I came across Heidi’s memoir only two weeks ago. Home Keeps Moving is  about how her life as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and Missionary Kid (MK) has shaped her identity and affected her life in ways many find the words to describe. I was immediately impressed. Not many people in their twenties write books based on their lives. Many wait until their forties or beyond before they feel they have enough to say. But Heidi has plenty to say. This book is theory in action. It as, as the Families in Global Transition conference likes to say ‘where research comes to life’. Indeed, Heidi was inspired by the work of Ruth van Reken and Dave Pollock and their seminal book, Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds.

This TCK MK writes beautifully about her experiences as the child of Scandinavian parents, pingponging between England and India. By examining her own experiences on themes such as rootlessness, restlessness and unresolved grief she is frank about how life was for her.

I believe that any twenty or thirtysomething ATCK (that’s a TCK who became an adult) will find support and resonance here. Speaking as one who did not live abroad until I was an adult, I am in awe of her resilience and her objective accounts of a very unusual life. She is perceptive and her descriptions leap off the page.

Peppered by writings from her peers and the experts, this is a great companion to Ruth and Dave’s book. I admire Heidi, as someone whose education was ‘patchy’ as a result of her nomadic upbringing, to have been brave enough to put her words on paper and then fight to find a publisher. It is with pleasure that what follows is my recent interview  with her:

HSH

My name is Heidi Sand-Hart and I am an Adult “Third Culture Kid” (TCK) who grew up in India, England and Norway. My father is Norwegian, my mother Finnish and they were missionaries in the UK and India, hence we moved a lot! I myself have done plenty of travelling and voluntary work, particularly in Asia. I currently live in London with my Kiwi husband.

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.

HSH

“Home Keeps Moving” tells the story of growing up in many worlds due to moving frequently throughout my childhood. It gives a lot of insight into the many struggles and challenges that “Third Culture Kids” face with constantly leaving friends, homes and their familiar surroundings – of those trying to grasp an understanding of who they are and how they fit into their current society.

JP

Why did you write “Home Keeps Moving”?

HSH

I actually started writing this book ten years ago but realised the task was too overwhelming for me at the time. As I’ve gotten older, I have realised how exciting, colourful and unique my own childhood was and I wanted to share that with others.  Last autumn we returned to London from living in Thailand and I struggled to find a job…I realised the time was right to give this book another go.

JP

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

HSH

In my search for more personal literature on the topic of cross-cultural upbringing and TCKs, I realised there were hardly any books out there. It is my hope that people with traditional upbringings will understand TCKs a little better through my book and I really wanted to give validation to my fellow TCKs. (in many ways, a forgotten tribe).

JP

Who do you think will read your book? What made you think that there was a market for it? Now that it’s been out for a while, what proof do you have that you were right?

HSH

In this global and transient age, I thought it was more important to have literature out there for people to grasp and empathise with TCKs, since cross-cultural living is becoming more common day by day. This topic is receiving far more exposure and media attention these days so I felt the timing was right. I have already received feedback that Home Keeps Moving has triggered thought and self-realisation in people.

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?

HSH

I set up a blog at http://homekeepsmoving.blogspot.com/ and e-mail account ahead of the book’s release and joined all the social networking sites to create “hype”. I researched all the websites and magazines interested in TCKs specifically and targeted them, spreading the word. I have spent huge chunks of time doing viral marketing – sending out press releases and following up with phone calls. I have done a radio interview and have two more lined up. I’ve written articles for free which have been published by The Telegraph and other online magazines. I have approached major and local bookshops in the UK. I have asked Missions Agencies, Expats, Member care organisations and International Schools to help me promote the book by featuring it on their websites and in their publications. I have also sent out lots of complimentary review copies and am trying to get the book reviewed or mentioned in as many publications as possible.

JP

How did you publish your book? What was your route to publication?

HSH

As I was approaching the final stages of Home Keeps Moving, I started to send out sample manuscripts to publishers who had previously released books with a similar content. I also happened to have an acquaintance whose book on hot and cold climates (Foreign To Familiar by Sarah Lanier) was along similar lines to mine and she got me in touch with her publisher. I received my fair share of rejection letters and found the process extremely hard especially since many publishers refuse to accept unsolicited manuscripts and I didn’t want to go down the agent route. Luckily for me, Sarah Lanier helped open a door that might otherwise have remained closed.

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?

HSH

Those days continue to come and go, even now! I have to say that the support and encouragement received from close friends and family is what spurred me on. My husband patiently assisted me in editing and perfecting the book. For me, the main target was just to complete the book that had been hanging over my head for ten years and I tried not to rush ahead of myself too much and allow worries of not getting published to overshadow things. On the days that inspiration didn’t come, I didn’t push myself…I just tried to take it in my stride and monopolise the good days. As the release date approached, I became slightly anxious about how it would be received since I was “putting myself out there” – divulging personal stories and also opening up to possible criticism. I haven’t even read my book since it’s been published because I had to go over it so many times in the run up to printing!

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?

HSH

I touched on that a little in my previous answer but it took me around seven months to complete. That’s including all the editing and re-editing…which could go on forever unless you stop yourself! I tried to look at this work being a fair representation of my experiences and views up until this point and there’s nothing to stop me from writing more in the future. It’s not like this is my one and only contribution to society. My motivation burned quite strongly since I hate unfinished things so I set myself a loose target and through quite a few late nights (and the help of my husband), got there in the end. Luckily for me, I was alone in the flat during the day so I would put on some classical music, make a cup of peppermint tea and wait for inspiration to take over. I wouldn’t regiment blocks of time where I had to write…it just flowed quite organically.

JP

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

HSH

Good question! My family moved very regularly and we ping-ponged between India and the UK for just under ten years. Initially, I started writing all the moves as they happened but then someone pointed out to me that it “read like a journal”. The hardest thing for me was the decision to break all those moves down into two segments and decide which stories to include and which to leave out. Especially towards the final stages of the book, more and more incredible stories would pop into my head and I wanted to squeeze them into the book somehow but it was too late. So I guess, deciding what best benefited the flow of the book and being willing to compromise were the trickiest things but key.

JP

I believe that getting feedback is really important to help you recognise when your writing is really good and to find ways of making it even better. How did you get feedback on your work?

HSH

I started out by sending the manuscript just to a few family members and gauging their feedback. I decided the more opinions, the harder it would become…but I did find it useful to send it to a friend who grew up in America her entire life and see how it came across to her. She sent me 4-5 A4 pages filled with tips and corrections! It was slightly discouraging at the time, since I just wanted to be finished, but incorporating some of her suggestions has definitely made the book better.

JP

If you were to give advice to someone else who is thinking about writing a book based on their life experience what would be your number one tip?

HSH

Go all the way!! So many people start writing a book but very few people manage to complete it. Push through the uninspired times, set targets and welcome the feedback of a few close friends to help motivate you until then end.

Heidi’s book is available through Amazon.co.uk and also from her directly at http://www.amazon.co.uk/shops/heidisand-hart

One of the best ways to get publicity for yourself, your product and your book (and yes you need this way before it is finished and sent to press) is to get media coverage. A good piece of editorial can go a long way and when you consider how many people view that website, listen to that radio station, buy that paper/magazine or borrow it from the library the exposure one little article can get you is amazing.

That’s why I leap at the chance to be interviewed by anyone who asks me, providing it makes business sense.

I met Lisa Finnegan in cyberspace three days ago when I discovered she was an author and journalist like me, lived abroad, like me, and was starting a new website called WhileAbroad. Today, the result of my interview is online.

I love being featured on blogs and websites and places where readers can comment. And of course I always make sure that my books and services get a wee mention, and my website too!

You can read the result of that interview here:

Interview with Jo Parfitt about Women on the Move

In this series, I interview another author who has written a book that I consider to be a great idea. This time I meet Fiona Caulfield, an Australian expat based currently in India, who is making a living writing and publishing unique travel guides called Love Travel Guides.

Fiona is doing this with considerable flair and panache. Read on if you want to follow in her footsteps.

Fiona Caulfield is the creator of the Love Travel brand of guidebooks, designed for luxury vagabonds. She is a true citizen of the world. Born in Australia, she has lived in the UK, the USA and Canada and is now resident in India.

Fiona has a high profile global career as a futurist and branding consultant and is an avid traveller and explorer. A self-confessed luxury vagabond, she has a discerning eye for the singular experiences that set a destination apart.

She is also a contributing writer for many international magazines including Conde Nast Traveller, Departures, DestinAsia and in-flight magazines for Qantas and Singapore Airlines. She also contributes to leading travel websites including Indagare.com and Qantas.com/ travelinsider.

Fiona is also a highly regarded speaker and most recently presented ‘The Future of Travel Writing” at the Singapore Writers Festival.

JP

Your motivation

Why did you write it?

FC

I needed them. After taking up trekking and mountain climbing I was travelling to some of the most interesting places in the world but I could not find travel content that was comparable to what was available for travel in Europe and North America.  I wanted information on how to fall in love with Delhi, Calcutta, Kathmandu, Nairobi, Lima etc etc and I was frustrated with the mass market travel guides that target the time rich, cash poor traveler, I was the opposite, my time was my most valuable asset and I was relatively cash rich. I was no longer a backpacker willing to sleep in fleapits.  I wanted travel content that was more discerning, intimate and authentic, above all authentic.

JP

The need

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

FC

The Love Travel Guides will help people fall in love with their destination. The great world cities, Paris, London, New York, trip off the tongue. Where are Lhasa, Cairo, and Jaipur? I believe it is time for people to fall in love with more than just the cities of the west. I believe that falling in love with a city is just as exciting as falling in love with a person. Your senses become more engaged and you simply feel more alive,” The simplest criteria for inclusion in the guide was ‘does this place help you fall in love with this city?’ If yes, then it was in; if no then, it was out. Simple.

JP

Who will read it

Who do you think will read your book? What made you think that there was a market for it? Now that it’s been out for a while, what proof do you have that you were right?

FC

Love Travel Guides are must have guides, which contain all the savvy inside knowledge that a stylish traveller craves. The passionately curated guide is designed for the discerning luxury vagabond who wants authenticity in style. The books comprise eight sections including an overview of the city with ‘must knows and must dos’ and presents the best places to eat, drink, shop, be pampered, get fit and explore. Unlike mass tourist books, using this guide is like being chaperoned by a good friend. The entries are ‘love stories’ sourced from in-the-know locals including chefs, artists, designers, architects, ambassadors, foreign correspondents and taxi drivers.

I don’t have any hard data in terms of retail sales, anecdotally I understand that some of the books are now the best selling guidebooks for that destination, for example Love Delhi and the booksellers tell me that the buyers are discerning travelers, expats and locals. Love Jaipur, Rajasthan was the best selling book at the Jaipur Literature Festival, Asia’s leading literature event that attracts a discerning audience. Plus my corporate sales have been strong for major conferences such as the International Herald Tribune Luxury Conference, as well as organizational sales to companies such as Cartier and the Four Seasons and sales to embassies and high commissions.

JP

The promotion

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?

FC

I have 25 years branding and innovation experience (detailed in full below) and I have called on all of those skills as I developed the brand (note I don’t refer to it as a book, or a series of books) and also as I market them. I have a website, a blog, I use social marketing, I do speaking, training and most importantly I have created a really good product that people needed. I have tried to futureproof the books and designed them as beautiful objects in their own right, they are hand-bound and printed on handmade paper and are covered in hand-loom khadi fabric. I am working on the digital strategy now and other brand extensions.

Fiona Caulfield has over 25 years of global branding and innovation experience at the elite level. She specializes in ideas, branding, creativity and futurism and lives between India and Australia. Fiona resides in India and currently consults with BrainReserve, and a number of New York based Future consultancies, plus works with clients in Asia such as DMA, India’s largest branding firm; Unilever (Future of Beauty), Exclusivel.In and Citigroup.

In 2004, Fiona relocated from New York to Bangalore to create the Love Travel brand, designed for Luxury Vagabonds and now also contributes to the worlds leading travel titles including: Black Ink, Conde Nast Traveller, (UK) & Conde Nast Traveler, (USA), Club 21, Departures, DestinAsia, Endless Vacations, Journal International’s Asia and Australia Centurion and Platinum, Weekend Australian, Straits Times, Gulf Airways -Gulf Life, Singapore Airlines – Silver, Kris, Qantas – The Australian Way, Jet Wings, Luxury Newsletter, Travel & Leisure and Vogue India.

She continues to be a popular speaker on creativity and innovation at conferences and seminars and now, also, at literary festivals. At the Singapore Writers Festival in 2009 she gave a speech on the Future of Travel Writing to a sell out audience.

In North America, Fiona was the President of Faith Popcorn’s firm, BrainReserve, which specialized in applied futurism. Clients included:  British Airways – Future of Travel, Campbell Soup  – Future of Food, Dial  – Future of the Home, Johnson & Johnson – Tylenol  – Future of Pain, Lincoln Financial – Womens’ Best Future, Nike – Womens’ Division Best Future, and Springs Industries – Wamsutta – Future of Sleep. Caulfield was an active speaker at conferences and attended the prestigious CEO summit hosted by Bill Gates. Caulfield’s other North American roles included the Director of Innovation for FutureBrand; WW Managing Director at Lowe running the 3 Com business globally; Senior Partner and Executive Group Director at Ogilvy leading the IBM Server, Business Partner and Small Business assignments globally. In Australia, Fiona was the Client Service Director, DDB Needham and in England, Fiona founded her own agency CHC that was subsequently acquired by Omnicom.

JP

The route to market

How did you publish your book? What was your route to publication?

FC

I created a publishing company, Hardys Bay Publishing Pvt Ltd and then published the book, and then the next and then the next… and before you know it you end up running a publishing business.

JP

Belief in yourself

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?

FC

I kept true to the idea; I wanted it to be like a letter from one friend to another. I avoided the “writing” burden and thought of it in a gentler way. I knew the information was not available and that the books and their authenticity would be unique. I just hoped other people would like them. My friends and family were constant support all the way through this life transition – from high-powered corporate executive in Manhattan to vagabond in India!

JP

Meeting the deadline

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?

FC

At first I committed my first book to be ready for a speech I was giving. This forced the first book to be ready for a deadline. From then it got easier, I want to launch a new title each year and the books need updating at least every two years. The timing is not linear nor is the process regular. I just do what it takes to make them up to the Love Travel standard and I set deadlines and stick to them. Events like the Jaipur Literature Festival for the Jaipur launch was unmovable, and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi have helped focus my efforts to get a Love Delhi 3^rd ed ready.

JP

The biggest challenge

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

FC

The biggest challenge is the business model and how to scale. The writing challenge is how to keep the books tight, both in terms of what makes it into the books, for each entry that is in the books about 5 or 6 don’t make it and then how to tell hundreds of interesting stories in very tight word counts. I think of each entry as a mini story.

JP

Getting feedback

I believe that getting feedback is really important to help you recognise when your writing is really good and to find ways of making it even better. How did you get feedback on your work?

FC

People who use the books write to me with feedback and content advice. This helps me hone my content. The people that sell my books also give me plenty of feedback, not that they are always right, many said they would not sell – they have changed their minds now!! I also think my writing is being honed with a skilled editor that I now employ for the guides and I think working for some of the best magazine editors in the world is unquestionably improving my skill set.

JP

The top tip

If you were to give advice to someone else who is thinking about writing a book based on their life experience what would be your number one tip?

FC

Just do it!

However if you what you really mean is that you want people to read it or you mean you want to sell the book, which are both different needs than simply writing one, then you need to think why any one would want to read it and buy it. I believe in ideas, so make sure you book has an idea, and a good one at that.

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

I love to interview other expat authors, like me. People who have made their dream to write about their life overseas into a reality. Cathy Dobson is one of those authors. In 2008 she wrote and published Planet Germany, based on her blog of the same name.

Here, I interviewed her about how and why she wrote and published Planet Germany.

I never tire of being interviewed by journalists. Of course, being in the media is a great way to get publicity for my books and so, publication permitting, I usually agree to an interview. With my global network, most requests come in by email and interviews take place by phone, email or Skype, but, back in May, to coincide with the launch of the third edition of Career in Your Suitcase, Amanda van Mulligen of The Writing Well came to my home for ours.

Being able to see your interviewee face to face has many bonuses. It can allow you to get more of the personality of your subject, not only from their body language but also from the place in which they live.

Amanda has worked hard to find an outlet for her super article, and today I received the link to her piece on the home page of Women Unlimited. Take a look for yourself. She did an amazing job.

The article is here.

Kim Chandler of Xpatriate Magazine just told me about this cool, free site, where sources who would like to help a reporter out and be quoted in an article can sign up and receive emails about opportunities to help a reporter out. Now, this is a cool thing to do if you need to build your reputation by being quoted in the press.

The site has a sister where journalists can ask to find sources who can help them too.

So go to help a reporter now and see for yourself.

I was recently interviewed by Die Welt. I can no longer remember what they asked me but as I glance through the article I see I recognise many names. Andrea Martins of ExpatWomen is there for one, and I seem to get the lion’s share of the column inches. If you read German do take a look online .

Take a look and tell me what you think.

Jo