world of writing interviews

-- Brummet's in the Media --

Check out my interview with Ivin Viljoen over at Authopublisher.com - where I talk about my writing process, the journey to publication, marketing techniques I use most often and more. * A note of appreciation to Tony - Ivin's assistant - for making this possible. :)

 -- World of Writing --

Sally Marks is a public relations expert and the owner of Marks Public Relations. She is an award-winning journalist and her screenplays, The Heir, Voices from Hell and Gay for a Day have received local, national and international awards. Sally has co-written a self-help book with Jacqueline Howard, titled: Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within. Sally is here today to share her experiences in the world of writing. Find Sally @: www.EraseNegativity.com

Q: What is your profession and educational background?

I’m a public relations professional by day and an author at night. I earned a B.A. degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Over the years I’ve taken classes in screenwriting, how to be a playwright, and fiction writing - but I think journalism provides a good foundation for any writer.

Q: What is your idea of happiness?

I believe happiness revolves around two things –developing a sense of appreciation and helping others. If we don’t take the time to appreciate what we have in life we tend to get caught up in pursuing an endless variety of things that we think will bring us happiness, but in reality keep us on the prowl for more. Helping others is both altruistic and selfish. I believe we are all interconnected so it’s impossible to be truly happy if others are suffering.

Q: What do you do when you are not writing?

I play left field on a senior women’s softball team. You don’t burn up a lot of calories sitting behind a computer all day, so I like to do something that keeps my body moving.  Also, I enjoy tennis, hiking and kayaking. However, softball is by far my favorite sport. My team, the Stingers, is like a second family to me and they support my writing efforts as well. Go Stingers!

Q: How does writing help you make a difference in the world?

In the course of one’s lifetime you might interact with a few hundred people, but through writing you can have an impact on individuals you will never meet. Every now and then I will get an email from someone who read Erase Negativity, or an article I wrote and they tell me how it has helped them. That brings me immense joy. I’ve always wanted to make a positive difference in the world and writing has offered me that opportunity. Now my goal is to expand the number of folks I’m able to inspire.

Q: What have you learned about working with your co-writer?

My co-author and friend, Jackie, was a huge asset in writing the book, although not in a way that one might expect. I did most of the writing, but Jackie offered insight, inspiration and a different perspective. She knows how to take complex subjects and make them accessible. She is also very intuitive and her confidence in our project made it possible for me to continue when I had nagging doubts about our success.

Q: What are common mistakes authors make?

I’ve worked on both sides of the fence – as a writer and as the promoter of other authors. The biggest mistake I have seen is thinking someone else is going to do all the work for you. No one cares more about your work than you do so you need to be willing to talk about your book and make yourself available to promote it.

Q: How much time do you devote to marketing your book? And what kind of marketing do you recommend?

I cannot give you an hourly estimate, but I can safely say I have spent far more time marketing the book than writing it. I have a blog, I write articles on the “erase negativity” topic, I actively look for opportunities to appear on television and radio, given free talks, paid talks, seminars, tweet, post on FaceBook - you name it. Promoting the book is like a second job for me. I haven’t begun to scratch the surface, but my biggest success was when a newspaper in Redding, CA (USA) did a write up on a free talk I was giving. 

Q: What keeps you writing while getting rejection letters or struggling with writer's block?

One tactic I use when I received rejection letters was to send out at least three new letters (usually more) for every rejection I received. It’s a numbers game. In sales they say you need to hear at least 10 no replies before hearing a yes. Unfortunately, I think that number is even higher in the writing world. When you get a rejection, send out new letters and say something like, “I’m one letter closer to my goal.”  Also, I reminded myself that all the greatest writers were rejected hundreds of times.

The only way you will lose is if you give up on yourself. You have total control over that scenario. Just don’t give up.

 * Thanks Sally for joining us today :)

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - every sale raises funds for charity as well!