Author Interview ~ Todd and Jedd Hafer

Jedd Hafer is an award-winning writer, comedian and speaker. He has written seven books with his talented brother Todd. Jedd also works with troubled teenagers at Childrens ARK treatment centers in Colorado . Jedd is in demand as a presenter on topics related to working with kids, parenting and stress (in no particular order).








Todd Hafer has written more than 30 books, many of them with his talented brother Jedd. His day job is senior editorial director for Hallmark Books, a division of Hallmark Cards, Inc. When he's not doing book stuff, he's running miles and miles across the Kansas plains.









What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?


Our new novel Bad Idea. We are psyched at the attention it’s getting! People we respect a lot are calling it “Incredibly witty” and “brilliantly crafted”.









Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

Fortunately, by the time we sent out our 1st proposal, Todd had written a few children’s books through his employer, so he already had a track record. We sent proposals for our humor book (Snickers from the Front Pew: Confessions from 2 Preacher’s Kids) to about 4 different houses. We ended up going with the 1st house that expressed interest.

The whole process took about 2 years and then over another year for the book to actually release. The biggest rush was to walk into a store and buy one off the shelf. We’ve even sold TWO ADDITIONAL COPIES since then, so you can imagine the excitement (even though our aunt bought both of them… and she meant to buy the last 2 Left Behind books instead – but still).

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Sorry, we had to change our 1st answer because it wasn’t good enough. Umm, yes.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

Sadly, I think we assumed that Christians would automatically be kind and fair 100% of the time and that wasn’t true.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

“Use verbs.” Our stories have moved so much better since we heeded this advice.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

“Who needs verbs?” No, actually, we were once told to “give ‘em what they want” meaning commercialize your writing. Glad we haven’t done that.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

Everything takes forever! Nothing will happen quickly.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

We did once have an issue with a publisher not wanting to pay us, but we were able to laugh about it. Luckily, we hadn’t earned enough for it to be that upsetting.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

Anything by Brennan Manning or CS Lewis. We both love Max Lucado.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

This novel. This is the best thing we’ve done. It’s funny and raw and real and honest and we don’t make the mistake of saying “and” too much.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

We’re not fond of formula fiction (which is why our books contain zero handsome strangers).

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

There is no such thing. We both have several other demanding obligations and active family li- HEY, YOU KIDS GET AWAY FROM DADDY’S COMPUTER! Most writing must get done very late at night. You can always check the next day to see if your exhausted ramblings made any sense.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

Jedd would like to have Todd’s discipline. Todd would like to have Jedd’s ability to slack off and not feel guilty.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

We’d like to crack double digits in sales. When that 10th book finally flies off the shelf… SWWEET! You gotta dream big.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

Again, because we both do so many other things, (freelance, editing, comedy, speaking, trying to develop a decent frozen waffle) it doesn’t seem possible. We both dream of quitting the other stuff.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

The best part is when a reader is moved by something you say. If we can make readers laugh or cry or move them to some action, that’s pretty rewarding. We once got an email from a fellow writer stating “Because of you guys, I’m going to start using verbs TOO!” That kept us on a high for weeks. The least favorite part would have to be being misunderstood. You know what we mean? Darn.

How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?

Until now, we haven’t done enough. The advice would be to hire somebody who knows the business. That makes all the difference. We love our publicist and she’s worth all the yard work we do to pay her.

Parting words?

Please take a look at Bad Idea and let us know what you think. We believe it will make you laugh, make you think and move you. We read and respond to every email at haferbros.com
God bless,
Todd & Jedd Hafer