A Visit with Paul Lima

How did you get started writing?

I’ve been writing since I was 14. I’m 62 now and have been a professional  writer for the last 30-plus years.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write non-fiction books about business, promotional, article and social media writing and the business of freelance writing. I also have published a book of short stories. You can read about my books online at http://www.paullima.com/books/.

What is your favorite part of writing?

My favorite part of writing is the writing. I’ve often said I could write about anything as long as I got to write! I’ve been a journalist, a business writer, an advertising copywriter and a fiction writer. I simply love to write.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

My least favorite part of writing is spelling and grammar. Yes, I’ve been a professional writer for over 30 years but spelling and the rules of grammar still manage to baffle me at times. So I edit and proofread very carefully. But then I believe every writer should edit and proofread carefully.

How much time do you spend promoting your books?  What works best for you?

I don’t spend a heck of a lot of time promoting my books. Several of them are used as university textbooks, so they sell every semester. Having said that, I blog about the business of freelance writing and use social media to promote my blog, which promotes my business of freelance writing books.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

I really enjoy self-publishing. It has been a learning curve, producing print of demand (POD) and e-books, but I tend to embrace technology and have enjoyed the learning process. In fact, I have formatted POD and e-books for several business clients who wanted books out there.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can have fun learning how to self-publish. If you are not, there are people out there who will do it for you, for a price. That will let you focus on the writing and promotion of your book.

Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

If you are an aspiring author, don’t let the technology and self-publishing process interfere with the writing process. In other words, you can’t self-publish until you have written something, so focus on the writing. Complete your book, including the editing and proofreading. Then start to think about self-publishing. In short, there is an order to this. And writing comes first!

BIO

Based in Toronto, Ontario, freelance writer and business-writing trainer Paul Lima has been a professional writer and writing instructor for over 25 years. He writes case studies, media releases, brochures, sales letters, web content, S blog posts, proposals and reports and conducts business writing, e-mail writing, proposal and report writing, copywriting and writing for the web seminars. He is the author of a dozen books on business writing, copywriting, freelance writing and other related topics. You can learn more online at www.paullima.com.

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