just gotten my 400th book published, Larger-than-Life Lara, by Dutton/Penguin, 2006. And Harcourt just released Eva Underground, which is a fictionalized version of my time as a missionary behind the Iron Curtain.

What was your biggest obstacle when it came to pitching your work to a publisher or agent?

I suppose my biggest obstacle has been that I haven't focused on developing a career. I write all kinds of books: mainstream, genre, Christian, humor, nonfiction, novels, board books, young adult, and series fiction.

If I'd published 400 books in one area, or with one publisher, that would have been a smart career move; I'd have built a career. Agents like to say, "She writes mysteries for teens. Or, she's a Christian novelist." Publishers do more for you if they are your only publisher. But you know, on the other hand, I love writing. I'm compelled to write the book when I get the idea. I'd hate not to write it, simply because it wouldn't make me famous or build my career.

And by the way, I still gather lots of rejects. So maybe the biggest obstacle is always that nasty letter that says, "Sorry, this just isn't quite right for us."

Books sales rely on marketing efforts, what is your best marketing tip?

My best lifelong tip (and my first book came out over 20 years ago-I, of course, was 2 at the time, in case you're adding....) is to play nice. When my first children's book came out, an older woman, VP of the company, said to me, "Dandi, I think you're going to make it in this business. You're aggressively nice." I'm not afraid to ask for stuff-ask to speak at conferences, sign at bookstores, be added to state authors' lists, be given more review copies, have more copies sent to my PR hit list, etc.

But I'm a nice guy-err gal. I send thank-you notes to copyeditors, support local bookstores, answer fan mail, try to be great to work with, get manuscripts in early-after letting four (4) colleagues proof and edit it first. That kind of nice. In the end, it's the best public relations tip.

Visit her at http://dandibooks.com/

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