In my last post, you met Dan King, average guy, new author, world changer. Dan talked to us about his book, and also filled us in on the fact that his first, self-published book helped him land a contract on book number two and book number three. Exciting stuff.
This is the second interview in a three part series on authors who scratch out ideas about serving God by serving others.
Alene Snodgrass, author of Suburban Girl Meets the Streets smacks down some wisdom and shares her experience in writing and developing an ebook. Oh, and my friend, Alene, also happens to be giving away her book and another special something-something to readers. Details below.
Alene Snodgrass, author of Suburban Girl Meets the Streets smacks down some wisdom and shares her experience in writing and developing an ebook. Oh, and my friend, Alene, also happens to be giving away her book and another special something-something to readers. Details below.
1.What made you decide to write an
ebook? A passion and story had been stirring strongly in my heart for a year. I
was working on a manuscript, but was having a hard time lining up my inner
thoughts. A post by Jeff Goins, "The Essential Guide to Writing an eBook and Sharing it” pushed me to birthing
those thoughts into actual words.
2. What unexpected surprises did you
encounter while writing Suburban Girl
Meets the Streets? The first thing was that many wanted to help me edit
after I “crowdsourced” as Jeff had mentioned. They gave their critiques, edits,
and feedback freely. I was blown away by their generosity. Then secondly, I was
surprised how the eBook resonated with so many. Hearts were stirred, which was
all I wanted. But many were thankful for the easy steps and ideas of how to
reach out to others. The comment I get the most is “thank you for the idea of
the gift cards.” Thirdly, giving the eBook away for free was a huge blessing.
Hundreds downloaded it right away and the message continues to spread. That is
a gift to this writer’s soul.
3. Did you run into any roadblocks
while publishing that you didn’t anticipate? Yes, yes, yes. I’m surprised you
couldn’t hear me shouting! I know just enough about techy-thingies to cause
problems. As soon as the ebook released, I was getting emails
that the links within it did not work. Aggravating. Frustrating. Reworking
those links threw a kink in the process, but a kink I was able to overcome with
the help of a few friends.
4. Through your publishing process,
is there anything you would consider doing differently? Oh, yes! I
would have asked around about the title. It seems more people relate to Suburban
Girl Meets the Streets, than the original name Giving Up Normal. I would create
the eBook with more graphics. I would
have let friends handle the techy-thingies. There is a lot I would do
differently. But with that said, Suburban Girl Meets the Streets has a special place in my heart.
It’s my soul condensed into a few pages. It was a leap of faith on my part. I
was afraid, scared, and knew I didn’t have all the answers to make it perfect –
but I did it anyway. I conquered the fear battle within my soul and learned so
much along the journey.
5. Any ideas for future publications
rolling around in that little head of yours? You’re really calling me out here,
girl! God has called me to help
others find their purpose by serving others, while moving me to serve the
broken and left-behind. I wished for years He would have called me somewhere
cool, like Africa, Greece, China, but He didn’t. He called me to reach those
on the streets 7 miles from my home. It’s a journey that has wrecked my heart,
but also a journey I want to share with others. I’m working on a manuscript to
tell the story of "7 Miles from Home". My website, Positively Alene, has recently released a
podcast, as well, to encourage others to live with purpose by serving others.
6. How can people get a copy of Suburban Girl Meets the Streets? I
would be so honored to share a FREE copy with your readers. Hop over to my blog
and enter your email in the link provided for free updates. You will receive
the eBook link via an email that you can download and save to your computer.
Finish
these sentences:
Social media makes me cringe and
smile, simultaneously.
My favorite go-to blog for
inspiration is Michael Hyatt’s Intentional Leadership.
Right now I am reading a preview copy
of Jeff Goins book Wrecked, which released today!
My favorite others-centered
organization is World Vision as my little Mable is sponsored through there.
: :
Alene is hosting a 7 week, online Bible study starting tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow, August 2nd, and it's not too late to register. Click over to read more.
And now to the free goods: If you hop on over to Alene's place by 6:00 pm, August 2nd and leave a comment telling her you'd like to join the study, Alene will waive the bible study's registration fee for one lucky person.
*Comments are closed so you can go read more from Alene.
