Member Interview of the Week - Susan Heim
Q: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: When I was in first grade, my teacher created a “library†consisting solely of books written and illustrated by children in our class. Each book contained a card that recorded the names of the children who checked it out. Much to my surprise, my book was the most popular one in the class! It must have been my unique title and graphic illustrations . . . I couldn’t go wrong in first grade with a book called, The Girl Who Pooped Her Pants! Even at such a young age, I had mastered the concept of having an intriguing title. Years later, in junior high and high school, I became an avid reader of Harlequin and Barbara Cartland romance novels (a stage I’ve long since outgrown!). After reading quite a few, I realized how formulaic they were, and discovered that perhaps it wasn’t as difficult as I had thought to write a book that captures people’s imaginations and interest. At that point, I started writing all kinds of manuscripts, although my teenage impatience prevented me from ever finishing one.
Q: How and when did you make this dream a reality?
A: When I was in my thirties, I was hired as a Senior Editor for Health Communications, publisher of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series. I also worked on many other nonfiction books, mostly in the self-help category. Although I loved editing, I also longed to be on the “other side of the desk,†writing my own books, but at the time I was a single mother, working full-time, and my time was limited. Several years later, I remarried and gave birth to twins! Fortunately, my husband’s occupation made it possible for me to pursue a freelance career from home while caring for my babies, and that was when I really started seriously writing.
Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned so far in your writing career?
A: People are a lot more approachable and helpful than I ever thought they would be. When I left my position as a full-time editor, I retained my friendships with many of the authors with whom I had worked. I continued to do some editing for them, which led to my coauthorship of a book, Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will Change Your Life the First Year, with Bettie and Jennifer Youngs. Other people were also very helpful to me in advancing my career. Pat Williams, general manager of the Orlando Magic and a very prolific author, willingly provided endorsements for my books. Even celebrities were willing to help out merely because I asked. When I wrote Twice the Love: Stories of Inspiration for Families with Twins, Multiples and Singletons for TWINS magazine, I received endorsements from Kenny Rogers, Soledad O’Brien and Adrienne Barbeau, all parents of twins. Columnist Heloise even wrote a story about her mother, the original Heloise, who was a twin. When I wrote my second twins book, It’s Twins! Parent-to-Parent Advice from Infancy Through Adolescence, Olympic gold medalist Vonetta Flowers wrote a wonderful foreword for the book, and supermodel Niki Taylor provided a quote. I was just amazed at how willing people were to help out, merely because they were asked. So, I would advise authors to aim high and not be afraid to ask for help. People will often surprise you with their willingness and generosity.
Q: What are you working on right now?
A: I’ve been fortunate to have three books published in a very short period of time, so right now my schedule is consumed with marketing and promoting the books. I’ve been reading a lot of books, articles, and ezines about how to do this, sending press releases to magazines and newspapers, building websites, and just brainstorming on innovative ways to promote and market my books. I’m also trying to come up with a great idea for my next book!
Q: Name some authors or books that have influenced your writing life in a positive way.
A: My first “favorite author†was Victoria Holt, a writer of historical romances. As a teenager, I longed to write books like hers. I would stay up all night to finish one of her books because I just couldn’t put it down! I still have my collection of all of her books even though she is long since deceased. In the nonfiction category, Norman Vincent Peale’s classic The Power of Positive Thinking was very encouraging to me. I’ve read it several times! The Chicken Soup for the Soul authors, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, have also inspired me by showing that you can take a very simple concept like a story collection and create something that people want to read. They also perfected the concept of developing a brand and a series.
Q: What have you recently read or what are you reading right now that you would consider an outstanding work?
A: When I read for pleasure, I’m a closet history and culture buff. The book I’m reading right now is called, Two in the Far North, by Margaret E. Murie. Originally written in 1957, it is the autobiography of a young woman who grew up on the
Q: What excites or ignites your soul?
A: Travel. I’ve been so busy raising my four sons that I haven’t had much opportunity to travel in recent years, but I’m hoping to begin to explore the world again some day. Prior to having children, I spent six wonderful weeks in
Susan M. Heim is a writer and editor, specializing in parenting, multiples, women’s and Christian issues. A former Senior Editor for Health Communications, Inc., she specialized in the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, as well as teen, religion and other self-help books. Susan is the author of Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will Change Your Life the First Year (Hampton Roads, 2006), Twice the Love: Stories of Inspiration for Families with Twins, Multiples and Singletons (TWINS magazine, 2006), and It’s Twins! Parent-to-Parent Advice from Infancy Through Adolescence (
