About Isaac Mashman:
Isaac Mashman is a businessman, author, coffee addict, investor, and podcaster. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, he is best known for his work in the public relations and personal branding space, and is the author of Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence. As owner of Mashman branded companies, as of today, he owns Mashman Ventures, Mashman Investments, and Mashman Properties.
What inspires you to write?
First off, thank you so much to Book Goodies for the invitation to conduct this interview. I take inspiration from things in my day-to-day life. Observations. my first book I wrote after observing misconceptions in the industry and on the subject, and the fiction book that I’m currently writing I took inspiration from addiction to vices such a social media. I look for unique perspectives and things that other people haven’t done before.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
I quite enjoy J. K. Rowling’s approach, and the way that she wrote all of her Harry Potter books in third-person limited. She provides just enough information to where you feel like Harry’s the main character and you know that, but you get enough world building and insight into how the other characters operate that they don’t feel like outsiders to the story.
In terms of nonfiction authors, I have to give credit where credit is due and praise Napoleon Hill for the longevity of his works.
Tell us about your writing process.
Whenever I sit down to write a new book, I like having the general outline and outcome in my mind. What is unique to me however, is I always start out by formatting the book, understanding the page size, determining the font I want to use, and even creating things such as disclaimers or copyright page well in advance. Having all of this ready to be updated, but in the document gives me a feeling that the book is progressing well and allows me to focus more on creative writing or research.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Although my first book was nonfiction, as I delve into the genre of experimental crime thrillers I felt like I could answer this question. As I’m developing my character, I’m seeing his evolution, but I view him as somebody who talks to himself, more than a character that talks to the reader. In the future, I could see myself having a conversation with one of my characters but as of today no.
What advice would you give other writers?
The first sentence will always be the hardest. At least, this is from my own experience. Understanding how to start a book is arguably more difficult than writing the full thing. I remember for my manifesto, I was out for a walk and the line “What if there was something so powerful…” popped in my head. I knew at that moment that was how I was going to start off my book and the rest flowed naturally from there. Let the line come to you when you’re least expecting it.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I’m an advocate for keeping percentages and maintaining control, so I chose to go the untraditional self-publishing route. I used Amazon KDP for the physical distribution, Draft2Digital for the ebook, and Findaway Voices for the audiobook. This “going wide strategy” insured that I would get maximum organic visibility, but would give me the freedom and flexibility to promote my book on specific retail channels as I pleased.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I actually believe there will be a resurgence in traditional book publishers. This will come off of the back of more AI generated material and too many options. That might sound ridiculous, but when you give people too many options, it can leave them with paralysis analysis, or analysis paralysis. Either or. I believe that the value of publishers will go up as they will be able to offer more guidance and give credibility to the author. Low barrier entry is great, but when the market gets saturated, you have to stand out and having a publisher like Simon and Schuster for example, next to your name only adds to your authority.
What genres do you write?: Nonfiction, Fiction, Self-Help, Personal Development, Personal Branding
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Isaac Mashman Home Page Link
Link To Isaac Mashman Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on Smashwords
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
