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 165: How To Write A Great Biography / Memoir with Phil Rosenkrantz
SPS 164: Turning Your Chronic Illness Into A Book That Impacts Millions Of Readers with Tori Geiger
SPS 163: The Artist Journey: A Path From Creativity To Bestselling Author & Business Growth with Nancy Hillis
SPS 162: How Are You, Really? - Behind The Scenes Of Writing & Launching My First Book with Jenna Kutcher
SPS 161: Sneak Peak: John C Maxwell Interview from AAL
SPS 160: Quitting My Corporate Because Of My Book with Mick Spiers
SPS 159: How To Get A Multi 6 Figure Advance With Your First Book with Brian Dixon
SPS 158: Lessons Learned In The Trenches Helping 1,000’s Of Authors with Brett Hilker
SPS 157: How To Write & Publish A Memoir That Makes A Difference (Behind The Scenes Of The SPS Coaching Process) with Kerk Murray
SPS 156: Enneagram For Authors: Using Your Enneagram Type To Write & Publish A Better Book with Ian Morgan Cron
SPS 155: The Happy Hustler’s Guide To Writing And Marketing A Book Without Burning Out with Cary Jack
SPS 154: Publishing A Faith-Based Book That Inspires Action & Spreads Your Message with Aaron Schafer
SPS 153: Writing A Children’s Book For Your Kids - How To Do It & Why You Should with Josiah Fogle
SPS 152: Let It Be Easy: Using Publicity & Instagram To Sell Books & Grow Your Business with Susie Moore
SPS 151: Growing Your Influence & Selling More Books Using Instagram with Jordan Lee Dooley
SPS 150: Speak & Write With No Fear with Mike Acker (From Speaker To Author)
SPS 149: The 4 Tendencies of Bestselling Authors & Writing Great Books with Gretchen Rubin
SPS 148: Growing Your Real Estate Investing Business Using A Book with AJ Osborne
SPS 147: From Reading “Published.” To 50,000+ Copies Sold (How I Did It) with Rachel Richards
SPS Is Taking on Author-ity Figures: Who They Are & Exciting Announcement!
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