Today on The Writer's Block, we head to Singapore to catch up on the latest with Stephen Black! He is quite an accomplished and interesting fellow. Be sure to read his first interview on The Writer's Block to get Stephen's take on marketing and branding:
"The idea is simply that my "brand" is whatever I do: art, writing, photography, video, music and breeding thoroughbred Chihuahuas. (Just kidding about the Chihuahuas.)"
1) Welcome back to The Writer's Block, Stephen! Please tell our new readers a bit about who you are and where you live and work.
I am an American artist/videomaker and writer. I live in Singapore and Bali.Ten years ago I wrote my first book.
2) What were you working on when we spoke last? (Interview link:http://raychelle-writes.b
Well, that interview was a refreshing reminder of what my life was like then! The book which was then called being called Tiong Bahru is now called i ate tiong bahru...and it has become a national bestseller in Singapore.
3) Catch us up on what you have done since then.
Since that interview, I have done very little marketing and a lot of writing. I completed the following books: Furikake, Contact With Shadow, Bali Wave Ghost and Flame Magnet, which is a "secret project " that could lead to a new way authors and readers connect. All of these books are on Amazon, but only one, i ate tiong bahru, has been printed.
4) What is next for you?
I am working on the follow up to i ate tiong bahru, which will be called tiong bahru mouth. tiong bahru mouth could be two books: one consisting of photographs I have been taking of Tiong Bahru, the other a collection of short stories. I should mention that I am also very interested in virtual reality. I have two projects related to this, one at www.gallery.sg, the other at https://play.google.com/
5) How did The Writer's Block help you promote yourself?
(The) Writer's Block will always be one of my strongest memories related to ebooks and epublishing. My experience with Raychelle was friendly and very professional, in that her blog was one of the first places where my work as a writer was shared. And, Raychelle also kindly wrote a review on Amazon, which I think was the first.These were both very encouraging!
6) What advice would you offer to aspiring author/illustrators?
If you are considering becoming a full-time writer, ask yourself if you are prepared to go through very difficult times. There will be the difficulty of creating great work and then there will be the difficulty of paying the bills, not to mention getting the work in front of readers.To paraphrase Tolstoy and to repeat what I wrote for Writer's Block many years ago, ink is blood.
Thank you, Stephen! Wishing you the best in your future endeavors!
An American who has lived most of his life in Asia, Stephen Black is an artist/videomaker, photographer and writer. His works have been shown in galleries and festivals around the world and his fifth book, i ate tiong bahru, is a national bestseller in Singapore.
You can keep up with Stephen by checking out his website www.blacksteps.tv and by connecting with him on Facebook as Stephen Black, and following him on Twitter @bookmerah.
Keep your pen to the paper! Inspiration is everywhere...
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