I totally agree with
your idea of camping, which is why I am a glamper: glamorous camper. I have no
interest in working harder while on vacation than at home. Which is why I pull
my fully stocked “luxury” hotel with me.
The Happy Glamper
character came from my love of vintage trailers. I find them so intriguing! They
all have their own personality and hold a lot of history. It’s so rewarding to
find a worn camper and restore it, or as I say, “glamp it up.” So when I
adopted Beatrix, my 1961 Shasta, I had to bring her to life in a book series.
When we take our
vintage glamper out, we meet so many people because they are so curious about her.
They want to know where we found her, how old she is and all that. They want to
see inside her. These small campers are so different they create a buzz; its
hard to not notice a small, colorful vintage in a sea of big, gray and white
models. This led me to the stories in my book and the themes of not judging by
appearances, second chances, restoration and feeling self-conscious which are
things most children can relate to.
I wrote the first two books while camping in St. Augustine in just an afternoon I had several revisions to get to the final print product. I refined it. That’s just the nature of writing. Since I am self-published, I had a lot to learn and do. My second book went much smoother and took half the time to complete for publication.
What is the hardest
part of writing for you?
Honestly, the hardest part
of writing is deciding what to write next! I have so many stories in my head! I
am to the point that I just start a Google doc with my general idea and then I
have it there to go back for completing, later. The second hardest part of
writing is having enough time. Is there ever enough time?
Since you write and illustrate your books which causes you more frustration – art or text? How do you decide to bring the two together?
Illustration is definitely the most
frustrating because I am not an artist. I have zero drawing or painting
experience. I couldn’t afford an
illustrator so I had to find a way to create my art. I build websites and am
pretty tech-savvy so Procreate was right up my alley. I watched a lot of
Youtube videos and just began. With a lot of prayer, I got it done. I got
better with my second book. I am beginning to illustrate my third book’s
characters, simply so I don’t forget how to use the Procreate program!
What’s the best
encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
My husband was my greatest cheerleader and a
writer’s widower, for a bit. I had deadlines and he was on his own, for a few
weeks. I have very supportive friends and my daughter, Sarah, was very
encouraging. However, my granddaughter
was my biggest fan. She wanted me to read the manuscript along with the printed
Canva artboards, over and over. She’s a real book lover and never tired of “the
camper book,” so I thought I might have a book kids would enjoy. I want to give
a big ‘thank-you” to Heather Cash Art, on Youtube. She is an amazing teacher
and I really could not have done this without her tutorials.
Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produces more sales rather than just clicks?
Marketing has not been easy for me. I try to
do as much social media posts as possible but takes a lot of time. I’d rather
write my books. I thought I would get to share about my book on the many Facebook
groups, that I am a member of, but so many do not allow you to promote
products. I have used some Facebook ads but honestly, I am still trying to
figure marketing out.
What do you know now
about writing you wished you had known sooner?
Great question and the
topic of my next blog post. When you write, just write. Stop editing and second-guessing
your thoughts and feelings. How many times do we type something out and then
think, “oh my, I can’t say that” and delete that sentence? When we second guess
our feelings and thoughts, we often lose some of the best writing we may ever
write. I am over that. My advice is to just get all your thoughts out and then go
back and judge your content and edit, later. You will save time and get better
results.
What is the best
writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Give your writing time
in both sowing and reaping. Write a little every day and give it time to
produce. That goes for selling your books, as well. You will sell them in time.
Don’t give up. Just keep writing.
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
I’ve had people write me and say they have dreamed of writing a
book for years. If you dream of writing, just get busy! I use Google Docs
because I can have access to my work anywhere. Whether you want to write a blog
or book, just enjoy the journey of writing. I have several hobby blogs and
didn’t have the idea to write a children’s book until last year. I didn’t see
it coming; the books came to me. The process was so fun! I had been working on
a rather emotional book and The Happy Glamper Adventures was a nice reprieve. I
will get back to the other book when the time is right.
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
That's all for today's interview. I appreciate the tip about illustrating. I'll have to check out Procreate for myself for my kids picture books. And I want to reiterate the idea of saving your writing on more than one device. Computers can crash (mine did recently) and you need a back up system, whether it's Google docs, dropbox, etc.
Do check out her website and FB page for all sorts of interesting stuff on camping. And that suggestion is from someone who doesn't camp and found it fun! Here's how to do that...
Amazon book links: The Happy Glamper https://amzn.to/3X2uHWe
Back On The Road https://amzn.to/3QdOBv6
And here's a special bonus for my readers. Go to her Facebook page and leave a comment that you saw the interview here, and you'll be entered for a chance to win the print edition of her first book. One winner U.S. only. Winner will be announced Monday night 2/13.
Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/glampygirl
What a great interview!
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