Tell us something about Yvonne Perry

I am the female entrepreneur of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services based in Nashville, Tennessee. I network with a team of writers, editors, publishers, illustrators, graphic designers, and Web masters to offer people a way to promote their books and businesses through quality writing.

Tell us about your business.

I started WITS in 2003 when I left a corporate job as an administrative assistant for a Fortune 500 company. I was tired of the rat race and wanted to do my own thing without having a boss standing over me. I am self-motivated and task oriented. Getting things done in my own way and in a productive manner is important to me. I love working with clients who are like-minded and that means they view their books as a business and their business as a spiritual extension of themselves.

What about education?

When I started moving toward my goal of becoming a free-lance writer, I thought I would need an education in journalism, writing, or English, but what I soon learned was that dealing with clients requires the ability to create trust and prove proficiency. It’s about relationship building, following directions, keeping promises, and providing premier customer service on all writing and editing projects. If you can do the job, not many people are going to ask for your resume to make sure you have a degree. In this business, it is experience that counts.

I was taking online courses at two college when I started my business. I completed my bachelor of science in metaphysics from the American Institute of Holistic Theology that year, but my business was requiring so much time and energy, I didn’t take any more accredited classes for a while. After a six-year break, I enrolled in two classes this fall—mainly because I was interested in the sociology class on death, dying, and bereavement. (I’ve written a book on the topic and I have two family members who are living with terminal illnesses www.deathdyingafterlife.com.) Secondly, because I have learned so much about running a business while attending the “School of Hard Knocks, Research, and Experience” I also enrolled for a class to help me earn credit for prior learning and experience.

How do you have time to run a business, spend time with your family, and enjoy your personal writing like that of The Sid Series, which you are presently promoting?

 I put in a lot of hours each week, but I’m very organized. I always have been able to set priorities and reach goals. I use a daily planner and make a list of everything I want to accomplish that day. I may take several breaks, go for a walk, or even babysit one of my grandsons, but my to-do list keeps me reminded of what I need to accomplish before I call it a day. I’m not so certain I could operate a business if I had small children at home who required my full-time attention. Also, my wonderful husband is very supportive of me and my time.

Why did you choose to write for children?

Plain and simple, I love kids. I wrote this collection of stories for my first-born biological grandson, Sidney. He and I both enjoy sharing the stories so we made them available for kids everywhere. The books are a reflection of things he and I have done together, places we’ve gone, adventures we’ve had, but they also have a teaching and spiritual component. Sid showed signs of spiritual intellect from the time he was a wee baby. He has taught me a lot, so I found a way to relate his spiritual gifts into each of the stories. For example, there is a book about seeing ghosts, another about healing, listening to inner guidance, finding treasure within, and afterlife (see http://TheSidSeries.com). I’ve written books on many adult topics, too. If you include the ones I’ve written or edited for clients, there would be at least 40 on the list.

Do you have any staff “above you”? Is your immediate supervisor male or female?

Above me and behind me, I have both female and male spirit guides! J You may think I’m kidding, but the truth is I wouldn’t know how to run a business or get through the day without listening to my inner guidance and incorporating my intuition into my decision making process. I see myself as a co-creator of not only my career, but of every aspect of my life.

How does the outside world treat you as a female in this position? Is this normally a male-dominated spot?

No, the free-lance writing industry is not biased toward either gender. I network with many female entrepreneurs, but men as well as women are known to play in this field. I have found acceptance and support in every way from everyone.

What advice would you give to a young woman who might be looking at your type of position/career in the future?

Plan, plan, plan! Get your business plan on paper, define your goal, create steps to reach them, then plan your day to take action accordingly.

Do you have a personal web-site? And/or a company web-site?

http://writersinthesky.com will get you to my writing services, blog, newsletter, and podcast.