Friday, January 26, 2018

Interview with Author Adam Harkus



Goa: A Lesson In Life

Adam Harkus is a guitarist, singer/songwriter, author and founder of The Blogging Musician, a valuable resource community for musicians and writers alike.  His debut album This Is Who I am was released in 2016, followed by his first book Goa: A Lesson In life in 2017. For more info, please see: The Blogging Musician - https://adamharkus.com

1. What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a Book?
A lot of emotions and memories had been bottled up for years since visiting Goa, so putting everything down in writing was both a release and a journey back, a final farewell if you will, the closing of that chapter.  Expressing the inner impact travelling has on you was always something I’ve wished to explore and share.

2. What is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader?
My personal experiences of an eye-opening month in Goa : India back in 2006, which greatly affected my outlook on life, views on my country and my attitude towards others of all backgrounds.

My targeted audience? The traveller, the thinker, the dreamer, the disillusioned, the apathetic, or anyone curious about Goa, India, or indeed other cultures.

3. What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down?
I hope I’ve conveyed the very essence of India and its people.

The “Lesson In Life” in the title relates to the questioning of my very ‘western’ way of life. I learned that we don’t necessarily need to go through the stresses we put ourselves under every day, or need the material comforts and opportunities we’re all programmed to take for granted to be happy.
We can all be happy, even when we have nothing.

…. Smile more!

…. Enjoy your life!

4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow Writers?
Put simply, make a start. From there, be open and express whatever you feel, as there’s no barriers. Once you have something out there, step back a little, consider the reader and polish your structure and grammar to ease them in and give you the best chance at connecting.

With a sizeable piece of work you can become blind to the errors in your own writing, so it’s always helpful to have your work checked over by a third-party. I found the process of releasing an audiobook to be a great help as the narrator picked up on any issues while constructing the audio.

Identifying your assets and liabilities as a writer can be difficult, but use criticism to improve your weaknesses, as opposed to hampering your strengths. Always try to improve.

Most of all though, write from the heart, it’s what sets your work apart.

5. What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
Self-publishing was my doorway into the industry and I can see this exploding in the future, which will lead to a much greater variety of work. I just hope we don’t see a reduction in overall quality like we’ve seen with self-publishing in the music business for example.

6. What great challenges did you have in writing your book?
As a songwriter I’ve always wrestled with the constraints of fitting words to music. However with writing there are no such restrictions, and few rules. It’s the ultimate unfiltered expression of thought.  

Fitting a chapter structure around a 10-year old back catalogue of faded memories wasn’t always straightforward, but it probably helped to focus on and draw out the details, filing them away neatly on the page forever.

My greatest challenge was to take the plunge. To put myself out there and be accepted as a published writer. You never really know if what your writing is any good until you get someone outside your circle of friends and family to read or critically analyse it.

7. If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours?
It’s so much more than your average travel blog.  I want all my readers to learn the same “Lesson in Life”  that made my life.  I believe everyone can draw similar positives out of it which I’d love to hear about.

Who wouldn’t want that?  

It’s also at a baseline price on Amazon and isn’t even that long so there’s minimum investment required from the reader!

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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. 
            




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