We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Abby Vandiver a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Abby, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

In publishing, sometimes profitability rests solely on luck – the right book at the right time. In such an instance, it is hard to determine how well you will ever be able to do. But like in most businesses, perseverance is important.

Additionally, marketing is very important. Authors often get lost in trying to make their book writing business profitable y concentrating on writing that “best selling book.” In my opinion, in order to make money as an author, writing the book is only 10% of that end goal. The other 90% is marketing.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started writing professionally because I got sick and couldn’t get out of a bed to work. I needed something to do to keep my mind off of my illness. Writing was about the only thing I could do from the bed.

However, I suppose I had always been a writing. I took positions where writing was a major part of it. I knew that my writing was persuading and entertaining, but never thought of doing it full time.

Sometimes we had to be pushed up against a wall to discover what we really are meant to do.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Passion. When you are passionate about what you are doing, having found what you were meant to do, it is a driving force like no other.

Motivation comes from within when you doing something you like to do. It keeps you want to do and wanting to learn.

My goal is always to stay motivated. To keep that drive that makes me curious. That makes me eager to know more. I don’t want to ever stop learning and sharing what I know with others.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Illness came and stopped me from doing everything I thought was my life. I had to pivot to to live. To have a livelihood

I had to find something else to do in order not to give up on me. On my life. I was stuck in a sick bed with nothing to do and no way to make money.

I had to pivot in order to survive mentally, financially and emotionally..

Contact Info:

• Website: www.authorabby.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/abbylvandiver
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorabbyl.vandiver
• Twitter: twitter.com/abbyvandiver