Q & A with Author Lisa Young!
Today’s fantastic Author Q & A is with Lisa Young! BG Mountain Studio was thrilled to connect with Lisa on this Q & A and we are so excited for Lisa to share with us what challenges she has overcome along the path of being an author and her encouragement for current authors and authors-to-be!
A photo of Alberta author, Lisa Young, and a letter she wrote to a class after reading her books to the students. Photo taken from Lisa Young’s website at: http://booksofthetundra.com/blog/.
BG Mountain Studio (BGMS): What was your biggest challenge during the publishing process and how did you overcome it?
Lisa Young (LY): I would have to say going into an industry I really knew nothing about. It’s just like any other business; it’s not just having an idea, the creative side of the object of your desire. (The dream of having your story published, and having an actual book real and in your hands) It’s the difficult process of learning how to navigate and overcome all of the steps it takes in making the book a reality! Not to mention it’s very competitive, and very humbling. Combining a good business sense along with connecting very creative and talented people together to make a successful book. And Still believing in yourself.
BGMS: What is your advice to authors-to-be currently going through the self-publishing process or those who would one day like to be published authors?
LY: Be realistic of your goals. Know that it will take a certain amount of money to successfully realize your dream. Be clear of your intentions. Do you just want to publish a book to sell a few and mostly share it with friends and family? Or do you wish to have a book go places and sell upwards to over 1000 books? Connect yourself with good creative people! You can’t do it alone! Have a good business sense, it has to be taken seriously as a job!
BGMS: What do you enjoy most about working on your books?
LY: I love the whole creative process, writing the story, visualizing the final product, and seeing it become a reality! And most of all I really love connecting with the children, and hopefully inspiring them!
BGMS: How do find the process of working with an illustrator for your books?
LY: I have been very fortunate in finding amazing and talented illustrators! I am very fortunate in having a great imagination and can see the images and then have an illustrator connect with me and take what I have in mind and making it even better than I imagined it to be!
BGMS: How do you tackle the promotion of your books and finding buyers?
LY: You can’t be afraid to talk to anyone about your books! I seem to connect in the strangest places, but being passionate about what you have to share, and always, always, have your books with you!!! The connections are endless, and because I engage with people from my heart, they seem to sense this and both of us feel good about the experience! (At least I hope so!)