Andrea Campbell’s Newsletter

March/April 2006

*** Greetings! ***
This newsletter is being sent to you because you are a writer, professional friend of Andrea*s, or a fan and reader of her books. If you are new to the list, welcome. There are a ton of newsletters and e-zines out there to read, thanks for requesting and reading mine.

Have questions, comments, or ideas for future publication? I look forward to your input and hope you will stay around to see new features in every
bi-monthly issue.
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In this issue:

* From the Author*s Desk
* www.SouthLit.com
* Andrea Kay Book Interview
* The Author*s Corner Newsletter

*** From The Author*s Desk ***

Three friends of mine have all had successful books published just recently and we are going to hear from all of them. In this issue we feature Andrea Kay, author of Life’s a Bitch and then You Change Careers.
In our next newsletter we’ll speak with a former editor of mine, Brenda Scott Royce, who is promoting her novel, Monkey Love, and we’ll get information and ideas from Susan McBride about her book, The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club. (I’m so lucky to have such interesting writer-friends, I know you’ll love them too.)

Yes, I’m chair for Murder in Spa City—our press release:

MURDER IN SPA CITY
A full day packed with information for writers of fiction of all types, but with an emphasis on mystery, suspense, romance and other genres

No fooling, the first ever Mystery Writers of America-Southwest and BreakThrough Promotions workshop is being held in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on April 1, 2006. Subtitled: "Creation & Craft: A Novel Writers Workshop," this will be an event you won't want to miss!

At beautiful Lake Hamilton Resort in historic Hot Springs, Arkansas, the all day conference line-up promises education, networking, and good old-fashioned camaraderie and fun!

Featured speaker, Charlaine Harris, will detail her 25-years in the business, and the other popular speakers: Laura Castoro, Velda Brotherton, and Andrea Campbell, will deliver crafting advice, tips on how to stay on track and notes on realistic forensic science.

Advance registration suggested.
For more information or a flyer write to me: campbell@arkansas.net or visit http://www.mwasw.org

* * *
My next Mediabistro class starts May 16. If you’re determined to get that nonfiction book proposal finished, join us. You’d be amazed how much we get accomplished in eight weeks online. Link: http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/cache/crs1401.asp

*** www.SouthLit.com ***

Why Write?
There’s a great scene in the movie, Shadowlands, where Anthony Hopkins, playing the part of C.S. Lewis, asks his student:

“Why do we read?”

The student stutters, and Lewis rescues him with: “We read because we want to feel as if we are not alone.”

What an answer! His truism describes what readers feel when they engage their imaginations on the written word, but it’s even more so for the writer.

I believe that fiction in particular allows us to:
1. find comfort or engage in adventures vicariously
2. prove or justify ourselves
3. express our thoughts
4. solidify our identify
5. fulfill the need to be accepted

As in Shadowlands, we in the South find images of ourselves in the characters and situations inside regional books. We gravitate toward the action in a story and allow it to take control of us—it releases us from responsibility and allows us to break free of the impulse to follow our own will.

With stories we become shadows of the characters, or, as Lewis tells us: we are only shadows of something in the grander scheme of things. When something bad happens, we sit back and say, “There! I knew that person would come to no good,” or when a good outcome arises, we say, “See, I thought she would get the man in the end.”

Here’s where the writer breaks free of the crowd, for
he or she has more stages to go through than the reader. An author searches for words to convey deeply-felt thoughts. Identities must be created for fictional characters and maintained consistently. This takes great patience and skill. Yet, the reward is great—a convincing piece of writing.

The fiction writer reaches out to the reader and when accepted and praised, the author feels grateful. There are also times of rejection and depression but above and beyond all that, writing is stretching oneself. I still think about my youth when I enjoyed the exploits of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in the green and gold glossy-backed children books. I recall the first time
I read All the King’s Men and saw Gone With the Wind. In Cold Blood chilled my bones, and the plays of Tennessee Williams portrayed frightening glimpses of adult life.

Today I love to read a good Southern novel or hear a poem by a local artisan. And, so, I invite you to send in your own prose or poems, so that you can share them with others. I look forward to your submissions. Visit our website at www.SouthLit.com or e-mail me at: rlhall@southlit.com
R.L. Hall

*** Andrea Kay Book Interview ***

Andrea and I are both members of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. I first met Andi by e-mail.
I was creating a presentation using a panel of four writers of my own choosing for ASJA’s New York conference. She was my advisor. When I finally met Andi at the session, I knew right away she would always be a friend. I’m pleased to introduce her to you.

Q.: Who decided on the title for your book?
I did. I came up with it after meeting with a client
who was miserable. I was in my car, and I thought, life doesn’t have to be that way. Driving along, my brain bounced from thinking about bumper stickers and that saying, Life’s a bitch and then you die....and then it came to me. I also hear from hundreds of people across the country who dislike their careers or are starting over. They didn’t know where to start or were just so miserable, they couldn’t objectively look at a new career.

Q.: Do you know approximately how many people don't like their jobs?

Some surveys say 1/2. I usually only hear from unhappy people. Everywhere I go people tell me their unhappy job stories. Careers are another story. But I’d say ditto—there are a lot of miserable people who picked careers for the wrong reasons. I can’t go anywhere—a party, to do a TV interview, you name it--without someone pulling me to the side and telling me about their career and asking for advice. Sometimes I just have to stay home.

Q.: In your experience, who's looking to change careers?

• People going through life events such as divorce, turning 40 or 50, becoming an empty nester or sending the kids off to school, becoming physically unable to do your present line of work, getting fired or laid off
• People who are retiring and still want to work—or have to—or both—and they want this to be something more suited to them this time around
• People who have lost enthusiasm for their work
• People who want more: more quality of life, control in their life, flexibility, freedom, challenge or meaning in their work
• People who have had a brush with death or a physical ailment and they’ve had an epiphany about life—that it’s too short to spend in a career they’re heart is not in.

Q.: Where does one get started in order to make a career change, can you explain a little of your methodology?

It starts with a search inside yourself—not “out there”—which is where most people go. You start with the gnawing inside you that’s probably been there for a while. What have you dreamed of doing? What gnaws at you to be done? What would you do if you could do anything? Don’t evaluate it. Just start by being open to the possibilities. From here, it’s a systematic tracking and pulling out information from inside you to define your ideal career. Each step builds on the next one. By the end of the first 6 steps, you’ve got a clear picture of what you like to do, with whom and how you’ll make a difference. Then you’re ready to go out into the world to figure out where that fits into what’s needed and what that might be in terms of a career.

Q.: There are a lot of exercises and diary-type entries for the reader in Life's a Bitch, how did you create those?

They’re all based on what I just talked about--the discovery process you take yourself through. It’s what I take people through when they’re working with me. They reflect all the questions you have to ask to meet the various aspects of a satisfying career. They’re very specific questions that you need to answer to find out “What’s in me?” and what does my ideal career look like based on the life I want to create? They give you insight into yourself that you’ve probably never had before. They get you thinking about things you’ve never thought about. They help you formulate your new, best career that fits you. Nobody but you knows this stuff. You have to do the homework. But everyone tells me it opens up their eyes.

Q.: May we talk about book marketing? Did you prepare a book proposal? Use an agent?

I had the idea for the book and flew to New York on my own dime—just for the day--met my agent for coffee, and from there met with several publishers—all in one day. I had no luggage and got stuck in NY overnight, due to weather. I bought a toothbrush and saline solution to put my contacts in and stayed at a hotel near the airport. After plane, hotel and expenses, the trip was expensive, but worth the investment. At that point, I only knew the name and concept of the book and came back to them with an outline. But I knew in my heart I could write this book. It was in my blood. I had taken hundreds of people through the process and done it myself. I was utterly confident about it.


Q.: What will you tell us about your publisher, Stewart, Tabori & Chang?

They’re great. I knew the day I met them they would be a good match for me. They care about quality. They care about making good books.

Q.: Were your expectations for the book and the publisher's efforts the same?

I think so. They’ve been very supportive.

Q.: Andrea, you have what's called a "platform"--you're a consultant, have written previous career books, and byline a regular column that appears in over 100 Gannett newspapers. Did you intend on building your expertise in that manner or did you fall into your own career?

Oh, no, this was a plan. I made a very clear decision back in 1987 to create a new career based on something I cared about and utilized my best skills. Going through that decision-making process and then making the change is what I based this book on. I could talk about it from my gut. I know what it’s like and what you go through. And I’m a living, breathing example of someone who did it—with all the same fears, obstacles and issues facing a person who wants to make a change.

Life’s a Bitch and then You Change Careers by Andrea Kay
Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2005
ISBN: 1-58479-487-9

*** The Author’s Corner (TAC) ***

The Author's Corner newsletter’s purpose is to provide specialized information to our subscribers by introducing marketing services, news, events, book release notices and much more. We include articles, short stories and poems—giving writers a venue and the publicity they deserve.

Subscription website: http://subs.zinester.com/26905/
Subscription e-mail: 26905-subscribe@zinester.com

*** Future Newsletters ***

In upcoming newsletters we will answer reader’s questions, share a new story or two, talk more about publishing, and provide additional writer’s tips. If there is any area of my life or work you would like to discuss, from autopsy to monkeys, just send me a note. Thanks for the read. : 0 )

Copyright©2006 Andrea Campbell If you wish to quote from here, fine, just attribute it to me and my web site.