Meet Stephanie Moon

We recently connected with Stephanie Moon and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie , 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?

While I was working in publishing, I noticed a pattern, that after a book came out, the author always asked me – “Is it selling well? Why aren’t more people talking about and buying my book?” I could see the concern in their face and did my best to reassure them that their book was great and I remember saying this one phrase often, “People might not be buying your book yet because they don’t know that it exists.”

I went on to explain that marketing and promoting your book is a journey and takes time. Your community and readers need reminders that you wrote a book and to know exactly why they need to add this book to their bookshelf. As I explained this process to authors, I saw a lightbulb go off.

Because I had this interaction over and over again, I realized that I could help these authors have a better experience with their book launch. I could share how they could build and prepare their audience for their book.

And why this was so important for me was because I knew so many authors put their heart and soul into their book! But by not knowing how to market themselves and their books, their books were sitting in warehouse instead of being read by readers! I wanted to help make these authors’ dreams come true.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’ve always been the type of person who loved books. As cheesy as it sounds, I feel so lucky to be able to work in publishing. I am especially invested in working with AAPI authors to help make their work more visible. Even growing up in the US, I was always taught to never boast about what I had accomplished. I was taught to be humble and excellence was basically expected. But to be a successful author you need to be the exact opposite of this. You need to tell people what you did, what you’re working on and why they should care about it. And you need to tell people often – to be a successful author. I noticed this pattern that AAPI authors had a tougher time with promotion and want to make sure these stories are told.

As I’ve worked with more and more authors, I realized that authors are often writing their books while still having a ton of other responsibilities and obligations. So, I created a tool that gives authors the information and guidance when they need it. I created a suite of digital products that authors can access and use as a reference whenever they are working on their book promotion. Check it out at www.stephmoonco.com/shop.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three skills that I think were so impactful and helped me get where I am now is:
1. Ask questions. I wanted to know the reason behind why things were happening. I wanted to understand the big picture. And the way I found this out was by asking a lot of questions.

2. Don’t be afraid of big or challenging projects. From the moment I worked at my first publisher, I was given the opportunity to work on so many different projects. Often the projects were ones where I didn’t get much training or guidance on. I had to ask a lot of questions (See skill #1) but I got the job done. Being put in positions where I was stretched and challenged allowed me to learn so much (and super quickly).

3. Be curious. In smaller companies, there are many times that projects and responsibilities overlap. Take this as an opportunity to learn how other departments work and interact with each other. Knowing more about other departments is helpful to seeing the bigger picture and how everything works together to get things done.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I love collaborating with like-minded businesses and creators who are helping authors tell their stories. So much of the publishing process is about waiting! But during the wait times, you can still be learning – learning about self-promotion, the readers journey, book promotion, etc. Sharing the experiences I’ve gained from my time in publishing and working with authors is something I love doing – especially when it helps other authors! Talking on podcasts, giving workshops, speaking to writers groups are some things that I’ve done, but I’m open to ideas!

To collaborate – email me at stephanie@stephmoonco.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stephmoonco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephmoonco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmoonco/