Author’s
Bio: To Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, every conversation with a
child is an opportunity to teach. Whether basic life skills, kindness or career
aspirations, she encourages her grandbabies and other children to be the best
they can be. ThingsICanBe.com
As a
best-selling author and award-winning publisher, Valerie serves professional speakers and experts to magnify and monetize
their message by publishing quality books. With over fifteen years of experience in the book
business, she has published more than 130 authors and helped thousands of
writers navigate the challenges of self-publishing. This expert divulges
industry secrets on avoiding the top five mistakes made by 95% of new authors,
pricing your book to sell and identifying shady publishers. Her dynamic
presentation and knowledge of the business takes writers from pen to paper to
published as they master self-publishing to make money! PenOfTheWriter.com
DL: What
inspired you to write your book?
VJLC: My granddaughters are the inspiration behind Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me. Because personality,
confidence and self-esteem are established in the first seven years of life, I
often speak to them about career options, socialization skills and being kind. In
an effort to expand their thinking, I expose them to new experiences like
helicopter rides and self-care with professional massages and manicures. Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me is
a tool I use to teach them business principles and build their college fund.
DL: Describe
your writing process. Do you use an outline or let it flow organically?
VJLC: Although I am an analytical, lists-bullets-and-checkmarks person,
I prefer an organic approach to start writing. Given a general concept, I capture
inspirations, conversations and ideas in the Notes app on
my phone. Once I transfer the notes to my laptop, I organize like thoughts to create
a pseudo outline.
I used a similar hybrid approach for Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me. Because
this book came from conversations with my babies, it started organically.
However, as I created the illustration list, it migrated to an outline.
DL: What do you think
makes a good story?
VJLC: Connecting with the reader on an intimate level makes a great
story. When you tap into their emotions and evoke a response (laugh, cry,
scream), you hit the bull’s eye! Show and Tell was a fun activity in grade
school; however, for writing, I encourage my clients to do more showing than
telling. Creating images in your readers’ minds and engaging their senses allows
them to experience the story.
For self-help books, transparency is a powerful tool. Showing your
successes and failures, explaining your process of overcoming and providing
relevant, usable tools for your readers to apply to their lives makes for a
life-changing, unforgettable story. Remember, facts tell; stories sell.
DL: Is there a
particular author or book that influenced you in growing up or as an adult?
VJLC: My first memory of wanting to be an author came when my
sixth-grade teacher read The Outsiders
by S. E. Hinton to the class. I fell in love with the characters and imagined
myself in their world. I started writing my version of the book, but lost
interest. Although I didn’t understand it at the time, I confused myself when I
switched from third to first person. Years later, I have written several
bestsellers and published over 130 authors!
DL: If you were hosting a dinner party, which three authors would be your dream guests and why?
Denzel
Washington.
He is a quality, God-fearing man. He is handsome and, in my mind, he smells wonderful. I want to talk with him about his
faith, work ethic and life lessons.
Michelle Obama. This woman is an amazing role model for girls of color. She’s
mentioned in Oh, The Things I Can Be When
I See Me as a woman to emulate. She’s an adoring wife, involved mother and
overall positive person.
Les Brown. He embodies inspiration, encouragement and success. He is
transparent about his upbringing and uses his platform to build others. I
believe he smells wonderful, too.
DL: What
are the keys to success in marketing your books?
VJLC: Marketing is the most time-consuming, resource-draining aspect of
publishing. It requires proficiency in right-brain (creativity) and left-brain
(analytical) functions to attract your ideal readers with a compelling message
that moves them to action. Whew! No wonder most authors miss the mark on
marketing.
My 3C Strategy yields repeatable results for my clients and me
including national exposure, increased sales and best-seller status. To
summarize the 3Cs:
Construction. This strategy starts with constructing a quality book. Elements
like cover design, relevant content, professional editing and interior layout
are essential to the success of a book. Powerful marketing copy consists of knowing
your audience, where to find them and creating a message that addresses a pain
point.
Consistency. If you want to be taken seriously in this business, you have to
intentionally position yourself as an expert. Branding creates a narrative for how
you want readers to perceive you and your books. It consists of your verbal and
nonverbal messages communicated at a consistent frequency, and shows up on your
website, social media and in person.
Clarity. Your message must be singular in focus and include a call-to-action.
Trying to be a jack-of-all-trades may seem impressive, but it confuses your
audience while making you look scattered, misguided and dysfunctional. Would
you take your favorite silk dress to the solopreneur who operates a taco stand,
car wash and dry cleaners? Pick one thing and then do it to the best of your
ability. Always make the ask for your call-to-action. Do you want them to hire
you to speak, buy books in bulk or post a review? Gently lead your readers—and
potential readers—to your next offer.
DL: What
tips would you give to aspiring writers?
VJLC: Don’t try to go this journey alone. Almost everyone wants to
write a book; however, less than 3% ever do. And for those who have the courage
to put pen to paper, only a few earn a decent living as an author. Why? Because
most writers do not do the pre-work to ensure the success of their book. I help
my clients identify the unique qualities of their book, seed it with their
expertise and position them as experts. Writing is a right-brain function
because creativity, emotions and other “soft skills” reside there. When it
comes to publishing and marketing, authors have to switch to left-brain or hire
someone like me who is proficient in critical thinking, analysis and problem.
DL: How
about sharing an excerpt from Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me.
VJLC: Here you go:
“Since you two love to perform,
you can be artists who dance, sing or play instruments. Katherine Dunham formed
one of the first Negro ballet companies in America. She toured the world and
danced in several movies.”
Samara said, “Did you dance with
her?”
MeMe laughed. “No, baby.
She opened the school in 1930, long before MeMe was born.” She rubbed Samara’s
back. “You saw Disney’s The Nutcracker
and the Four Realms, right?”
Samara nodded.
“The ballerina, Misty Copeland, is
the first black female principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre.”
Lyric said, “MeMe, look at me! I’m
a ballerina.”
“Do it, baby!”
DL: What’s
on the horizon for you?
VJLC: In addition to publishing authors through Queen V Publishing (www.queenvpublishing.com), I have several books I
hope to write and publish including the sequel to The Forbidden Secrets of the Goody Box (www.thegooodyboxbook.com), the boy version of Oh, The
Things I Can Be When I See Me, Self-Publishing Made Easy POWERful Marketing
Journal and a prayer anthology.
For this year’s Free Your Mind and the Words Will Follow Writer’s
Retreat (www.freeyourmindwritersretreat.com), I reserved a private
lodge in the mountains of Kentucky for 24 serious writers. The three-day
transformative experience includes workshops, lodging, meals and strategies to
relax, rejuvenate and release your creativity.
For ten years, I hosted a citywide book event in Dayton, Ohio that
connected over 700 authors with thousands of readers. In 2020, the Pen of the
Writer Book Fest joins forces with The Indulge Event. A variety of vendors meld
together for a one-stop shop that will include 50 authors and seminars to help
you write, publish and market bestsellers.
I have several speaking engagements listed on the events page at www.penofthewriter.com and I’m in discussions
with a publisher to conduct a weeklong creative writing program in Nigeria.
DL: Where
can readers learn more about you and your books?
VJLC: They can find out more
about me and my books here:
It’s
been a pleasure having you here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting
to know you and your work.
Thanks for a great blog experience!
ReplyDeleteHello Valerie! My pleasure. Wishing you continued success.
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