We were lucky to catch up with Dacia M Arnold recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dacia M, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about one of the craziest things you’ve experienced in your journey so far.

After leaving the military, I struggled with knowing my place in the world. My training as a Combat Medic gave me a very particular set of skills I knew would be useful if ever our society became compromised. I turned to writing dystopian fiction as a way to channel this knowledge into a stream of extra income. I went back to school for a Bachelors in English and was hired on as a technical writer to manage contracts for the public health department when COVID hit. My experience working in field hospitals in the military, and my talent for state funded procurement processes made me a prime candidate to manage contracts dedicated to 5 field hospitals built to treat overflow COVID patients. Where I had once set up and sold my first dystopian books in a downtown convention center, was then filled with rows and rows of thousands of hospital beds. The once bustling convention floor had transformed into a stark solemn place, holding its breath for the worst case scenario.
In this position, I exercised every skill I’d ever learned in the healthcare realm from treatment to payroll, and medical supply management to staffing ratios. I wore many hats and built a program that had never existed in the history of state government.
The program management involved in this task gave me the experience I needed to structure and organize my own business. So, after my mission had concluded and nearly 18 years of working in healthcare, I left to pursue a more sustainable career (physically and mentally) in writing and publishing.
I often tell people writing books is not the most noteworthy career I’ve had, but it’s one I’ll never need a break from. I am fortunate to be able to leave the high stress of the the corporate world and write full time. I hope to help others realize a similar path.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am not a complicated woman, though I have many layers. Much like the Scarlet Witch in “Wanda Vision” (my favorite super hero), I am just the Super Woman Next Door. The cumulation of experience throughout my life gives me a unique perspective on not only my own potential, but the potential in others. There were many times, all I needed to overcome a mental block was for someone to believe in me, encourage me, and provide me with the steps I needed to get the job done. I want to give this back to other writers.

I followed my father into an Army career and was inspired to write after he published his first novel. When I had children of my own, I knew I wanted to continue working, but struggled with work-life balance of a growing family. So, as I wrote books, worked full time, and raised a family, I started my academic journey. I finished my Bachelor’s in English doing a double class load and working 60+ hour weeks on COVID response and still managed high honors with a 3.89 GPA. When my mission with COVID response ended, so did my days of slaving away for other people. I now monetize my time at home providing consulting services and writing.

Wearing so many hats at once forces someone to develop systems to maintain a high level of organization and grace for mistakes. It is very much like juggling. You can have seven balls in the air at any given time. As long as the ball you drop is different each time, it is still considered juggling. Sometimes I get behind in laundry, or I won’t do any creative writing for a week. Having grace and forgiving yourself for not being perfect is important when you start your own business or take on writing full time.

Having published books through a traditional publisher and on my own, I know both processes very well. The systems I developed going through each process can benefit others who are new to the literary industry or need more personalized support to get their books in front of new readers. I started my book coaching business to be more visible to those who are searching for help. Not all authors share their knowledge with others. So, it only made sense to set myself apart in this way.

Time management is often the largest barrier to creative work. Without accountability, it is easy to convince yourself everything else is far more important than writing. Like going to a gym and hiring a personal trainer to whip you into shape, a book coach can help you structure your creative time and give you the accountability you need to get the work done. In just a few short months, you have an entire book you can publish and share with the world.

Finally, you don’t know what you don’t know. I like to imagine the outcome I desire and ask myself how to get there. After making a list of tasks needed accomplish this dream, I am able to break down the process in smaller chunks. Doing this sends me on a mission to answer critical questions of “Well, how do I…?” I research and sometimes go directly to the sources for the answers. Once I find the answers, I share them on my website with who ever wants to learn.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

The best part about writing for a living is there are no specific overhead costs for writing. Most people own a tablet or laptop already. Just about anyone can get their hands on a pen and paper. You can write your heart out for next to nothing.

When you start a business, there are costs. I have to attribute my financial stability to adopting the Profit First method of book keeping created by Mike Michalowicz. This method teaches you to function in percentages of total revenue to run your business within your own means while also making a profit, paying yourself, and setting money aside for taxes. Before, everything was going into (and out of) my personal account. I am an English major, not an accountant, after all. Reading “Profit First” changed my life and made having a business self-sustaining. My work and personal accounts stay separated and I am able to pay myself while setting money aside for big investments, like building myself an office space in my new home.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

One of my favorite stories to tell includes a famous person asking for my autograph (and phone number).

I sell books at an annual charity event in Williamsburg, Virginia called “Scares that Care”. Celebrities from the horror genre attend to take pictures with fans and sign autographs. In 2021, my first public appearance since COVID started, I was talking to horror fans and selling books when this gentleman approached my table. He was wearing a white and blue Hawaiian shirt, straw hat, reading glasses, and surgical mask. I took a closer look and realize it is Billy Zane (Titanic, Phantom, Zoolander, and Demon Night) He pulled out his phone, held it up to me and asked me about my books. I gave him the pitch and he picked one up. I asked if he’d like me to sign it to him or just sign it. He said, “Oh, go ahead and sign it to me of course. Can I get the contact information for your film rights?” Since I owned all the rights to my work, I produced my business card with my email and phone number. “I’m excited to read it!”

I couldn’t believe it. My friends (fellow authors at the show) couldn’t believe it. I rode the high of that moment for a long time. People who follow me on social media bring it up randomly and it never gets old. Needless to say I sold out of the book he purchased once the word got out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://daciamarnold.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/daciamarnold
• Facebook: facebook.com/daciamarnold
• Twitter: twitter.com/daciamarnold

Image Credits
I retain all rights to images.