Birds of a Feather welcomes Nora Dunn to the Nest

I’m especially excited to feature Nora Dunn in my Author Interview series. I frequently referenced Nora’s invaluable website, The Professional Hobo, during my own escape planning process, and it’s exciting to hear how she approaches the writing and publication of her non-fiction books.

Nora’s self-publishing journey includes a variety of non-fiction books in the travel niche, and she is already working on her fourth book, a no-holds-barred travel memoir.

Author Interview: Nora Dunn

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

I’m thoroughly entrenched in the non-fiction travel genre, but within that genre I’ve written a few different types of books; a couple of resource style books (like How to Get Free Accommodation Around the World  and Working on the Road: The Unconventional Guide to Full-Time Freedom), and then an armchair travel read about my crazy train travels (called Tales of Trains: Where the Journey is the Destination).

What motivated you to start writing?

I’ve had a lifelong propensity for the written word; as a child I studied creative writing extracurricularly. When I worked in the financial planning business, I didn’t consider myself a writer, but later realized that one of my favourite parts of the job was writing personalized detailed financial plans for my clients.

When I sold everything to travel full-time in 2006, that was when I realized there was a career for me in writing, since it could enable me to earn a living anywhere in the world with little more than a laptop and an internet connection.

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

My writing actually hit bookstores before I published my own books; in 2009, I was a contributing author to 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget, published by Skyhorse Publishing. It was a compilation of financial/lifestyle/frugal living tips from a website that I was a regular columnist for, called Wise Bread. So I didn’t have much of a hand in the actual publishing process there, but I did gain the ability to call myself a published author.

My first book (that was 100% written by me) was How to Get Free Accommodation Around the World, which I self-published as an e-book and marketed through my website.

Shortly thereafter I released Tales of Trains as an e-book on my website and Amazon, and later created a paperback version, also available on Amazon.

My most recent book (Working on the Road) was published in partnership with Chris Guillebeau (The Art of Non-Conformity), and is part of his extensive shelf of online products.

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

Although writing a book is a daunting task, I most enjoy the writing part. And as much as I don’t like to receive criticism, a good editor is worth their weight in gold.

I’m least jazzed about design, formatting, creating functional and pretty sales pages, and managing payment processing options.

With the hindsight of being a published author, anything you would have done differently?

After working with real editors for Working on the Road, I realized how much my first two books could have used some structural and editorial work. I also skimped out on the design of the books and used a student designer without much experience, and unfortunately I think it shows. I redesigned Tales of Trains when I took it to paperback, but both my e-books are due for an update and redesign.

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

Hire an editor! They’re not cheap, but they’ll make the difference between a well-structured, error-free book, and an amateur attempt thereof. I’m currently looking at writing a travel memoir of my last 10 years of full-time travel, and I’m reading comparable memoirs as market research. I can spot the books that haven’t been properly edited a mile away.

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

When Working on the Road was released, it was all about creating hype with guest posts and interviews. Chris also has a big audience, as well as a small army of affiliates who did a good bit of marketing of their own through reviews. I still do interviews (like this one!), and I promote my books through my site posts and social media mentions.

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

I have a different aim with each book. But a general theme would be to inspire people to travel, and to help them think outside of the box to live the lifestyle of their dreams – such as traveling full-time in a financially sustainable way (without sacrificing style thankyouverymuch), or having a career that matches whatever lifestyle preferences they have.

What is your latest book about?

Working on the Road: The Unconventional Guide to Full-Time Freedom profiles all kinds of different careers that allow you to have whatever lifestyle you want – for example, to live on the road like I do. I interviewed dozens of people, from bloggers to teachers to coaches to designers to telecommuters and more, all who earn their living around the world without commuting and clocking in at the office. It also includes audio interviews, and tips for taking your life on the road and traveling full-time if that’s your ambition.

What’s next on your writing journey?

I’m putting together the outline for a travel memoir that I got a divine stroke of inspiration to write about a year ago, but didn’t actually get around to putting together until recently. The working title is This Ain’t a Travel Blog: Stories From 10 Years of Living on the Road No Travel Blogger Would Publish.

It’ll be about the real uncensored deal of what the last 10 years have been like for me (good, bad, and otherwise), which includes some crazy adventures, the more dramatic of which include surviving three natural disasters, various tropical diseases, a near fatal accident, relationships of varying degrees of tumultuousness, getting ripped off for $10k by a con artist, doing epic train journeys, filming two tv shows in three countries, apprenticing with a shaman in Peru, and much more.

Although my initial intention was to get it published through traditional means, I’m reconsidering that idea and looking into self-publishing instead, since my odds of being the next Eat Pray Love are stacked against me, and I have more editorial and financial control if I self-publish. The jury is still out (so if you’re an agent and your curiosity has been piqued, let me know – ha ha)!

Nora Dunn Bio

Nora Dunn is The Professional Hobo a woman who sold everything she owned in 2006 (including a busy financial planning practice) to embrace her dreams of full-time travel.

She has been on the road ever since, having traveled through/lived in over 50 countries.

She finances her lifestyle as a freelance writer and travel blogger, and has a few monthly columns such as “Dear Nora” (think “Dear Abbey” for travel), and Financial Travel Tips.

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