We recently connected with Lori Orlinsky and have shared our conversation below.
Lori, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
When my daughter Hayley was in preschool, she was teased for being the shortest child in class. I scoured through books, to point to a short character who Hayley could relate to that was a heroine. Much to my surprise, not only couldn’t I find one, but I found tons of characters who had special abilities precisely because they were tall. That’s when I realized that Hayley needed a book to make her feel better about herself, and the world needed that, too.
My first children’s book, Being Small (Isn’t So Bad After All) was an actual labor of love. It was released in 2019 and earned more than 15 awards and became an Amazon bestseller., After realizing that my writing could make a difference, I didn’t stop. I kept on writing children’s books with lessons.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
After seeing the success of Being Small, I continued to write lesson-based books. The Tooth Fairy’s Tummy Ache helps kids learn about honesty; Balloons for Tiger helps kids cope with pet loss and The Adventures of Lefty and Righty: The Windy City teaches kids about Chicago!
Then the pandemic hit.
On a whim, out of both boredom and a desire to provide children with some semblance of normalcy, I teamed up with children’s book author Alysson Bourque to create a podcast – Ask an Author – where we brought author visits to kids who were remote learning. We interviewed all kids of children’s book authors about their inspiration to write, how to publish a book, and even talked to illustrators about their process. Teachers loved taking a little break and showing these videos to kids.
As the popularity of Ask an Author grew, Aly and I found ourselves fielding questions from other authors about how they could market themselves during the pandemic. When talking about these strategies with Aly, we realized we have complementary skill sets that could really help others succeed. When I was approached with a side gig to help launch an author’s book, I looped in Aly, and by that night in August, 2020, we had a list of names, a logo, and a website for our new company: Foreword Publicity, a book marketing service. Our goal was to provide author marketing support to help authors boost their credibility, exposure and spark book sales. We started with one client, and word of mouth kept on growing.
Now, three years and more than 400 books later, there’s no where else I’d rather be. Being a business owner brings me so much joy. I love seeing books come to life and helping authors make their dreams a reality.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Persistence – When I initially set out to publish Being Small, I was rejected by more than 200 publishers! I could have just quit. But I kept on pushing, and that one yes changed my life.
2. Desire to better myself – The book industry is ever-evolving, and I am constantly taking courses, listening to webinars and seeking new, out-of-the-box ways to be successful.
3. Relatability – I enjoy working with my clients because to me, they are more than a book. I like to learn their backstory and really get to know them so we can work together more cohesively.
I would encourage authors or business owners to give themselves grace when things don’t go the way they hoped. Sometimes its the mistakes that make for the best learning opportunities!
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
If you are a traditionally published, hybrid published or self published author, please reach out to chat about how Foreword Publicity can help you grow! We also service publishers and can do white label or overflow work. We have more than 30 services available. Visit forewordpublicity.com to learn more!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.forewordpublicity.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forewordpublicity/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loriorlinsky/
- Other: https://www.loriorlinskyauthor.com/
Image Credits
TK Photography
