Author Bio:
Tamara is a mentor, strategic communicator, and full-time traveler. She has spent the past decade helping do-gooders get their message out. An ESTJ, she is addicted to hearing, “Thank you for your help,” and building or rethinking systems. Her morning must-reads are NPR, Fast Company, and The Atlantic, and her Kindle is filled with young adult fiction.
In 2013, Tamara and her husband, Chris, decided to leave their home in San Francisco, California to explore Latin America. They set out with two backpacks and their 15-year-old dog, Holly, to learn bravery and perspective, research their next projects, and learn to make killer refried beans. Follow her travels and projects at HelloImTamara.com or on Twitter: @tamaramurray.
What inspires you to write?
Being a mentor is in my DNA. Or maybe it’s more of an addiction. When someone drops me a note to say thanks because they successfully applied something I taught them, I stare at the message for way longer than I should. For my first e-book, I asked myself, what can I offer the world that would be of value? Supervisory skills and team management came to mind immediately. What a lot of people don’t know is that being a manager is about helping people.
Tell us about your writing process.
Since I come from a strategic communications background, I always start with my target reader. Who are they? What are their hopes, their fears? And what can I offer them that would benefit them most? I’m a big fan of Evernote, so I use that to just putting assorted ideas down and can update it from anywhere. Then, I assemble it into some kind of order and get writing.
What advice would you give other writers?
Just get started, even if you’re worried what you write won’t be any good. It takes guts to put yourself and your ideas out in the world. And people respect guts. Watch Brene Brown’s TED talk on the power of vulnerability if you need to get pumped up.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
This was my first book, so I went the self-publish route — especially since I wanted my book to be a concise guide, not a tome. I took a couple Skillshare classes on how to publish and market e-books and away I went.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Tough to say. What I do know is that the barrier to entry is a lot lower in the era of e-book publishing, but as a result it’s critical to get reviews and endorsements to stand out from the crowd.
What do you use?
Professional Editor
What genres do you write?
Career Advice
What formats are your books in?
eBook
Website(s)
Tamara Murray Home Page Link
Link To Tamara Murray Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
http://www.twitter.com/tamaramurray
