I believe that anyone seeking to connect with their purpose and live with confidence and passion will enjoy this read!

Toby Israel – 20 September 2020

The Back Flap

Vagabondess: A Guide to Solo Female Travel is a book for women—and all people!—who want to travel solo, face their fears, and live the adventure of their dreams. This book is for the travelers, the feminists, the adventurers, the seekers and the curious. In it, the author shares insights from over 10 years of solo travel through Asia, Africa, Europe, and Central America.

If you were waiting for someone to tell you that your dreams are just crazy enough, and then give you some practical suggestions for how to get there, then this is the book for you.

“Why Vagabondess? A vagabondess has earth and salt to balance her air. Her lifestyle is not a romantic, Instagram-filter utopia, but rather gritty and smeared with sweat. A vagabondess is not a symbol of an ideal of a life. She is alive.

A vagabondess weaves magic into the everyday and touches the profound with her toes as she wanders—aimlessly, purposefully—through her inner landscape and the outer wilderness of the modern world. She unites nostalgia for a freer past and hope for a liberated future by living squarely in the present tense. For solo female travelers, the vagabondess is an attainable objective, not a holy grail. She is within easy reach, if only we look in the right place: inside.”

About the book

What is the book about?

Vagabondess: A Guide to Solo Female Travel is much more than a guide. It is a collection of travelogue, philosophy, stories, and, yes, tips for solo female travelers—and anyone wishing to embrace a spirit of adventure, curiosity, growth and discovery. This book is a poetic and practical introduction to the vagabondess who lives inside each of us, showing up in our lives in a myriad of ways.

When did you start writing the book?

November, 2019.

How long did it take you to write it?

​About 5 months, not counting the years of travel journals and other writings that went into it.

Where did you get the idea from?

In 2017, my flight to Guatemala was about to land when a thought popped into my head: “It’s time to write a book!” The title, format, and concept were all there, fully formed. For years I had been blogging about solo travel, answering questions and giving encouragement to other women who wanted to adopt the same nomadic lifestyle as me, but were afraid to dive in. It was time to level up and bring all of my solo travel experience—and that inspiration and support for women seeking to move through fear and into adventure—into a bigger project.

It would be nearly another two years before I actually got started. By then, the book was already alive in my head; I just had to relocate it to paper.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The chapter on love was difficult to write. Maybe one day I’ll write another book about what it’s like to date and fall in love and fall out of love as a vagabondess. For the moment, however, many of those stories feel too personal, too tender. It was challenging to find a balance between vulnerability and story (which I feel are critical for writing something that connects) and organized detachment. I like to think I did an okay job walking the line between the two.

What came easily?

Organizing my thoughts into chapters and sections was surprisingly easy. I suppose I had been writing about the themes in Vagabondess for so long that I already knew exactly what I wanted to include, and how it all fit together. Once I had the rough structure outlined, the process really flowed.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

This is pure non-fiction. I tried to protect the identities of any characters who showed up in my anecdotes

Do you have a target reader?

This book is for women – and all people, really! – who want to travel solo, face their fears, and live the adventure of their dreams. While it is focused on solo travel, it is not only for solo travelers. I believe that anyone seeking to connect with their purpose and live with confidence and passion will enjoy this read!

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

​For the first draft, I dedicated 1-2 hours per day to writing. Sometimes early, early mornings, but also any time of day, depending on my schedule. I used the NaNoWriMo challenge to motivate myself to get the entire first draft on paper in a month. I also had a lot of written material already from years of blogs and journals, so some of my process also involved reworking existing writing to fit into the book.

Generally, I try to avoid distractions and keep writing no matter what. It’s not about feeling inspired; it’s about committing to putting words on the page. The refinement and polish can always be added later with editing and revisions.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Minimally. I have a sense of the structure I want, but I typically organize my thoughts by writing them down, so most of the structure emerges as I write.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I did my best to wait until I had finished the rough draft of the manuscript, then went through and did many rounds of editing.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes. Being an editor myself, I know it is pretty much impossible to properly edit your own work. And two, three, or four pairs of eyes are always better than one!

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Yes, but nothing with lyrics. Classical, ambient, or other low-key instrumental music that stays in the background.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No. After speaking with a friend and colleague with a lot of experience with the self-publishing and crowdfunding process, I decided that that was the best route for this book.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I knew I had an audience who wanted to buy this book, and since I had been sharing about the entire writing process from the beginning, many of them had already been waiting months to buy it. I didn’t want to make them wait another 1-2 years while I tried to find an agent and publisher! Plus, I love the direct connection I have with my readers, and I think that self-publishing really supports that kind of community engagement.

And then, Vagabondess is all about finding your own path. It feels appropriate that I chose an untraditional path to publishing, too.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Professional. I wear many hats, but graphic designer is NOT one of them!

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I am working on that now. The launch plan for the Kickstarter was carefully crafted and a huge success! After those intensive months of promotion I needed a break, but I intend to do the same thing to market the book properly now that it’s published.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Invest in an editor, cover designer, and book designer. Self-publishing is a totally valid way to go, but you still want it to look professional. No matter how user-friendly some of these publishing tools are, there is a reason that there are professionals specializing in these fields.

And put time and love into cultivating your following. If you’re going to be marketing on your own, you need a solid base (even a small one) to start with.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Boston, MA.

Where do you live now?

Currently based in San Jose, Costa Rica.

What would you like readers to know about you?

​I have spent years getting to know my inner vagabondess and developing a lifestyle that is exuberantly alive. I am passionate about empowering other people, especially women, to do the same. We all carry so much power and beauty and curiosity and wildness within us. Travel is one of many paths to tapping into those amazing qualities, and I’ll be thrilled if I support a few more people to find their wings and explore!

What are you working on now?

I am also an Empowerment Self-Defense instructor and yoga teacher, and I’m currently working on developing an empowerment project in Costa Rica called Mujeres Fuertes. The focus right now is on short (3-day) retreats that combine a full 10-12-hour self-defense course with yoga and movement practices, meditation, farm-to-table food, and community in beautiful retreat centers around Costa Rica. There are also shorter, more accessible workshops in the San Jose area. The retreats and workshops are mostly in Spanish and intended for a local audience, but I also teach at festivals, events and other retreats for an international audience. There is still a lot of space to grow, and hopefully Mujeres Fuertes is just getting started!

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Vagabondess: A Guide to Solo Female Travel from Amazon US or Amazon UK.