Author Interview with Amy Scott from Nomadtopia

When I was planning my own untethered existence I joined Amy’s Nomadtopia community to help educate and inspire me to take that leap of faith into a nomadic existence. Amy is generous with her time and support. She shares her knowledge and expertise with others who are seeking a nomadic existence of their own, and is a location-independent lifestyle coach.

The community support of Nomadtopia helped inspire me to take the leap of faith to leave my corporate job and become a freelance writer and indie author, and Amy’s interview should inspire you to take that first step onto the self-publishing path. ~~ Jay

Author Interview:  Amy Scott

How would you describe the type of books/genre you write?

I’ve written two nonfiction mini-books related to the work I do.

What motivated you to start writing?

I’ve been a writer in some form or another since I was a kid, but spending many years working as an editor and seeing the inside workings of the traditional publishing industry actually left me less interested in writing and publishing any books of my own! But once I realized how easy it had become to self-publish, I decided to give it a try with two short books that would help me promote my work.

Tell us the journey you went on to get your books published (e.g. direct on your website, self-published, assisted-publishing, traditional publisher)

Both of my books are currently available on Kindle via Amazon, and my 10 Essential Questions to Ask before Hiring an Editor is also available as a free download on my website (www.nomadeditorial.com). My other book, Destination Nomadtopia, started out as a PDF for sale on my website and now it’s only available on Kindle.

What publishing elements do you most enjoy and most like to avoid, and why? (e.g. design, marketing, formatting etc.)

I most enjoy coming up with concepts, writing, and editing. Design, marketing, and formatting are definitely not my strong suit! I’m lucky that my husband could help with the design and formatting, and as for marketing—well, that might be why I haven’t sold as many books as I’d like!

With the hindsight of being a published author, anything you would have done differently?
I would have come up with a comprehensive marketing plan to spread the word, get reviews, and increase sales. And, I would have avoided getting the whole book laid out beautifully for the PDF and then having to reformat almost everything to get it to look good on Kindle!

What tips or advice would you give an aspiring indie author who is looking to self-publish?

As a professional editor, I have to say the most important thing is to hire a professional editor (or, at the very least, a proofreader) to review your manuscript before you publish. My clients are always shocked at the stuff I find in what they thought was a relatively clean manuscript. If you are on a tight budget (and are a decent editor yourself), you can offer to trade with someone, which is what I did for one of my books.

What marketing or promotional tools or techniques do you use to reach your readers?

This is where I’ve really slacked off, to be honest. I assume most readers find my books through my websites, though I hope random people also find them on Amazon occasionally.

What impact do you want your books to have on your readers?

I want to empower them with the resources and inspiration to take action to reach their goals and dreams.

What is your latest book about?

I don’t have any books in the works right now.

What’s next on your writing journey?

I’m starting to revisit the idea of writing the novel I’ve had a rough idea about since college… stay tuned!

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Author Bio

Amy Scott quit her office job to take a solo round-the-world trip in 2004 and never looked back. She now keeps a home base in Buenos Aires while she travels the world with her Argentine husband. Through Nomad Editorial, she offers editing services to help nonfiction writers finish their books.

She’s also the founder of Nomadtopia, a hub of information, inspiration, community, and support for others who also want to live their ideal life, anywhere in the world. She also hosts Nomadtopia Radio.