One of the first things that I teach the students attending my book-writing workshops is that they need to have the authority to write about their chosen topic. I say they need to have ‘been there, done that and got the tee-shirt’.

Stacie Nevadomski Berdan fulfils that objective brilliantly. She is a marketing and communications consultant, an expert on international careers, an award-winning author, and an engaging and lively speaker sought-after by multi-national corporations, professional organizations, and universities around the world.  Focusing on the elements of globalization, she provides practical and relevant advice to succeed in the global marketplace, including the value of understanding cross-cultural environments, the benefits of female leadership, and the changing role of managers within the context of an increasingly global and virtual workplace. Her book, published by HarperCollins, and co-authored with C Perry Yeatman is the book every woman needs if she is contemplating whether to accept that overseas posting or not….

JP

Tell me about your book. What is it about? Can you describe it in just a few sentences?

SB

Get Ahead By Going Abroad: A Woman’s Guide to Fast-Track Career Success is a groundbreaking, award-winning book that highlights a growing trend among successful, globetrotting women: Working abroad can fast-track a career, broaden professional capabilities, increase one’s pay and expand personal horizons.  It is the go-to resource revealing successful strategies on how women – single, married, kids or not – can leverage this trend to catapult their careers. Providing step-by-step details on how to make it happen, the nitty-gritty details cover the essentials you need to be aware of from picking the right market to deciding what to pack to making the most of it in your new home – all brought to you by seasoned pros who’ve been there and done it successfully.

JP

Why did you write it?

SB

My co-author, Perry Yeatman, and I had a hunch that it was no coincidence that the two of us, plus hundreds of our friends and colleagues, who had lived and worked abroad had fast-tracked our careers. We conducted research with more than 200 women who had lived and worked abroad confirming our theory. We felt compelled to share the news with women around the world: One more means of breaking through the glass ceiling and getting to the top was available to those women who wanted to go for it.

JP

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

SB

First and foremost, the trend backed by research would help other women go for global careers that would lead to success. Second, our research had also revealed five traits that the vast majority of these women had in common and attributed to much of their success.  These traits – adaptability/flexibility, great communications skills, team- and relationship-building skills, patience and persistence, and curiosity/open-mindedness – were, many times, the same traits that women were cited as having that held them back. These traits, however, are necessary for cross-cultural success and women had them. We feel as though this information empowers women to not only push for global assignments but to go global confidently in their innate ability as women. Based on the feedback we’ve received from readers, Get Ahead By Going Abroad has inspired thousands of women to seek out international careers.

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?

SB

Female professionals around the world. Global is everywhere.  Companies and organizations are expanding their businesses. International experience is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s a “must have” for the vast majority of large-scale organizations. Those who know how to play in the global market will increasingly be more successful. Proof is in the news almost every single day that highlights the importance of international experience, foreign language skills and an ability to lead and manage cross-culturally and virtually to business success. Proof is also in the thousands of emails that I’ve received from women and men, experienced professionals and recent graduates, that book inspired and motivated them to go global. Proof is in the thousands of copies sold and the demand that still exists for the book – as well as for me to speak on the topic in a variety of forums.

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?

SB

In the first 6-8 months, I worked closely with my publicist at HarperCollins to secure about 30 Tier 1 media interviews, including 10 major broadcast (e.g., CNN International, NBC “Weekend Today”, ABC’s “America This Morning), international print magazines (e.g., Time, More, Fast Company) and major daily newspapers (e.g., Wall Street Journal, USA Today, International Herald Tribune), as well as targeting expat- and women-specific web sites, blogs and media. Since the book’s launch, I have written regularly for the Huffington Post and serve as an on-call international careers expert for major media outlets. I write and publish articles in magazines and newspapers on the importance of working abroad. I take every legitimate interview that contacts me, whether a major network or a personal blogger, to promote my message.  I write a blog that is posted on www.getaheadbygoingabroad.com and linked to my own web site, www.stacieberdan.com. I am an active speaker within corporations, organizations and on campuses; I am represented by two speakers bureaus but also allow people to contact me directly via my web sites. I use LinkedIn to post comments to my professional network, and to a lesser degree, Facebook. I adapt my message to the evolving climate, and I work hard at it. It’s a full-time job.

JP

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

SB

I wrote my first non-fiction business proposal with the help of a professional coach. We circulated it to agents, one liked it, and pitched it to editors at the major publishing houses. Within four weeks HarperCollins bought the book.

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?

SB

I left a successful marketing and communications career after 15 years. My co-author and I believed in the trend passionately and, although Perry went back to work full-time and I conducted the interviews and wrote the entire book, she provided wise counsel and expert editing throughout the process.  Even after developing a detailed outline for the book, I found that certain chapters were harder than others to write. Having a partner to bounce ideas off was incredibly helpful.

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?

SB

I believe that discipline is one of the secrets to writing a book – or finishing any long-term project. I am a wife and mother. My daughters were six and starting first grade when I sold the book in September of 2006. I got up every morning, went for a long mind-clearing walk before they awoke, had breakfast with them, and sent them off to school with my husband’s help. He worked at home – he is a travel writer – and I would then go to my office and write until they came home from school – sometimes longer if I was in the throes of a chapter. We’d play, have dinner, story time, and we’d put the girls to bed. I would then go back to writing until 10 or 11 pm. I wrote the book in four months.

JP

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

SB

Although it was the greatest asset, having a co-author was also the biggest challenge. Both Perry and I are strong-willed, confident professionals. Working through the obstacles was difficult, especially since we are truly “married for life” with co-ownership of the copyright. We overcame it through constant discussions, dialogue and always remembering the respect we have for each other.

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?

SB

In addition to my co-author, I also had a great editor at HarperCollins and a terrific agent. Both read it and gave terrific feedback in a timely manner. I think it helps not to have too big an ego, especially for a first-time published author. In addition, I had several friends and colleagues whose perspectives I respect and admire read it for comments. But most of all, the person who gave me the most helpful feedback overall was my husband. He is a professional writer and has an amazing command of the English language. He provided thoughtful advice and comments while never rewriting a sentence. It was always big-picture recommendations for he knew how important it was for this book to be mine.

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?

SB

Make sure that you are committed to both telling the whole, interesting story, as well as the process, which can take on a life of its own and often out of your control. Writing and publishing a book takes a great deal of energy and time and is not for the faint of heart. With that said, publishing a book is one of the most rewarding experiences in my life.