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Zabrina A. Bakar
Zabrina Abu Bakar's first book,
Life is an Open Secret, was released in Malaysia in July 2007 and quickly
drew media attention. Only six months later, second print editions are
already on the market. Christine (Amina) Benlafquih interviews Sis Zabrina
to find out more about the self-dubbed "Life Storyteller" and her marketing
strategies.
Amina Benlafquih:
Assalamu alaykum. Thank you for sharing your time with Islamic Ink.
Sis Zabrina:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatullah. It is a great pleasure to be here,
alhamdulillah
AB:
Let's start with what you call yourself - "life storyteller." Can you
explain how you came up with this slogan, and what's behind it?
Sis Zabrina:
Well, as a new writer, I
was very much like a sponge, learning from everyone and everywhere. One of
my gurus told me that I must have a branding as it will help me focus and
help my readers know who I am. Being a business student, it made sense to
me. So, I asked myself then, What is my brand?
So, I thought, basically,
I tell stories in a writing form, right? Then, it hit me. I am a
storyteller! That's when I decided to stick with the brand "storyteller."
I came out with, I think,
more than 20 branding names that incorporate the word ‘storyteller'. Words
like "motivational storyteller," "inspirational storyteller" and "your
storyteller" are among them. The final decision was made after I realized
that I only write stories about life. I mean, I don't write articles
relating to fiqh, or politics, or science fiction. That is not my
strength. My forte is telling and writing stories about manners, morals,
challenges, ups and downs of life, success, failures and triumphs a person
faced in his or her life.
When I wrote down the
words 'Life Storyteller' I could feel tingling in my whole body, my face
flushed and my heart just started pumping so fast - I think I was about to
burst. That was when I knew it was the right choice, insha Allah. You know,
light bulb moments! Yes, it was that moment that I decided to use the name
Sis Zabrina, 'Life Storyteller'. Alhamdulillah.
AB:
At what age did you start writing?
Sis Zabrina:
I started writing from
the age of seven, as this was when my stories began to be selected for the
school magazines. I always enjoyed writing but of course, at that time, I
simply knew it as English homework! You know - to write a story about family
vacations, my pet, my best friend or about my parent - the usual topics
teachers have always asked grade one students to write about.
This went on until I
graduated from high school, after which I pursued an accounting degree. From
that moment, I was in drought for almost 15 years. Not a single word written
by me except, of course, my term papers and assignments. Alhamdulillah, it
was only about one and a half years ago when I rediscovered my passion - my
love for writing. Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah for that.
I basically found my purpose in life, my strength. Something that Allah has
given me to use to serve Him. Alhamdulillah.
AB:
I assume that you used that accounting degree. What kinds of
professional positions have you held?
Sis Zabrina:
Actually, even though I
have an accounting degree, I did my MBA just two years after that. So, all
the professional positions that I held were based on both my accounting
degree and MBA.
My last position was as a
Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the Administration and Finance Division
of a large private international college. I was responsible for nine
departments. It was a real challenge but I loved every minute of it. Holding
that post has helped me grow and has allowed me to push myself and discover
my real potential.
And before I was promoted
to this position, I was lecturing in a few other universities, alhamdulillah.
Lecturing is something I just love to do. I actually miss it a lot. I love
being with students and exploring the world with them. I love to see their
eyes twinkle and go wide when they discover an amazing fact and finally "get
it." You know what I mean. I love to see a shy one developing into a
confident person upon graduation. That was satisfying to me.
AB:
What was the turning point that made you decide to return to writing?
Sis Zabrina:
I was doing my doctorate
when this happened. I studied and worked at the same time until I reached my
data collection period when I know that I needed time off from my work. I
requested for a study leave from my CEO.
My dissertation is about
managing knowledge using the storytelling method. So, the two main
literatures that I read were knowledge management and storytelling. As I get
deeper into storytelling - its usage, environment, techniques, methods,
styles, mental models, etc, I found myself getting the itch to write some
stories too. And I decided to "scratch" that itch. And it felt good!
Alhamdulillah.
That's when I began
writing, again, after 15 years, alhamdulillah.
AB:
Have you devoted yourself full-time to writing, or are you still working?
Sis Zabrina:
Alhamdulillah, I am now a
full-time writer. And for me, living in this passion of mine is a journey I
should have started long time ago.
AB:
Tell me about your new book, Life is an Open Secret. What is it
about? How did the idea for the book originate?
Sis Zabrina:
Life
is an Open Secret is a book written
with the beautiful and ancient art of storytelling. It represents the
reality of life challenges faced by all of us, living in this so-called
modern society. The stories are based on issues that are commonly found
across geographical, race, faith, gender and age boundaries.
I shared
with my readers in total 19 stories - eighteen stories plus one from my
blog. These stories are aimed to tease my readers with a variety of
mind-boggling questions. Personally, I love mind-boggling questions, you
know, questions that can make us all think and ponder for hours.
All stories
in Life is an Open Secret are to inspire the readers to ultimately
reflect and change (should need be) according to the guidelines from the
Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and
blessings be upon him). I strove very hard to make sure that the stories in
Life is an Open Secret are refreshing to the soul, inspirational,
motivational and humorous. And most importantly, that all these
stories, even though wittily crafted, do not lose any of their substance,
insha Allah. The beautiful message of Islam must be delivered, insha Allah.
AB:
Did you self-publish or use a professional publishing house?
Sis Zabrina:
I self published
Life is an Open Secret, alhamdulillah.
AB:
Why did you decide to go that route?
Sis Zabrina:
I remember the shock I
got when I was told that authors have to do their own marketing. With my
background, I know what marketing entails, the demand of it, the money that
involves, the creativity that is needed.
And with the percentage
that authors "might" receive, I didn't believe that it was doable for me.
That's when I knew that I
must find another way to publish my book. I searched and asked questions
about publishing. IWA members have been very supportive in answering my tons
of questions on this matter, alhamdulillah.
AB:
Have you had any stumbling blocks along the way?
Sis Zabrina:
Stumbling blocks? Of
course! That is expected. The bumps on our road in life are welcome as it
helps us grow, alhamdulillah. Bumps like finding an editor for the Islamic
content; finding a professional editor, illustrator, book cover designer,
and layout designer; developing my book website; distribution and many more.
I must say that I really learned what they mean when they say writing is
just 10 percent of the process. And the best part is that, I got to learn
and grow along the way. The challenges that I faced were good for me,
alhamdulillah.
AB:
Based on your experience, how would you advise other writers who are
considering self-publishing?
Sis Zabrina:
Wow, there is a lot
to say here. It will be a long story, really. But the shortcut version is
this - learn from other published authors, ask questions, open your eyes and
look for blueprints. It is everywhere. Get a writer coach, if you will. I am
a writer coach to a few aspiring writers now. Alhamdulillah, we are moving
in a good speed to the right direction. I always tell aspiring writers that
we don't have to repeat all the processes if we can quickly identify what
works.
And to self-publish means
we must be bold, creative, daring, unrelenting. There is a lot of work
involved in getting a book published. We have got to have that drive. The
stumbling blocks we talked about earlier? We must be able to get up no
matter how bad the stumble was.
We must be humble enough
to learn from others and be bold enough to make decisions. Indecisiveness is
a big NO-NO here. We must decide on every single thing like size of book,
color, design, concept, paper used, etc. We must know what works. What is a
good price? How to prepare the market for your book? How to promote it?
Where to print? Offset? Digital? How to pitch your book? How different is
your book from others? How do you position yourself in the market?
To sum up, my advice is
learn, learn, learn. And learn quickly, insha Allah, and always remember
that we are responsible for our books, no one else. So, with Allah as our
Lord, ask from Him, strive to your best and He will shall give us success,
insha Allah.
AB:
You've had a favorable response, masha Allah, from the Muslims and media in
Malaysia. But have you had any feedback from non-Muslims?
Sis Zabrina:
Yes, the reaction from
non-Muslims has been wonderful too. I had about six non-Muslims review my
book and I published them all in Life is an Open Secret. From their
reviews, I felt in my heart that Life is an Open Secret would be a
book that could be accepted by the non-Muslims for many reasons. Maybe they
want to know more about Islam, maybe they want to know how Muslims live
their lives, maybe they want to get to know how Muslims think or maybe they
are just plain curious. I have personally sold and autographed Life is an
Open Secret to a few non-Muslims at the booth during the grand
launching, alhamdulillah. Even on my blog, I have received comments from the
non-Muslims too.
The most recent
endorsement I received is from a business coach known as Dave Rogers, who
made a short promo for Life is an Open Secret, and he uploaded the
clip on youtube, subhan Allah.
AB:
Can you share a few strategies that have proven successful in marketing your
book?
Sis Zabrina:
Sure, I would be glad
to. I remembered being told that writing is just 10 percent of the work as
an author and that is the easy part. The other ninety percent is about
marketing the book you wrote.
Firstly, I learned from a
prominent international bestselling author to always talk about my book even
if it is in writing stage. So, I did just that. If anyone asked me, I told
them I am writing a book - a motivational book - and if they want to read a
sample, they can always go to my blog for a "taste" of my writing. I took
quite an effort to overcome this shyness we authors always have, but, after
so many times doing it, right now, I do it just like how I breathe air,
automatically, alhamdulillah.
Secondly, as I speak to
everyone I meet about my book, it's rather challenging to explain and
re-explain again to the same group of people about my book every time
someone new joins the conversation. So, I used a mini booklet which is also
a name card to give away to people. The mini booklet has a story from my
book, the book cover, the blog address, my personal contact details and some
reviews I received, alhamdulillah. It helps me to promote the book and it
allows my new readers to read my stories at their own time too,
alhamdulillah.
Thirdly, I engaged a
brother who is a film producer based in the UK to help create a Life is
an Open Secret
book trailer and upload it on youtube.
And I also would like to
thank Sheik Yusuf Estes for writing a foreword for Life is an Open Secret,
alhamdulillah. This is a major boost of confidence on the Islamic content of
Life is an Open Secret, alhamdulillah.
AB:
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Sis Zabrina:
Insha Allah, always
believe in your work and know your stuff well. Write about things that you
are passionate about, write from your heart. New writers must also
understand that it takes a lot of thinking and planning as a writer to do
well in the industry. You cannot hide behind doors and then expect your
writing to be accepted or your book to sell.
Also, keep on learning. I
have not stopped learning and insha Allah, never will. As long as Allah
gives me the opportunities, I will continue to learn from everyone.
One thing that I found
after I launched Life is an Open Secret is that I met many aspiring
writers telling me that they have always wanted to write. My question to
them is - what is stopping you? If we really have the drive and the passion,
we should be doing it instead of talking about it. There is a story in
Life is an Open Secret that addresses this issue - Secret 9 - "Say the
Word and Do the Action." I quoted an Arabian proverb that says, "A promise
is a cloud, fulfillment is the rain."
So, in anything that we
wish to do, be it to be a writer, to slim down, to learn cooking, to travel,
whatever it is, always remember that we can always talk till the cow goes
home. We can always get awed at the clouds but, it is really the rain that
really matters. We can have many clouds with us, but, if it doesn't rain, we
will still have drought.
My personal quote on
writing is this: "There is never a good time in the future to start. The
good time is always now."
So, start writing.
AB:
You say it's essential for writers not to hide behind doors and expect their
book to become successful. Yet many writers find that they're unable to help
market their own books - perhaps they have limited time or are unable to
travel. What words of encouragement or advice can you offer those
writers who don't have the flexibility or means to strongly promote their
own books?
Sis Zabrina:
There are many ways to
do this. The aim is to get your name and your book name out there.
Creativity is always the answer, insha Allah.
Let us take from the
example you gave just now - limited time. Since time is limited, the author
must research methods that would give her the highest exposure with the
least amount of time. If she has an article, to get the highest exposure to
her name, that article must be sent and published at a place where there are
lots of readers. If she is going to do a public appearance, that appearance
must be at a venue and event when there are a high number of participants.
Don't go for the smaller ones. Find the one that would expose you the most.
All this takes a lot of thinking and we need to strategize.
The other hindrance you
mentioned is inability to travel. In this case, I believe we must capitalize
on two things - technology and leveraging. I must admit that 60 to 80
percent of my writing and promoting is done on the net. Use that. It is
cheap, most of the time free and we can expose our work to the world, insha
Allah. And leverage. Find other authors that would want to partner with you
in marketing and promoting. If you cannot be there physically, you can take
the responsibility to, say, write a press release, email the press and
media, identify events and contact the organizers, etc. Basically, you take
charge of most of the background work and your partner or partners could do
the traveling around promote your book together with their book. You can do
bundling too, insha Allah.
Subhan Allah, I truly
believe that there are tens if not hundreds of ways to do this. We just have
to sit down and think together. Insha Allah, we will succeed.
AB:
Do you have any other book projects planned?
Sis Zabrina:
Yes, absolutely,
alhamdulillah. I have got a few books under Life is an Open Secret
series such as Life is an Open Secret for Women, teenagers and
others. I am also writing a mini book, insha Allah that contain
inspirational words and anecdotes of life.
Other than that, Life
is an Open Secret e-book and audio book are in the pipeline, insha
Allah.
AB:
Jazaki Allahu khayran, Sis Zabrina. May Allah continue to bless your
efforts.
Sis Zabrina:
Wa eyyakum, insha Allah
sister. Ameen to your prayers and may Allah bless us all with His Love, His
Blessings, His Mercy and give us success in this world and hereafter, Ameen.
Copyright
© 2008 by Christine Benlafquih. All Rights Reserved.
Christine (Amina) Benlafquih is a freelance writer and the current
publications officer of the Islamic Writers Alliance. A former
publications and public relations director, she lives in Morocco with her
husband and six children. Read some of her online work at
Arabisto.com and
Suite101.com.
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Global
Connections
IWA is a U.S. based organization with members from all parts of the globe.
Our Spotlight IWA interview subject, Sis Zabrina, is Malay. Here are few
facts about her homeland.
Country:
Malaysia
Location:
Southeast Asia
Bordering Countries:
Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines
Population:
27 million
Where Sis Zabrina is from:
Kuala Lumpur, the capital
Climate:
Tropical
National Language:
Malay
Sis Zabina's Languages:
Malay, English, Arabic
National Religion:
Islam; more than half of Malays are Muslim
Main Exports:
natural rubber and palm oil
Example of a Famous
Malaysian Dish:
Satay (sweet and spicy meat on skewers)
Some of Sis Zabrina's
Favorite Foods:
Chocolate chip cookies and Magluba (a Palestinian/Jordanian dish)
Malay proverb:
To bend a bamboo, start when it is a
shoot.
"Our
ancestors had the opportunity to observe their surroundings and gather life
lessons from them. One proverb reflected how they had observed the beautiful
bamboo trees. Bamboo tress as we all know is very strong and hard. However,
they observed that the bamboo shoot (Bamboo shoots are the edible
shoots - new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) can be
shaped and bent. Hence, they came up with the wonderful Malay proverb that
reminds us that if we want to shape something - for example kids, new
companies, new culture - we have to start early and not wait until it
becomes big."
-- Sis Zabrina
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