We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexa Haddock Bigwarfe. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexa Haddock below.
Alexa Haddock, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Resilience is often born through struggle. I’ve faced my fair share of those. My resilience springs from a combination of life experiences, including living abroad and serving in the military during wartime, compounded by surviving a profound personal tragedy. I left my career to be home with my children, which, although rewarding in so many ways, I found incredibly challenging because I had an intense drive to make a difference.
And then life offered me an even harder obstacle to overcome. After losing my infant daughter, Kathryn, I realized I had two choices. Lie down and figuratively die with her, or find ways to survive and thrive. I chose option B and found solace in serving others while I healed. I didn’t imagine any of this turning into running multiple companies around serving authors and publishing professionals. It started with a simple blog sharing my story, and hoping to help others in the process.
Writing about this loss was more than an outlet for my grief; it became a beacon of hope for others. Eventually, I created the book Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother, a collaborative effort with over thirty parents. This project opened my eyes to the powerful healing and transformative potential of writing and publishing. It wasn’t just about sharing my story; it was about empowering others to share theirs.
From this heart-wrenching experience, I discovered a new mission – to help people grow, heal, transform, and thrive through the power of their words. In 2014, I founded Write|Publish|Sell, embodying this mission. It’s about more than guiding authors on their journey, providing them the knowledge to make informed decisions in the complex world of publishing, but also about providing resources to help save new authors time, energy, money, and avoiding mistakes. As I built Write|Publish|Sell, I began working with clients to help them self-publish, and then eventually created and grew two publishing houses. My two imprints, Kat Biggie Press and Purple Butterfly Press, aim to publish high-quality books that inspire, encourage, and transform readers.
A particularly fulfilling aspect of my work is coaching and training. The Women in Publishing Summit, a significant virtual event for women authors and professionals in the industry, was a direct response to not seeing enough women in this industry getting the recognition that they deserved, combined with a desire to build community, inspire, and connect authors to professionals, while celebrating the accomplishments of our community. This platform is not just about sharing experiences; it’s about empowering, encouraging, and supporting authors through the daunting journey of writing, publishing, and selling books.
My resilience is driven by the belief that everyone has a story worth telling. Books are important. They change lives and help people learn, grow, and heal. They entertain and make us laugh. Books introduce curiosity and wonder, allow us to see new worlds and experiences. Books have power. Therefore, I am committed to removing as many barriers as possible to help these stories reach the world.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
We specialize in author support at Write|Publish|Sell. Our services range from coaching, consulting, book shepherding, training opportunities, to self-publishing assistance. Our primary goal is to nurture high-quality authors, ready to make their mark in the competitive world of book marketing. Our membership program is designed to demystify the publishing process, equipping authors with essential skills and tools to grow their businesses and enhance their marketing capabilities. It’s important to me to provide the knowledge base and training that I was in need of when I decided to write and publish my first book. We provide a ton of free resources through our blog, YouTube channel, and monthly webinars.
The Women in Publishing Summit, our annual virtual event in March, stands as the first and largest of its kind for women in the publishing industry. Under the motto “Empower. Encourage. Support,” we bring together a diverse group of authors, publishers, editors, and other industry professionals to provide education, training, and essential tools to assist authors on their journey. More importantly, we create community. This community is continuing to grow and help authors and publishing professionals flourish. We continue this training throughout the year through free monthly webinars, our private community, and networking events.
What sets us apart is our emphasis on collaboration and transparency in the publishing process. We’re not just about selling information; we’re committed to educating aspiring authors through various channels like webinars, blogs, workshops, and coaching programs. Our approach is holistic, focusing on nurturing the entire journey of an author from inception to publication and beyond.
We invite you to join us in our many opportunities to help you write, publishing, and sell your book or find the community that can help shape and inspire you while building your publishing career.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Reflecting on my journey, the three pivotal elements that stand out are patience, persistence, and passion. Starting and growing a business is an enormous task, often filled with challenges and learning curves. The world of book publishing is intricate, requiring a deep understanding of the creation and marketing processes. My passion stems from my why. Knowing how much writing helped me heal after the loss of my daughter, combined with wanting to help others answer the call they have to write, either for themselves or for the benefit of others, keeps me focused and moving forward, even when it’s difficult.
Throughout my journey, there have been numerous hurdles, from financial missteps to production errors. These challenges were not just professional but personal, often encroaching upon my time with family and friends. However, these obstacles were instrumental in shaping my business acumen, teaching me the importance of focusing on strengths and learning from mistakes.
Now, with two flourishing publishing imprints and the success of my annual conference, I see the value of those challenging times. They have underscored the importance of learning, adapting, and growing. My advice to those at the beginning of their journey is to embrace the struggles and learn from them. Find others who can help you. Patience in developing your craft, persistence in facing challenges, and passion for your mission will guide you through the tumultuous yet rewarding journey of building a successful enterprise. Nothing worth having comes easily. But with proper support and community, it doesn’t have to be as hard.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Other professionals in the publishing industry, in particular some really incredible women who have risen to the top of their professions, and some wonderful business coaches! I’ve been so lucky to have made wonderful connections with other women who guided and mentored me, provided insight and feedback, shared resources, and helped me as I’ve grown. I would not be where I am without the help of these women, as well as some great business coaches and mentors (not all of them women, in fairness to the men who have helped shape my growth!)
If you want to grow a business or achieve success in any endeavor, seek help as soon as you can. I also cannot emphasize enough how important it is to hire experts to help you along the way. I’ve got a great team who works tirelessly to accomplish our mission. I also work with some wonderful companies and freelance experts to achieve all the things required to run this business and achieve my goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://womeninpublishingsummit.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/womeninpublishingsummit
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/writepublishsell
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexabigwarfe/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/writepubsell
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/writepublishsell
- Other: Podcast: https://podcasts.bcast.fm/publishher-podcast
Image Credits
The only two taken by a photographer is the one with me holding my book (Lexi Haddock, 4 Days in Paris) and the one in front of the shelf with 4 Days in Paris on the Shelf. The photagrapher is Nicole Herring. The rest were taken on my phone. I hope they’re high enough quality!
