Interview with Byron Tully

Author of Old Money, New Woman: How To Manage Your Money and Your Life

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born in Houston and now live in Paris.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I grew up on Houston. My senior year of high school, I was offered a full scholarship to Brown University. I famously turned my back on that and went to Los Angeles, where I found myself cleaning toilets at the Hard Rock Cafe. I wrote a screenplay, which is, apparently, a LA residency requirement, landed an agent, and optioned the script to a producer. My writing career continued. I wrote The Old Money Book in 2013. It was immediately successful. Other Old Money titles followed, including Old Money, New Woman. But Los Angeles lost its appeal. My wife and I moved to Paris 3 years ago, and are still trying to learn the language.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I watched many friends and colleagues suffer during the Financial Crisis. I was dumbfounded that so many were living so well–nice cars, nice clothes, McMansion–but had so little cash reserves. When the economy took a nose-dive, so did they. I soon realized that the way my wife and I live–and the way our friends in Boston live–is something most people did not understand or even know about. It’s an ‘Old Money’ way of life, and it needed to be shared with the public.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

The Old Money series of books show anyone from any background how to adopt the values, priorities, and habits of America’s Upper Class in order to live a richer life. There’s The Old Money Book, The Old Money Guide To Marriage, Old Money, New Woman: How To Manage Your Money and Your Life, and the upcoming Old Money Style – A Gentleman’s Guide To Dressing Well.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Young people who are looking for a ‘philosophy’ that they can adopt going forward. Middle aged people who have fallen into the ‘consumer’ merry-go-round and want to change their lives. Older people who want to reaffirm and share time-tested values with their children and grandchildren, but don’t know how to articulate those values.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

An author must ruthlessly edit their own work without losing the original, inspired voice of it. It’s a tricky balance. With regards to publishing, I discovered that if I didn’t know how to do something, there was a world of expertise and experience out there to offer insight and direction.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Know the power of social media.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I’d like to sell one million copies of The Old Money Book.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Using social media without falling into the trap of social media.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

(A) I know this ‘Old Money’ philosophy. I know the subject matter intimately. I am passionate about it. I believe that this way of life can benefit people.. (B) I know the power of a book cover and sub-title. You must convey your book’s message in an image and a short description on the cover. (C) I have a blog that has been up and running for 5 years now and has been visited by over 1 million readers. My posts instantly appear on Twitter.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

(A) I tend to be happy with the first or second draft. (B) I don’t have as clear a picture of the distribution landscape as I should. (C) I do not like to spend time on social media. This 3rd ‘weakness’, however, may be more of a choice. I advise my readers to spend less time online and more time in the world, living.

When do you think you will write your next book?

Oh, I’m writing it now. Some people have ‘writer’s block’. I have ‘writer’s flood.’ The ideas never stop.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

Self published.