Ep. 58- The Path to Creating a Beautiful Novel and Becoming a Published Author with Sarah Damoff

More Than Your Age

Sarah Damoff shares her journey from her career in family studies, children's ministry, and foster care. She then transitions to becoming a stay-at-home mom and later a guardian ad litem. Sarah's passion for advocating for children and human rights leads her to pursue writing, and she shares her process of learning about the publishing industry and finding an agent. Sarah shares her journey of navigating the publishing industry, from reaching out to agents to selling short form writings and eventually selling her novel, The Bright Years. She discusses the setbacks she faced along the way and how age should not limit one's pursuit of dreams.

My conversation with Sarah was quite enjoyable for me. After I left our interview, I felt a huge amount of gratitude to hear Sarah’s story and learn from her wisdom and perspective on where she is at today. You’ll enjoy this episode, and I hope to find the inspiration as well to chase after a dream of yours.

Enjoy the show!

Takeaways

-Sarah's career path in family studies, children's ministry, and foster care demonstrates her dedication to working with children and families.

-Becoming a stay-at-home mom allowed Sarah to prioritize her children's early years and provide them with undivided attention.

-Sarah's transition to becoming a guardian ad litem and her passion for advocating for children's best interests in court showcases her commitment to making a difference in the foster care system.

-Sarah's journey into writing and publishing demonstrates the power of storytelling and the importance of learning about the industry to pursue a writing career. Navigating the publishing industry requires research, learning, and adapting to feedback.

-Selling short form writings can be done directly to literary magazines, and having an agent can help in the process.

-Sarah's novel, The Bright Years, is a multi-generational family story that explores the surprises of inheritance and the impact of past experiences on present lives.

-Setbacks are a part of the publishing process, but persistence and belief in one's work are crucial.

-Age should not be a hindrance in pursuing dreams, and life experience can be a valuable asset in writing.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Sarah's Marriage Story

04:08 Sarah's Education and Career in Family Studies

05:56 Transition to Children's Ministry

10:48 Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom

13:03 Entering Foster Care

19:41 Transitioning from Guardian ad Litem to Writing

23:12 Venturing into Writing and Publishing

24:48 Learning about the Publishing Industry

25:27 Navigating the Publishing Industry

27:48 Reaching Out to Agents

29:56 Selling Short Form Writings

31:20 The Novel: The Bright Years

39:34 Setbacks in the Publishing Process

43:47 Age and Pursuing Dreams

Connect with Sarah:

www.sarahdamoff.com

Instagram: @sarahdamoff

Connect with Erica

Email // Facebook // Instagram // Linkedin

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