We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zara Teleg a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Zara, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
In my earliest memories, I wanted to be an artist who wrote their own books. As a child, I would create stories and illustrate them. Growing up, art was my focus, but I always loved to write as well. Raised in a family-run business, I knew I wanted to work for myself, which has been the case since college. I struggled for many years because I am defined as a “multi-passionate” entrepreneur and I always need to be doing something creative alongside business tasks. When I rediscovered my love of writing as an adult, I fell head over heels for every part of the writing and publishing process. Once I hit “publish” on my first book, I knew writing and publishing would be my future.
Zara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Maria Gelet. I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and still live in the area with my husband of almost 28 years and our 20-year-old daughter. We also have plenty of pets and outdoor wildlife we care for daily. Zara Teleg is my pen name, and I publish under my brand, Free Spirit Indie Publishing. I have written and published five books to date. I am working on the sixth now with many more outlined and ready to go. The genre I write in is considered a motorcycle club romance. Think “Sons of Anarchy” meets Nora Roberts. All of my books are exclusively published on Amazon and are available in paperback, digital, and some audio.
“Consumed by Rage” is the first title in the Stained Souls MC series. But it was not the book I intended to write. I consider myself a free-spirited tree hugger and myself, along with my family, have lived a plant-based lifestyle for the past 17 years. For a few years, I wrote a vegan food blog and made several attempts at writing cookbooks. Nothing I pursued ever felt right, so I focused on self-discovery in order to find my passions. In that process, learned about hormones and moon balancing and found it fascinating. With so many notes on the subject, it made sense that maybe that was the book I should be writing. I found an online writing and self-publishing course and took it. I also watched every YouTube tutorial I could find as well. Most focused on fiction writing, and as addicted as I was to reading my beloved romance novels, especially motorcycle club romance, it never occurred to me I could write one myself. I’ll never forget the ah-ha moment. In May 2018, while working out in our home gym, I watched a fiction author be interviewed on YouTube and she talked about her life as a writer and I instantly knew that was the fulfilling lifestyle I was searching for. My rough draft took three months, and it flowed out of me so easily that it spawned all the spin-off outlines while I completed the first book. One year after the conception, in May 2019 I published “Consumed by Rage”.
When I set out on my writing journey, I knew I wanted my books to differ from the ones I read. It was important for me to write characters with depth and relatability. My love of animals inspired the shape of my characters. All the books have “green” themes. It was a way I could raise awareness about being environmentally conscious and considering the other beings we share this planet with. I made it my mission for my stories to be entertaining and educational at the same time. I will admit, most are slow-burn romances with a few tear-jerker moments, and they have just enough angst to keep you turning the pages!
I am very proud to be a self-published author. I love having complete creative control over my story. I not only tell the story my way, but I design my covers, make book trailers, and do all the marketing. I work closely with my editor and take her notes and my vision to make my stories the best they can be. In the future, aside from my fiction stories, I would love to help others who want to learn to write and publish. It’s not easy, but with the right guidance and sources, self-publishing is open to anyone with a story to tell. Having the right team and a tale you are proud to tell is a recipe for success.
Using my writing journey to inspire others to follow their dreams is very important to me. I created a Facebook group called “Zara’s Moon Goddesses” where I go live and invite fans and friends to participate and learn the manifestation and moon cycling techniques that helped me achieve my goals.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Creatives have a much bigger advantage now than just a few years ago. Social media has allowed for much greater exposure to a much bigger audience than just their local circle. The best way to support a creative is to like, share and review! As an author on Amazon, reviews are critical and can make or break the success of a book. When someone likes, shares, and leaves a positive review, it exposes you to their circle and increases your visibility. Many times, if you tag the person or product in your post, they will share your post as a thank you. I am diligent about sharing the people and products I love. I have found so many things I never would have without seeing them on my feed endorsed by someone I trust. Liking, sharing, and leaving a review is a win-win for everyone.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Absolutely! I am a serial learner, addicted to books, courses, YouTube videos, and podcasts. I often take courses on Skillshare and Udemy. As for writing craft, marketing, and productivity, Sarra Cannon’s YouTube channel is invaluable. For business skills, Marie Forleo’s B-school was an investment that helped me discover the business lifestyle I wanted. Laura Vandekamp’s book “168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think” taught me that with the right time management skills, I could work on my writing career and still run a full-time business that supports our household. The Organized Money is a fabulous source for budgeting and planning. Learning about other people’s experiences can assist you in avoiding mistakes and save you time and money. I highly recommend finding the people that inspire you and learn from them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zarateleg.com
- Instagram: zara_teleg
- Facebook: zarateleg.author
- Youtube: @zarateleg3096
- Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07R3BV3N6
Image Credits
Zara Teleg