We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Randi-Lee Bowslaugh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Randi-Lee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?
I ask all of my family and friends to support my business. They are my support system in life, and that translates into business. I don’t expect them to all buy my books (times can be challenging), but there are always free ways to support: subscribing to social media, sharing posts, being a beta reader and more. If they do read my books, I always ask them to write a review on Amazon and GoodReads.
My aunt has really loved reading my books and has greatly supported me. Two years ago, she found a story she wrote for my cousin’s class (in the 90s) and asked me to turn it into a book (Woofie’s Hospital Trip). She came up with many other ideas that Woofie can go on and now helps to create the first draft.
Randi-Lee, 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 have always loved writing. As a child, I wrote a household newspaper and plays to act out with my cousins. As a teenager, I wrote poems to help me deal with my depression. Writing has always been a part of who I am and what I love. In 2017, I found the poems I wrote as a teenager and turned those into my first book, Thoughts of a Wanderer. After publishing that book, I knew I wanted to do it again and again!
Most of my books are non-fiction and focus on mental health. Sharing my story (and some research) was not easy at first, but the worst feeling was being alone. I want my books to let others know they aren’t alone.
During COVID, I started my first YouTube show, the Write or Die Show, with the same mission in mind. I interview other writers (authors, songwriters, play writes and more) and discuss mental health. I now have over 150 episodes and continue to love doing the show!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Before focusing on my writing career, I had a small fitness studio. It was still in its infancy when COVID shut it down. Not knowing when I could reopen, I had to shift my focus. Having already published two books, I decided to focus on finishing my third book and really promote myself as a writer.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
When buying a book, you don’t usually get to know the author behind it and their reputation, other than the reviews from others you may not know directly. I think my YouTube show has had the most significant impact, as well as doing interviews on others’ shows. Many of my book sales come from people hearing my honesty about my journey and seeing my energy.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.rbwriting.ca
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randileebowslaugh
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rbwriting
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSTmVQUW8K8r1sBDchLyTwA?sub_confirmation=1
- Other: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3LNbuCy Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@randileebowslaugh
Image Credits
Donna Sperinzini