We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizabeth Lyons. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elizabeth below.

Elizabeth, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Being a creative person almost always involves taking risks. The biggest challenge with this stems from the fact that creative people are often risk averse. Because taking risks allows for “failure” (please note the quotes).

I’ve taken many risks as a creative, some that felt as risky as jumping from a plane without a parachute, even though they were the kinds of risks others took daily, without wincing. From the “little” things, like posting on social media about a controversial opinion, to the big things, like starting an entirely new business, I’ve long been someone who believed heavily in the adage “jump and grow wings on the way down” (as long as we were speaking metaphorically and not from an actual airplane).

Perhaps surprisingly, one of the biggest risks I took in recent years wasn’t leaving my day job, nor was it making a large financial investment I wasn’t sure would pay off (because that certainty doesn’t exist).

It was asking a well-known (in the publishing space) individual to come on my podcast.

I felt all the pangs of imposter syndrome, and almost began my invitation with something along the lines of “This is a brand-new podcast, no one knows me, and I have about six followers total across three platforms, but…” (Don’t worry; I didn’t do that.)

Instead, I reminded myself that the worst thing that could happen was, she’d say “No.” (That was, in my mind, actually worse than her not responding at all, because if that happened, I could simply tell myself she never got the email!)

I’m sure you know how the story ends: she said “Yes.” But more than that, she’s now been on my podcast twice, I’ve been on hers, and she even ended up blurbing the front cover of my latest book. She’s now someone I’m comfortable reaching out to on a far more “casual” basis, and building a genuine relationship with her has allowed me to build relationships with many of the people in HER circle, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.

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’m a 6x author, book coach, book editor, and independent publisher. I help aspiring authors navigate the ins and outs of the publishing space so they can untangle the process and get their books written and into the world.

I got into this somewhat “by accident.” I formed my own publishing house and published my first book in 2004 after several literary agents said the market for the book wasn’t large enough. The book did surprisingly well (whatever that means), and from there I continued writing and publishing.

Many years later, someone approached me and asked if I’d be willing to help him publish his book. I walked him through the process, and loved doing it. He was happy with the results and began sharing my information with his colleagues who also wanted to write or publish books. And thus, a business was born, and it’s been evolving ever since!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I believe that we connect with one another (and ourselves) through story. No one can express a specific experience the way a person who’s had the experience can, and even those who’ve had the same experience will describe it differently. One of those descriptions will deeply resonate with someone else and is often the impetus to their healing or next step taken.

No matter the genre someone writes–from fiction to nonfiction to memoir to poetry–there’s a beautiful opportunity for self-reflection and growth as well as to inspire or entertain others. All forms of art are, in my opinion, a form of storytelling and self-expression. The ability to communicate in this way is part of what makes humans unique.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Creatives are often challenged by comments and thoughts such as “It’s not a real job” (until the bills are being consistently paid by it). The stereotype of being a “starving artist” continues to be alive and well. As is the case when building ANY business, building a creative business takes time. A collective shift needs to happen, where we, as a society, place higher value on contributions that fall outside what’s perceived as immediate monetary gain. Creatives often think more with the right side of their brain than their left, but that mindset is needed, even in the financial sector. EVERYONE (even the wealthiest CEOs) has to either be creative or have a creative person on staff to navigate business lows and challenges. Creativity has great value, and most successful companies enjoy sustained success BECAUSE they nurture high levels of creativity in the workplace.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/elizabethlyonsauthor
• Facebook: facebook.com/elizabethgoldstonelyons
• Youtube: youtube.com/c/writethedamnbookalready