BLM: Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us! One of your most used quotes is “Books Are A Business”. The idea of writing a book and considering it a business venture is rarely realized by many authors. Can you talk a little about that?
Sure! First I have to say, statistics say 80% of people feel they have a book inside of them. THAT WAS NOT MY STORY! I was offered a career column with a national newspaper in 2001. After writing the column for approximately six months, I received a package with copies of all my articles and a note that said, “Please put this stuff in a book!” and I did. The column became the foundation for my first book, Why Should I Hire You?, which was released in 2004. I contacted a guru in the human resources world (my background) and asked them to write the foreword for my book. They agreed to do so if I would agree to be the keynote speaker for a conference for a resume writing association. I arrived with $47.00 and 500 books, and went home with zero books and over 1,500 book orders (cash in hand). This was the defining point that allowed me to see my career as “just” a human resources professional change forever. I went on to write more books and soon discovered, it’s not about selling books, but running a book business. Consequently, people began to ask me how “I did it” so I created the Books Are A Business Kit™ to help aspiring authors avoid some common mistakes, as well as get a crash course in the “publishing world”. I use the term, “Books Are A Business”, because I have used books as a means to become an entrepreneur. I have learned that books create multiple streams of income and I’m tapping into all of them. Since I haven’t had to return to corporate America. I think it’s safe to say, this “book business” is working!
BLM: You also the creator of CAREER Magazine. Tell us a little about it and your inspiration behind creating it?
CAREER Magazine is what I call my newsletter on steroids. As I mentioned above, my career changed drastically as a result of releasing books. I found very little time to keep up with my newsletter which was going out to about 2,500 people. I got really busy, but I didn’t want to let them down so I began to ask colleagues to submit content. Before I knew it, I was producing a 12-page newsletter. I like to share defining moments, so if I may… I noticed many of the career articles in some of the major “career” publications were written by journalist instead of human resources/career professionals. I wanted to be a game changer so I pulled in those same colleagues and offered them a column. CAREER Magazine was introduced in May/June 2008. CAREER Magazine is dedicated 100% to career wholeness and is for the employee, the employer, the entrepreneur, and of course, the Authorpreneur. It now reaches over 300,000.
BLM: You are a very active on your Facebook page and in various author and business groups. How important is it to stay visible 
and active not only as an author, but in other types of business also?
No one has to support what you do. If people are going to spend time “checking out” what I do, then I want to be sure they have a reason to return. For that reason alone, I give out daily tips on career, business and author tips to keep people returning for more. My hope is of course that they will become subscribers and /or advertisers. If not, they will at least tell others we are here. It’s vitally important to remain active because people are always willing to join and support a movement!
BLM: Many new and even some established authors fail to understand the importance of branding in their careers. Can you explain to our readers why this is vital to their success?
Your brand is your MARK….everyone with a public career (this includes authors) needs to leave their indelible mark wherever they go! Branding is your ID tag that tells the world, “Hey, check this out!” If no one knows you exist, it’s a wrap!
BLM: Making the right connections in any career is essential. How can we know what connections are the right ones and which ones to run away from?
I’m very fond of the good old method called “gut check”. Intuition plays a major role for me and it seldom leads me wrong. The purpose of networking is to create a bond with others who are supportive and have common interests. Everyone can’t be in your inner circle, but it doesn’t mean they have no place in your life. You need someone at every level in your life that has already done what you are trying to do. As such, you need people in your life to tell you when you are off course. As it relates to when to run, I’ve been in the “people business” long enough to know, when people show you who they are to believe them!
BLM: You not only have a huge presence in online groups and forums but you have lots of free video on YouTube. In one of them you talk about the first thing an author should do before releasing their books. Can you talk to us about the most important one?
I would say the single most important thing any author should do is know WHY they are writing the book. If an author can’t speak to the features and benefits of their book, it’s going to be a hard sale.
BLM: What do you think is the biggest misconception amongst new and aspiring authors about entering the literary industry?
Just one? (LOL). I think one of the biggest misconceptions is you can do everything cheap and or free and still put out a quality product. In my publishing workshops, I always say, “if you’re not ready to run a business, re-think writing your book!” Not as a detour, but to caution that this requires investment of sweat equity and green backs. It’s hard to stand out in the stack with a template that looks like everyone else.
BLM: There are a lot of horror stories around authors being ripped off by unscrupulous publishing houses. What do you feel is the one thing that can help prevent these stories from happening?
{Shameless Plug} Get the Books Are A Business Kit™, research and do more research, talk to as many authors as possible and don’t be so anxious. Check out all of your options and learn the ropes before hanging yourself. Lastly, PLEASE don’t take everything so personal. Often when one gives constructive criticism, authors take it as a personal attack. Remember the castor oil didn’t taste good going down, but it was DEFINITELY good for you!
BLM: What can we expect in the future from Stephanie C. Harper and CAREER Magazine?
We are currently filming for CAREER Magazine TV, we want to reach more people with our message and we want to share more than tips and strategies. You can also expect more product, more workshops and more insight. We’re not stingy with our knowledge.
BLM: Where can our readers get more information about you and your products?
I’d be happy to provide my media kit for your readers who want to learn more.
http://www.booksareabusiness.com/images/SCHMediaKit2011.pdf
For reader who want to connect, please do so at :
http://www.TheCareerMag.com
http://www.BooksAreABusiness.com
