POWER TALKING
with Book Promoter
Marlive Harris
MARLIVE HARRIS
THE GRITS COM LITERARY SERVICES
THE ROCK: Who is Marlive Harris, and where
are you from?
Harris: I’m a native Texan and
a true G.R.I.T.S. – a Girl Raised In The South! I was born and
raised in Houston, but I’ve been living in the Dallas, Texas
area with my husband for the past fifteen years.
THE ROCK: Can you tell us a little about
your business, and how you got started?
Harris: THE GRITS COM LITERARY SERVICES
is an online book promotion service for authors and small presses.
There are numerous ways to use the Internet for book promotions. The
Internet can actually provide authors a cheaper and more immediate
way of waging a successful book campaign. So my service develops online
book campaigns tailored to fit an author’s special interests,
talents, books and readership. This service is the newest division
of TheGRITS.com and came into fruition, because of the relationships
I’ve developed over the years with authors looking for ways
to promote their works and publishers looking for literary communities
to market their authors to.
TheGRITS.com is an online reading community dedicated to the promotion
of classic and contemporary literature for readers and writers of
all ages. Our reading communities collectively consist of author interviews,
book reviews, reading guides, book club listing, and interactive elements
such as email discussion lists and online chat/and message boards.
THE ROCK: What drew you to this profession?
Harris: My years as an educator and school
librarian are the reasons I feel drawn to books and the people who
write and publish them. Then when I add the years I’ve spent
managing reading communities for adults and kids online and organizing
literary events offline, I feel that online book promoting is the
perfect profession for me.
THE ROCK: What made you decide to go into
business for yourself?
Harris: The popularity and growth of
The G.R.I.T.S. Online Reading Club since its inception on January
1, 2000 and G.R.I.T.S. Kidz Book Club (a USAToday.com Hot Site in
2004) on February 1, 2001, are the main reasons I decided to leave
my full-time position as a school librarian to turn TheGRITS.com into
a viable reading and literary promotion community via the Internet.
In today's world of technology, the Internet is quickly becoming one
of the most efficient and easiest forms of communication. Therefore,
my goal, God willing, is for TheGRITS.com to be a global online reading
and book promotion company!
THE ROCK: Why do you believe entrepreneurship
to be so important?
Harris: I am reminded of Robert L. Schwartz
words when he said, "the entrepreneur is essentially a visualizer
and actualizer..." Entrepreneurs are movers and shakers in our
society. When they see there is a need for a product or service, they
use their time, talents, and available resources to make things happen!
THE ROCK: What do you find are some of the
upsides of owning a business?
Harris: The upside of owning my business
is that I get to bring my ideals and vision for book marketing and
promotion via the Internet to the forefront. Therefore, personal enjoyment
and satisfaction comes into play for me as a business owner. I absolutely
love what I do and love creating benefits for the authors, publishers,
and readers that I interact with on a daily basis.
THE ROCK: What
about the downsides?
Harris: The downside of owning my business
is the amount of knowledge in all areas of my business such as: finances,
contracts/licenses, taxes, web design, and laws pertaining to copyright
and dot-coms. My degrees, certifications and training have all been
in the fields of Education and Library/Information Studies. So having
to act and think more like a business woman and not so much as an
educator or librarian has been a challenge. But hiring the services
of qualified people to advise and guide me every step of the way has
been the key to my success so far. Taking time to attend business
seminars and SBA workshops has also been helpful in me staying current
with changes that affect my business.
THE ROCK: What is your best advice to someone
who wants to start a business?
Harris: The most important things for
someone who wants to start a business to consider are: do extensive
research about the market they intend to compete in; have a viable
business plan that defines where their business is going and how it
intends to get there; be aware of the available resources and capital
needed to start a business; network like crazy!
THE ROCK: What
is your best advice to someone struggling to maintain a business?
Harris: I think businesses struggle and
end up failing not because they are soft, but because that the plans
behind the businesses needed revising over time to reflect the current
changes and trends in the markets they’re competing in. I am
a new business owner who revisits areas of my business plan regularly
looking at the future of my business rather than just coping with
what is going on right now. So to those struggling businesses with
business plans, revisit those plans immediately to make revisions
by re-ranking priorities and clarifying objectives. To struggling
businesses that have no business plan at all – WRITE ONE! It
is so easy to be distracted by all the new opportunities that business
life throws our way. A business plan allows owners to compare new
opportunities against the original objectives that are in place which
may help to determine the right plan of action to take to which will
give the business the boost it really needs.
THE ROCK: How important are partnerships
in business?
Harris: I believe partnerships in business
are very important! Collaborating with strategic partners can result
in the sharing of costs and resources which can lead to win-win situations
for everyone involved. I have encountered a lot of programs that worked
so much better for me, when I took the time to collaborate with freelancers
and colleagues.
THE ROCK: If
you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
Harris: I am truly enjoying all aspects
of my business the way it is at this time. But if I were to change
one thing I would probably not have started out with a home office.
Right now everything is running smoothly, but I am adding new clients
each month which means that I will need to expand my office to include
more personnel.
THE ROCK: What three words best describe
you as a businesswoman?
Harris: Three words that best describe
me as a businesswoman are: determined, a motivator, and an ultimate
‘people-person" – I believe the majority of my success
with my business lies in my ability to make people feel comfortable
working with me!
THE ROCK: What attribute(s) is needed to
become a successful businessperson?
Harris: Some attributes that I think
are needed to become a successful businessperson are:
Being a Self-Motivator - Understanding your motivation will help in
assessing your commitment to success;
Being A Strong Decision Maker - Being indecisive is the kiss of death
for a business; Being A Good Motivator - Getting the best out of your
staff means being able to keep them going when things are down; to
keep their spirits up; to help them see the potential in doing something
a certain way;
Having Dogged Determination – being able to focus on the task
in hand and plow through all the obstacles put in ones path is the
difference between failure and success.
THE ROCK: How do you define success in America?
Harris: Success in America is often equated
with wealth and power, but my definition for success is that it cannot
be measured by just wealth and power. Success is a journey whereby
I make things happen that allows me to take care of my needs and the
needs of my family.
THE ROCK: What advice would you give to young people that have an
interest in entrepreneurship?
Harris: With the creation of the Internet
and other similar technologies today, we have more opportunities to
succeed in businesses than ever before. So be confident in your abilities,
get your ideas on paper, and don’t be afraid to take risks.
THE ROCK: What is driving you to success?
Harris: My entrepreneurial drive is quite
simple. I'm completely dedicated to the promotion of literature for
readers and writers of all ages. This is evident by the online reading
communities and book promotion business that I've established.
THE ROCK: If your best friend asks you for
advice in being successful in business, what would it be?
Harris: I think the best advice I could
give lies in the words of Benjamin Disraeli who said, "The secret
of success is constancy to purpose." So know your purpose in
all things; for knowing what you do well helps rekindle the kind of
passion and energy you'll need to be successful in business.
THE ROCK: Thank you, Ms. Harris.
Harris: Thank you for this opportunity!
