Author Interview ~ Nicole Seitz, Part II

Nicole Seitz is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and freelance writer/illustrator published in South Carolina Magazine, Charleston Magazine, House Calls, The Island Packet, and The Bluffton Packet. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor’s degree in illustration from Savannah College of Arts & Design. Seitz is an exhibiting artist in the Charleston, South Carolina, area where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children


To see a review of The Spirit of Sweetgrass, click here







If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

I would choose to never worry about what might sell, what is marketable. I would love to be able to simply write what is on my heart and never worry about the reviews, never care what people think. I would love for my inspiration to be unhampered like that, but realistically, I don’t know if it’s possible.





The closest example I can think of is author Pat Conroy. When he wrote The Boo, The Great Santini, and The Lords of Discipline, he risked great upheaval with his father and his school, The Citadel. Yet in the end, he stuck to his guns, his relationship with his father improved, and today The Citadel celebrates him as a cherished and honored alum.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

My dream? I want to be able to write for the rest of my life, book after book after book. And I hope to get better each time. And of course, I’d like to make bestseller status so I could reach as many people as possible. I love the idea of touching people though my words. It’s an amazing feeling and responsibility, and I take it very seriously.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

Yes, before it even began! I wrote a children’s picture book once and sent it off to publishers. I got form letter rejections from all. The impersonal nature of it was daunting and exhausting. But it didn’t stop me, thank goodness. And in my heart, I still have a desire to write children’s books. One of these days it will happen…

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite part of writing fiction is taking the journey into my own imaginative worlds. I also cherish the ability to examine my own personal issues through writing; I find it very cathartic. My least favorite part is the waiting on publication.

How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?

The first thing I did was read Publicize Your Book by Jacqueline Deval. I wanted to educate myself on the process. I have a website, a blog, and I’ve begun speaking to groups. I’m trying to learn how to market and talk about my own book and writing. I don’t think it comes naturally for many writers who feel more comfortable sitting behind a computer screen than in front of many people. But practice your talks, get used to the praise, get used to the questions. And accept as quickly as you can that not everyone needs to like or “get” your book.

Parting words?

The publishing business is very subjective. Believe in yourself. Most of all, believe in what you write. At the end of the day, if you don’t have that, you will waver with every review, every criticism, and you will burn out faster than you can imagine.