Elizabeth Lawless
Elizabeth Ann Lawless is a 5x Amazon Best-Selling author with 112 Straight #1 Amazon Best-Sellers for clients. She writes about creativity, publishing, multicultural Western history, and spirituality. This creative, serial entrepreneur, speaker, and livestream/podcast host mentors creatives who want to publish for leverage or legacy; while also sharing the rarely and untold stories of multicultural contributions of the American Wild West. The Livestreams for both shows 5 pm CST Tuesdays @AuthorAdventure and 5 pm CST Thursdays @WildWestDiversity and can be found weekly on YouTube, Linkedin and Facebook or you can follow either show on multiple social media platforms.
Liz (or LawlessLiz) as she is known, has actually been in the book business since 1972 when her mother opened a Christian Bookstore so she saw the retail side of publishing growing up. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Speech and a Masters of Liberal Arts she wondered if she could write creatively. Taking a Creative Writing class with her mother for fun she expanded her creativity and wrote her first children’s book which the instructor recommended she send to traditional publishers (that was the only option then –– no Internet).
In 1988, after 47 rejections from traditional publishers, Liz put her dream of book publishing away and jumped feet first into creative entrepreneurship establishing an advertising agency in Dallas, Texas. A question from a client in 1992 resurrected her publishing dream, “You have a children’s book don’t you?” Well she had a manuscript not a book but what she had by then was an artist, a printer and cash-flow from her advertising agency. So she self-published and sold her first 100 copies and became a published author with “Creative Monster.” Today she is the author of 15 self-published books and counting. In 2013, a request from a friend caused her to shift from creative advertising services to helping people publish. One friend was taken advantage of drastically by a Vanity Publisher and another friend needed help becoming a #1 Amazon Best-Selling author (Liz’s first #1 for a client).
Since then Liz has engaged in partner publishing (an author shared cost business model) where she has provided writing masterminds, editing, design, layout, production, formatting hardback, paperback and eBook, uploading to multiple platforms, book launches, publishing masterminds, ongoing marketing, media, event and distribution support. When clients work with Liz they get access to her 100,000 hours of publishing mastery.
Now in 2022, she is easing out of the day to day production work with clients to focus on her own writing projects and to provide Free or minimal cost education and information through Author Adventure and Wild West Diversity Livestreams, Podcast and eNewsletters. She also offers Virtual and Live Author Adventure Bookcamp Workshops on a quarterly basis. She can be reached at lizbookcatalyst@gmail.com. You can sign up for her daily motivational 1 Creative Action by texting 737-510-2788.
15 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are 15 of the most frequently asked questions I have heard over the years related to book writing and publishing. As mentioned, most writers are already curious and have asked a certain number of questions at least in their own minds if not openly.
If you are not comfortable asking questions, I would recommend that you put that on your to-do list and work on it every day even if you just ask one small question. It doesn’t have to be related to publishing; you just want to build your verbal muscle and move from discomfort to a feeling of comfort.
1. How can I overcome my fears about book writing, publishing, and marketing?
2. How do I get started writing?
3. What should I write about?
4. What if I don’t know much about the topic I want to write about?
5. Where can I gather more information about my topic?
6. When is the best time of day to write?
7. What else do I need to include in my manuscript?
8. Why do I need an editor?
9. Where can I find a publisher?
10. How do I get my book to #1 on Amazon?
11. What are an ISBN and Barcode and why do I need them?
12. When should I start marketing my book?
13. Why do I need an author website?
14. How much does it cost to write (publish) a book?
15. Where can I get all my questions answered?
Learning to ask better questions is a skill all of us need to continue to polish no matter our vocation. For an expanded version and the answers to the 15 Questions visit www.LizLawless.com and put in your email then choose NONE for the free version or if you want to invest the cost of a meal or more you can choose the monthly, annual or my founders membership.
There is a year’s worth of articles at that website along with the “15 Questions Potential or Published Authors SHOULD Be Asking” because many times we don’t even know the questions we should be asking. Even vintage authors need to remain curious and open to asking better questions.
If you have a question about any aspect of book publishing please email me at lizbookcatalyst@gmail.com or follow me on any social media platform and message or post a comment.
Good luck on your author journey.
Creatively,
Author Liz Lawless
