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Author guestposts
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 27th, 2012
I am delighted to welcome a one-time client of mine, Morgana Morgaine, to guestpost for me today. Her recently published book is a goodie and her story will inspire any of you out there who are stuck in a rut or think you may be too old to make a change and do what you love. If you love playing with words then the way she writes will delight you as much as it delighted me. You could eat them!
Morgana here, I just published a new book:
“Borderless Broads, New Adventures for the Midlife Woman”
I wrote bravely and boldly in “Borderless Broads” because I chose to write from what has moved me, inspired me, been a source of spiritual hunger for me, and —made me laugh in life. I chose to tackle a few “issues” that have always been sources of “I wonder why this is the way it is and how could it be done differently”.
My own midlife striptease preceded writing the book in order to cast off (as best I could) many of the learned domestications that get in the way of an honest and energetic voice.
I wrote about woman “eating her wildness” and then I wrote how I really feel about “things”, world things, spirit things, inner things. Listening for what wanted to be said…..
So, the book is about unzipping all those parts of yourself that you have kept under wraps and choosing to change your experiences in midlife —asking yourself, “if not now, when?”
It’s about borderless as a state of mind. A state of mind that calls you to become less identity bound and more focused on who you really are rather than who you were trained to be.
As a writer, borderless mind requires fearless and fierce in what you say, what you write and how you choose to experience experience.
A mentor once told me that the reason we don’t all “see” the same thing or react to the same things is because what we selectively see is ours, ours to respond to, ours to engage with in some unique way; the foundation for making a difference.
It is a kind of call to creative action.
For writers, this call is to speak boldly and bravely, clearly communicating our connection to whatever the “it” is in our writing; to share our “take” on life experience, to take an energetic stand so the reader can find us in the writing!
Neutrality lacks bravery. I see it as a bland entrenchment in the trance of social agreements!
So, what helps brave writing? Humor helps. Courageous conversations help. Writing about what really moves you helps. Putting your instincts and intuition first and your intellect second helps.
Asking just whose voice is running your writing helps.
So, as a writer, are you eating your wildness or are you writing so as to LIVE LIFE FULL OUT?
“A woman needs a little madness or else she never dares cut the rope and be free!”
(Zorba the Greek with a bit of gender change!)
And oh, never underestimate the power of humor to inspire bravery in us all!
Morgana@MorganaMorgaine.com/www.MorganaMorgaine.com
“Borderless Broads” available on Amazon.com
blogging
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 24th, 2012
Here we are at the start of a new year and every blog I read is reflecting back on the year gone by. I have to say my biggest highlight was the launch of my new (and first) book, @Home in Dubai…Getting Connected Online and on the Ground. I’m still on the high that comes from seeing your name on the cover of a book!
As I was planning the launch and developing my marketing strategy I decided to do a virtual book tour. In my previous life as a PR professional, very often I would include a media tour as part of the recommended PR strategies so I intuitively knew the nuts ‘n bolts of what should go into a ‘blog tour’ and went about making it happen. Honestly, as I was going through the planning and implementation it was refreshing to see that all of the elements were really the same… they just took place in cyberspace instead of in person.
So, in a nutshell, here are the 10 steps to a successful virtual book tour:
- When you first sit down to write your book (yes, the planning starts as early as that), really flesh out your target market.
- Make a list of blogs and other online media that reach the same target audience you’ve identified for your book. These will be the ones you’ll approach for your virtual book tour.
- Start following and subscribe to the blogs and online magazines on your list. Leave relevant comments and get involved in the conversation.
- Once your book launches, develop your pitch. Why should they be interested in your book and promote it to their followers, readers, viewers and listeners?
- Pick dates for your tour (usually simultaneous to your book launch since it should be a key element of your marketing plan).
- Make sure you have a website, active blog, Facebook and Twitter account (essentially your online platform) for people to visit and interact with you once you start promoting your book.
- Develop several different ideas or angles so you have fresh content for each stop on the tour.
- Send an introductory email to all bloggers/editors/creators on your list announcing the launch of your book, keeping step #4 in mind, and inviting them to participate in the virtual book tour. Offer a review copy of the book and say you’re available for interviews and/or would be pleased to provide a guest post (typically 200-400 words).
- Prioritize the list and send personalized emails with specific topic ideas to your top 10
- Start scheduling and have fun with it. Tweet, blog and post on Facebook (giving reciprocal exposure) about anyone who joins the tour, before, during and after. And, don’t forget to thank them.
Even though my ‘official’ virtual book tour was December 12-17, I am still receiving inquires and requests for review copies and guest blogs. I’m happily accepting any and all offers! Something you really must keep in mind is that promoting your book is a never-ending process. So, just put it in your diary and accept it as part of your daily life now. Happy writing!
books
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 22nd, 2012
Matt Krause is a 42-year-old American man who met a Turkish woman on an airplane to Hong Kong, fell in love, and moved to Istanbul. His website is http://www.mattkrause.comand now http://www.heathenpilgrim.com too, and my Facebook page is http://facebook.com/mattkrause1969.
When I first heard about Matt’s book, the title intrigued me. His answer, as to why he picked it, will make any expat (like me) smile:
“I thought life was going to be wide open and free-to-be-redefined after I moved to another country. Turns out that’s not true at all. I was the same person in Turkey that I was in the US. It took a while for me to realize how cool that is. It means you can go anywhere in the world and not lose yourself. It also means you can redefine yourself at home just as well as elsewhere.”
JP
Tell me about your book. What is it about? Can you describe it in just a few sentences?
MK
The book is called A Tight Wide-open Space. It is about my time in Turkey, mostly about my first couple years there. The book is a memoir, sure, but Istanbul and moving to another country are a whole lot more interesting than I am, so the book is mostly about Istanbul and moving to another country.
JP
Why did you write it?
MK
I wrote that book because I wanted to get those stories down on paper. I figured in forty years I could be an 80-year-old man telling forty-year-old stories, or I could put the stories down on paper and then move on and go make new stories. The latter sounded like a better use of the next forty years of my life, so I chose the latter.
JP
What qualifies you to write this book?
MK
Another book I wrote, Soapbox, starts out with an essay about an old friend of mine from high school, someone who passed away in an accident 10 years ago. His sister, whom I hadn’t seen or spoken to in 25 years, wrote to me a couple months ago to say thanks for helping her find another piece of her brother. Last week a man wrote to me saying that his brother is dying of cancer, and another essay in Soapbox helped him find strength. A couple months ago a woman wrote to me about how a single phrase I use in A Tight Wide-open Space reassures her that everything’s going to be okay in her own life. Last month one man liked ATWOS so much he bought 25 copies to give to friends as Christmas gifts. The other day I was telling someone about the Heathen Pilgrim project, and he immediately started remembering road trips he took through California 35 years ago, and his eyes lit up with youthful excitement. I haven’t even begun the Heathen Pilgrim walk, and I’m already inspiring people.
When people stop telling me my writing adds something to their lives, I will know I’m not qualified anymore. In the meantime, I will write, because I can help people that way.
JP
Why do you think your book needed to be written? What will it do for other people? How will it help? Did you have any competition?
My book needed to be written because I needed to write it. There was no bigger purpose. I just had to get it out of the way so I could move on and do other things with my life.
What will it do for other people? Everyone seems to get something different out of it. Some people like the descriptions of a foreign city, because those descriptions add color and flavor to their days. Other people like the chapter about my father-in-law, because it makes them feel closer to their own relatives. Some people like the parts about my business activities in Turkey, because they inspire them to be more entrepreneurial. Everyone picks up on something different. One person says Chapter X is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but Chapter Y is boring. The next person says Chapter Y rocks, and Chapter X is the boring one. That’s one thing about books I hadn’t realized, at least not up so close — that how people respond to a book says more about them than it does about the book.
I have lots of competition: TV, movies, music, Facebook, kids that need to be fed, bills that need to be paid. Not to mention authors who are already famous and proven. The ways people spend their time are infinite, and they are all my book’s competition.
JP
Who do you think will read your book? What made you think that there was a market for it? If your book has been out for a while, what proof do you have that you were right?
Different people read this book for different reasons. Some people read this book because they lived in Turkey decades ago and just like to hear someone talk about it. Other people read this book because they dream about moving to another country, and want to read about someone else who did it. Other people read this book because they don’t think girls can be picked up on airplanes, and they wonder how it’s done (hint: clumsy works just fine).
I didn’t care whether there was a market for this book or not. I wrote it for a different reason. Turns out there is a market for it though, since I’ve sold a few.
JP
JP
It does not matter how good a book is, or how good your writing is if no one knows about it. What steps have you taken or do you plan to take to promote your book? Are you a speaker or trainer? Do you have a blog? A website? A newsletter? Do you use Facebook, Twitter or other social media tools? What about press releases and sending out review copies and free articles? Have you had any other ideas? Which methods do you think work best and can you give me any examples?
MK
Promoting a book takes more time than actually writing it. As I was writing this book I read a lot about how other people marketed their books, and I thought, “Wow, that sounds like a lot of work!” I figured if I was going to put that much work into promoting my book, I may as well piggyback it on something else I wanted to do anyway. So I dusted off an old dream I’ve had for the past 20 years, to travel from Cork, Ireland, to Ho Chi Minh City, and broke it down into something more doable (1500 miles walking across Turkey and Syria). I’m calling that project Heathen Pilgrim, and a couple books are going to come out of that. ATWOS will ride that project’s promotional coattails.
That aside, I’m also promoting the book through the normal channels — blog, guest posts on other peoples’ blogs, interviews, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But for every one person who does everything you’re supposed to do and becomes rich and famous, there are a hundred people who do everything you’re supposed to do and get nothing in return. So do the things the experts tell you to do, but don’t worry about it too much, because you still only have about a 0.00001% chance of success.
JP
How did you publish your book? Did you find an agent, a publisher or did you publish it yourself? Please describe your process and tell us how you found the experience. Is there anything you would definitely do again or never do again?
MK
I published it myself, using Createspace (print-on-demand for production, Amazon for distribution). Finding an agent and a publisher is good but time-consuming. As with anything time-consuming, ask yourself if there is a higher-value use of your time. If the answer is yes, do that other thing instead. If the answer is no, find an agent and a publisher. In my case, I could meet my modest sales and distribution expectations on my own, and I had other projects I wanted to get started on. But for other people or in other circumstances, finding an agent and a publisher is the way to go.
JP
What was your biggest challenge regarding the writing of your book? How have you overcome that?
MK
My biggest challenge was eating healthy food and exercising. I ate way too much pepperoni pizza for my own good, and I went from running three times a week to running just about never. Writing a book isn’t free, the resources have to be pulled from one account or another. I chose to draw down the diet and exercise accounts while I was writing ATWOS. There’s no way to avoid paying a price. You just decide which accounts you want to pay it from.
JP
Now you have written this book, what has writing it done for you, your family, your self-esteem or your business?
MK
In addition to allowing me to retire to a Caribbean island where I drive a speedboat filled with bikini-clad models, writing this book has allowed me to, well, say I’ve written a book. That’s actually a pretty cool thing to be able to do though. It gives you some street cred when you start talking about a hare-brained idea. I guess people figure anyone who is crazy enough to write a book is crazy enough to do just about anything.
JP
If you were to give advice to someone else who is thinking about writing a book, what would be your number one tip?
MK
My number one tip would be don’t write one book, write a bunch of them. If you only shoot for one book, that book is going to be your only chance to write a good one, and you’re going to put so much pressure on yourself that you never stop tweaking it, you never finish it. If you plan on writing five books instead, book #1 isn’t your one and only chance to get it right, it’s what stands in the way of book #2.
Here are a couple bonus tips:
Tip #2 is to read 30 books for every one that you write. Whatever problem you’re trying to solve, someone has probably already solved it. See how they did it.
Tip #3 is to get that first book written and out there, because it’s a lot easier to see your mistakes after you’ve made them. If you haven’t made mistakes yet, you have nothing but shadows to box.
JP
And finally, how can people buy your book, in what formats, and what does it cost? Please include any links if you have them.
MK
A Tight Wide-open Space and Soapbox are both available on Amazon.com, in paperback or Kindle. ATWOS costs between US$5 and US$12, and Soapbox costs about half as much. The links…
ATWOS:
www.amzn.com/1460910435
Soapbox:
www.amzn.com/1463791275
The Amazon.co.uk links for the Kindle…
ATWOS:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tight-Wide-open-Space-Finding-ebook/dp/B0055KHEJU/
Soapbox:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Soapbox-Miscellaneous-musings-ebook/dp/B005G9ATGK/
Author guestposts
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 20th, 2012
I am delighted to have my friend and fellow walk-in-the-woods mate, Kathy Voyles, to guestpost for me today. She is a writer through and through and we are always much moved, and often amused, by her writing at our monthly writers’ circle.
Last night she attended an event I wish I had been to too, and was both moved and inspired by The 11th Pen Writers Awards
I like to think of myself as a writer for that’s what I spend most of my time doing. I’ve pretty well had a go at every sort of writing, editing newsletters on human rights issues and self determination, writing on food issues, on travel, on death and dying, and am now having a bash at picture books for kids.
It’s hard sometimes, juggling children, managing houses, being chief cook and bottle-washer and sitting in front of a blank screen, waiting for words to come. It’s a lonely business spewing out words, but we do it because we must.
We must spin those words, play with them, push and pull them into place. We want to share them, too. I love my writers support group that allows me the joy of reading my words to real humans. Often, it’s that reading aloud which shows me what works, what doesn’t, what is meaningful, or what falls flat in the air. Sometimes our writing becomes therapy and is not really meant for others to hear but allows healing of self and soul. Those writings can be tucked away and left alone.
But the very main thing is I can write. I can write in the comfort of my office without fear and inquisition. I write in warmth, with white light and without putting myself or anyone else in danger (unless it’s from poor prose). What I write will not mean the pounding of fists on doors in the middle of the night, or dank urine stained prison cells for my family, threats, torture, rape or slow death.
Do we writers realize what a luxury this is? Writing in the warmth?
No, I would say we do not, which is why I make a point to attend and support the International PEN Novib Writers Awards every year in the Netherlands and why I encourage you to, as well. Every year this award touches my heart deeply and humbles me in every way – it makes me realize the resonance, power and the fear that words bring.
These words, say the authors on stage, must be written, even though every letter, every syllable, every sharing of them, spells danger for themselves and all around them.
This years winner Asieh Amini is from Iran, a journalist and poet who become an activist after she followed up the story of a 16 year old woman put to death for having sex outside marriage. She also campaigns on those sentenced to the hideously inhumane punishment of stoning. She is now living in Norway after staying Iran became untenable for her and her family.
“Such cruelties must be written about. How can I be happy when children are being executed,” she says and begins to read her poems in her mother tongue.
Asieh’s poems are short and catch your soul. Tears begin to flow from mine.
“You turn into a butterfly, I hang,” she writes as the young girl goes towards the hangman’s noose.
“The sun is slipping down the wall”
These lines and others need to be heard as often as we can bear, until these horrific acts are mere figments of history.
Each year, as I sit and listen to the stories of the writers who write in the cold winter of inhumanity, I wish there was no need for such Awards.
Alas that time will not come quickly for as Freedom House has reported that freedom of the press in the world is at its lowest ebb since records have begun. 23 journalists were killed on the job in Somalia.
We who write in the warmth must support those who write in fear and honesty. I encourage you therefore to attend the Winternacht festival and meet them, connect with them and bring their words into the world.
www.writersunlimited. Nl
January 20 – 22nd at The Theatre Aan Het Spui The Hague, The Netherlands.
Kathy Voyles
“Foodie, Activist, Gardener, Speaker, Connector – A legend in her own lunch box”
See our brand new, bright, shiny blog http://schoollunchbox.wordpress.com
blogging
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 18th, 2012
Jack Scott recently published his memoir, Perking the Pansies – Jack and Liam move to Turkey. In this candid interview he talks about how the book began as a blog after he and his partner, Liam, expatriated, and the methods he used to grow a blog that began seeing 5,000 hits a month and that has now increased to 13-18,000 a month. We discuss issues such as how he feels about baring his soul to the world, narcissism and why he chose to write, from the outset, under a pseudonym. This lively interview will interest anyone thinking of writing a memoir and will show how to use the power of social media and the blogosphere to achieve success.
You can find Jack on http://www.jackscott.info and http://www.perkingthepansies.com
Listen to the radio show here
Author guestposts
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 17th, 2012
I am really pleased to welcome an old friend of mine, Rose Aghdami, to guestpost for me today. I have long been aware that writing is a therapy and am a staunch advocate of journalling to solve all manner of problems. Here, Rose, explains how it could help you to lose weight too!
Are you trying to stop comfort eating? Here’s how… by reaching for your pen instead of reaching for chocolate!
Comfort eating, stress eating, boredom eating…whatever we term it, emotional eating is bad news. Bad for our health, bad for our waistlines and bad for our self-esteem. Do you find yourself prowling the kitchen looking for salty, sweet or stodgy food when you’re not even hungry? If so, you may not be feeling physical hunger but you may be experiencing emotional hunger.
Emotional eating is triggered by unwelcome feelings like rejection, loneliness, or depression and feeling stressed, rushed or bored. We eat to distract from these feelings and – guess what – it works! It gives us a quick fix. When we eat we no longer focus on our difficult feelings, instead our thoughts and senses are occupied with the food we are using to provide this quick hit. But…soon afterwards the benefit is gone. We feel bloated, guilty, ashamed and regretful. All too familiar? Next time you experience the urge to eat when you aren’t physically hungry, try reaching for your pen instead – or the technological equivalent. To overcome emotional eating, the first step is to identify the emotions that trigger it, so give yourself a few moments with a cup of tea or a drink of water, sit quietly with your laptop, or pen and paper, and write.
Try this writing exercise….
Tune in to the feeling or feelings you were experiencing just before you felt the urge to eat. Try and identify it, or them, using one word for each feeling, such as bored, lonely, sad, depressed and so on. Avoid a whole sentence such as ‘I was feeling that I’d never cope with all there is to do’. Just focus on the single words to name the feelings.
Then write about what you experience when you feel the emotion you have identified. Where do you feel it in your body? What do you feel physically? What thoughts are feeding this feeling? What do you typically do when you feel like this?
Next, write about a time when you have dealt well with this feeling and what you thought about, and what you did, to manage it well and reach a good outcome. Perhaps in the past you called a friend and met up when you felt lonely, or you decided to go for a brisk walk when you felt bored, or you decided to clear just one shelf of clutter when you felt overwhelmed by housework. We usually feel better when we get active and do something to counteract the difficult feeling.
Finally, finish by writing down how you will reach a good outcome this time. What do you need to do to address this feeling in a positive way? What actions do you need to take? End with a positive, determined coping statement and take action.
Writing a regular journal can also help to overcome emotional eating by acknowledging and then writing about your emotions instead of suppressing them and distracting from them by emotional eating. Whether you write for three minutes or thirty, regular journalling can be helpful. A journal can be a reliable, confidential, readily available, almost free, form of writing therapy and offers a great way of expressing what is going on in your mind. Best of all, you can then read it back to yourself – in effect, reading your own mind!
Rose Aghdami, Chartered Psychologist, specialises in helping people develop a long term healthy relationship with food and end emotional eating for good. Focusing on using a psychological approach to curb bad eating habits and encourage a positive attitude to food, her patients continuously see remarkably effective and long lasting results.
The recent launch of Rose’s website, www.mindexpert.com, allows a wider audience to benefit from the skills and expertise she offers on this specialist subject that affects so many people on a daily basis.
For more information on overcoming emotional eating, please visit the website or email rose@mindexpert.com.
When not working, Rose enjoys the great outdoors with her family, whether skiing in Switzerland or walking by the Thames with their Husky.
books
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 16th, 2012
Back in December I was invited to do a webinar on how to write a book for the European Professional Women’s Network. The sound quality is not brilliant, but you can hear me and the slides really add to the experience. The presentation takes about an hour followed by questions and answers.
Experience the webinar here to learn about:
- Why writing a book will boost your brand
- How writing a book can make you money
- What matters
- A bit about self-publishing methods
- Where to start
- and much more
inspiration
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 9th, 2012
Douglas John McLean Cairns used to hide behind the persona of Sid Ozalid, the one-legged tap dancing poet. It was as Sid that he became well known on radio and TV in the late 70s and early 80s and became part of the live comedy circuit. Today, he has come out as himself, admitting to his battles with dyslexia and depression and using his determination to be authentic in all areas of his life. As Douglas John McLean Cairns, he is an expat living the Hague and working on diversity and inclusiveness for an international oil company. As DJMC he is a role model for all those corporate beings who dare not admit they are musicians, sportsmen, writers, artists, ADD, or somehow not simply men or women in suits. Always and everywhere, he is now himself, still a poet, still a very funny man but now an inspiration to us all. In this incredible, heartwarming and inspiring interview the man who allows me to call him Douglie Wooglie Agogo, shares how the profits for his memoir-cum-poetry anthology go to charity, shares what matters to him and how he dared to be himself. At the very end of the interview he shares a poem, one that just won him an award from the dyslexia society. Be inspired. Be very inspired.
You can listen to the interview here
books
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 9th, 2012
For years I have been banging on about how important it is to share your own story if you are to have a good chance of attracting a publisher, an agent and later readers.
Your story matters.
Would you even consider reading Jack Scott’s Perking the Pansies, about his move to Turkey as a gay man, if he were neither gay nor lived in Turkey?
Would you pick up one of Dr Phil’s books if you did not already trust he was a good psychotherapist?
Would you buy a cookbook written by someone who couldn’t boil an egg?
Exactly!
When I first read the manuscript for The Thinking Tank, by Jae de Wylde, I knew her ‘back story’. I knew she had lost a daughter and that she suffered from a painful, debilitating illness. When I cried with the protagonist, Sarah, I cried all the more for knowing Jae’s story. When I laughed, I laughed louder. But Jae did not want to dwell on her ‘back story’ and we omitted some facts from her about the author page.
As sales of The Thinking Tank grew, and I watched Jae sell hundreds of books at each of the many book signings she set up in England, I recognised that this was indeed a good book, and that it was selling without the readers knowing about her grief and pain.
But, here in Holland, as people who had read the book came up to me to talk about it, I found myself sharing some of Jae’s real story with them and watched their eyes widen. I realised that had they known some of this before they read the book, like mine, their experience would have been even better.
Since the launch of The Thinking Tank, Jae has bravely decided to start a new blog, entitled Life’s Crappy Stuff, and in which she shares stories of how she has overcome many set backs. She does this in an upbeat, self-effacing and witty style that inspires her readers. Slowly, Jae is realising that her truth does matter – a lot.
Then, this week, she did the bravest thing yet and shared her story, her real story, about her divorce, her illness and losing Rowena, in Gulf News, Friday magazine. She also shared how a move to Dubai and discovering bellydance changed her life.
If you have not read The Thinking Tank, then be sure to read this article before you do. And if you have read it, then, reflect back on the novel in the light of what you learn. You will be enriched and inspired. Trust me.
interviews & new releases
By Jo Parfitt, Summertime Publishing, on January 6th, 2012
I am thrilled to share this interview with my latest published author, Jack Scott. Perking the Pansies was published just before Christmas and sold more books in its first week than any other book I published last year. Earlier this month, Amazon showed this great memoir at No 1 in gay and lesbian travelogues.
To find out why he wrote it and how he created the following that has ensured great book sales, read on…
Jack Scott was born on an English army base in 1960, spent part of his childhood in Malaysia as a forces brat, idled his way through Grammar school, became a shop boy along Chelsea’s trendy King’s Road and then eventually settled for the dull security of a local government career. By his late forties, passionately dissatisfied with suburban life and middle management, his civil partner, Liam, and he abandoned the sanctuary of liberal London for an uncertain future in Turkey. In 2010, Jack started an irreverent narrative about our new life called Perking the Pansies; it became one of the most popular English language blogs in Turkey and has now spawned a book.
The book: http://www.jackscott.info
The blog: http://www.perkingthepansies.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jackscottbodrum
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/perking the pansies, the book
Twitter: @jackscottbodrum
JP
Tell me about your book. What is it about? Can you describe it in just a few sentences?
JS
The book covers the first year of my life with Liam in Turkey: a culture-curious gay couple from London on a bumpy rite of passage in a Muslim country. I describe the oddballs, VOMITs, vetpats, emigreys, semigreys, debauched waiters and middle England miseries we encountered, the fun we had along the way and our subsequent move to the heart of liberal Bodrum, a place we fell in love with. It’s an irreverent look at expat life in Turkey with a right royal dose of misery and joy, bigotry and enlightenment, betrayal and loyalty, friendship, love, earthquakes, birth, adoption and a senseless murder.
JP
Why did you write it?
JS
From the moment we came ashore, we encountered so many extraordinary people and situations that I just had to start writing about them. You could say that the book wrote itself. More importantly, I felt I had something fresh to say about expat living, about Turkey and about living as a gay man in a Muslim country. The book is not about being gay as such; it’s about two people, in love, living in Turkey as expats – who happen to be gay. I thought our story was worth sharing.
JP
What qualifies you to write this book?
JS
Well, the book is based on a series of astonishing events that we actually encountered, so I guess that immediately qualifies me to write about them! I have travelled around Turkey since my mid-thirties and have a good understanding of the country’s history and what makes it the place it is today. Finally, as an out gay man (I dropped out of the womb waving my jazz hands and screaming I am what I am) I know a thing or two about being on the outside looking in: I feel I’m in a good position to comment on life as one half of a same-sex couple living in a Muslim country.
JP
Why do you think your book needed to be written? What will it do for other people? How will it help? Did you have any competition?
JS
I wrote the book for many reasons, not least because Liam and I are rare creatures in this part of the world. Gay culture is largely invisible and underground in Turkey and I hope our story may, in some small way, raise the profile of gay men and women here. It also demonstrates that it is perfectly possible to live happily within a different culture – by respecting that culture but still standing by the principles that make you who you are. Finally, it felt important to prick the pomposity and bigotry of some of our fellow expats – as well as celebrate the wonderful friendships we’ve formed here. As far as I’m aware, there is no other book of its kind on the market.
JP
Who do you think will read your book? What made you think that there was a market for it? If your book has been out for a while, what proof do you have that you were right?
JS
Many expat books about Turkey (and elsewhere) are about building the dream in a foreign field set against a magnificent backdrop of history, culture and landscape. I wanted to write something completely different, so I hope the book stands out from the crowd. Perking the Pansies also provides an alternative expat perspective of a British gay couple in a Muslim land. It’s not been done before and I hope people will find that interesting. Our story rattles along at quite a pace so I hope it will appeal to anyone who simply likes a good rollicking read. Initial sales seem to indicate that the book has broad appeal. Fingers crossed.
JP
It does not matter how good a book is, or how good your writing is if no one knows about it. What steps have you taken or do you plan to take to promote your book? Are you a speaker or trainer? Do you have a blog? A website? A newsletter? Do you use Facebook, Twitter or other social media tools? What about press releases and sending out review copies and free articles? Have you had any other ideas? Which methods do you think work best and can you give me any examples?
JS
I am a qualified trainer and a former business manager and these skills seem to have equipped me to plan and think strategically. This particular roller coaster ride began with the blog and I grew the readership by engaging with social media. The book came later. At the beginning I was a complete novice and fumbled around trying different ways to get the message out. I quickly learned that Facebook and Twitter were the big hitters for increasing an audience and for raising a blog’s SEO (search engine optimization). SEO is important because if your website doesn’t appear on the first few pages of a search result (and by this I mean Google as it’s the only one that matters) then it’s hardly worth being on the internet at all. Most other social networks are small fry, but I have found that Stumbleupon and Reddit also helpful to boost my readership from time to time.
The key to a successful blog is good, fresh content (another SEO trick), a strong appealing theme and active engagement with your audience and network. This takes hard graft. I put the hours in and it worked for me. When the book was published I already had the infrastructure to help launch it. The trick now is to break out of the blogosphere and appeal to a wider audience. This is where a strong partnership with my publisher comes in. Oh yes, that’ll be you, Jo!
JP
How did you publish your book? Did you find an agent, a publisher or did you publish it yourself? Please describe your process and tell us how you found the experience. Is there anything you would definitely do again or never do again?
JS
Several readers said that they thought there was a book buried among the blog posts. Eventually, I did too, and set about trying to write one and finding an agent or a publisher. You may recall that I found you on Twitter purely by chance. This is another example of the power of social networking. I emailed you. You responded almost immediately. I sent you some material, you critiqued it. I sent you more. You critiqued it again. I sent you five chapters. You said, “Let’s go for it.” That’s more or less how it happened. You took a chance and I’m rather grateful that you did!
JP
What was your biggest challenge regarding the writing of your book? How have you overcome that?
JS
I’d say the biggest challenge was ensuring the book had a plot that readers would find convincing and engaging enough to make them turn the page. I wanted a book with pace and very little ‘fat.’ One of the first things you taught me was to dump storylines and characters that weren’t key to the plot or didn’t add interesting flavour. I tackled this by creating a story board, much like constructing a film, and quickly found parts of the draft plot that were either superfluous or in the wrong place.
JP
Now you have written this book, what has writing it done for you, your family, your self-esteem or your business?
JS
It’s early days but I do feel a huge sense of achievement. It’s virtually impossible to work legitimately in Turkey as an expat; writing the book has kept my ageing brain active and prevented me from propping up the local bars (well, most of the time). Liam has supported me through the whole, painful process. He’s my whip-cracking taskmaster, poring over every word and pontificating over every sentence. There was a creative tension in the air and the occasional brouhaha over lunch. It’s genuinely been a labour of love for both of us. Becoming a published author has opened up a new (and scary) world for me. The possibilities are endless.
JP
If you were to give advice to someone else who is thinking about writing a book, what would be your number one tip?
JS
That’s easy. Get honest feedback about your idea and your initial drafts, especially from people who don’t know you; don’t work in a vacuum, don’t ask your friends or loved ones. They will lie (though, Liam was brutally honest).
JP
And finally, how can people buy your book, in what formats, and what does it cost? Please include any links if you have them.
JS
The book is available to buy in paperback or on Kindle from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, on-line and WH Smiths, Waterstones and any good on-line store or available to order from any good bookstore near you. Alternatively, if you order through my website, I make a few extra pennies from it. No pressure.
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