Fascinating, informative, inspiring interview with Nick Snelling of the highly successful blog www.culturespain.com about how he makes a living writing while living abroad in Spain with his family. Nick is the author of four books – Taking the Heat, How to Sell Your Spanish Property in a Crisis, How to Buy Spanish Property and Move to Spain – Safely and his next book, for November release – Laptop Entrepreneur. Nick’s next book shares how anyone can get to grips with the internet and can create a lucrative career from home anywhere in the world. This interview is crammed with tips and takeaways. Don’t miss it.

Listen to the show here

Some of you may know Linda already through her award-winning blog at Adventures in Expatland. What you may not know is that I only met Linda six month ago and in that time she has learned to write articles, blogs, books and life story. She grabbed her goals by the scruff of the neck and and went for it, blogging 5-7 times a week, getting articles placed worldwide and she is now working on a couple of books. Linda is a role model for any new writer out there who doubts they can do really do it. An American in Holland, Linda is new to expat life but she embraced every challenge and opportunity and is now on the way to cracking career.

You can listen to my interview with her and find out the secrets of her success on today’s radio show by clicking right here.

I am inspired by so many things. On Friday my inspiration came while I was cooking borlotti beans for a delicious avocado and bean salad. The recipe did not ask for borlottis, but when I saw them in the veg shop I just had to have them. The pods were speckled like bird’s eggs and then, when I got them home and popped one open there lay the beans, pink and cream, flecked like raspberry ripple jelly beans. Almost too beautiful to eat.

I ran for my camera

Before

I put on a pan of water to boil and then walked away to attend to the avocado, the lime and the cumin and coriander dressing. I left my pretty little beans to their own devices.

While my back was turned … look what happened!

After

Though the original mottled effect was just about evident and, in the salad, they were quite delicious, the magic had gone.  I’d overdone it.

Like with writing. We can mess about with a piece of writing once too often.

We can write it, edit it, read it, write a new beginning, write a new ending, write a  new middle, edit it again. Leave it for too long so that we lose that initial train of thought. We add a great quote, take out a rather better quote, change the beginning again. Next, we alter the tone, then the title and finally the message. In overworking we can be in danger of losing the magic that first inspired us to write the piece.

With hindsight, I wish I had placed my fresh beans, still in the pods, in a glass bowl and enjoyed them for a few hours before destroying their innocence and beauty in my frenzy to eat them. I wish I had waited to show them to my dinner guests before I boiled them to death (the beans that is, not my guests)!

Next time you find yourself constantly fiddling with a piece of perfectly good writing, will you promise me something? That you will show it to someone and let them be the judge of how good it is and then be brave, will you? Brave enough to let it go and to let the world enjoy the flavour of your words before they lose all their brilliance?

I read. My husband reads. My sons read. A lot. We read real books, made of paper. Books we can touch with our fingers. We all have a Leaning Tower of Pisa of books on our bedside tables and would rather take books with us on holiday than clothes.

But a few weeks ago I was stunned when one of my sons told me that 80% of his peers think reading books ‘is gay’.

As you know, my motto is ‘sharing what I know to help others to grow’. The way I share is through teaching, mentoring, writing my blog, articles and  writing books. I am a publisher. I help other people to write books and articles, so that too can make a career out of writing.

The end of the road for writers?

So where does my son’s comment leave the writers, the booklovers and the publishers?

I write to be read. I write for an audience.

Every day I check my site stats to count how many people have visited my blog.

It is interesting how the numbers of visitors to my blog increase daily, while readers of books are decreasing.

So, is this the end of the road for writers?

I don’t think so.

I believe that it is just a sign of the times.

Write for the reader

We are all so busy. We are constantly distracted by emails and phones and SMS messages. Our lives are punctuated by electronic beeps. As a result our attention span is shorter. Our kids may no longer read paperbacks, but they do read online. They read in short bursts. They like to watch short YouTube videos, to read cartoon strips. They read in order to find stuff out, to solve a problem.

Blogs are short. I hope mine make people stop and think for a moment and maybe see things differently. I hope that for many, they also solve a problem.

When I teach my article and book writing classes I advise my students to ensure that what they write has a market before they put fingers to keyboard. I urge them to write in the style dictated by the medium they will use, be that paperback, newsletter, online magazine, e-reader or blog.

If you, like me, want to be read, then you cannot do so in a vacuum, oblivious to the way the world is changing outside your window.

Talk to the people you hope will want to read what you write and find out how they want to receive that information and then, and only then, should you start to write.

Alice Griffin is a freelance travel writer whose work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Spain magazine, Living Abroad, Babyworld, Mumsense and various others. Prior to motherhood she worked as a travel researcher for a tourist directory, which took her across the world. Since becoming a mother in 2007 she has continued to indulge her passion for travel, along with her family, and love to write about and share my experiences. Her website is AliceGriffin.co.uk

JP

Tell me about your book. What is it about? Can you describe it in just a few sentences? To show that a book has focus it is vital that it can be described briefly and succinctly.

AG

Tales from a Travelling Mum is a travel memoir charting family travels during the first two years of my daughter’s life. I write about short vacation trips to Norway and Greece, offering some simple advice along the way, and talk about giving up life in the UK and embarking on a long-term road trip through Europe – family dog included! I guess this book is for armchair travellers, those dreaming of taking a leap into the unknown, and any new parents needing reassurance that travel with our children is still possible, and fun.

JP

Why did you write it?

AG

Because I have a passion for travel and writing and I enjoy sharing my observations and experiences with interested readers. I also believe that many people think travel with children is difficult, stressful and un-enjoyable and I hoped to prove that actually, by being relaxed and adaptable, this is not the case.

JP

Why do you think your book needed to be written? What will your book do for other people?

AG

I believe that travel writing has the ability to transport us from our everyday lives and allow us to experience something new, exciting and enjoyable. In my opinion, there can never be too many travel books to be devoured; I am endlessly interested and amazed by people’s travelling tales and observations. My hope is that my book will give readers a similar experience, transporting them to Greece, Norway, France and Spain. Of course, in particular, I hope that it will give other families dreaming of both short and long-term travel, a little inspiration to help them on their own adventures.

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?

AB

There are many top tips and guidebooks for those looking to travel with children, but mine is a personal story and I believed that there would be those in a similar position to myself who would be interested in reading it. It hasn’t been a best seller, but I have been fortunate enough to receive wonderful feedback from a number of readers. Many are of course new parents, but equally there are those who have not been parents of toddlers for some time but enjoy travel writing and enjoyed reading my book, minus the tips.

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?

AG

When the book was first released I blogged and networked about it relentlessly, as did those mums who contributed: Facebook, Twitter, interviews, articles, blogging networks etc. More than a year since release this has slowed somewhat, but I do still mention it in my bio whenever and wherever possible. I think social networking is the best approach as I have connected with many interested readers in this way.

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.

AG

I was lucky enough to find Debbie Jenkins  (Bookshaker) who reviewed my freelance writing portfolio and suggested the idea of a ‘top tips for travel with children’ book… I explained that this was not really what I to write so after some discussion we settled on the combination of narrative travel writing, plus a little advice. I found the experience was not as daunting as I had previously thought, in huge part of course to Debbie’s interest and belief in me.

JP

Self-belief can be a big problem for writers. How did you manage to stay confident in your ability and remember that you were good enough to write your book? How did you cope with the days when you thought you could not do it and that it was rubbish?

AG

I think self-belief can certainly be a big problem for most writers! For me, at the beginning I was amazed that I was actually able to finish writing a book and was on a high from simply achieving this, followed by the excitement of publication. However, once the buzz of interviews and reviews wore off, I started to analyse my book more and have definitely gone through ups and downs about my writing abilities. However, I believe that writing comes from the heart – it is a passion, a compulsion, a love of putting down in words what we see and feel. So, on the days where I doubt my abilities, I just look around me and keep writing. Even if it’s notes on paper or a simple blog post, continuing to write even when I doubt myself, reminds me as to why I write in the first place. It also helps to have a readership, no matter how small, who enjoy and connect with what you write. It’s amazing how a simple supportive comment can lift my spirits and keep me writing.

JP

It’s easy to procrastinate, to blame writers’ block and to put off finishing your project. How did you keep yourself motivated? And how long did it take you to write it? What was your routine?

AG

It took me about six months to write my book, but I did have various articles to use as the basis of some parts. I kept myself motivated simply by watching the word count creep up and by blogging about the experience, which led to a lot of great support in the ‘blogosphere’. I tried to write something five days a week, with weekends off, but I didn’t beat myself up if I wasn’t in the writing mood one day as often I would have the opportunity to catch up when I was in the right mood.

JP

What was your biggest challenge regarding the writing of your book? How have you overcome that?

AG

My biggest challenge was that I wrote most of this book whilst on a road trip through France, Spain and Portugal. So while my husband, daughter and dog frolicked in the sea or swimming pool, I would be scribbling incessantly under my shaded hat. It was also hard to concentrate when my family was around me 24/7 – no writing ‘space’ when travelling in a tiny caravan! I overcame this simply by getting on with it and as I said, not beating myself up if one day the beach was calling me more than writing.

JP

If you were to give advice to someone else who is thinking about writing a book, what would be your number one tip?

AG

Just write. Even if you’re writing and not really sure where it’s going, just keep going. People have emailed me asking for tips on how to ‘become’ a writer – I don’t think you become a writer, I believe writing comes from the soul. It’s something you are unable to not do, a compulsion to write about everything you think, feel and experience so if you think there is a book in you – then just write.

This week I finished running my Definite Articles workshop and got such a buzz from doing what I love best: ‘sharing what I know to help others to grow’. I shared everything I have learned about writing and selling articles. I also offered to connect my students with the experts in my own network, should they need quotes from them for their features.

When you are a new writer you are unlikely to have the networks you need. I have a  network of over 5000 in my address book and  have the contact details of people who are an authority on every topic about which I write. I’m not simply ‘lucky’ though. No, I have built this network easily and quickly, by attending the best conferences I can and where experts give workshops and keynotes on the topics about which I am passionate. I take copious notes while these gurus are speaking and focus on what I call quote spotting. Yes, I collect the quotes these people say, make a note of who said this and when and where and then use them in my articles.

Last week I attended my seventh WIN conference and came home with pages of fabulous quotes.

If you want a glimpse of the kind of quotes you will hear at such a place take a look at this video below. If this doesn’t convince you of the value of attending yourself next October, I don’t know what will.

The Global W.I.N.conference – The essence from Videoprod.ch on Vimeo.

People often tell me that they don’t feel qualified to write about a topic they love. They fear that without a certificate to prove that they can cook, they can’t write a coobook. Without a business degree they can’t write about running a business. Well, I say – ‘rubbish to that’. I believe that if you have decent personal experience in the issue about which you plan to write, then that is enough. That gives you the all important ‘authority’. In a nutshell, I call this ‘been there, done that, got the teeshirt’. I wrote a cookbooks once without having even written one of the recipes myself. I did not even own a kitchen! Yet Conran Octopus published French Tarts and even translated it into French.

Let me prove it to you. Today, Susan Heim has posted my guest post on her blog. For once my piece is not about writing. It is about bringing children up overseas. I am not a psychologist. I am not a parenting expert. I am a mother. A mother who has moved five times, overseas, with her family. I may not be an ‘expert’ per se. But I certainly know enough about the subject. In my article I mention an anecdote from my own life (sorry kids) and then refer to a number of books on the same subject by others who have the authority to write about parenting abroad. By mentioning the work of Simone Costa Eriksson, Robin Pascoe, Ruth van Reken and Dave Pollock and Heidi Sand-Hart, I could provide further information for the interested reader. Combined, these elements create an article that has enough information to make it credible and useful.

If you are concerned that you don’t know enough to call yourself an expert on your chosen topic, think again and take a look at From Sandals to Snowsuits.

In the time since my last Inspirer I have been on holiday, leaving the Box Mountain created from our recent house move and exchanging that mountain for another – the mountain of the Acropolis in Athens on which the Parthenon stands.

Images Copyrighted by Historylink101.com & found at Greek Picture Gallery.

On our first evening there, we could see the majestic Parthenon built in the 4^th century BC. From the roof terrace of our hotel it looked stunning, lit up as it was against the night sky, and yet also far away. It was still frighteningly hot and so the thought of climbing that particular mountain in the relentless Greek sun seemed untenable.

The next day, as early as we could make it, we began our climb and you know it was not as difficult nor as far as we had imagined. We took along bottles of water, hats and sunglasses and took it slowly, pausing along the way to admire the view. You know, in the end, it was less than half an hour from hotel room to summit.

Our writing goals can often seem too far away, too difficult, impossible even, and so we hover in the foothills of our dreams, shuffling papers and feet and procrastinating. I believe that writing articles should be your first step towards your writing dreams, yes, even (or especially) if your actual goal is to write a full-length book. Articles are shorter, easier to place and a great way to build your portfolio and your confidence.

In my experience it is really not that difficult to get published. At least not if start small, manage your expectations and are adequately prepared.

Sharing what I know to help others to grow

My motto is ‘sharing what I know to help others to grow’ and so I often find myself helping 17-year-olds to get articles published in the months prior to their writing their university applications. These youngsters come to me with no experience, no track record and no idea of how to do approach an editor. The goal of actually getting published seems impossible.

But, with me to prepare them, guide them and manage their expectations they all start having great ideas and getting published within a matter of weeks.

The Parthenon, as you know, has many pillars.  Below, I list the things you need to take into account if you want to reach the top of your writing mountain.

The six pillars for writing articles

1               Believe in yourself, believe you can do it.

2               Recognise that success is not necessarily based on age, experience, track record and proven writing ability, but on having a great idea.

3               Consider hiring a mentor who knows the ropes and can fast track your success thanks to her/his knowledge, experience and connections.

4               Know that writers sell ideas, not finished pieces. You have to pitch first and then, if a publication likes your idea, write it according to their brief.

5               Create ideas that are perfect for the publication and its readers.

6               Ensure that your communications with editors are carefully crafted and error free. Get feedback on these from your mentor before you send them if possible.

In the week since I returned from holiday, I have watched six of my current mentees (three of them still at school) place articles and book reviews in three different publications. By adhering to the six pillars of success above they have climbed their mountains!

With all best wishes for you and your own goals

Yesterday I posted a link to a piece on the While Abroad website, written by Lisa Finnegan and that illustrated why authors, and indeed, entrepreneurs, need to get interviewed as much as possible by the media. This gets you much-needed publicity. And, may I add – it is free!

Today, I would like to post a link to an article I wrote for Irish World and appears this week. This publication is a print-based paper and is published in the UK for Irish people living there. My articles is called Bringing Your Story to Life and is filled with tips and ideas.

As a writer one of the easiest things I ever do is – er – write! So, it is a no-brainer that I offer articles to papers, magazines and websites on a regular basis. Often I do this for money, but if I write about something related to my writers’ mentoring service, my books, my writing program or other things that I do, then I am more than happy to write for free – so long as I get a byline. This too is free publicity.

When Shelley at Irish World sent me a pdf of my piece I was delighted. A gorgeous double page spread, with lots of super graphics made it something to be proud of.

If you have a product to promote, maybe you should write articles too? If you are an author you really have no excuse!

bringyourstorytolifeIrishWorld

I met the amazing Susan Macaulay a few years ago when I was in Dubai giving a workshop. Today, we are still in touch and she now runs a fabulous website called Amazing Women Rock. If you are a budding writer, this is a great place to post your interviews with amazing women. If you are an amazing woman, this is the place to be!

I follow Susan on Twitter too, not just because she shares useful stuff, but because she has the most amazing gravatars! Follow her at www.twitter.com/amazingsusan and www.twitter.com/amazingwomen

Anyway, here is a link to a piece I wrote for her and that she posted on her site, along with other useful information about how to write about amazing women effectively.

click here to read it