Q and A with Danielle from Chicago, Illinois
“If we write stories without vulnerability, the story becomes bland and uninteresting.”
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: I’m passionate about storytelling, blunt truths, expressing oneself, listening intently, and spirituality. I truly believe in the power of individual stories to enlighten our lives on a daily basis.
There are a finite number of ideas in the world, yet each one of us experiences life differently, so we as individuals have unique perspectives–unique takes on each idea. As The Soul-Aligned Ghostwriter, book coach, and editor, I work with my clients on unleashing their truthful, vulnerable stories so their target readership can understand the message, themes, and values that need to be shared.
Since I was a child, I always wanted to be an author. When I was younger, I enjoyed writing poetry, fiction, and feature stories. I’ve been in three anthologies, and I’m working on three different books of my own, along with more than six manuscripts by other authors. I’m passionate about helping others tell their truths, and get to the core of their story. If we write stories without vulnerability, the story becomes bland and uninteresting. That’s not the point of storytelling. We write stories to share lessons, morals, values, and, ultimately, our experiences. We write stories to encourage others to become their best selves. In 2021, I received a Quantum Energy Healing Certification and use this to help clients with achieving their writing goals. I incorporate meditations, energy healing sessions, Oracle card readings, and more–these are all tools in my toolbox. I combine these skills with logical benchmarks and deliverables as well while working with my clients.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I grew up with both of my parents and my younger brother in a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois. I was the Editor-in-Chief of my high school newspaper–a journalism nerd all through my teenage years (a band geek, too). Being Jewish gave me a sense of community and empowerment, and I’ve always been so grateful to have spent almost six months living in Israel and traveling throughout the Middle East. Traveling as a young woman in foreign countries taught me lessons I never could have learned otherwise. I learned to listen to my gut instinct, always. I learned how to navigate new places, and how to handle anxious thoughts if I was lost, or if I had missed a bus. Hearing, learning, and seeing faces from various backgrounds helped me realize the importance of storytelling as well, as the importance of listening. I have a BS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in News-Editorial Journalism and thank my lucky stars that I ended up there, which is also where I met my now husband (I won’t tell you how long ago that was!).
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: How you spend your time and energy can impact and affect your creativity. I don’t like the phrase, “I don’t have time.” Instead, I prefer someone say to me, “I’m not able to make the time.” You always have time. We all have the same amount of time, every single day. Your energy is a hugely valuable resource.
Consider your knowledge bank as well, and how much time and energy you want to invest into your knowledge bank. Do you want to learn a new skill that’s going to cost you time and energy, or would you rather pay someone (outsource) to do that for you, or with you?
When someone asks me, “Where do I start?!” in relation to their book project, or creative endeavor, I ask them how they are spending their time, and how they’re expending their energy.
On another note, if you are thinking about writing a book, I want you to read in the genre you want to write in. I’ve spoken with dozens of folks who say they want to write a book, yet they haven’t ever read a memoir, or a personal growth book, or a thought leadership book. Read what’s in the marketplace.
Q: What kinds of books do you write and read now? Do you work with traditional publishers or self-publish? What is that process like? Do you have any tips for others going through that process?
A: I write memoirs, thought leadership books, business books, and personal growth books. I love working with ghostwriting clients and book coaching clients specifically on their nonfiction books. I read a lot of nonfiction genres, and I also love to read women’s fiction, mysteries, and historical fiction, specifically WWII.
There are three main types of publishing–self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and traditional publishing. I first look at my clients’ goals to see which publishing avenue would best suit their needs and their overall goals. I have relationships with some agents and hybrid publishers, and I also offer project management services if a client wants my team to handle the publishing process.
The idea of publishing can be overwhelming if you don’t know the ins and outs. What matters is the following:
~No, you don’t *need* to pay anything to publish on Amazon KDP. But if you don’t want to learn how to do everything yourself, paying someone else to provide their services might be beneficial for you.
~Think about when you want to publish your book, and whether or not you want to retain the full rights to your materials.
~If a company is asking you to pay them a lot of money, get all of the details in written form to ensure you’re getting the best deal possible in terms of what services they’re providing.
Q: What’s your favorite kind of book or genre to read for enjoyment? Were there any that inspired you to follow this path? I would love to check out your books!
A: My favorite books to read for enjoyment are modern novels (various subgenres). A few authors who come to mind are Emily Henry, Lisa Jewell, Abbi Waxman, Kate Quinn, Emma Straub, and Rebecca Serle. [Here is a link to Danielle’s book page on Amazon.]
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism means standing up for yourself as an individual and as a woman in our world. I’ve unfortunately had experiences where men demean me, simply because they don’t think I can handle knowing specific information. For instance, this has happened with house contractors and others in these fields.
Feminism is rooted in the idea that people-pleasing tendencies are no longer commonplace. We are stronger when we have different points of view and various perspectives on a variety of issues at hand. Let’s stand tall and be proud of who we are as individuals, and support one another in these endeavors.
Q: What else can you tell us about ghostwriting?
A: Ghostwriting isn’t only telling someone else’s story. I have heard ghostwriting described in ways that aren’t accurate, and I want all of you to truly understand what ghostwriting is, and what ghostwriting is not. In my experience, ghostwriting helps leaders unleash their truthful stories in a loving way. These leaders are not willing to make the time or expend their energy on learning how to organize their knowledge into a book. By working closely with a ghostwriter, they know their story will shine properly. Ghostwriting is 90 percent listening, and 10 percent asking the right questions at the right time. This practice can be so beneficial for executives who have always wanted to write their own story but haven’t made the time to do so themselves due to other obligations.
Let’s connect! Here:
Books: https://www.amazon.com/author/danielleperlingood
Audio: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3pm4eFqcZpqtLDBGCXtugMsi=86e8279bc7ee4599
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