Featured Author - Brian Cormack Carr

1:30 PM | Labels: Authors

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? I love the W.H.Auden quote: ““You owe it to all of us to get on with what you're good at”. That sums up my philosophy really. For better or worse, here we are. The gift we can give back to life is what we’re good at, whether it’s writing, wallpapering, studying chemistry or doing accounts. There’s something we can do in a way that’s not quite like anyone else. How To Find Your Vital Vocation (http://www.viewbook.at/vitalvocation) – my first book – is about helping people to find out what that is.

When did you first know you could be a writer? I don’t really remember ever not being a writer, but I think I first realised that other people would want to read my work when I was at school, and teachers and other pupils said they enjoyed reading my stories.

What inspired you to write your first book? I wanted to share what I’d learned about finding and building an “ideal career” with other people. I’d moved from work that made me unhappy to work that made me very happy indeed, and I discovered that the process itself was simple. That’s not to downplay how difficult things are out there in terms of the employment market, of course. But even given those difficulties, there are ways to maximise your chances of finding and getting your dream job, and my book outlines how to do this. I started writing a blog to promote my career coaching practice, and that developed into a very successful online membership site for job-hunters and career-changers, and then into my first book – How To Find Your Vital Vocation (http://www.viewbook.at/vitalvocation).

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it? Yes – get started. In fact, start before you’re ready. I realised I could wait around for years waiting until I had the confidence to write my first book. Then I realised that writing that book would be the thing that would give me confidence, and I got on with it!

Can you share a little of your current work with us? I’d be glad to – in fact, you can download quite a substantial extract of my first book – How To Find Your Vital Vocation – from my website: http://vitalvocation.com/vital-vocation-the-book-download-your-free-sample/

How did you come up with the title? The book is based on the premise that we all have a “calling” – a voice inside us that’s telling us what we’re most suited to do. That suggested “vocation” to me, and I came up with “vital” because when we find that calling, it makes us fell alive. I actually used the title for a website first – http://www.vitalvocation.com – which was originally an online coaching membership site for job-hunters and career-changers. Then I turned it into a book.

Who designed the cover? The cover was designed by Jane Dixon Smith of JD Smith Design. She did a terrific job. She also handled all my interior formatting, and she was endlessly patient with me as I muddled my way through my first self-published book. Some writers worry that hiring a professional cover designer will stop them from having an influence on the look of their own book, but the opposite is true. Jane and I generated some options between us, and I narrowed things down to a couple of favourite ideas for her to work up. I had the final say – along with some help from my blog readers, who voted on which cover option they liked best.

Who is your publisher? I am – I’ve set up my own imprint, Albus Press, which is the vehicle through which I publish How To Find Your Vital Vocation (http://www.viewbook.at/vitalvocation). I’ll publish more under this imprint, and who knows – maybe one day I’ll publish other writers too.

What are some of the best tools available today for writers, especially those just starting out? Well, indie authors have access to so many great tools, particularly through online platforms. For writing, you can use a basic word-processing programme (or even just pen and paper!) or more sophisticated tools like Scrivener, which can be helpful for organising your writing. For publishing, we have tools like Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, Createspace and other similar print-on-demand options. And for marketing, we can use blogs and mailing lists – which can be free or paid for – as well as all the great social media platforms that are out there now. There are lots of options, but it’s important not to get overwhelmed. I think it’s best to pick one or two writing, publishing and marketing tools that you feel happiest and most comfortable with, and then use them really well. I wrote about using marketing tools on my blog: http://www.cormackcarr.com/2012/09/02/building-an-author-platform/

Do you have any advice for writers? Yes – don’t wait for anyone else’s permission to write (and even publish) your work. We have so many options now, make use of them. If you’re a writer, write – and if you want to get your work out there, seriously consider self-publishing.

Do you have any specific last thoughts that you want to say to your readers? Thank you for reading, and – I hope you’ll put the tools and techniques in my book to use. I want my readers to do what I’ve been lucky enough to do, which is to find my ideal work. It really is possible.

What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing? Having a real, actual book out there in the world is an amazing feeling. Worth all the hard work!