The Truth About Motherhood (And Writing) From Humor Writer Claudine Wolk

Claudine Wolk pulls no punches. No, she’s not a Mixed Martial Artist champion, she’s even tougher: she’s a mom. Not only that, Wolk is a mother/writer who decided to tell the TRUTH about what really happens after you have the baby. Wolk’s hilarious, heartfelt, and inspiring book, It Gets Easier!…And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, is making quite the splash in the kiddie pool.

WordHustler sat down with Wolk to discuss balancing family with writing, why hiring a babysitter may save your writing soul, and how the savviest mommy-writers are the ones who know how to promote themselves. Read on to learn how Mama Wolk is taking the literary world by bottle-toting storm!

WordHustler: I know you have an accounting background…when did you decide you HAD to write this book?

Claudine Wolk: Motherhood changed everything for me. I was clueless after the birth of my son, going literally from the office to home with a fussy infant! As soon as I found tips from other moms that actually worked, that weren’t in any other books, I decided that I had to put it all down in a book for the moms who came after me.  It was almost a mandate  - honesty, for the love of Pete, honesty!  So, the book really started after the birth of my first son.  My other two children were practically guinea pigs used to apply the information I had learned with my first son to make sure the success of the tips was not a fluke, and oh, yeah, we wanted more kids!

WH: You spent over 12 years collecting stories and advice from new moms- did you know all along it was for this book? How did the book change over those years it was being put together?

CW: I think I did have a book in mind the whole time – a book that I so desperately wanted and couldn’t find.  I wasn’t always sure that an actual “book – book” would be the result, but I had high hopes.  Over the years the book changed from lots bullet tips to actual advice woven into true stories.  My father, luckily, is a great writer and put in lots of hours editing the manuscript and keeping it on track and flowing.

WH: Now for the part everyone wants to hear about: how did you land an agent? Or did you go to Amacom yourself with your proposal?

CW: Ahhhh!  Well, I tried for about a year to land an agent or a publishing house with no luck – I did not have the benefit of your terrific site!  I did happen upon an agent, however, in my travels, who loved the book, but felt my “author platform” was not broad enough.  So…I asked her what specifically she would like to see from me and, nice girl that she was, she told me, specifics.  In the meantime, I was desperate for my book to get out so I created my own publishing company, New Buck Press, (thank you, CPA), and published a kick-butt trade book that didn’t “look” like a self-published book.  All the while, I kept working on my platform and sending the agent updates on the book. (ie. How do you like the title? What do you think of the cover? Guess, what, Dr. Laura picked up the book and announced it on her radio program!”)  Three months after the book pubbed, the agent was asking me if I wanted representation.  Two months after that, my agent, Verna Dreisbach, landed the deal with Amacom.

WH: What is it like working with an editor? Is it hard to let someone else into your creative process?

CW: Luckily, I didn’t have too much substantive disagreements with my editors.  Sometimes, though, it’s tough to take the writing technique criticism.

WH: Did you have any say/input over your amazing book cover?

CW: Hey thanks!  Yes, I did.  I hooked up with a book shephard of sorts, Pneuma Books, for the self-published version of the book.  I knew the illustration that I wanted (ie. experienced mom whispering in the ear of frazzled mom) and Brian Taylor of Pneuma Books searched out some illustrators, found Lisa Henderling, and what you see is what we got!  The publisher liked the cover of the self-published book so much, they went with it, as well as the interior design, which was also my idea.  I wanted something easy and fun to read that a new mom could pick up and put down at will.

WH: Your book came out this summer and you’ve been touring and speaking on its behalf since then. So let me be (possibly) the first annoying person to ask: are you working on your next book yet?

CW: Not annoying at all.  I do have a second book in mind but I think the folks at Amacom would like to see the sales figures of It Gets Easier! after a year before they sign me on to something new.  I would love to do a book to help moms get back into the full-time workforce after their kids are older.  I want to call it, “Just When I Thought I Was Out, They Pull Me Back In.”

WH: That sounds fantastic! Now, what is your preferred writing method? Do you have a certain writing spot/technique?

CW: I like to treat a book like a puzzle.  When I get in a mood to write on a subject I write and research on that subject and then I move to the next subject that I feel like writing about.  Then I put all the pieces of the puzzle together.  I like this method because it gives me the opportunity to go back to the manuscript with a clear head and add content I think of later and subtract content that doesn’t work.  One of my most creative places to work is in my bed with a notepad and a favorite pen, (and complete silence of course!), no jammies required.

WH: How do you best balance writing with motherhood?

CW: That has been the tough part.  I started when my little guy was a baby and it took me quite a few years to put it all together.  When I got serious about completing the project, it was amazing how I was able to find time.  I would wake at 6:00 am before the family was up and write.  I would write during naps, after the kids bedtime, and also hired a sitter during the day when I got desperate.  You can imagine the toll this took on my family, gourmet dinners and my waistline were a thing of the past.  But the truth is, I absolutely loved what I was doing and felt so passionate about it that I looked forward to getting back to the work.  It was the first time in my professional career that I can honestly say that I truly loved my work.  Making time to do it was easy because I wanted to do it sooo badly.

WH: What are three things you’d advise aspiring writers to do?

CW: As I am a non-fiction writer so my tips tend to favor those writers, but they could probably relate to both fiction and non-fiction writers.

#1.  Read Dan Poynter’s The Self-Publishing Manual and Jeff Herman’s How to Write the Perfect Book Proposal.  These two books will give you an easy to read and comprehensive idea of what you can expect from the publishing industry from soup to nuts.  The books also make it clear, in a way no other person can, how very involved the author needs to be for the success of the book.

#2.  Write that which you are passionate about.  Your passion will get you through everything – rejection letters, bad reviews, and insecurity – passion will also lead to sincerity and sincerity is what sells books.  The best books are the ones that the author believes in to the depths of their soul and will stand behind.

#3.  Be willing to market your book.  That means a tremendous commitment to social media, public appearances, networking and more and more writing.  Books today cannot be sold without a dedicated relationship with the book’s target market both online and in person.

WH: What are three things you’d advise aspiring writers to NEVER do?

CW: #1. Never take on a subject you are not passionate about, your audience will see right through you.

#2. Never drop oodles of money on book marketing.  Time, yes.  Money, no.  Advertising is NOT the best way to market a book, for example. A better way to market is to use publicity, which is free.  Also, a professional website is a must, but shop around.  Some very professional websites can be put together for little money.  You will need to spend some money but spend it wisely on proven resources that will give you the most bang for your buck.

#3. Never forget to stay in touch with all the folks who help you along the way.  Although you will be very busy and following-up takes some time, it will be well worth it.  People remember how they are treated and what goes around in the publishing world comes back around - you can count on it.  Stay professional.

WH: Shameless plug alert: Do you think WordHustler is a valuable resource in helping writers successfully get their work out there, professionally and effectively?

CW: Absolutely, one of the biggest commodities for an author is time.  There is nothing more frustrating than aimlessly surfing the web to try to find a home for your book or proposal. WordHustler will save authors hours of precious time as all of that information is in one place. The fact that literary agents and publishers who already interested in finding writers are part of the database is brilliant.

Okay kids, you heard it here! Time to finish nurturing those manuscripts and then send them out to the world! Take Claudine’s motherly advice for how to market yourself and never give up. WordHustler wants to help you perfect your proposal. Why not submit brush up on your non-fiction query letter writing and then send your letter and proposal to Amacom? It’s time for your babies to make their publishing world debut!