Interview Questionnaire of Authors Dave & Lillian Brummet
What made you decide to become a writer?
That is a very good question! Well, the spark of the idea that my words might appeal to someone else actually goes back to my teens. I was 17 or so when I started sharing poetry, starting with showing a few friends or co-workers and their encouraging comments had me thinking - "Wow! They liked it!" - which was very encouraging. At that point, upon prodding from friends, I entered my poetry in a few contests and when I started winning some of these contests, I began to realize that writing was going to play more of a role in my life. But it wasn't until I was involved in a 3-car pileup (I was in the middle car) that my life changed. You see, that accident took away a business I had built up and ran for 6 years, it filled my life with pain and had me going to physiotherapy on a full-time basis for over a year. It was then that I realized that I would never be able to do the kind of labor-intensive work I was used to. At the same time I was battling chronic depression, once again debating the value and purpose of my life - and then the light bulb in my head went off, I picked up a pen and haven't looked back (except to switch over to a computer instead).
How long have you been writing?
I've been writing since I can remember. The pen and I have always gotten along incredibly well. I remember having great responses from English teachers in elementary and high school and I really did love that class. Now of course, I'm in my early 40's and have been writing professionally for about 11 years.
Are you writing full time?
You know, I was just asked this question in another interview recently and my response was - yes I am a writer and have no other source of income, although Dave does work a full-time job to supplement our work and help the household run smoothly.
I work from a home office and I can be found in that office anywhere between 4 and 16 hours nearly every single day of the week - except for the 3 days of holidays that I take for my sanity every month.
Interestingly, the career of writing involves very little writing. -- I can almost hear your readers now going, "What the heck…?"!
You see, a writer spends at least 80-95% of their time doing the research for each project, marketing their work, building a platform, creating name recognition in their preferred genres and keeping track of all the people they need to follow up on, …knowing who has an article due or when it is to be published, recording expenses and income, and then querying constantly for the next gig.
Here's a couple of small examples to give you a better idea as to what I am referring to here: I receive at least 40 professional emails on an average day - responding and recording the information in my records can take a great deal of time out of the day. Any given week will see Dave or myself dealing with the media, being interviewed for an article, blog or radio show between 1 and 4 times a week - each of these takes about an hour to prepare for and another hour to do the promotions, so a one hour interview can actually involve three hours of work in the office.
Balancing the time so that one has time for family, obligations and… yes, writing too - is a constant challenge for a writer.
What are the good and the bad of being a writer?
The "good" in the writing career in my world is the ability to explore topics I am passionate or curious about. I love the idea that by raising an issue we might stimulate conversation and perhaps motivate movement towards positive social change. We have grown to have many connections in the world of writing with publishers, publicists, agents, media experts and virtual book tour specialists to online radio producers and hosts - and this world is a friendly one. I have grown to have very fond feelings for members within our network.
The "bad" side of writing comes in with moments of poor self-discipline. We have to be dedicated and have the ability to set aside the time to do the work that needs to be done - even the stuff we loathe to do. As writers, we are self-employed and there is no one else available to do the work if we don't.
Many writers find the marketing and querying aspects of the career daunting - others find that the organization and persistent record-keeping is a bane to their existence. One of the more difficult things for me to do is to get others to respect the time, the level of energy and hours that go into this career - that it is an art, and as an artist we need the space, the quiet periods to do our work. So when you work from home, as I do, you may find that you have to "train" your family or your friends to call for an appointment.
Make a rule not to answer your door when you are not expecting someone and this will help reinforce the fact that you are at work. It is awfully disturbing if you are in a live interview for sure, or in the middle of a project so try to have a few different signs to put on your front door such as: "Live Interview In Progress - Dogs on Premises; Please Call First". I've found that most people are good about it and most delivery people will respect the sign. However, a few individuals will be hurt by the lack of attention they feel they deserve and will have difficulty understanding why they can't just drop by for a moment. Also, when working from home it can be distracting to have home chores, items on the to-do list and sometimes family can get on you a bit because they start thinking "Well, you're home anyway…" So these can be challenges to be sure.
You wrote the book Purple Snowflake Marketing. Can you tell me a little bit about your book?
Sure, I would love to! This is a reference guide for writers of all genres who are looking for a way to market their book so that it stands out in a crowd like a purple snowflake in a snowstorm - thus the title. It really is a step-by-step marketing guide, followed by a rich resource section that offers 900 or more websites to gain free knowledge and promotion opportunities.
What influenced you to write Purple Snowflake Marketing?
Initially the idea came from having the guide already written for ourselves, since it is our own marketing plan - the one we use to promote each book we write. With it so handy like that it is hard for the writer bug not to start thinking about the viability of releasing a project like that to the public. However, I was noticing that I was beginning to be referred to as a guru and was constantly being asked for advice on forums and emails, because people were seeing the results from our own marketing activities.
The first edition was a big hit and many writer's education teachers began recommending it to their students before the first year was out. This new edition, the completely revised 2nd edition, was released just this last summer (2009) and already publicists and publishers are sending us great comments about it. Some of the more frequent comments from publicists and agents discuss the resource section since it offers more than 900 promotion opportunities with just a click of a mouse. The appendix that has received the most comments on is holiday event calendar, which publicists tell us has been an asset for their work.
How did you come up with the title to name your book?
My brother Larry Towne was talking about some of the books he'd read and courses he had taken over the years and he shared a concept of standing out among the peers and said something about a purple snowflake - and that was it. The name phrase stuck in my mind and was a perfect fit for this book. It is a common term in the marketing industry similar to "think-out-of-the-box", "purple cow" and other marketing terms that are thrown around by experts.
What is the feeling you get, knowing that your book is out there for the world to read?
Mere words could not relay the amazing journey it has been - when I look back to 10 years ago… more than 10 years ago, when Dave and I first began writing professionally and how little we knew about the industry back then - and here we are with three published books in several different formats, two blogs, a newsletter and two radio shows! And this is just the beginning, really!
What makes you feel that Purple Snowflake Marketing is an excellent book to read?
Honestly, because it is everything we would have needed in the beginning of our career that would have saved us years of labor and learning - and as such we know that it will be an essential component of the modern writer's life. The resources are places we have used ourselves to gain publicity and build the name recognition that we now have. Each year we update this book with new tools, resources and tips that we have recently learned and applied ourselves. So readers are assured that the content is up-to-date and effective. There is 11 years worth of knowledge earned in our writing career within the pages of Purple Snowflake Marketing, as well as information gleaned from management and business courses and experiences. By following this advice our readers will be able to take a huge step forward in the industry.
Will you be writing more books?
Oh, absolutely. Currently we have 2 book manuscripts on the back burner and the intention of writing at least 2 more before we'll have time to think of creating new projects. What I have done, though, is create a few folders in the file cabinet to store ideas, poetry lines and resources for future projects.
Is there anything else you would like to add about your book?
We have several new e-books coming out in 2010 and will have announcements on our sites for this when the time is right. Actually I'd love to have your readers drop by the Brummets Conscious Blog: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com - where we offer eco-tips that will save time and money, inspiring environmental innovations, resources, writer-related topics and we also offer contests there occasionally that have conscious-living prizes from green technology to natural skin products and books. Visitors to the blog will also find links to pretty much everything we do. However if your readers are interested in finding information about our 3 published books, they can find free excerpts (up to 10 pages from each book), reviews, interviews and more at: www.brummet.ca
That is a very good question! Well, the spark of the idea that my words might appeal to someone else actually goes back to my teens. I was 17 or so when I started sharing poetry, starting with showing a few friends or co-workers and their encouraging comments had me thinking - "Wow! They liked it!" - which was very encouraging. At that point, upon prodding from friends, I entered my poetry in a few contests and when I started winning some of these contests, I began to realize that writing was going to play more of a role in my life. But it wasn't until I was involved in a 3-car pileup (I was in the middle car) that my life changed. You see, that accident took away a business I had built up and ran for 6 years, it filled my life with pain and had me going to physiotherapy on a full-time basis for over a year. It was then that I realized that I would never be able to do the kind of labor-intensive work I was used to. At the same time I was battling chronic depression, once again debating the value and purpose of my life - and then the light bulb in my head went off, I picked up a pen and haven't looked back (except to switch over to a computer instead).
How long have you been writing?
I've been writing since I can remember. The pen and I have always gotten along incredibly well. I remember having great responses from English teachers in elementary and high school and I really did love that class. Now of course, I'm in my early 40's and have been writing professionally for about 11 years.
Are you writing full time?
You know, I was just asked this question in another interview recently and my response was - yes I am a writer and have no other source of income, although Dave does work a full-time job to supplement our work and help the household run smoothly.
I work from a home office and I can be found in that office anywhere between 4 and 16 hours nearly every single day of the week - except for the 3 days of holidays that I take for my sanity every month.
Interestingly, the career of writing involves very little writing. -- I can almost hear your readers now going, "What the heck…?"!
You see, a writer spends at least 80-95% of their time doing the research for each project, marketing their work, building a platform, creating name recognition in their preferred genres and keeping track of all the people they need to follow up on, …knowing who has an article due or when it is to be published, recording expenses and income, and then querying constantly for the next gig.
Here's a couple of small examples to give you a better idea as to what I am referring to here: I receive at least 40 professional emails on an average day - responding and recording the information in my records can take a great deal of time out of the day. Any given week will see Dave or myself dealing with the media, being interviewed for an article, blog or radio show between 1 and 4 times a week - each of these takes about an hour to prepare for and another hour to do the promotions, so a one hour interview can actually involve three hours of work in the office.
Balancing the time so that one has time for family, obligations and… yes, writing too - is a constant challenge for a writer.
What are the good and the bad of being a writer?
The "good" in the writing career in my world is the ability to explore topics I am passionate or curious about. I love the idea that by raising an issue we might stimulate conversation and perhaps motivate movement towards positive social change. We have grown to have many connections in the world of writing with publishers, publicists, agents, media experts and virtual book tour specialists to online radio producers and hosts - and this world is a friendly one. I have grown to have very fond feelings for members within our network.
The "bad" side of writing comes in with moments of poor self-discipline. We have to be dedicated and have the ability to set aside the time to do the work that needs to be done - even the stuff we loathe to do. As writers, we are self-employed and there is no one else available to do the work if we don't.
Many writers find the marketing and querying aspects of the career daunting - others find that the organization and persistent record-keeping is a bane to their existence. One of the more difficult things for me to do is to get others to respect the time, the level of energy and hours that go into this career - that it is an art, and as an artist we need the space, the quiet periods to do our work. So when you work from home, as I do, you may find that you have to "train" your family or your friends to call for an appointment.
Make a rule not to answer your door when you are not expecting someone and this will help reinforce the fact that you are at work. It is awfully disturbing if you are in a live interview for sure, or in the middle of a project so try to have a few different signs to put on your front door such as: "Live Interview In Progress - Dogs on Premises; Please Call First". I've found that most people are good about it and most delivery people will respect the sign. However, a few individuals will be hurt by the lack of attention they feel they deserve and will have difficulty understanding why they can't just drop by for a moment. Also, when working from home it can be distracting to have home chores, items on the to-do list and sometimes family can get on you a bit because they start thinking "Well, you're home anyway…" So these can be challenges to be sure.
You wrote the book Purple Snowflake Marketing. Can you tell me a little bit about your book?
Sure, I would love to! This is a reference guide for writers of all genres who are looking for a way to market their book so that it stands out in a crowd like a purple snowflake in a snowstorm - thus the title. It really is a step-by-step marketing guide, followed by a rich resource section that offers 900 or more websites to gain free knowledge and promotion opportunities.
What influenced you to write Purple Snowflake Marketing?
Initially the idea came from having the guide already written for ourselves, since it is our own marketing plan - the one we use to promote each book we write. With it so handy like that it is hard for the writer bug not to start thinking about the viability of releasing a project like that to the public. However, I was noticing that I was beginning to be referred to as a guru and was constantly being asked for advice on forums and emails, because people were seeing the results from our own marketing activities.
The first edition was a big hit and many writer's education teachers began recommending it to their students before the first year was out. This new edition, the completely revised 2nd edition, was released just this last summer (2009) and already publicists and publishers are sending us great comments about it. Some of the more frequent comments from publicists and agents discuss the resource section since it offers more than 900 promotion opportunities with just a click of a mouse. The appendix that has received the most comments on is holiday event calendar, which publicists tell us has been an asset for their work.
How did you come up with the title to name your book?
My brother Larry Towne was talking about some of the books he'd read and courses he had taken over the years and he shared a concept of standing out among the peers and said something about a purple snowflake - and that was it. The name phrase stuck in my mind and was a perfect fit for this book. It is a common term in the marketing industry similar to "think-out-of-the-box", "purple cow" and other marketing terms that are thrown around by experts.
What is the feeling you get, knowing that your book is out there for the world to read?
Mere words could not relay the amazing journey it has been - when I look back to 10 years ago… more than 10 years ago, when Dave and I first began writing professionally and how little we knew about the industry back then - and here we are with three published books in several different formats, two blogs, a newsletter and two radio shows! And this is just the beginning, really!
What makes you feel that Purple Snowflake Marketing is an excellent book to read?
Honestly, because it is everything we would have needed in the beginning of our career that would have saved us years of labor and learning - and as such we know that it will be an essential component of the modern writer's life. The resources are places we have used ourselves to gain publicity and build the name recognition that we now have. Each year we update this book with new tools, resources and tips that we have recently learned and applied ourselves. So readers are assured that the content is up-to-date and effective. There is 11 years worth of knowledge earned in our writing career within the pages of Purple Snowflake Marketing, as well as information gleaned from management and business courses and experiences. By following this advice our readers will be able to take a huge step forward in the industry.
Will you be writing more books?
Oh, absolutely. Currently we have 2 book manuscripts on the back burner and the intention of writing at least 2 more before we'll have time to think of creating new projects. What I have done, though, is create a few folders in the file cabinet to store ideas, poetry lines and resources for future projects.
Is there anything else you would like to add about your book?
We have several new e-books coming out in 2010 and will have announcements on our sites for this when the time is right. Actually I'd love to have your readers drop by the Brummets Conscious Blog: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com - where we offer eco-tips that will save time and money, inspiring environmental innovations, resources, writer-related topics and we also offer contests there occasionally that have conscious-living prizes from green technology to natural skin products and books. Visitors to the blog will also find links to pretty much everything we do. However if your readers are interested in finding information about our 3 published books, they can find free excerpts (up to 10 pages from each book), reviews, interviews and more at: www.brummet.ca
Interview Questionnaire of Author Melody Dempsey
What made you decide to become a writer?
I have always had a passion for writing ever since childhood. I used to sit and write stories. Most of my childhood stories were tales of adventure, some were comical. I remember when I was in third grade, I wrote a short comedy about a dog and a cat. I won first prize for that little story, but the time in my life when I actually thought about becoming a writer was when I was around fourteen years old. It was funny how my interest actually was "born." I remember my mother always grounding me, not because I deserved to be grounded, especially for a month at a time, but I think it was because she enjoyed making me miserable, but I always made the best of all the time I had on my hands. Whenever I was grounded during the school months, I would do my homework, then find a good book and read for hours. When I was grounded during the summer month's, usually a month out of each summer, until I was seventeen, I found inspiration from the books and mystery films that I very much enjoyed. I would sit for hours and write my own material. I found it exciting and even invigorating. I have to say, I was quite surprised at what I was able to produce at the time. I would revise to make the stories more exciting and fast paced. My genre of stories then had more to do with adventure. I also enjoyed writing stories about animals. I had a lot of animals in my life as a child so I suppose one could say that I had a lot of inspiration for writing about animals surrounding me as a child. I would write about some of the things that saw my animals do, then to add "color" to the stories, I threw in a little fiction. That was fun!
As an adult, I became more interested in mysteries, thrillers, and I still found adventurous novels and films fun and interesting. I still do. When I started the Forest Portal, I was actually writing the story mainly for my own entertainment, never really thinking about publication at the time, but as I continued with the story, the more I started to entertain the idea of publication possibilities. I actually hand wrote the first draft! I then typed the material, revised the manuscript many times until I felt it was ready to submit to a publisher.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing "unprofessionally" since I was a child. My book, The Forest Portal is actually my first publication.
Are you writing full time?
I am actually planning on starting another book. I would like to eventually be a full time Author.
What are the good and the bad of being a writer?
I feel the wonderful part of being a writer is the freedom writing allows to be creative with the written word, to create a world that not only the writer can escape to, but the reader as well. A well written story allows the reader to be able to create in their mind what the character is seeing, hearing and feeling. A well written story also allows the writer and reader to see the actions of the characters as well.
As far as the bad part of being a writer, I really don't think there is anything bad about it particularly, but I do think disciplining one's self is the hardest thing to do as far as trying not to allow other distractions to either keep you from being able to start your writing, or finish the material that you have already started.
You wrote the book The Forest Portal. Can you tell me a little bit about your book?
The book is about three teens who find themselves 100 years in the past. Cameron Maine, the oldest of the teens, invents a sealant that he had hopes will make old wood brand new again. He soon discovers that his project fails, but his younger sister Collette, urges him and their friend Taden to paint some trees in the woods behind the Maine's house. The idea to paint some trees was to simply an attempt to try and cheer Cameron up. They choose two trees that stand parallel to each other. The trio soon discover that the trees, because of the "sealant" has been transformed into a time traveling portal, sending the teens into an unknown world of excitement, adventure and danger. The teens not only put their lives in danger, but inadvertently end up wiping out a family's entire future!
What influenced you to write The Forest Portal?
The inspiration for me to write this book came from not only my sense of adventure, but I was also inspired by science fiction, mystery, and thriller novels and films.
How did you come up with the title to name your book?
The book actually had another name at the time I was writing the first draft. The original title of the book was Time Trees. Actually when I submitted my manuscript to Publish America, the title was still Time Trees. It was changed before the book went to print. My husband was the one who came up with the present title. I considered his idea and decided to use it. I felt that the title, The Forest Portal sounded much better than the original title.
What is the feeling you get knowing that your book is out there for the world to read?
Well, I have to say, it still feels somewhat surreal! I mean I wasn't sure it would even get published, although I think I'm like other author, not sure of publication. I think it happens to all of us at one time or another. I am naturally perhaps a little anxious to know if the book is going to do well. I really believe that anyone who enjoys time traveling, science fiction, and fantasy books will enjoy The Forest Portal. Actually I think anyone who has even some sense of adventure will enjoy this book as well.
What makes you feel that The Forest Portal is an excellent book to read?
I feel that this book has most everything in it. Light romance, (tastefully done), fast moving adventure, dangerous situations, emotions of the characters come through, and even a little comedy in the mix.
Will you be writing more books?
Yes, I definitely want to write more books. Perhaps a sequel to The Forest Portal. I would also like to write in other genre's as well. Stories based a true events, life stories, perhaps a biography, although I would have to decide on who to do the biography about.
Is there anything else you would like to add about your book?
Well, I do have a special comment. The Forest Portal had a lot of hard work put into it. I feel that it will keep the reader interested with each page turn.
I have contacted my local Newspaper and a local magazine. I have not had any announcements made to date about the book publicly, but I was informed that an announcement would be posted in the local newspaper concerning my book in January, 2010. I understand that any book signings that I am set up for will be announced in the local newspaper as well. I am planning to have announcements and notices in a local magazine soon. My book's actual release date is December 30, 2009.
I have always had a passion for writing ever since childhood. I used to sit and write stories. Most of my childhood stories were tales of adventure, some were comical. I remember when I was in third grade, I wrote a short comedy about a dog and a cat. I won first prize for that little story, but the time in my life when I actually thought about becoming a writer was when I was around fourteen years old. It was funny how my interest actually was "born." I remember my mother always grounding me, not because I deserved to be grounded, especially for a month at a time, but I think it was because she enjoyed making me miserable, but I always made the best of all the time I had on my hands. Whenever I was grounded during the school months, I would do my homework, then find a good book and read for hours. When I was grounded during the summer month's, usually a month out of each summer, until I was seventeen, I found inspiration from the books and mystery films that I very much enjoyed. I would sit for hours and write my own material. I found it exciting and even invigorating. I have to say, I was quite surprised at what I was able to produce at the time. I would revise to make the stories more exciting and fast paced. My genre of stories then had more to do with adventure. I also enjoyed writing stories about animals. I had a lot of animals in my life as a child so I suppose one could say that I had a lot of inspiration for writing about animals surrounding me as a child. I would write about some of the things that saw my animals do, then to add "color" to the stories, I threw in a little fiction. That was fun!
As an adult, I became more interested in mysteries, thrillers, and I still found adventurous novels and films fun and interesting. I still do. When I started the Forest Portal, I was actually writing the story mainly for my own entertainment, never really thinking about publication at the time, but as I continued with the story, the more I started to entertain the idea of publication possibilities. I actually hand wrote the first draft! I then typed the material, revised the manuscript many times until I felt it was ready to submit to a publisher.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing "unprofessionally" since I was a child. My book, The Forest Portal is actually my first publication.
Are you writing full time?
I am actually planning on starting another book. I would like to eventually be a full time Author.
What are the good and the bad of being a writer?
I feel the wonderful part of being a writer is the freedom writing allows to be creative with the written word, to create a world that not only the writer can escape to, but the reader as well. A well written story allows the reader to be able to create in their mind what the character is seeing, hearing and feeling. A well written story also allows the writer and reader to see the actions of the characters as well.
As far as the bad part of being a writer, I really don't think there is anything bad about it particularly, but I do think disciplining one's self is the hardest thing to do as far as trying not to allow other distractions to either keep you from being able to start your writing, or finish the material that you have already started.
You wrote the book The Forest Portal. Can you tell me a little bit about your book?
The book is about three teens who find themselves 100 years in the past. Cameron Maine, the oldest of the teens, invents a sealant that he had hopes will make old wood brand new again. He soon discovers that his project fails, but his younger sister Collette, urges him and their friend Taden to paint some trees in the woods behind the Maine's house. The idea to paint some trees was to simply an attempt to try and cheer Cameron up. They choose two trees that stand parallel to each other. The trio soon discover that the trees, because of the "sealant" has been transformed into a time traveling portal, sending the teens into an unknown world of excitement, adventure and danger. The teens not only put their lives in danger, but inadvertently end up wiping out a family's entire future!
What influenced you to write The Forest Portal?
The inspiration for me to write this book came from not only my sense of adventure, but I was also inspired by science fiction, mystery, and thriller novels and films.
How did you come up with the title to name your book?
The book actually had another name at the time I was writing the first draft. The original title of the book was Time Trees. Actually when I submitted my manuscript to Publish America, the title was still Time Trees. It was changed before the book went to print. My husband was the one who came up with the present title. I considered his idea and decided to use it. I felt that the title, The Forest Portal sounded much better than the original title.
What is the feeling you get knowing that your book is out there for the world to read?
Well, I have to say, it still feels somewhat surreal! I mean I wasn't sure it would even get published, although I think I'm like other author, not sure of publication. I think it happens to all of us at one time or another. I am naturally perhaps a little anxious to know if the book is going to do well. I really believe that anyone who enjoys time traveling, science fiction, and fantasy books will enjoy The Forest Portal. Actually I think anyone who has even some sense of adventure will enjoy this book as well.
What makes you feel that The Forest Portal is an excellent book to read?
I feel that this book has most everything in it. Light romance, (tastefully done), fast moving adventure, dangerous situations, emotions of the characters come through, and even a little comedy in the mix.
Will you be writing more books?
Yes, I definitely want to write more books. Perhaps a sequel to The Forest Portal. I would also like to write in other genre's as well. Stories based a true events, life stories, perhaps a biography, although I would have to decide on who to do the biography about.
Is there anything else you would like to add about your book?
Well, I do have a special comment. The Forest Portal had a lot of hard work put into it. I feel that it will keep the reader interested with each page turn.
I have contacted my local Newspaper and a local magazine. I have not had any announcements made to date about the book publicly, but I was informed that an announcement would be posted in the local newspaper concerning my book in January, 2010. I understand that any book signings that I am set up for will be announced in the local newspaper as well. I am planning to have announcements and notices in a local magazine soon. My book's actual release date is December 30, 2009.
More interviews on these pages!--->
