About
Mike is an independent author with a deep love of stories across many genres and mediums, but he always holds a special place in his heart for the holy trinity of fantasy, science fiction and horror. Growing up, he was a poor student despite his teachers and parents best attempts to get him to apply himself. Despite this, he had a passion for reading and writing which has stubbornly stuck with him throughout his entire life. Now, he is finally embarking on his own literary journey and getting the stories out of his head that have been knocking around in there for decades.
Mike is a lifelong reader and writer who studied literature in school. He is a ardent believer in the positive power of a good book. Some of his favorites include the likes of great genre authors like Stephen King, Joe Abercombie, Christopher Ruocchio, Terry Pratchett, Ursula K Le Guinn and JRR Tolkien. But he also loves classic literature and is an avid fan of authors such as Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut and Jack London. His To Be Read list is ever growing and has become dangerously unmanageable.
Born and raised in Atlanta, Mike has spent most of his adult life living out one of his dream jobs as a firefighter in his community. He still resides in the metro area where he lives the suburban life with his wife, two daughters and their great, big dog. Part of what finally drove him to become an author was to set an example for his kids to strive for their dreams.
When Mike is not writing, he enjoys anything outside, from hiking and camping to fishing or just spending the afternoon in a hammock with a good book. His other hobbies include attempting to cook meals his kids will eat, being exceedingly okay at jiu jitsu and drinking too much coffee.
FAQ
Are your books self published? What does that mean?
Yes, my books are self published. That means I operate without the backing of an agent or a traditional publishing house. In short, this translates to a lot of work on my end but also retaining complete control of my work.
Why did you self publish?
Telling the story I wanted to was the most important thing to me in becoming an author. I wanted to get my books to print without having a dozen “cooks in the kitchen”.
How can I support you and other self published authors?
The best way to support self published authors is to buy their books and to leave reviews. The second best way is to share our work with friends and reading communities that might be interested. Since we don’t have the backing of an agency or a publishing house to help promote us, we rely heavily on the reading community to help us stand out. Every fan who lends their voice to promoting our work helps us out immensely and is incredibly appreciated.
What’s the best way to keep up with your work?
Signing up for my newsletter is the best way to keep up with my work. It contains updates on my novel progress and release info, links to recent blog posts and information about other writing and news. You can also follow me on social media. I am Mike Cahoon, Author on all platforms.
Do you have advice for people interested in self publishing themselves?
Be prepared for a lot of work. Writing your book is only half the battle. Becoming a self published author means wearing a ton of other hats in addition to being a writer, including being an editor, designer, advertising agent, media manager, etc. The good news is most of the information and resources you need can be found online for free. Be prepared to spend a lot of time researching.
“Find what you love and let it kill you.”
Charles Bukowski