"Q&A With Tanya Hall"

"Q&A With Tanya Hall"

Book: Ideas, Influence, and Income

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Author: Tanya Hall

Author Bio:

"Tanya has been empowering authors to tell their stories since she joined Greenleaf Book Group in 2004.  As the company’s Chief Executive, Tanya fosters a culture of innovation centered on creating new opportunities to better serve authors.

As the first hybrid publisher, Greenleaf Book Group has been at the forefront of innovative publishing for 20 years and continues to grow in response to author needs, morphing from a book distributor to a full-service publishing house that now includes an author branding department.

Having worked closely with retailers while building Greenleaf’s sales and distribution channels, Tanya knows first-hand how the power of a book can be amplified through a strong author brand—and, in turn, how a brand can be amplified by a book. She writes regularly on personal branding, leadership, and the publishing industry for Inc.com and hosts the podcast Published, which guides authors through all areas of publishing.

She regularly speaks and writes on the publishing business so that potential authors will have a clear understanding of the industry and how to succeed within it."

 

1.  Where did your inspiration to write “Ideas, Influence, and Income” come from? 

I've been working with authors for almost sixteen years, taking them through Ideas, Influence, and Income as a framework for seeing the role a book plays to support a larger business built around their content. I wrote the book to make this knowledge available to everyone interested in pursuing non-fiction writing.   

 

2.  When turning ideas into influence and income, what mistakes do you see new adapters commonly making?

The most common mistake is underestimating how competitive the publishing landscape is and not taking marketing seriously. Authors can fall into a kind of "magical thinking," assuming the book will do well simply by virtue of how hard they worked to complete it. Of course, it doesn't work that way. As difficult as it is, writing the book is the easy part.

  

3.  What is your ultimate hope/goal for teaching people how to turn their ideas into influence and income?

My goal is to give people a roadmap to take a more strategic and informed approach to publishing in order to get the best return on their effort. 

  

4.  What was the writing process like for “Ideas, Influence, and Income”?

It was humbling! I'm now completely sympathetic when the authors I work with get stuck. I initially resisted drafting an outline, and that was a mistake. I found myself forgetting who my reader was and rambling on about the supply chain, which isn't the point of the book. When I finally took a step back and did the heavy lifting of creating a very detailed outline, I was able to stay on track. It took me a little over a year to finish.

 

5.  What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?

I learned how to negotiate with myself. I'd sit down to write and a little devil would pop up on one shoulder saying, "This part is going to be hard. Let's do it some other day." Then a little discipline angel would show up on the other shoulder and say, "Well, it's not going to write itself. How about you knock out 750 words and call it a day?" With time, the discipline angel's voice became loudest. :)

  

6.  If you could go back to the start of your journey, what are some words of advice you would pass along to your younger self?

First, as I mentioned previously, create a detailed outline. It will expose any gaps in your content structure and will help keep your writing on track. Second, don't save the difficult sections for the end of your writing process. I made that mistake and finishing the book became exhausting and discouraging. If I had to do it again, I'd alternate between writing easy sections and difficult sections. 

  

7.  Why did you feel that this book was a needed and necessary tool for authors to have?

There are plenty of books on how to write a manuscript and plenty of books on how to market a book. There are very few books that integrate writing a book with building an audience and a business around it

 

8.  Many readers of “Ideas, Influence, and Income” have shared that the book has motivated them to write. Was this a goal of yours while writing the book? Also, what motivates you?

Yes, I definitely hope that the book helps motivate people to write. I worked hard to make the content actionable, so the reader knows exactly what to do with what I've taught in each chapter.  I'm motivated by challenges and achievements. Challenges are almost like problem-solving games to me, and if I solve one, the prize is the sense of achievement.

 

9.  In your opinion, what are the three personality characteristics that all great CEOs should possess?

Strong relationship building skills. Excellent communication and listening skills. Decisiveness

 

10.  As a top executive, how challenging or how easy is it for you to manage different egos and personalities?

The more you can learn about what drives someone's sense of purpose (especially in a creative company), the easier it becomes. But it always requires attention. 

 

11.  What is your best advice for getting over writer’s block?

Block out a consistent window for writing time on your schedule. If you're not feeling inspired when that time rolls around, get your thoughts down in bullet points or short notes and circle back to flesh it out the next time you're in a strong writing mood. 

  

12.  What is the best book you have read in 2020? 

I think I finished The Silent Patient in three hours. 

 

13.  What is the best advice you have ever received on happiness? 

We create our own happiness, and you are not responsible for other people's happiness. 

  

14.  Do you plan on writing any more books in the future? 

Yes, a book on creativity. I'm hard at work on the outline!

 

Places To Find More From This Author:

Linkedin: Tanya (May) Hall

Twitter: @tanyahall

Website: ideasinfluenceandincome.com

 

Get Your Copy of Ideas, Influence, and Income Today!

 

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