Meet Bailey McManus

We recently connected with Bailey McManus and have shared our conversation below.

Bailey, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Imposter Syndrome was huge for me during the process of writing this book. I didn’t feel worthy to reach out to people in prison for interviews, and when the time came to start writing, I didn’t feel worthy to tell their stories. I had never written anything like this before, and I didn’t want to mess it up. Who was I to tell this story and to tell it well? I combatted imposter syndrome with two things: work and prayer. It’s easy when we face something we’re scared of to procrastinate. I’m a single mom and had about a million other things I could have been doing other than writing. The key was to, despite my fear, keep moving forward. Also, we need down time in order to center ourselves. Our lives in the U.S. can feel so busy and overwhelming. We need to have time when we’re not working or watching TV or running errands. For me, that means daily prayer in order to center myself and experience fulfillment, knowing I am moving toward my true purpose. The combination of momentum and prayer gives me hope, and hope is much stronger than fear.

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?

My day job is in logistics. Before and after work, I am a writer and a mother. My passion for writing started when I was very young. My mother is a poet — an incredible poet. She has written a few books. Her poems are haunting and mesmerizing. When I was little, we read together every single night, and I grew up loving books, especially non-fiction. I remember going into the school library and asking for books about “real stories.” I didn’t know the name of the genre, but I knew what I liked. It has become an obsession. I read about fifty books every year and am constantly taking notes on my own thoughts and stories. Writing my own book was a dream come true. I published Sincerely, Your Friend in March and started writing my next book right away. More to come!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The most impactful thing I have learned is to fight for my authenticity. If I put my ego aside and consider the honest direction I believe my family and I should be going, I can pretty much make myself do anything. During the writing of this book, I woke up at 5am every day to write before starting work at 6. With my schedule, that wasn’t easy. My son does so many activities, the afternoons are always packed and sometimes I get to bed late. In the moment, getting out of bed often felt impossible, but when I did it and I worked on even just a few sentences, the rest of my day felt like I success. I became addicted to that feeling. It has led me to face my fears and find my own version of success in many areas of my life. My advice is to slow down. Leave the dishes in the sink for a little while. Don’t vacuum. Don’t fold your laundry. Get off your phone and away from the TV. Instead, go for a walk outside. Wake up early to enjoy a cup of coffee and a moment alone. Read. Sing. Do something that inspires you. What you truly desire becomes more possible when there is space to dream.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am looking for an illustrator interested in ongoing collaboration on children’s books. You can reach out to me via Instagram: @baileybooknerd

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @baileybooknerd
• Other: https://amzn.to/3IITCN7