We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Roger Leslie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Roger below.
Alright, Dr. Roger thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Naivete is one of life’s greatest gifts. At age 13, I felt inspired to become an author. I knew no writers, didn’t have any mentors for it, and didn’t even know how people made a living at it. But I just sensed deep down becoming an author would be the most fulfilling destiny I could ever choose.
Because I was so young and green, I had no idea how many years it would take me to hone the art and master the craft of writing worth publishing. If someone had told me at age 13 that I wouldn’t have my first book published until I was 31, I would have given up the idea entirely. I’m forever grateful I didn’t know!
Because I didn’t know better, I kept moving forward in faith that my big breakthrough moment was just ahead. As you can imagine, when that moment finally did arrive, its rewards were all the sweeter because the process demanded so much for so long.
I think by nature, many writers are extremely independent and often introverted. How else could we spend years alone writing and revising manuscripts? I did everything I knew to learn. I got degrees in English education and creative writing. I studied under some great authors. I attended writers’ conferences regularly. But I even did all that networking by myself. One change that might have sped my learning process would have been to collaborate more.
The most essential skill for success in any endeavor is stamina. The fortitude to keep going, even when success doesn’t seem to be approaching, requires faith and unrelenting determination. All those adjectives sound exhausting without passion. If you have a passion for something, then faith, stamina, fortitude, and determination become exciting components of a thrilling adventure.
One of my favorite philosophies is “The obstacle IS the way.” Obstacles don’t stand in the way of learning. They guide us directly to the success we seek.
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.
At age 13, I decided my destiny: I would be an author. My original intent was to write only novels. But some fateful detours led me to begin writing nonfiction. To my surprise, it demanded as much creativity as writing fiction and was every bit as fun. While still striving to get my fiction published, more and more opportunities came to me to write and get published as a nonfiction author.
I love a creative challenge, so any opportunity I had to write something I’d never written before thrilled me. As a result, I got both fiction and nonfiction books published in so many genres, my agent told me, “Roger, you do so much I have no idea how to market you.” What she saw as a detriment, I realized was the niche that made me unique.
Years as a literature teacher and professor gave me the inspiration to become a writing coach. Experience getting books published in so many different genres gave me first-hand knowledge that helped me stand out as the best editor for many aspiring and seasoned authors.
Because it took me so many years to get traditionally published, I got the inspiration to help other authors make their writing dreams come true faster. I started a publishing house to publish not only some of my books, but also books by other authors.
Today, I am an author, writing coach, editor, publisher, and inspirational speaker. In those roles, I am most proud of creating top-quality books while nurturing positive and mutually supportive professional relationships. We are not just authors and publishers; we are people first. Everyone deserves to be acknowledged and honored for the work they offer to the world. At Paradise Publishing, I am very proud of the relationships we build with our authors, our industry colleagues, and our fans.
Paradise publishes books that inspire readers to live the life they dream or empower them to follow their own unique spiritual path to fulfillment. As a writing coach and editor, I strive to help authors of all skill levels make their grandest dreams come true.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
A core principle I teach to my clients and in my FLY workshops is to “Follow Fateful Detours.” While teaching high school English, I earned a master’s in creative writing. Working all day and studying for my degree kept me from my intense writing schedule. As soon as I graduated, I decided No more school. I’m going to spend my evenings and weekends writing and submitting my work for publication. The week I made that commitment, my principal offered me the librarian job at my school. The caveat: I needed to go back to schedule for a library certification.
My initial thought was to say “no.” But then I realized three components merged to give me an opportunity. The very week I completed my degree the librarian at my school submitted her resignation and the principal chose me to take the job.
Going back to college felt like a major pivot. When I started, it felt like a detour that would slow my progress to further publishing success. But then the miracles started. Two professors ran the library science program at the only college in town that offered the certification I needed. For one, I wrote reviews for her children’s literature assignment. She liked them so much she submitted some to Booklist. Without an application or an interview, I became one of their reviewers. My writing was appearing (WITH a byline) 6 or 7 times in THE major review journal in the nation.
It gets better. The other professor invited me to co-author a book on library programs. The day we started, we realized with her background in elementary education and mine in secondary, we had material enough for a series, not just one book.
My “pivot” moment was accepting the librarian job and going back to school. At that school I met the two women who changed my life. Within a year of enrolling, I was being featured multiple times in a respected monthly journal and had a three-book contract from one of the most prestigious publishers in the nation.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I am a huge advocate for goals and missions. In fact, as a classroom teacher, I started every year teaching my students goalsetting. Because I believe we learn best by example, I would set my own goals while they set theirs. Then we traced our progress together throughout the school year.
My main goal is always to be a prolific author. Energizing any goal is the mission it supports. So, I believe having a mission is the foundation for any successful life. The mission for my career as an author and as a publisher is to inspire people to live the life they dream or empower them to follow their own unique spiritual path.
Once you know your mission, goals to fulfill it become obvious. Pursue any goal, and ways to achieve it reveal themselves naturally.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rogerleslie.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roger5078/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrRogerLeslie/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrogerleslie/
Image Credits
Author headshots were taken by Angela LaMonte.