I’ve had the chance to explore your work, and it really caught my interest. I’d be curious to hear what you’re working on now or what sparked the idea behind your latest book. Always enjoy connecting with fellow authors in the same space.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your writing journey so far?
Karl, my latest book, “Holding On To Her Identity,” shares a fear that all home caregivers of Alzheimer's have, and that is their loved one can lose their “self-identity.” This book describes all of my invented activities to make sure my wife knew who she was and that she could identify her family members. In my case, it was very successful. I am now working on a new book to show the “Lifestyle of an Alzheimer's Home Caregiver.” The most rewarding? To be able to share insights with other family caregivers of loved ones who have no experience like me. We are all “amateurs.” I learned the hard way, by “trial and error.” Hopefully my books make their very difficult journey easier. Thank you for your interest.
Thank you for sharing your story Holding On To Her Identity sounds incredibly meaningful, and I admire your dedication to helping other caregivers through such a personal journey.
The cover looks great, by the way did you design it yourself or work with a designer?
Engaging with readers has been one of the most rewarding parts of writing for me. How has your experience been with your readers?
If you're open to connecting, could you share your email address?
My website has many of my posts which are excerpts from my books. There is a lot of interaction with my readers. The newsletter has attracted an enormous number of subscribers and is growing without much social network support. Many AllAuthor authors have subscribed and have investigated my books and have purchased them. Basically, “telling it like it is” and “authenticity” have been its success. This permits me to engage constantly with my readers and interact with others. I am always open to “connecting,” but perhaps you can use the contact form on my home page of AllAuthor instead of sharing emails or go to my website for more “connection” and “interaction.”
Thanks for sharing more about your process and approach, I appreciate the emphasis on authenticity and direct engagement. It’s great to hear that your newsletter has gained strong traction, especially without heavy reliance on social media. That says a lot about the value readers are finding in your content.
I did take a look at your books, and I noticed that the ratings and engagement on some platforms seem a bit low compared to the interaction you’re describing. Do you have any thoughts on what might be contributing to that? It’s always interesting to learn how different strategies translate across platforms.
I haven't paid much attention to the marketing aspect of my books. I do know the niche my books focus on is extremely narrow. It's not a massive audience like many authors have. Most healthy people don't like reading about this subject which can be very sad. They shy away from it as long as they can. This topic usually appeals to only to those who have experienced (or experiencing) Alzheimer's with their family or friends. So low engagement doesn't surprise me especially since I do not promote on the usual social networks and platforms. I don't have a team helping me. My motive has never been to be a commercial success although I have received a great response in orders. I have been principally focused on leaving a paper trail to help other caregivers through my books. I am in the process of completing my fourth book I referred to earlier. Writing and marketing don't really go hand in hand. They seem to get in the way of each other.
Thank you for sharing that it makes a lot of sense, and I can completely understand why your focus has been on helping others rather than chasing commercial success. Writing about such a deeply personal and emotional subject like Alzheimer’s is incredibly important, even if the audience is smaller.
Your dedication to creating a meaningful “paper trail” for caregivers is admirable, and I’m sure your books have already helped many people going through difficult times.
I totally agree that writing and marketing often feel like they clash it’s hard to pour your energy into both at once. I’ve been fortunate to work with a marketing team that helps me handle promotion so I can focus more on writing. If you’re ever curious about exploring that side, I’d be happy to connect you with them.
I’d also love to hear more about your upcoming fourth book, what direction are you taking with it?
Thank you, Karl. I will keep you posted. Most importantly, Karl, I am deeply grateful for your service to our country. I follow our veterans closely, and I am always concerned about their well-being, especially our Gold Star Families. I worry about them because they usually have very young children. These Moms are very brave, and I try to support them. I am following you on Amazon, and when I take a break I will definitely get into your books.
Looking back, we often forget that life is fragile, giving priority to so many things that are not that important, and taking time away from each other. I regret that.
I started taking daily notes when my wife was at the beginning of Alzheimer’s. As I observed a gradual decline in her basic functions and changes in her behavior, writing helped to alleviate my sorrow. It also helped me make better decisions the next day because I started to use my notes to help me as her caregiver. I realized that my experiences could help other Alzheimer's home caregivers and started writing about different aspects of caregiving over these 6 years.
In my first book, Preventing Her Shutdown, the title represents my desperate efforts 24/7 to keep my wife interactive, connected, and interactive and avoid a shutdown of her basic functions due to her Alzheimer's. The subtitle, Losing My Wife To Alzheimer's, acknowledges my futile efforts to fight for her life. The image of the candle recently flickering and now smoking on my book cover shows the slow burnout of a candle, just as Alzheimer's slowly shuts down life. I was attempting to establish a direct link between the title and cover and the motive and content of the book.
My books come from a daily diary of notes written spontaneously in real time at any time of day as events may occur. I could be taking notes on my phone, PC, or tablet, depending on what I have at hand. I am not limited by a schedule. Sporadically, there are several hours in a day, or just a few minutes. This is contingent upon the significance and impact of my spouse's behavioral changes throughout the day.
