Since 2012, Vicky has been helping people outside the mainstream write successful non-fiction books — not just on business, but on a weird + wonderful range of topics. Working with misfits, rebels, misbehavers, disrupters, changemakers, and revolutionaries, she makes it possible for people to find, tell, and sell their stories. Vicky is the author of four books, including How The Hell Do You Write A Book, and runs MicroBook Magic, a unique book-writing programme to help people produce small but mighty MicroBooks.
Learn more about Vicky here:
Name of your business, website, social media handles
Moxie Books — www.moxiebooks.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/tinybeetlesteps/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-quinn-fraser-bookcoach/
If you are an entrepreneur, what motivated you to start your own business?
I hopped from job to job, and was fired a couple of times. I didn’t know it then, but I have ADHD and found life on someone else’s terms incredibly difficult. I was not a good employee. The second time I was fired, I decided there’d never be a better time to start my own business… so I did.
What does success mean to you?
Success means financial stability and independence, of course. But it also means being proud of who I am and what I do. It means helping other people to write their books and watching them grow and celebrate and find their own success because of it. Success means, for me, being able to be who I am, and living the life I want to live. It means being able to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
What is your mantra or favorite saying? (If it's a known quote, please let us know who said it first!)
Books are written step by tiny beetle step. (Me)
What failure taught you the most about life or business? What was the lesson?
Getting fired.
The lesson was twofold: first, that I really struggle to fit into the “normal” world, and maybe I should stop trying and dig my own path.
Second, that if I wanted to be successful, and happy, and kind, and make a difference in the world, I would need to change. It set me on a path of self-awareness, growth, and self-discovery. I faced a lot of uncomfortable truths about myself and my behaviour and attitudes, and I started working to change them. I’m proud of who I am now; I definitely wasn’t proud of who I was before.
What's your favorite book - fiction or non-fiction! - in the past year?
Oh gosh I always hate this question because I read several books at the same time, so I read a LOT. Plus, my favourite very mcuh depends on my mood, what I’m interested in at the time, etc… However, here are a couple of stand-outs. N.K. Jemisin’s City duology: The City We Became and The World We Made. It’s fantasy, and it’s a love note to New York, and it’s wise and extremely sharp and full of brilliance. I’m re-reading the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett (again!). I love them because he was such a sharp observer of humanity. And he was filled with righteous rage about the injustices of the world. As for non-fiction, probably Good Pop Bad Pop by Jarivs Cocker. It’s a memoir based on things he found while clearing out his attic. It’s about creativity and art and being human.
If you could teach the world one five-minute lesson, what would it be?
Your story matters. Please tell it, because somebody somewhere will be grateful that you did. You don’t need anyone’s permission — especially from the ivory towers of traditional publishing. You could start by thinking about this: if you could leave the world with one message, what would it be?
Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently when you were first starting out?
I would believe in myself. I’d believe in my ability to get things done, to write words that change lives, to make a difference. I’d do that, instead of worrying so much about what other people think of me. And I’d have started writing in public sooner.
What does women's empowerment look like to you in action?
It looks like being comfortable in your own skin. Having the confidence to reject society’s expectations and criticisms, and the freedom to make choices. And the money to not ever have to rely on a man (or anyone else) for security and safety. And it looks like lifting up and supporting other women. ALL other women, not just the ones who look and sound like me.
What would you tell 19-year-old YOU?
One day, you will run a successful business that lets you write every single day. You will help other people write, too. You will live in your dream home, and you will be married to the most incredible man, and get to have the silliest adventures with him. You will have friends who would move mountains for you, and you for them. You will be happy. You feel like you belong. Keep going.
What will 86-year-old you want you to know TODAY?
You are beautiful and kind and loved. You ARE making a difference in people’s lives and they are making a difference too. Keep working on yourself and your relationships and never ever give up. And take the time, every day, to appreciate what is now because it goes so fast.
Does anyone call you by a nickname? What is it?
Not really. Vix, sometimes. I play Dungeons & Dragons and my character is called Eskarina.
What is your favorite place for our audience to reach you?
LinkedIn probably.
What is your favorite quote? (It can be yours or from someone that you look up to.)
“Writing is the most fun you can have by yourself.” Terry Pratachett
