Client Spotlight: Rachael Eckles
Confident, intelligent, successful, beautiful, inspiring, kind and charitable. These are the words that come to mind when I think of Rachael. The first time I met her was when I came to her beautiful apartment, with stunning NYC views, for her personal branding photoshoot. I instantly loved her calm yet powerful energy and we had a blast during the shoot. Over the following months I got to know her not only as a client but as a friend and learned that she had so many more layers to her. Not only is she an amazing writer, her first novel is Trading Secrets, but she is also a compassionate human being who travels the world to help the less fortunate.
You can read her interview below where she shares some of her advice and I hope you find her as inspiring as I do.
Q. Tell us a little about your journey to be a writer and your journey to becoming one.
A. left my career as a lawyer in 2012 and decided to start a yoga and health coach business. I began writing a how-to guide for modern women on how to balance healthy living with the demands of daily life. Every time I sat down at my laptop to work on my how-to, I’d pull out a notebook and write a fiction storyline about a very strong and complex woman living in a man’s world. I went back to law a year later, working for a big bank. It was then that I decided I wanted the character, who is now Celeste, to exist in the mysterious world of global finance. Fast forward to releasing the first book, Trading Secrets, in the trilogy May 2020 and its sequel, Risky Assets, is coming out later this year!
Q. I absolutely loved your first book Trading Secrets and cannot wait for the release of the sequel Risky Assets. What inspired you to come up with these stories?
A. When I was practicing securities litigation, I was appalled at the things men said and got away with. I wanted Celeste to put them all in line, which she does in my novels. I love strong, complex, badass women who are successful, grounded, and unafraid.
Q. What is your favorite part about being a writer?
A. I love developing characters. It’s so fun to think about what a character would say in a certain situation or how they would be dressed or what their facial expression would be. I write imagining the scenes on a movie screen, so making the visual details vivid for a reader is important to me.
Q. What is the best advice you ever received?
A. Don’t take criticism nor praise too personally. And what other people think about you is none of your business. It allows you to create more authentically and with less fear when I’m focused on the story I’m supposed to write, rather than how others will receive it.
Q. What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a writer?
A. Write the book you’re supposed to write. You’ll never feel ready to release it into the world (it’s an extremely vulnerable feeling to release art into the world), but put your heart and soul into it, hire a great editor and/or coach, and keep working until you’re proud.
Q. Do you think personal branding is important for aspiring or even established authors? If yes, how?
A. Absolutely. In my experience, readers love connecting with authors and learning about our daily lives. Social media is a great equalizer for authors because it is free and allows you to create content that is authentically you.
Q. How do you approach growing your personal brand? Do you have a specific strategy?
A. Creating authentic, interesting and valuable content is the best way to grow your brand. Admittedly, I’d like to post more consistently, and scheduling content is the first thing I drop when I get busy. I recently started a blog as another way to reach readers, and it’s been so fun to hear more from readers when I’m in between novels. I always think about how those who know me best, my family and friends, would describe me and make sure that my content is focused on who I am and not trying to be like other authors. I’m a modern career woman who has a passion for storytelling, travel, and city life, so I focus on who I am and not trying to be like other authors.
I’m a modern career woman who has a passion for storytelling, travel, and city life, so I try to focus my content on those parts of my life that would interest readers who enjoy my characters and the story lines I’ve created in the Trading Secrets trilogy.
Q. If someone wants to self publish a book, what advice would you give them? Are there any do's and don'ts you wish you knew before you started?
A. Don’t:
1. Don’t get wrapped up in reviews. For every bad review, someone else will tell you how much they loved your work.
2. Unless you have space, don’t mass print your book (you’ll have to store them, and they take up a lot of space).
3. Don’t hire too many consultants in the beginning. It takes awhile to get traction when you self publish unless you already have a platform, so invest slowly and understand it’s a long-haul process.
4. Don’t be afraid to be who you are. In all areas of life but especially in your writing.
Do:
1. Write the best book you can, but don’t get mired in perfectionism.
2. Use Vellum software (or something similar) to format into Kindle, print, Apple Books formats.
3. Hire a copy editor and/or a development editor. It’s extremely helpful to give the book the polish a traditionally published book has.
4. Submit your book to contests and for professional reviews.
5. Showcase the reviews.
6. Be available to readers via Zoom or other venues.
7. You don’t have to have a professionally designed cover, but for me, it was incredibly helpful. I looked at who designed a book I loved and reached out to him directly on Instagram.
Q. One of the things I admire you so much for is your charity work. Please tell us more about some of your work and how people can help if they want to get involved.
A. Thanks for giving me a chance to talk about my other passion. I’m on the board for The Village Cooperative, the nonprofit arm of The Village Experience (experiencethevillage.com). I donate 5% of my proceeds to TVE and also contribute financially and fundraise for many projects focused on community development and sustainable programs for women, children and families in Kenya, India and Guatemala. I also travel a few times a year and bring friends to visit our programs to spread the word.
This year, I’ve been to Kenya 3 times and Guatemala once. I’ll go to Kenya again in 2022 and India in 2023. If you’re interested, I’d encourage you to check out the TVE website and join on a trip. It’s socially responsible travel focused on giving back to the communities we visit. Such a special way to travel. This year I’m raising money for Safari Vets, the vet clinic TVE raised the money for to fill a gap that existed in Lamu, Kenya. $100 sponsors a dog, cat or donkey for its healthcare for the year. In addition, I’ll raise money for school supplies and tuition for children in the village in Lamu.
Q. What are you looking forward to in the next year?
A. Releasing Risky Assets. I’ve also really enjoyed how I’ve become more grounded at home during covid. I’d like to continue to prioritize home while balancing travel and fun as things open up more.
Q. How can people find you if they want to get in touch and where can they purchase your books?
A. Instagram is the best way. I try to answer my DMs as quickly as possible, but also asking questions in the comments of my posts works. You can purchase signed copies of Trading Secrets and preorder Risky Assets on my website. https://rachaeleckles.com/shop. TS is also available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Brick and mortar bookstores can be a bit tricky for self published authors, but if you have a local bookstore you love, they should be able to order for you.
Q. How can readers best support you?
A. Word of mouth: if you love it, give 5 stars and a review on Amazon and GoodReads, tell friends and book clubs about it, and engage with me on social media.
