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 242: Writing A Memoir On Your Health & Faith Journey with Karen Wilkinson
SPS 241: Get Scalable: Scaling Your Company Using A Book with Ryan Deiss
240: “The Empowered Woman” + Writing A Collaboration Book / Anthology with Marta Spirk
SPS 239: Launching An Updated & Revised Edition After 2M+ Copies Sold (Miracle Morning Behind The Scenes)…with Hal Elrod
SPS 238: Booking More Speaking Gigs, $40k Keynote Fees, And Bulk Book Sales with Cameron Herold
SPS 237: Rise Of The Reader & How To Market Bestselling Books with Nick Hutchison
SPS 236: Startup Santa: From Toymaker & Inventor To Author with Brad Pedersen
SPS 235: $80k/year In Royalties For 6 Years From One Book…How This Teacher Did It with Rob Plevin
SPS 234: BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Unleashing the Power of Authorship
SPS 233: Be Seen: Discovering Your Voice & Booking Speaking Gigs Grow Your Brand with Jen Gottlieb
SPS 232 How I Sold 25,000+ Copies Of My Children’s Book with Delanda Coleman
SPS 231 How To Get Famous & Sell More Books By Getting On TV with Clint Author
SPS 230 Using AI / ChatGPT To Write & Publish Your Book with Jonathan Green
SPS 229 Grow An App Using A Book And Teaching Kids About Money with Scott Donnell
SPS 228 Post Pardon Me: Writing A Book About Postpartum And Other Difficult Life Experiences with Suzanne Yatim Aslam
SPS: 227 Marketing Secrets, Affiliate Book Launches, And Gorgeous Book Funnels with Julie Chenell
SPS226: The Journey To 110,000 Copies Sold & Relaunching Your Book…How I Did It with Sean Cannell
SPS 225: Why Affirmations Don’t Work & How To Use Afformations Instead with Noah St. John
SPS 224: The Engineer Approach To Millions Of Copies Sold with Todd Sattersten
SPS 223: The 2 Week Vacation Test & Scaling From 6 To 7 Figures with Austin Netzley
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