Interview with Olayinka (Ola) Joseph

Author of Voice of Courage – Everyone Has a Story (+ 13 others)

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

Birth country: Nigeria
Now: US Citizen

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

In search of better life and better opportunity.

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

While serving in the US Navy, I joined a Toastmasters Club (Public Speaking & Leadership Development Club). After that, I decided to become a professional speaker. At that point, I realized that writing a book would give me more credibility and makes me an authority on my subject matter. Also, I realized that without a book, I would be leaving my audience in limbo, but with a book, my audience could get more info, I could make more money and increase my revenue. With a book, the whole world is my audience because my books can go to places I cannot and may not be able to go to.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

Inspirational

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

People who are afraid to take their first step towards achieving their dreams.

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

That writing is the easiest part of publishing a book. Getting a reputable publishing house to take the book was the challenge. I got a lot of rejections based on every excuse under the sun.

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

Don’t expect that every publishing house would want to publish your book once it is written and don’t expect to make a truck load of money from your first book.

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

A million plus

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

Marketing!!!

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

Writing and publishing

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

Marketing

When do you think you will write your next book?

I have written 14 of them and I have at least 3 at different stages of completion on my computer. I also do ghost writing for people.

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

Self Published.