Interview with Belinda Fisher

Author of SAMMY GOES FISHING

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

I am originally from St. Louis, Missouri. I currently live in Jamestown, Missouri, a small rural community near Columbia, Missouri.

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

Both family responsibilities and my nursing career were involved in my move to this area.

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

I have been writing since I was in my teens. I chose SAMMY GOES FISHING as my first publication as a means of communicating Biblical truths to young children. I wanted it to be both entertaining and instructional in a story format.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

Sammy is a boy who likes to go on a variety of adventures. On this trip, Sammy is going fishing with Grandpa and invites readers to come along as they hope to catch lots of fish.
However, besides getting lessons about fishing, Grandpa uses the fishing to teach Sammy about God, Jesus and how to please them.
Grandpa begins his talk by defining what sin is and how the Devil uses everyday activities to pull good boys and girls away from God. Above all, Sammy learns Jesus wants to be his very best friend. He learns this happens by putting Jesus first and making good choices that will make both Jesus and God happy.

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

Sammy is a boy who likes to go on a variety of adventures. On this trip, Sammy is going fishing with Grandpa and invites readers to come along as they hope to catch lots of fish.
However, besides getting lessons about fishing, Grandpa uses the fishing to teach Sammy about God, Jesus and how to please them.

Grandpa begins his talk by defining what sin is and how the Devil uses everyday activities to pull good boys and girls away from God. Later, Grandpa brings up the Ten Commandments as he says the Commandments teach children to honor their parents, be honest, share with others and treat others as they would want to be treated.

Above all, Sammy learns Jesus wants to be his very best friend. He learns he can do this by putting Jesus first and making good choices that will make both Jesus and God proud.

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

Writing requires hard work to gain the revisions and quality for publication, but the work is fun and well worth the effort. I chose to self-publish this book. Self-publishing is rewarding as you have more say and input into the process. You do, however, need to have an eye for detail in regard to what the publisher presents. You also have to have (and pay for) your own illustrations. The advantage of that is that you get to approve each picture, but, once again, you have to be detail-conscious to obtain accuracy.

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

I would only advise myself to be more precise in details and be more assertive in stating what I do and do not want in regard to the illustrations and the book blurb instead of repeating my history.

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

I’d like to reach as many people as possible, both through individual reading and classroom use.

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

Marketing has been the biggest challenge and frustration for me.

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

a) I love to write and have several more works in progress.
b) I enjoyed my publishing experience, learned from it and am looking forward to publishing my next book.
c) Marketing is a difficult topic for me. I admit I am still learning ways to improve.

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

a) My biggest challenge in writing is scheduling time to focus on my writing in the midst of health issues.
b) Self-publishing is more of a financial challenge while traditional publishing requires more patience and persistence.
c) My marketing is a work in progress limited by my limited mobility and health issues.

When do you think you will you write your next book?

My next book, SAMMY GOES TO ZOLOFF, is almost finished and is being submitted to traditional publishers.

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

I self-published.