Could You Tell Us About Yourself ?

I have been a professional writer since high school, when I began reporting for the local daily newspaper. I worked my way through Davidson College as a part-time writer for The Charlotte Observer and the College News Bureau. After graduating from Davidson with a psychology degree, I began working for The Charlotte Observer full-time as a reporter and editor. Then I returned to Davidson to run the public relations department, then called the News Bureau. Twelve years later, I launched Lawrimore Communications Inc., a strategic marketing and communications firm in Charlotte, NC. Through this process I became very focused on how to help companies and individuals be more successful, reading thousands of books and articles on that topic and applying “the best of the best” in the real world with clients. A few years ago I shifted to being a full-time writer and publisher. To date I have written eight books about personal and business success, philosophy, reality, technology, and related subjects. You can see them all at https://amazon.com/author/bucklawrimore. I am also a follower of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and a seeker of the truth.

What made you write your book (s) ?

A desire to help other people be more successful in life and business, sharing what I had learned over my long career and putting my faith into action.

What is the first book you remember reading ?

I can’t remember the names of books I read in elementary school, but as a teenager, I was enthralled with science fiction books by Robert Heinlein, most memorably “Stranger in a Strange Land.”

What’s your favourite book ?

Besides the Bible, which I read daily, I dearly love “Wholeness and the Implicate Order” by David Bohm because it is so close to my own perspectives revealed in my book, “How To Understand Ultimate Reality: Order, Energy and God.”

Who is your favourite author and why?

The Apostle Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament and changed the world for the better.

How many hours a day do you write?

If you consider all forms of writing, probably 4 to 5.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Since I write nonfiction exclusively, I would say organizing my ideas for a new book into a good outline, then creating chapters and content to fulfill the outline.

If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose and why?

Probably Ryan Holiday to learn more about his incredible ability to write blog posts, social media content, and book content every single day. He is amazingly disciplined and prolific.

What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?

My 27-inch iMac computer with an outline on one side of the screen and the evolving book on the other. I also rely on the Notion app to stay highly organized personally and professionally.

How do you celebrate when you finish your book?

A big sigh of relief and a prayer of thanks to God.

Do you listen to music while you wrote your book (s) ?

No. I am easily distracted by any kind of noise. Sometimes I put sound-deadening headphones on if there is a lot of noise outside, such as construction work.

Where do you get your idea (s) for your book (s) ?

I am an avid reader of email newsletters, blog posts and books by others throughout the day. In the evening I often watch and listen to informative YouTube videos. But some of my big ideas have been percolating in my brain since my college days.

What is / was your writing process like?

As noted above, I try to start with a solid outline, then write chapters to fill in the outline. In recent months I have become addicted to ChatGPT, which is the greatest tool for nonfiction writers ever invented. In fact, I wrote a book entitled “ChatGPT for Nonfiction Authors” explaining my writing process. However you must be careful about any content generated by ChatGPT, as it is prone to error. So unless you are writing about a topic you are already familiar with, it’s wise to check out each item of information using Google or Bing.

Do you try more to be original or rather give readers what they want?

As a longtime marketing consultant, I strongly believe in giving readers (customers) what they want. I use Publisher Rocket to help with that, as well as Google Keyword Planner. No point in writing a book that no one wants to read.

How did publishing your (first) book go?

I found the Amazon KDP format very easy to follow. I also read a number of books and articles by other authors on how to write, publish and promote books. Actually my first book was published through Lulu, before KDP even existed, but that too went pretty well.

What kind of research do you do and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I research extensively online using search engines and ChatGPT. I also research what other books are available in the subject area I have chosen, and try to read the best ones in full or through summaries if available. I research as I write, but overall each book can take anywhere from two weeks using ChatGPT or six months for a complete book like “How To Be Successful In Life” or “How To Understand Ultimate Reality.”

What’s your favourite and least favourite part of publishing your book (s) ?

I enjoy using the Amazon KDP system. It is very user-friendly. The hardest part is to get the page structure in your Word document to align with the page structures in the Amazon paperback and hardback previews. Especially difficult is getting subheads to start at the top of the page and not end up at the bottom of the previous page. Of course this is not an issue with ebooks, but it is hard for print.

How did you come up with the title for your book (s) ?

I had a few initial ideas that I checked using Publisher Rocket and Google Keyword Planner to be sure lots of people are searching for it, but not too much competition.

How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?

Adults 18 to 40, or anyone who wants to be more successful in life.

What do you hope your readers take away from your book (s) ?

Practical knowledge they can put to use to be more successful in life and/or business.

How did you feel when you first published your book (s) ? Scared ? Excited ? Nervous ?

Definitely excited. But since I have written thousands of articles, brochures and websites over the years, it was not radically new.

Where can people who are interested in your book, buy your book ?

All my books are available on amazon through my author page

I can be reached personally through https://bucklawrimore.com

Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?

I am working on a book currently titled “Living with God in the Digital Age” about how one can use a wide range of apps, websites and other electronic tools to feel and be closer to God throughout each day.

Buck Lawrimore Media Links

Amazon Profile + Books

Website