Featured Writers of Medium
An Interview with John D. Leavy, Best-Selling Author
John is an entrepreneur, technologist, and best-selling author of multiple books.
Dear Readers and Writers,
In this post, we share an interview that our chief editor Dr Mehmet Yildiz conducted with John D. Leavy, an entrepreneur, technologist, and best-selling author who is also contributing to ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications, supporting 19K+ writers on Medium.
John is a new writer on Medium but not new to writing. He has started sharing and re-purposing the chapters of his recent book about his experience with Medium on Illumination Book Chapters. So members can read it as part of their unlimited reading privilege.
You will be able to find John’s writings on multiple business and technology sites and, of course, on Medium. His slogan to live by has been “Helping people to understand the technology and loving every minute.”
We believe you will enjoy exploring John’s background and benefit from his outstanding writing experience as a best-selling author of multiple books.
Tell us a bit about your background, John.
I landed a summer job at Midwest Stock Exchange in Chicago between my third and fourth years of college.
It was my first exposure to the burgeoning computer age. Seeing the industry move from punch paper tape to IBM punch cards, to magnetic tape, and then onto disk storage was exciting. I never went back to school; I joined the Computer Revolution.
I spend the first years of my career working in computer rooms as an operator, supervisor, and manager.
I joined the Intergraph Corporation, a multi-national hardware and software vendor, as a regional manager of the nine states in the Midwest.
Instead of following the corporate paper trail toward advancement, I left Intergraph and started my first consulting practice, Computer Graphic Solutions, Inc. I wanted to be close to the customers instead of attending endless meetings and pushing papers all day.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with Fortune 50 and Fortune 100 companies, and I’ve consulted with numerous federal and defense agencies.
One of my most exciting gigs was being a part of ground support for the shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center in the 1990s.
I firmly believe in what Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard have to say in Who Moved My Cheese? As the technology market changed, I changed with it and started several more companies offering web design, search engine optimization, content development, and digital marketing solutions.
At this point in my career, I’m in give-back mode. I’ve learned a lot, made some good decisions and some not-so-good, and want to share my experiences with others in hopes they’ll succeed as I have.
What keeps you busy all day?
I love to read, research, and write. Today, I’m launching my latest work, The Medium Quick Reference Guide. Any writer who has done a book launch knows there’s little time for anything else.
How about your hobbies?
My wife, Kay, and I have a new home under construction in Tennessee near our two sons. I look forward to building a picnic table and patios and planting almost anything that grows. We love gardening together. We have six grandchildren who live close, so there will be no shortage of school activities, sporting events, and family get-togethers.
I love reading about entrepreneurship, freelancing, marketing, branding, strategy, and startups. Reading authors that write better than I do challenges me to sharpen my craft.
I’m a die-hard Cubs fan looking forward to spring training in Mesa, AZ, and the start of the 2023 Baseball Season. Go Cubs!
I noticed you are an author. Could you please briefly introduce your books?
My previous books fall into three categories:
My first book in 1993 was The MicroStation Reference Guide. MicroStation is a computer-aided design software (CAD) engineers use to create 2D and 3D models of buildings, roads & bridges, fighter jets, oil refineries, manufacturing plants, automobiles, and almost anything.
I had a consulting practice and delivered workshops and presentations at engineering conferences nationwide, so writing about MicroStation was a logical step to reach larger audiences. I wrote seven books on CAD-related software products.
I left the CAD arena to start InPlainSite Marketing, a digital marketing firm that delivered Internet-based, world-class digital marketing solutions. While there, I wrote Outcome-based Marketing: New Rules for Marketing on the Web, published by Entrepreneur Press. That year, the book was runner-up in the Advertising and Marketing class.
In 2015 I closed the agency’s doors and started coaching non-profits on becoming effective, efficient, and sustainable. While coaching, I wrote a series of books called my Ignition Series. Again, I wanted to reach as many people as possible. I’ve always believed if someone I help succeeds, I succeed.
In 2021 I decided to take another look at Medium. The platform has matured since my first look back in 2018. I’m a problem solver, and when I saw that using Medium to write stories could be challenging, I decided to write my 20th literary experiment — The Medium Quick Reference Guide.
How do you approach a new book idea, and what are your suggestions for new writers?
I approach a new book idea very cautiously. Parts of the process can be pure torture. When you think you have the perfect outline and start writing, ideas that require you to move things around pop into your head.
I’m not a detail person, and writing, editing, and formatting the book’s content demand detailed attention. And then there are endless reads and rereads before sending the manuscript to the publisher. Nevertheless, I love the creative process, don’t get me wrong.
My problems aside, here’s my approach.
When I have an idea to write a new book, I want to know what’s on Amazon now. Who’s publishing? What are they saying? How are their books ranking?
What vehicles are they using to get their message out, paperbacks, Kindle, videos, or online classes?
It’s important to know who the competition is and how strong their presence is in the venue you’re thinking of entering. For example, if your target audience is on YouTube, writing a paperback book will likely fail.
I use metrics instead of emotions to gauge my competition. I create an EXCEL spreadsheet. Then, check out the top ten authors in my genre.
I look for them everywhere on the Internet. Are they on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Medium, or Twitter? How many followers or connections do they have? What are they talking about, and are their efforts receiving a high level of engagement?
You must know who’s on the playing field before the game starts.
Can you please summarize your approach to give an idea to beginners?
Here’s my approach when I start on a new writing project.
It may sound crazy, but I can’t start writing until I have a title for the new book. I need to have something to hang my hat on. The name may change, and it usually does, but I need to start somewhere.
1. A book title, even though it may and probably will change.
2. I write a 250-word description of what the book’s about. What’s the problem, who’s the audience, what’s the solution, and what are the benefits to the reader? This description will turn into my book’s Introduction.
3. Next, I develop an outline of chapter titles. I try and make the title names action-orientated, like Navigating Your Homepage, Jazzing Your Stories with Images & Embeds, or Gaining Your First 100 Followers. The titles need to pique the reader’s interest.
4. Then I write a sentence that describes what’s talked about in each chapter.
5. Next, I write a paragraph that better describes the one-sentence chapter descriptions.
6. I’m embarrassed to say I don’t write my books in a logical, linear sequence. I start writing the chapters that intrigue me the most. My writing is motivated by what I want to say to the reader and what I want to learn. For instance, when I joined Medium, I knew nothing about earning money, using Publications, or placing images in my stories, so I started writing those chapters.
7. While the chapters develop, I find there’s a need to move things around, so the flow of information makes sense to the reader. You can’t cover publishing a story until you tell the reader how to write one. Spellcheck is always on, and I run Grammarly constantly.
8. The manuscript draft is complete.
9. It’s finally time to fact-check and edit my masterpiece. I head off to Fed-Ex and get a printed copy. Reviewing the page layout and starting the rereading/editing process is more manageable. My wife Kay has been my frontline editor since day one. We go to our favorite coffeehouse and begin the refining process.
10. From there, it’s the usual building the book cover, uploading the manuscript to Kindle Direct Publishing, ordering a review copy, and taking one last look before tapping the Accept button to have the book go live.
What are your core values as a writer?
I can’t separate the values I write with from those I live by. I’ll just say, be honest, disciplined, as correct as possible, open to change, humble, respect the reader, accountable, flexible, strive for excellence, do the research, and give it all you’ve got.
How do you connect with your readers?
My friend John and I have become fast friends; it’s taken only 30 years. I’m trying to say that building sound, solid relationships take time. Some people on social media collect friends like they amass the latest Nike, Adidas, or Skechers footwear. Does anyone have 500+ individuals they can call close friends?
Here’s what I do to stay connected with my audience:
1. Respond to comments within a reasonable time limit.
2. Be authentic. Let people inside by sharing personal thoughts and stories.
3. Consistently provide value.
4. Ask for feedback and be open to change.
5. Be engaging, not phony, or with a hidden motivation.
Do you have any future writing projects in mind for the coming months?
Would it be okay if I were vague in answering that question?
Yes, I have three writing projects I hope to complete by year’s end.
One project is a companion to my recently released The Medium Quick Reference Guide. A second book is one I put aside to do my latest paperback. Freelancing is hot right now, and I want to get my ideas down on paper as soon as possible.
A third venture is a quick daily dose of inspirational one-minute reads for freelance writers to encourage them to keep going.
Why did you join Medium?
Medium and I crossed paths in 2018. Either Medium was not mature enough for me, or I wasn’t ready to spend the bandwidth to determine how the platform would benefit my writing.
Come October 2022, we’re back together again.
I’ve been freelance writing for marketing agencies at Upwork. With the advent of the Great Resignation, freelancing has become a legit business model.
Working a second job after a person’s 9 to 5 job was known as moonlighting back in the day, so freelancing is not that new. It’s just matured to the point where more people are taking the self-employed leap.
I thought it was time to cash in.
Knowing the effort necessary to grind out another book, I used Medium as my testbed. I’ll write chapters as stories and see how the information plays to the audience of those trying to get a freelance hustle started.
Medium is not as user-friendly as one might think. There are loads of commands, tools, settings, and options. Which ones do I use, for what, when, and where is it?
I wasn’t always sure; I supposed other writers wherein the same boat. Hence the creation of The Medium Quick Reference Guide. I had written six reference guides in my CAD days, so it wouldn’t take long for me to spin things up.
I must say writing at Medium has been a surprise. I’ve read some great stories, conversed with other writers, found helpful Publications like ILLUMINATION, and learned a lot.
Why did you connect with ILLUMINATION, and how do you find it so far?
Marketers learn early on that not everyone wants to buy your products. You must target the correct audience with the right message to be successful. Medium Publications looked like an excellent fit to distribute my stories.
As I read stories on Medium, the Publication name ILLUMINATION kept popping up. I decided to investigate whether they might be the correct avenue to distribute my work.
Applying to the Publication was easy, straightforward, and fast. I’ve found the editorial team friendly, helpful, and professional. Editors publishing my stories often give positive feedback and cheer me on.
I am currently publishing my reference guide chapters through ILLUMINATION Book Chapters with short-form story teasers going out through ILLUMINATION. I also use ILLUMINATION MIRROR to get extra stories in the hands of my readers because they allow three stories per day.
Working with ILLUMINATION has been all good so far, and I hope the relationship continues to grow.
I also recently wrote a piece about unnecessary and unfair attacks against ILLUMINATION as a response to this story from your editorial team. Here is the link to the story to give my perspectives on the effects of harmful content on social media.
Please introduce your five most-loved stories published on ILLUMINATION.
It’s difficult for a writer to pick any of their most-loved stories because we’re so partial to our work, but here goes:
How can readers and other writers connect with you?
Being responsive is a big part of building relationships, so I try to be available when someone messages me.
The best connection paths are by email at [email protected] or by highlighting a passage in one of my Medium stories and sending me a private message.
Members of Illumination might also contact me on your Slack Workspace.
I promise to get back to you.
Many thanks to John D. Leavy for this time, giving us a glimpse of his exciting background and contributing to our publications.
Dr Mehmet Yildiz wrote a foreword for John’s new book as his first beta reader. We copy the testimonials to introduce the book in case it might interest new writers or potential members who plan to join Medium.
Foreword by Dr Mehmet Yildiz for The Medium Quick Reference Guide Authored by John D. Leavy
“I am pleased to introduce The Medium.com Quick Reference Guide by John D. Leavy. Medium.com has become a popular platform for writers, bloggers, and content creators to share their thoughts, ideas, and insights with a diverse audience.
However, with so many features and options available, Medium can be overwhelming to navigate for newcomers and even experienced users.
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of Medium.com’s features and tools, including creating and publishing great stories, using topics (tags) to target the right audiences, using Medium’s many features to produce highly professional-looking articles, and leveraging the platform for maximum exposure, and the finer points other successful writers use to generate an income.
The guide also includes tips and tricks for optimizing your content, growing your readership, and interacting with the Medium community. Leavy leaves nothing out.
Whether you’re a seasoned Medium user looking to enhance your skills or a beginner just starting, this guide is an invaluable resource that helps you make the most of the platform. John D. Leavy’s clear and concise writing style makes it easy to follow along, and his insights and expertise empower you to take your Medium game to the next level.
This effort is Leavy’s 20th published book, and he still has the touch to reach readers where they are in their writing careers and give them a hand up at being the best they can be as a writer.
I highly recommend The Medium Quick Reference Guide to anyone looking to improve their writing, expand their online presence, and connect with like-minded individuals on this dynamic platform.”
If you enjoyed this story, you might also check out other remarkable writers, such as Yogesh Haribhau Kulkarni (PhD), Dr. ADAM TABRIZ, Mark Sanford, Ph.D., Keri Mangis, Ayodeji Awosika, Raymond M.E. Aguirre, and Hakima T A N T R I K A whom Dr Mehmet Yildiz featured recently.
These top writers produce outstanding and authentic content informing their readers.
You might find more interviews with other great writers in this collection and explore their inspiring and engaging content on Medium.
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