writing

The Geography of a Memoir: An Interview with Amy Bickers

Amy Bickers edit

I met Amy Bickers on March 24, 2011, the night of the very first See Jane Write Birmingham event. That night Amy told me about a book she wanted to publish — a memoir. “What’s it about?” I asked jovially. “Well,” she said, “my husband killed himself in front of me.”

I was speechless. I wanted to know how she could survive something like that. I wanted to know how she could ever be whole again. But I didn’t ask her because I knew these were questions only a memoir could answer.

Now four years later, Amy has written that book — The Geography of Me and You: A Memoir — and she’s raising money via Kickstarter to self-publish.

In this candid interview Amy talks about how she found the courage to finally share her story.

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Let’s Take Flight Together

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Do you dream of seeing your byline in your favorite publications?

Do you have an idea for a blog or business, but you’re not quite sure where to start?

Maybe you already have a blog or brand, but it’s not getting the attention you feel it deserves.

Or perhaps you’ve written a book but you just can’t seem to sell it.

If any of these sound familiar, I’d like to help you get unstuck and soar. Let’s take flight together!

As founder of See Jane Write, I used very simple but very powerful strategies to grow a small writing group into a network of hundreds of women. And this network has helped me start an award-winning business and land the paid writing opportunities I once only dreamed about. You can use these same strategies to build buzz for your blog, book, brand, or business.

I want to share these strategies with you and answer any other questions you may have about writing, blogging, or business

For the next seven days I will be taking appointments for 11 one-on-one coaching sessions.

7:11

I’m calling this my 7/11 special. No, you can’t come to me and fill a pot with your favorite flavor of Slurpee (I’m sure y’all have heard about this on the Internet), but I can fill your mind with what you need to take your next step.

If you would like to meet face-to-face for hands-on help, you can get a one-hour session for only $99 (usually $125). If meeting in person is a challenge, we can chat via Skype. This one-hour session will only cost $75 (usually $100).

This offer ends April 18. (We can meet anytime, you just need to purchase the session by April 18.)

Here’s what one of my clients had to say after we spent an hour chatting at her favorite Starbucks:

My one-on-one session with Javacia was more than I expected. She not only listened to my goals and aspirations, she provided me with practical next steps to help me accomplish each. She was friendly, yet very professional. I left with an ambitious to do list which is now my roadmap. She followed up, as promised, with websites, worksheets, and tons of information to help advance my dreams to write, get published, and speak professionally. I now consider her my writing mentor.

— TiJuana W.


You see, after we meet I’m not going to check your name off my to-do list and forget about you. I’m going to follow up with information and inspiration to keep moving your closer and closer to achieving your goals. 

If you know you need guidance, but you’re not sure this is right for you, simply email me at javacia@seejanewritebham.com with any questions you may have.

If you’re ready to fly click here for a face-to-face session or here for a Skype chat and then email me at javacia@seejanewritebham.com for next steps.

Let’s do this!

What did you learn from this year’s #bloglikecrazy challenge?

kate spade she is quick and curious
I finally believe this popular Kate Spade quote applies to me!

Today marks the end of #bloglikecrazy  — See Jane Write’s annual challenge to post a new blog post every day for 30 days in the month in November.

Usually I survive #bloglikecrazy by planning ahead. I usually spend October brainstorming ideas for dozens of posts and will even start drafting some of them. That wasn’t the case this year. Because my fall has been so busy, I was often developing the idea for and writing a post the same day I published it. But I’m glad things turned out that way because this year’s #bloglikecrazy taught me something valuable: When it comes to writing and blogging, I actually do know what the hell I’m doing!

I suffer from major impostor syndrome, that feeling we women often have that tells us that we’re not good enough and that we don’t deserve the position or power that we have. I often feel this way about writing and blogging. Because of the popularity of See Jane Write, people in Birmingham regard me as a blogging and writing expert, a title I often shirk because I don’t have a New York Times best seller on my resume and because I don’t seek to make money from my blog through advertisements or sponsored posts.

But when See Jane Write members emailed me questions about blogging (questions I had promised to answer in the form of blog posts this month) I could answer their questions thoroughly and easily. I didn’t have to consult any “expert.” The answer was already beneath my curly coif!  And on days when I didn’t have a question to answer I was able to easily come up with a blog post idea and write it quickly and concisely while still making it an interesting, inspiring, or informative narrative.

Who knew that, of all things, this year’s #bloglikecrazy challenge would help me overcome my impostor syndrome!

I’ve realized that I may not know everything, but I know a lot, and I’m smart and resourceful enough to figure out and learn the things that I don’t.

 

What did you learn from this year’s #bloglikecrazy challenge? 

Blogging — What’s the Point?

Keep Up and Blog On
Image by Alexander Baxevanis via Flickr/Creative Commons

What’s the point? There comes a time when every blogger will ask herself this question.

Creating good content on a consistent basis is hard work and most of us aren’t pulling a paycheck from our posts. So why bother blogging in the first place?

Well, some folks do get lucky. Some bloggers build a massive following and grab the attention of big-name brands. Some bloggers generate enough revenue from ads, sponsored posts, and affiliate links to quit their day jobs.

But most of us do not. But here’s why you should keep blogging anyway.

Blogging can make you a better writer. Writing is a practice. Just as athletes must train to get better at their sport, writers must practice to get better at our craft. Blogs make for a great training field. Blogging has taught me how to be more concise in my writing and taught me how to write faster, even faster than I did as a reporter with the Associated Press! If you set a posting schedule for yourself, blogging can train you to meet deadlines, too.

Blogging can help your writing career. Blogging will only help you as a writer if you’re striving to post quality work. And it’s important that you don’t put out crap just to say you’ve updated your blog for the week. People are paying attention. Your blog could land you a book deal or at least opportunities to write for some of your favorite publications. Case in point, I have a journalism degree from UC Berkeley, but the editors I work with couldn’t care less. Nearly all of the regular freelance gigs I have right now I snagged because I blog. So while I don’t make money directly from my blog, I do get paid for my freelance work and so blogging like crazy is worth it.

Blogging can help you establish an online platform. And you can use this online platform to promote your book or business or to spread ideas.

Blogging can help you find community. Blogging can help you find like-minded people with whom you can wax poetic about your passions or just hang out with and have fun. You thought you were the only 35-year-old black woman in the South who loved comic books, graphic novels, and video games. But then you started a blog about this obsession of yours and now you have a gaggle of geeky gal pals to take with you to Dragon Con.

Blogging can help you position yourself as an expert. As I mentioned, most people don’t make much money directly from their blogs. But your blog is a great way for you to promote your expertise. So use your fitness blog to promote yourself as a personal trainer. Use your fashion blog to promote yourself as a stylist. Take for example, Megan LaRussa Chenoweth, who owns the style coaching service Southern Femme. Chenoweth a top-notch, in-demand image consultant and personal shopper and is also a stylist for several magazines and fashion shows. But Southern Femme actually began as a fashion blog. Chenoweth used SouthernFemme.com to show off her style expertise and soon she went from bloganista to businesswoman.

Why do you blog? 

Are you interested in blogging more but having trouble finding the time to do so? Then don’t miss the launch of my time management e-course. To be notified of the launch date, simply click here and sign up for my personal blog’s newsletter.

Each day in November for #bloglikecrazy I’ll be publishing a blog post that answers your questions about blogging, social media, writing, wellness or women’s empowerment. Send your questions to javacia@seejanewritebham.com.