Interview With Author Peter Buonfiglio
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a strategic marketing consultant with nearly forty years of experience in innovation and transformation in the information and communication technology space. I have co-authored two non-fiction leadership books with a long-time business colleague, Adan Pope.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
We just launched, “Intentional Tension: A Lever of Value Creation and Growth.” This book was an outgrowth of our first book, “Respect the Weeds: Digital Transformation Rooted in Principled Leadership, Vision and Growth.” Our readers asked us to look at the disruptive impacts of M&A (mergers and acquisitions) on transformation initiatives. Our research led us to question not just the lack of clear strategy behind most mergers but some of the fundamental organizational theory that leaders rely on to deliver on their objectives.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a bit of a nit–driving my co-author crazy by nitpicking each sentence. I know that even the powerhouse publishers, with teams of editors, expect four or five errors in a final manuscript, but I just can’t stand the idea of a reader wincing at a typo. We work so hard to establish our credibility as subject matter experts that I hate to undermine that because I’ve been staring at the text for months, and my brain corrects the errors that my grammar checker misses.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
“Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life,” by Wynton Marsalis and Geoffrey Ward [Random House, 2009]. Marsalis writes about the difference between a musician who plays the notes on the page versus those who use their instrument to extract an emotion from their audience. That spoke to me. Just brilliant. I’ve tried to write with that concept in mind… not just whether the reader gets what I’m saying, but how they will feel about the words on the page, and whether they will be inspired to take action.
What are you working on now?
Soliciting book reviews! It feels like a full-time job!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We’ve been working with public relations specialists to help promote our books. You can rant about the “algorithms” that decide who sees what, or you can engage those with the expertise to figure out what blog, article, and podcast content you can craft that will break through the market noise–and hopefully land your messages on the laps of your target audiences.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t try to write to make money. Write because you have something to say.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My dear, sweet daughter once told me, “Don’t be stupid, Papa.” Words to live by.
What are you reading now?
“Meditations,” by Marcus Aurelius. I can’t say that I’ve ever read a book that made me stop and reflect after each sentence.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Don’t tell my leadership co-author, but I’ve been quietly jotting notes for over a decade now for a fiction novel. It’s a project that I started in a chemo ward (those who know, know) that I will need to get out of my head and onto paper before my head implodes.
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?
I would think that a good survival handbook would come in handy. Then, three blank journals–in which to pen more great books, silly!
Author Websites and Profiles
Peter Buonfiglio Amazon Profile
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