A MOMENT TO SHARE with Gary L. Smith
Gary L. Smith is an author of The Shepherd and the Princess: 7 Keys to Conquering the Goliaths in Your Life; Achieving Unusual Greatness: Timeless Lessons from the Trail Already Blazed; and The Customer Conundrum: 9 Crucial Steps for Winning Customers and Outsmarting Your Competition. He is also consulting & interim management agent; personal & business coach; keynote speaker; and trainer.
Gary Smith
Hi Gary, thank you for agreeing to this interview.
Tell me a little about yourself and your background? What were you like at school? Were you good at English? What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I come from a background of 30+ years of technical and business operations management. I���ve run multiplication companies with up to $80M in sales and 250 employees. I didn���t really get into education until I was in college. I trained as an engineer and excelled at technical writing.
My writing style today is conversational. My goal is to inspire future achievers by wrapping the elements of business success in stories that make it easy to remember and apply key principles. I also use my technical writing skills to create easy, step by step systems for people to follow.
Which writers inspire you?
I have been inspired by writers and speakers like Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Jim Rohn, and Tony Robbins. I appreciate their styles and have learned a great deal from them.
What was your life like before becoming an author?
Gary Smith’s Twitter Page
I was a successful business owner. I started writing blog posts and then moved into writing books. I just completed my third publication. My goal in all of my writing is to share my knowledge and experience with a broader audience.
When did you decide to become a writer?
I considered being an author for many years, but finally made the commitment in 2009. I wrote blog posts for about 4 years and published my first two books in 2013, and another book in October of 2014.
Why do you write?
I write to share my knowledge and experience and to help develop the next generation of personal and business leaders in the world.
So, what have you written?
I have written two weekly blogs, one on personal development and one on business success, for the past five years. I���ve also been a guest blogger on several websites, including YourPayHub.com. I���ve published three books.
The Shepherd and the Princess: 7 Keys to Conquering the Goliaths in Your Life
Achieving Unusual Greatness: Timeless Lessons from the Trail Already Blazed
The Customer Conundrum: 9 Crucial Steps for Winning Customers and Outsmarting Your Competition
Where people can buy or see them?
At my website: www.optechs.com/buy/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gary-L.-Smith/e/B00DAEG9TY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
At LULU.com: www.lulu.com/spotlight/optechs
Give me an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
The main character in the Shepherd and The Princess is David. He is a 16-year old boy, the runt of his family, who has been chosen to be Israel���s next king.
What sparked the idea for your book?
It was the subject of a talk that I had been giving for over 20 years.
How do you market your book?
Gary Smith’s Website Page
Through my website, via social media, and through trade shows.
Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books? What do you do to get book reviews?
I get books reviews by asking. Initially, I offered a free copy of the book to anyone who would agree to write a review.
What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Realize that it���s a lot of hard work. Writing takes time, it takes focus, and it takes project management skills if you are going to produce a worthwhile product.
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Website: www.optechs.com
Blog: www.optechs.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/optechsonline
Twitter: www.twitter.com/optechs
Lnkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/optechs
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Gary-L.-Smith/e/B00DAEG9TY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Soundcloud.com: soundcloud.com/optechs
Thanks and best of luck Gary Smith!!!
