Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello Awesomegang!!
I’m an author with fifteen years of experience as a Project Manager at a technology company. I’ve self-published two non-fiction books with another on the way in December! I’m also writing my first sci-fi novel as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2015! Should my fiction attempt turn out well, I hope to start a new series that I would publish early 2016.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Author Unleashed: Simple Strategies to Write Your Book—Fast! It’s the first in a series about writing and self-publishing. My experience writing my first book, Layoff Reboot (A Guide for Career Changers) is what inspired it.
I wrote and self-published Layoff Reboot in two months! Getting laid off by my company after fifteen years was a huge wake-up call and caused me to step back and discover what I really love to do—writing and living a creative life.
Although I’m lucky that my career as a Project Manager had been fulfilling, something important was missing over the last few years. I took time off this summer to figure out what was wrong.
It was then that I came up with the idea of writing a book. I always thought this was a someday thing—something to get around to when I had the time. So after working a demanding job which left me with little personal time, my layoff was the opportunity I needed to immerse myself and finally self-publish.
I took everything I learned about how to write a book in thirty days and self-publish in another thirty—and packed it all into Author Unleashed. Book One is about writing; the second book covers how to self-publish to Amazon, as well as other e-book platforms.
My hope is the Author Unleashed series inspires people to release their creativity and write more books—ultimately unleashing more authors in the world!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a treadmill desk where I sometimes write or dictate while walking. I’m old-fashioned in that I like to print my draft when I start editing—there’s something about being able to see it on paper and mark it up with a pen.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ever since my stepdad gave me a copy of Salem’s Lot by Stephen King at age eight, life was never the same again! I fell in love with his macabre stories and later moved on to enjoy Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and fantasy/sci fi masters such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Orson Scott Card, and Frank Herbert. The Game of Thrones series is the best fantasy epic I’ve read.
I was also greatly influenced by 19th century Russian literature (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy). Something about that period of time and the tragic romanticism fascinates me, particularly Mikhail Lermontov’s novella, Princess Mary.
More recently, I’ve discovered indie author Joanna Penn. I love her advice on “authorpreneurship” as well as her books. She’s the best!
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second book in my non-fiction series, Author Unleashed: Self-Publish Your Book—Fast! It will be packed with how to instructions and practical tips. Many self-publishing books focus on publishing exclusively to Amazon, but I think it’s important to publish your book to multiple platforms including iBooks, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. I’ll explain how to do that efficiently and also provide marketing tips.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning all the marketing aspects of self-publishing! There’s so much to it, and things seem to change fast. For my first book, I had success using several paid advertising gigs on Fiverr.com (especially the popular bknights) to generate a lot of downloads when my book was free.
Setting up a Facebook author page and sending a newsletter to people subscribing to my website, http://projectmanagerwriter.com has also been helpful in getting the word out about my book.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy the ride! Don’t give up! Stay positive! Writing and self-publishing is an incredibly rewarding experience, but it can also be tough when you don’t see the sales you expected.
Being a new author can also be overwhelming—we’re bombarded with information, course sales pitches, and (sometimes) questionable advice. I’ve definitely experienced “shiny object syndrome” and found myself jumping around to the latest new tool or social media platform.
Recently I’m more focused on what will help me create more product—writing more books, expanding to e-book platforms beyond Kindle, and blogging.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Nearly every author I encounter says you must write more books to gain traction with your book sales. The best specific and actionable advice comes from Joanna Penn—create more product and develop a business plan. If you have a target sales goal in mind—break it down into how many book sales you need to hit that dollar figure. Once you do the math, it will motivate you to keep writing!
What are you reading now?
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett—it’s a hilarious take on the apocalypse. I tend to read multiple books at once; my current non-fiction is Story Grid by Shawn Coyne. It’s been helpful as I venture into fiction.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More books! By 2015 year end, I’ll have three books published and my first fiction novel written. I want to spend more time in 2016 writing fiction and write one or two more non-fiction books about self-publishing and time management.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s tough! Can I take my Kindle instead? If forced to choose, I would bring a volume containing Shakespeare’s works, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Stand, and Game of Thrones (Book 3).
Author Websites and Profiles
Courtney Kenney Website
Courtney Kenney Amazon Profile
Courtney Kenney Author Profile on Smashwords
Courtney Kenney’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account