We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amanda Linehan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
My first dollar earned as a creative was from my first self-published novel, Uncover, a young adult suspense story. I published the ebook version in January 2012. Self-publishing my first book was a fun, interesting, and challenging journey. I had to learn every aspect of the publishing process and write a good story!
In preparation for publishing, I had to get the story edited, format ebook files, have a cover designed, write a book description, and decide on relevant categories and keywords for my book. Once I had those things, I uploaded my book files to various online bookstores and did some simple marketing activities to get my first sales. Mainly, that consisted of letting my friends and family know and announcing it on my website.
When I received the first few dollars in royalties from my book, it was only a small amount of money, but it was incredibly exciting for me to earn money through my creative work.
Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a writer, independent author, coach, and solopreneur. I publish books and three newsletters (including one that’s paid), create online video courses and workshops, and maintain a YouTube channel. I also do one-on-one coaching. I write and publish both fiction and nonfiction. Most of my work focuses on the Myers-Briggs INFP personality type (of which I am one). I empower INFPs to be themselves, access their strengths, create what inspires them, and serve the world. I coach them specifically in productivity, creativity, and business.
I did not set out to work in this niche, but through writing on my blog, I realized that my INFP productivity articles were gaining feedback and attention. In January 2020, I published a non-fiction book called Productivity For INFPs, which was the number one new release in its category on Amazon.
As a fiction author, I write in multiple genres, including Young Adult (YA) and Fantasy. I’ve published five novels, one novella, and numerous short stories.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is bringing my ideas to life. I love the brainstorming and visioning process. I have a lot of ideas and get excited very quickly about new possibilities. It is very rewarding and challenging to transform an idea that only exists in my mind into something that exists in the real world in some form.
It’s quite the process to bring a creation to life, whether that is a novel, a video course, or even setting up a coaching practice. There is always something new to learn and more ways to grow.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I don’t use a lot of social media in my business, but YouTube is where I am most active. Starting a YouTube channel was mostly accidental, but I have found it to be an enjoyable way of engaging my following and finding new customers and clients. As part of the marketing for one of my online courses, I made some short videos to send to my email list. Afterward, I decided to post them on YouTube, mostly because there was no reason not to—they were videos, after all.
I didn’t think about them much, but then I noticed that they were starting to gain a little traction through no effort of my own. People were finding them through browsing and searching YouTube. Seeing this, I began making more short videos and found that it was a great way to get new email subscribers and get feedback on my ideas.
I enjoy making videos in general and interacting with fellow INFPs. My best advice for social media is to put the most effort into the places you enjoy the most. It is much easier to create and interact in a place you like to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amandalinehan.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandalinehan/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AmandaLinehan
- Other: My fiction website: https://amandalinehanfiction.com/