Author Spotlight: Brian Klausner
Today I’m happy to feature this interview with Brian Klausner, MD, author of In the Gaps: Better Understanding the Expensive Human Suffering of Chronic Homelessness. Working with Brian to help him publish his book earlier this month was a pleasure, and I look forward to his book and his work making an impact in the world.
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JENNY LISK: Can you tell me about your book and the inspiration behind it? Who is it for?
BRIAN KLAUSNER: In my almost 20-year career as a physician, I have treated really incredible people who fight with amazing resilience in their daily struggles for a better life – or just simple survival. They are typically expensively misunderstood by a disinterested society that does not help them as efficiently and as well as we should.
These patients were my inspiration for writing the book. I wanted to write it for years but procrastinated way too long. I am excited to finally get it completed.
The book is for them: To help remember those who are no longer here and to, hopefully, contribute to the ongoing conversations about how we better manage the growing social crisis of homelessness in our nation, so we do not continue hemorrhaging taxpayer money and tolerating the suffering and mortality of incredible people.
JL: What was the most significant challenge you faced during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome it?
BK: That’s easy: Realizing, every step of the way, that I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. It was a humbling, but ultimately, a really fun journey as I figured it out. My main strategy as a first-time writer publishing independently: Engage experts who did know what they were doing and who were awesome enough not to make me feel stupid as they guided me through the process. I found an incredible editor, Jocelyn Carbonara, who then handed it over to you to help me cross the finish line.
JL: What is one thing that surprised you about any part of the nonfiction author journey?
BK: How fun the whole process ended up becoming. I really fell in love with writing – probably too much as I kept going back to the drafts to add and edit. I think I realized this may be my last book, as my clinical time is pretty busy, so in a way, I don’t think I wanted to end.
I think all the details of finishing the book for publication would have been overwhelmingly painful for me if it had not been for your help – and it would have made it much less fun!
JL: What's one piece of advice you'd give to new nonfiction authors?
BK: (1) FIND A GOOD EDITOR!!!!!! I was naive enough early to think I would not need one. I needed one. (2) FIND A GOOD BOOK MANAGER!!!!!! I was naive enough early to think I would not need one. I needed one.
JL: Can you share a resource (such as a podcast, book, tool, or organization) that has significantly impacted your author journey?
BK: As a first-time author, Reedsy was extremely helpful in connecting me to my editor Jocelyn, as well as my cover designer Adam Hay who was great. The Reedsy site is easy to use and connects you to really incredible resources.
JL: Is there anything else you’d like my readers to know?
BK: The process of writing can be so rewarding and, per above, really fun. Seek out honest feedback/criticism along the way, not validation. That actually can be hard to do as people typically want to be nice and supportive. Be confident enough to do so as it will make your writing so much better.
Editor’s Note: Brian Klausner, MD, has spent his career caring for high-risk patients experiencing homelessness on the streets and in the clinics of Boston, Massachusetts, and Raleigh, North Carolina.
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