I started writing for publication in my second professional job. I wanted to write an article for a journal, so I did. It was rejected but came with loads of feedback, so months later, when I could look at the manuscript again, I rewrote it and submitted it to another journal where it was eventually published.

The first thing I wrote for publication was an article for an academic journal. It was rejected but came with lots of feedback. I licked my wounds, completely rewrote it, submitted it to another journal, and ended up with my first publication.

I had been through the traditional academic publishing machine and really didn't enjoy the process--it was so long and opaque and I never had any idea if anyone ever really read anything I wrote. Blogging allowed me to connect with an audience and indie publishing continued that process. I very much enjoy the control over what the final product looks like.

When I realize that I am stopped or avoiding writing, I schedule a time to sit down and write for one hour with no expectation other then I won't move from the seat for an hour, even if it is just reworking the same paragraph over and over. This tends to lead to a breakthrough. I will then stop at one hour even if I feel like I could keep writing. I want to be sure I have left something in the tank for next time and I want to reward myself for writing for that hour.

My latest book is "Getting Hired: Unconventional Perspectives on the Student Affairs Job Search." I have been focused on this topic for my entire career, ever since I blew my first ever interview. I began to study the process. Then I started hiring people and was fascinated by how people effectively and ineffectively marketed themselves. Eventually, I started teaching in grad school and working with the graduating students who were seeking employment. I started to put the lessons I learned in a blog and finally gathered all those blogs together and used them as the foundation for an entire book.

The greatest joy of writing fro me is when a reader contacts me to tell me that what I have written has helped them in some way.

On the professional side, when I'm not writing I'm working on my coaching and training business, trying to find ways to bring even great value to my individual and organizational clients. I also work at find new and innovative ways to add benefit to the student affairs field.
On the personal side, I like to stay very active intellectually and physically. I love word games, reading great fiction, and learning Spanish. When I'm outside, I love hiking and running, including with my dog, Bayley, but also mountain biking and Ultimate frisbee.

In non-fiction books, I tend to focus on history, self-improvement, leadership, organizational innovation, and some science.
In fiction, I enjoy thrillers, some science fiction, and some traditional novels.

Trinity by Leon Uris - Taught me that I did have an ancestral culture (Irish Catholic). I named my son after the heroic main character.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein - This is where I learned how science fiction could create inw worlds and new ways of thinking even without our own world.
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand - A powerful story of the power of the individual.
Love by Leo Buscaglia - A book that came at the perfect point in my life to show me the importance and pervasiveness of love and my role in bringing more love into the world.
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson - Taught me about the unseen reality of politics and the power of gonzo journalism.

Smashwords is a great platform--it is sooooo author-centric. They provide so many resources and suggestions to help write, publish, and market your books.