"If I'd tried to write it for everyone, I wouldn't have been as clear in my writing...Having a target audience makes you choose words that help clarify your voice."
Author Learning Center: First off, congratulations again on publishing your book. You recently held an online launch party for your new book. How did that go?
Lotte: It went well! Twenty people signed up, and nine of those actually attended and stayed for the whole hour. I was quite pleased; people were very interactive. I shared my story and got attendees to sign up for my email newsletter.
ALC: What inspired you to begin writing? Tell me about your journey from having an idea to deciding to write and publish your book.
L: Quite a few years back, when I started to really heal from my own experiences with being bullied, I realized I wanted to help other people. I knew there were a lot of others suffering from low self-esteem and anxiety and I wanted to give them a voice too. I knew that the person I was before embarking on my healing process wasn't really me and I wanted to share that concept. That was really the genesis for this book.
So I started writing and found a writer's group that offered some group coaching. I wasn't 100% sur where I was going with it. I took a break after my daughter was diagnosed with autism. About a year later, I bought a publishing package from Balboa Press, which helped me stay true to finishing the book. I was afraid to put myself out there, though. I was writing about things I'd never shared with anyone. Buying a publishing package helped me not to procrastinate and to get it out. The process at Balboa was fantastic; they gave excellent feedback. Plus, people know Balboa publishes valuable stories, so I felt really good about that.
ALC: You obviously had a target audience in mind when you began writing your book. Do you think that's an important element for other authors to tackle early on?
L: Yes, definitely. If I'd tried to write it for everyone, I wouldn't have been as clear in my writing. This book is for people who want to change and are ready to take action. Having a target audience makes you choose words that help clarify your voice. I often pictured a person who needed to hear my voice–my story–as I was writing.
"You have to get over the 'perfection' part. You just have to write. People want to hear your voice and your stories."
ALC: Do you have a set routine when you're writing?
L: My routine has been different depending on what stage of the process I'm in. When I was writing the first draft, I would start in the early morning. I lit candles, made a cup of tea, and hand-wrote whatever came to mind. At first I just jotted down random notes, and then those turned into my first chapter. Once I had a first draft, it became harder to keep a routine.
My parents-in-law have a cottage, so I would take a few days at a time to go there and write. Those chunks of focused writing time really helped because I didn't have to think about cooking, children, or day-to-day responsibilities that can get in the way. I was simply immersed in writing. It was very focused and I have been much more productive this way.
ALC: How have you marketed the book thus far and what are your next steps?
L: The book just came out before the new year, so I'm just getting started. I built my website, then read about the concept of online launch parties on the ALC website and decided to try that. So I wrote to clients about my book and the party to get the word out.
I also created my own Life After Bullying YouTube channel and started making some videos. I wanted to give people inspiration that way too. I also want to do some more webinars on the topic of healing from bullying. I think visually engaging with people is so important. And through all of this, I've heard from people who want to collaborate with me on different projects, too.
I'm learning that marketing takes a lot of time and I've had to find balance. The ALC's 3 Phases of Marketing program is a great tool.
ALC: What words of encouragement do you have for aspiring authors?
L: What helped me a lot was coming across a phrase that essentially says, "a book is never written; it's rewritten." That was a relief to me, because I understood then that my book didn't have to be perfect in the beginning, that I could rewrite it and edit it. You have to get over the "perfection" part. You just have to write. People want to hear your voice and your stories. You might be writing about the same topic as others, but you have to share your own voice.
To learn more about Lotte, visit her website and check out her book, Life After Bullying.