We had the good fortune of connecting with Martha Reineke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Martha, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
My end goal is to successfully live off of residual income to free up my time to do what I love most: hang out with my kids and grandkids. I started my editing firm with only one goal in mind: to make money. Over time, that goal morphed into something so much bigger than myself. I’m setting my sights so high now, I don’t even see the mountain peak anymore, but one day I’ll crest the summit and see the stars. I’m going to run a women-run publishing firm that not only partners with authors to see their works published and in the hands of hungry readers, but it’ll also teach them how to continue to do it for themselves. I can’t wait!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am most proud of my fantasy series that hasn’t even been published yet. Nearly six-hundred-thousand words of high fantasy with mermaids, werewolves, magic, and shocking twists, The Key of Eldon series is sure to rival Harry Potter when I finally launch it into the world. For now I am busily writing hundres of romance books under my various pen names.

I have to say that the journey to where I am today has been a rough one. Starting MK nearly one year before Covid hit took it’s toll. The first year was explosive growth. I hired 10 editors because I had to turn clients away; I was just too busy! Then little by little my clients simply couldn’t afford my rates because they’d been affected by the pandemic. I took a job at a ghostwriting firm just writing novels, and before six months was up, I was in upper management. In less than eight months, I was the director of operations. I’ve learned so much about the industry through this journey, but ultimately I knew I am a creative, not an administrator (though I’m decent at that.). I took a step back to focus on my company and again it took off.

I realized being true to myself was the best thing I could do, and that only through hard work and persistence would I get anywhere. I want the world to see my brand as synonymous with the underdog. Never discount us! One day you’ll be shocked where we are.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My little home town doesn’t have a whole lot of touristy places to visit, but we could stop by the SPOT To Eat, once owned by Rob Lowe’s grandfather. Or we could visit the Big Four bridge, historically located in southern Sidney. We could hike in Tawawa Park or go for a splash at nearby Kiser Lake. But my favorite place to visit would be Chilly Jilly’s for a scoop or two of ice cream!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I could never have done any of this without the help of my big sister, Christina Africa. She is a self-published author herself, having put two incredible books into the world. When she wrote her first book: The Elf and the Amulet, I knew if she could do it I could do it. I went on to pen a romance trilogy in less than six months. They were poorly self-edited and needed a lot of help, but they were out there in the world. When she asked me to put my keen eyes on her second book, I agreed.

Inevitably, that led to me taking on a few “clients” who allowed me to beta read and edit for them as they self-published. After the end of two years doing some “side gigs” I founded MK Editing LLC and the rest is history. I’ve grown my business into a career that fuels my passions and dreams. But it all started with a seedling of hope my eldest sister planted in my heart.

Website: https://www.mkediting.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-reineke-526149182

Twitter: https://x.com/mermaidwrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martha.reineke

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