Koi Moon (author of the recently released manga, Moonlight) has always had stories to tell since she first learned to talk, but she didn’t start writing until the 6th grade when her English teacher assigned the class to write stories from pictures she was showing them. Koi Moon had a blast writing and hasn’t stopped since then.

Being bullied when she was young transformed her into a more kinder and patient person when dealing with others. Her self esteem took such an immense hit that she almost turned the publishing offer down for fear of the attention it would bring. She didn’t want it going to her head and still hopes to stay level headed through the publication of her work.

ToonariPost (TP): When and why did you decide that you wanted to write your own manga?

Koi Moon (KM): Well Moonlight was already done when I was wondering what to do with the story. I’ve been reading a lot of manga since high school and I read in my local newspaper that manga has been getting popular in my town. So I figured that would be a great way to get my story out there. I also kept thinking how wonderful it would be to see my characters in visual form.

TP: Initially, did you have any trouble getting your ideas down on paper?

KM: In the beginning no, but towards the end I did a little bit. I had so many ideas that keep coming and coming and I had to choose just one for the ending and which would work best for it.

TP: How did you find the illustrator of your work? Was it difficult to convey your ideas to the artist and have them put forth accurately in the artwork?

KM: I found Dokutoku by placing an add on an art website; conceptart.org. The ad was pretty detailed to what it is I’m looking for in a manga artist for a webcomic. Powree emailed me with examples and I just fell in love with the art. It wasn’t difficult to convey my ideas to the artists. I was pretty detailed in the story itself as is and we had the same vision with Moonlight. I just sent in the script and let them go with the art.

TP: Can you tell me more about your relationship with your illustrator? What sorts of processes do you have to go through to turn your writing into picture format?

KM: My relationship with my illustrators is really good, I’m very patient and every time I see a new page uploaded I get excited like a little kid on Christmas day. I am extremely grateful to be working with these girls. We have an easy process, I send in a chapter and they turn a paragraph into a page for the manga.

TP: What was the inspiration for your manga, Moonlight?

KM: Moonlight is the daughter of another story that sadly had gotten lost as years went by. I wanted to rewrite it, but with a different twist.

TP: Can you tell me more about the process you go through in creating your work and getting it published? Was it difficult to find a company to publish and sell your work?

KM: My process to me is pretty simple. First after I finish a chapter I send it to the artists. They draw out the pages and send them to me, I file them and then send them to the publisher. Moonlight Book 1 has a few mistakes that made it more difficult since I thought I could make the sizes of the pages myself but I learned quickly I could not. Doing the smart thing I sent the pages back to Dokutoku studios to fix the sizes. With the right sizes now known we are keeping the right size the first time so all I have to do is send the chapter to the artists, get the pages and then finally send it to the publisher.

For me it wasn’t difficult finding a publishing company because the awesome people at P2 Manga approached me asking if I would like to have Moonlight Book 1 published by them.

TP: Do you plan on writing more manga?

KM: Yes, of course. The Moonlight series is not even halfway done in art there is much to the story to be told. However I have a few other projects up my sleeve. I hope to make them into manga after I finish writing them out. Here’s to hoping.

TP: Has there been any negative feedback on you manga? How do you deal with it?

KM: I did have negative feedback once. Someone called Moonlight a “Mary Sue”. I think I handled it pretty well for it being my first time, I had asked them why they thought she was a “Mary Sue” and she told me the reason in which I explained why she was like that. It had me getting more into her character background description which pleased the fan and I am pretty happy it resolved, plus I kept a fan. Never judging a book by it’s cover includes the characters, too. I am more than happy to meet negative feedback as long as it’s constructive so I may learn from it.

TP: What is your life like outside of being an author?

KM: My life outside of being author? I don’t know. I’m always thinking about scenes to write or how to incorporate situations into other stories. None the less when I do get breaks, I enjoy playing with my dogs, spending time with the family and watching a really good spooky t.v. show. I also like hanging out with my best friend plus her two sons but that is not so much a break from writing as she is a writer also, which means we’re constantly bouncing and editing stories between each other.

TP: What are your favorite manga titles and/or artists?

KM: My favorite titles are MARS, Vampire Games, Dramacon, along with Red String, and Mystic Revolution. The latter are two of my favorite webcomics and heroes.

TP: Do you plan to continue writing as a career or go in a different direction?

KM: I would love to have writing as a career but I don’t see it paying the bills anytime soon. I am more content in writing for fun and to focus on another career that is close to my heart; animals. I hold a great love for animals that rivals my love of writing, I would never wish to give either of those up.

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About the author

Kala Istvanek
Presently, I am attending Carthage College in Kenosha, U.S.A. I will be graduating with a degree in Asian Studies, with a minor in English and Studio Art. I have been a bookworm ever since I could read and I can never turn down a book. Art is also one of my loves and discovering new artists is always a thrill for me.

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