We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy Shojai, CABC a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later?
I call myself the “accidental writer” because I never intended to do this. I fell into writing while working as a veterinary technician. At the time, part of my job included educating pet parents about…you name it: fleas, potty training, how to groom, or give medicine. So I wrote down many of these “how-to” trainings, and I also shared many of my WOW personal experience stories with my mother. She told me I should write them down. So rather late in life, in my mid-thirties, I began writing personal experience stories for the “pet press.”
As an article writer, I became somewhat successful. But I wanted to write fiction. I wrote a query letter with samples of my fiction in progress, submitted to multiple editors and agents, and received multiple rejections. One agent, though, encouraged me to submit nonfiction proposals since I had mentioned that in my background. We ended up working together and publishing a dozen or so well received nonfiction pet care titles via several New York publishing houses. But I still wanted to write fiction–and my agent had no interest.
Back in the “olden days” a self-published book got labeled as a vanity work. I bought into that, too, especially having published successfully with many traditional presses. It took having the publishing business changing in a major way–who needs credentialed nonfiction books when they get it for FREE on the Internet?– for me to test the waters of independent publishing.
I wish that I’d had the confidence to jump off that cliff earlier. Although my agent couldn’t sell more of my nonfiction, and had no interest in my fiction, once I began my own projects and learning from other successful authors, my career took off. I got back the rights on my nonfiction backlist, updated the books, and re-published them. I wrote new nonfiction work, and published, receiving awards for the works. And I finally began to write the fiction stories I’d always wanted to read–and couldn’t find. Today, with 35+ nonfiction books and 7 (and counting) thrillers in my series, nothing will stop me.
Amy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a certified animal behavior consultant for cats and dogs, and an award-winning multi-published author. My first book published in 1992.
My nonfiction comprises prescriptive books, articles, and blogs. Books include puppy and kitten titles, pet first aid, natural healing, and training and behavior books. Readers can subscribe to the free blog and newsletter to receive regular content that helps them save $$ and stress by providing their cats and dogs with credentialed care advice.
I also write content for the pet industry and sometimes consult with pet products companies on their services or products. For example, I blog at my own site at AmyShojai.com but also have written content for Readers Digest, Hill’s Pet Food, Martha Stewart, and many others.
Most recently, I added my own digital storefront https://shop.shojai.com so that I could offer direct book sales (Ebooks, audiobooks, paperback, hardcover) at a discount to my readers.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When the publishing industry changed (as mentioned in the first question), I thought my career ended. I went from 6-figure advances and spokesperson tours with industry clients to — nothing.
So I took a teaching job, and taught high school choir and theater. That taught me I am a great teacher. But I hated it. And I’m meant to write.
I’ve had to reinvent myself several times during my career. Each time, my work gets better. And each time, I learn that any dead end actually means a new opportunity.
For example, I wrote a “Kittens for Dummies” title. I turned in the manuscript and two weeks later, the “Dummies” company got sold and my book cancelled. They’d already accepted the book, though, so I still got paid. I re-formatted it and sold it instead to New American Library under a new title, COMPLETE KITTEN CARE.
Eventually that book and several others went out of print, but I got rights on the works back. So after teaching and learning that wasn’t for me, I quit the teaching job at the end of the year. And six weeks later, I got an offer to write a book. That gave me the kick in the ass-ets to reinvent myself once more.
I updated my out-of-print COMPLETE KITTEN CARE book, and released it on the then-new Amazon kindle program. Today, that book remains my best seller, on all platforms, as an Ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook. And yes, I record/voice my own audiobooks. Call me a control freak, ha!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I was put on this earth to serve as a voice for the voiceless–the cats and dogs we all love. I want to provide solid, affordable information to those who adore their animal companions.
Cats and dogs are gifts to humanity. I’m here to help them stay healthy, and empower their people to provide the best care possible. Joy first, always joy–that’s what it’s all about!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shojai.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/amyshojai
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/amyshojai.cabc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyshojai/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyshojai
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/amyshojai-cabc
- Other: https://shop.shojai.com
Image Credits
Amy Shojai, CABC