Today, I’m joined by Wahida Clark, a New York Times Best Seller who has authored over a dozen books. She has created a successful fiction series and a raving fan base who read her books.
While living in Georgia, Wahida worked for an advertising firm. She was sent to the federal prison in Kentucky. While there, she taught computer classes in the evening and worked at the library in the morning. She picked up a magazine one day that talked about an author who wrote a book in prison. “I started looking at all the books in the library, and I started visualizing my name on all the spines of the books.” That is when she decided to write a book.
Wahida noticed a class on creative writing at the prison, and she decided to sign up. “We were in prison, so there were no computers. I had to hand-write my book on yellow legal paper. I had the inmates reading the chapters as I write them.” She sent out inquiry letters to publishers and agents, which ended up being rejected. One agent, however, reconnected with her when she was released from prison. She agreed to represent Wahida and is still her literary agent to this day.
She asked prison workers to make copies, so she had a transcript to send to a publisher. They agreed, as long as she put them in the acknowledgment in her book. Wahita started publishing in prison and sold over a million books before she left prison.
Listen in to find out how Wahita spread the word about her book throughout the prison system, sold books and became a popular author while in solitary confinement for writing a book, and how she inspired others in prison to become authors. Learn the two elements that keep her readers reading and engaged.
Show Notes
[01:52] Why Wahida decided to write her first book. [05:47] The writing process in prison. [07:55] Wahida reads books by Carl Weber. [09:06] Her first royalty check of $25,000 bounced. [10:09] The lieutenant's office at the prison wanted to know how she wrote a book. [12:30] She made flyers to send to other prisoners and her book started to take wing and fly. [14:04] Simon & Schuester signed Wahita after her release from prison. [16:20] Why she sold so many books while in prison. [17:59] Genres she considered when writing her book. [19:15] How she came to write a series of books. [23:04] Keeping her readers engaged and leaving reviews. [26:32] Why Wahita is moving out of her genre. [30:23] Top takeaways from Self Publishing School. [32:05] Advice for authors to write their first book. [3:11] What she would have done differently with her book and her channel.Links and Resources
Visit Self Publishing School Online SPS Free Training Course Wahida Clark Publishing Wahida on Fantastic FictionSPS 143: How To Sell Books As A Podcaster & Speaker with Ryan Hawk (The Learning Leader)
SPS 142: How To Land A TEDx Talk As An Author with Corey Poirier
SPS 141: Creating A Genre, Writing Interesting Books, And The Craziest Marketing Ideas You’ve Ever Heard with AJ Jacobs
SPS 140: Everything Is Figureoutable & How To Be A Time Genius While Writing Your Book with Marie Forleo
SPS 139: From The Hood To Doing Good with Johnny Wimbrey (The Millionaire Author Mindset)
SPS 138: Changing Culture & Representation Through Children’s Books with Dr. Thomishia Booker
SPS 137: Launch Week Recap- Results & Lessons Learned From Launching My Newest Book
SPS 136: BEHIND THE SCENES: How I'm Launching My New Book - And How To Get A Copy with Chandler Bolt
SPS 135: What I Learned Writing The Second Edition & Preparing To Relaunch My Book "Published." with Chandler Bolt
SPS 134: The Secret To Writing A Quality Memoir That Changes Lives with Lianne Saffer
SPS 133: How I Write Screenplays & Books While Training For Marathons with Bo Eason (former NFL Standout)
SPS 132: From Blogger To New York Times Bestseller with Matt Kepnes (aka. Nomadic Matt)
SPS 131: Get Different With Your Book Marketing: How To Market In A Way That Stands Out with Mike Michalowicz
SPS 130: How to Re-Launch Your Book The Product Launch Formula Way with Jeff Walker
SPS 129: How I Self Published My Way To 1M+ Copies Sold And $10M+ In Business From My Book with Michael Bungay Stanier
SPS 128: How I Sold 1,000,000+ Copies Of My Book Through An Informercial with Anthony Morrison
SPS 127: Traditional vs. Self Publishing: Dropping The Mic On Which You Should Choose with Ruth Soukup (And How I Sold 500,000 Copies Of My Self Published Book)
SPS 126: How To Turn Your Nonfiction Book Into A Children’s Book (Advanced Publishing & Fulfillment Strategies) with Ellaine Ursuy
SPS 125: Live Your Message: Writing A Book That Readers Actually Implement & Turning Your Book Into An Online Course with Marisa Murgatroyd
SPS 124: How To Sell More Fiction Books & Build A Full-Time Fiction Career with Ramy Vance
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