Don’t
you hate it when on a job interview one of the standard questions asked by a
potential employer is: “So, tell me where you see yourself five years from
now”?
You
certainly cannot respond honestly with any of these answers:
“I
have no clue!’
“Sitting
around and doing nothing.”
“Having
your job.”
“Running
this joint.”
“Taking
what I learn from you and working for a competitor.’
“Owning
my own business.”
But
the question may have relevance for you as a writer. Where do you see yourself
– or your book – five years from now? You shouldn’t ignore the question, for
what you do now builds towards what you will be doing just 1,826 days from now.
Maybe
the question is best phrased as follows: What can you be doing five years from
now? You could be an established author who not only writes and promotes books,
but also has a thriving business related to your books. Maybe you will teach,
consult, do seminars, or train people. Perhaps you will expand your creative
arts into movies or other related areas. Think about where you could be and
make a plan now.
Regardless
of what you write about, my guess is you at least want to be in a better
position to:
·
Write
what you like, not just what is commercial
·
Write
more frequently and put out more books
·
Cross
into other genres without being pigeonholed
·
Get
bigger advances from major publishers
·
Sell
more books
·
Influence
readers’ lives and society
·
Improve
and grow as a writer
·
Become
famous and popular
So
what will you do today in order to lead up to achieving your five-year plan
wish list?
Time – to write,
network, and market
Money – to promote
yourself and your works
Attitude – to be focused on what is important
Help – few succeed
going it alone
Luck – it is the
wildcard that suddenly appears with hard work
Plan – plan to
achieve or plan to fail
Research – look into what
you don’t know and learn what is needed
The
next time someone asks you where you see yourself in five years you will have
an answer that will blow them away.
Interview
With Author Clu Gallagher
1.
What
is your book(s) about? My
first novel is called SHATTERD SEEDS:"SOFIA'S STORY". It
is historical, literary fiction, set in the 20th Century in Berlin, Pittsburgh,
and Saigon. In 2008, two women meet. One is young, the other is old.
One (Janene McDeenon) was once a Vietnamese Orphan, a victim of the War in
Vietnam who is now searching for her biological parents, an African
American soldier and a Vietnamese woman. The other (Sofia
Blackburn-Anderson) is now 89 years old and was once the wife of a Nazi.
She made the decision to run away from him, taking their two small
children in early 1944. It was a flight that shattered her
life. Now, facing death at age 89, she searches for a final resting
place for what she considers the most valuable item in her vast estate, her
grandmother's heirloom quilt, the last remaining relic of her beloved German
family. The two women form a bond that transcends time and place as
Sofia buries her roots and Janene uncovers the secrets of hers. It is
a Free Kindle download, today 14 June 2012. Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/SHATTERED-SEEDS-SPECIAL-EDITION-ebook/dp/B006HUVLNW/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
The
second novel is called THE ROAD TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is also
historical/literary fiction. It is set in the 19th Century in Ireland and
in the United States. Darby Martin is a notorious Irishman in western Ireland
in 1855. His prestigious Protestant family have exhausted all of their patience
and tolerance with Darby's behavior. His last scandal (murder) forces them
to banish him to the U.S and take away his birthright. He decides that he
must become a rightous man if he is to win over his new love, Brigid Finnegan,
a young and beautiful Catholic lass sent to America by her Uncle who can
no longer support her. Darby uses lies and deceit to hide his former life as he
an Brigid start a new life in America. However, it is a rocky road for
both of them as America is on the brink of a Civil War and Brigid
harbors some secrets of her own that she has vowed never to share with anyone.
It is available as Kindle and Paperback on Amazon.com and will be offered as
a FREE Kindle download on Sat. June 16. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007K1EFL2#_
2.
What
motivated you to write the book(s? I've had a story floating in my head about an immigrant
girl who comes to America since I have been eight years old. I never could
find a name for her, a place of origin, a destination, or the motivation
to write the story. One day in 2007 when I sat down at the keyboard
in an effort to combat the devastating effects of Fibromyalgia and Chronic
Fatigue, I started to write about a young German girl who had a close
relationship to her maternal grandmother who had filled her head as a child
with stories about her German Family's greatness as she stroked
the threads of a quilt she had made from the remnants of her family's
textiles. Four years later, 'Sofia's Story' was born. I made the mistake
of giving my file to another author who wanted to "help me"
market the book. After a very disappointing and stressful time with
his "new" publishing group, I withdrew it and retired the
original editions, making them Collector Copies. I have recently republished
the novel as a SPECIAL EDITION and have made it available as a
Kindle and Paperback at Amazon.com andCreatespace.com. Here
is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Seeds-Sofias-Story-Special/dp/1467994154/
3.
What
inspires you to write in general? I began writing as therapy. It helped me to regain some of
my mental accuity lost by the disabling diseases that had afflicted me. For me,
writing is not a profession...it is my passion. I have adopted a kind of
mission statement for my work as an author: "Reading is a pathway
to the mind. The destination is the soul." It is my hope that my
readers will find as much enjoyment in the read as I did in the writing, but
more than that, I hope that the experience will add meaning to their lives. I
take on the responsibility with the belief that they have granted me the
highest honor by allowing my words and thoughts to enter their most precious of
all places, their intellects.
4.
What
was the writing process like for writing this book? It was difficult for me to write the first
book. I researched it on the internet. I talked to some German friends of
mine. However, the process of writing the story really took on a mystical
form in that it felt so real to me. As I was writing it, I felt as if Sofia and
I had known each other in another life. I had never made a quilt but I
described the quilt as if I had. In 2010 when I wanted to self publish the story,
I searched on the Internet for "Antique Quilts". I looked at hundreds
of them. One day, I found a picture of a quilt that was the exact image of the
one that I had written about. I bought that quilt. It is pictured on the cover
of the novel. Its true story is not known. The dealer, a kind man in New
England, said that he had no idea how he had acquired it. I like to
think that it is Sofia's.
Writing
the second had a personal connotation for me and I found that the story flowed
easily in my mind. It is not a true story but the characters seemed as real to
me as if they might have been my own relatives. I am working on my third novel
and hope to publish it by the end of 2012. I am finding that the writing
process for this one is hampered by the enormous amount of time I am
now devoting to the marketing of my work. I yearn for the time that I can
just "write" . . . I never was much good as a sales
person. It is titled: A MEMORY FOR MIRRY. Set in a
an imaginary Lighthouse off the coast of South Carolina between 1941 and 1975,
eight year old Mirry Rollins loses her innocence when she witnesses a murder.
The only person who knows about the experience is her mother who is killed in
an accident that leaves Mirry with a form of amnesia. She grows up with the memory
repressed in her mind until she returns to live at the Lighthouse with her
lawyer/husband who is the Defense Lawyer in an Appeal Case representing
the man who had been wrongfully imprisoned for the murder that Mirry
had witnessed.
5.
What
are the rewards/challenges for writing in your genre? I love to write stories set in history. I
particularly like to show how the historical events of the times
have influenced the lives of my characters. History is just a story that
is passed down from generation to generation. Documentation of the story sets
the facts in History. I find that setting my story to the historical facts
gives it a sense of authenticity, making it seem like non-fiction. I find it
extremely rewarding to create characters who have lived at different times
and places. They become "alive" for me and I am the better for
knowing them. I hope that my readers are also. It doesn't get any better
than that as far as rewards. The challenge of producing a great story, soaked
in history, keeps me writing.
6.
What
advice would you give to other struggling new authors? Advice? I am last one to give advice. I am a
novice at all of this and I am learning every day. However. one important
lesson I did learn about this business is one that I wished I had known before
I decided to self publish. Never give your files to anyone. I
made that mistake when I trusted a "friend" who turned out
to disappoint and deceive me. Now, I don't know where my files are or who has
them for sure. I would advise other writers not to make the same one I did. As
for any other words of wisdom...I would only advise that you write
like there is no tomorrow because the future is unpredictable and
very illusive.
7.
What
direction do you see the book publishing business heading? As far as the future of book publishing, I
have no crystal ball. What I have experienced so far has frightened me and
caused me a great deal of anxiety. Electronic files are published by the
millions on the information highway with no safeguards or policing. I can
look back in retrospect and see the errors of my naievte. I suppose that
only time will tell what direction the new face of publishing will turn. Right
now, I am trying to allign myself and my work with those whom I trust
implicitly. I hope that I can undo the mistakes I have made so far, but I
am realistic enough to know that somethings can't be undone and that one
must take responsibility no matter what the outcome. However,
I have and always will make decisions based upon a high moral
code of "right over wrong" . . . I hope that the publishing
business of the future will do the same.
For
more information, please consult: http://www.clugallagher.com/
IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE RECENT BLOG POSTS:
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Brian Feinblum’s
views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of
his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in
the third-person
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