HomeAuthor InterviewsInterview with Kelly Goss

Interview with Kelly Goss

Kelly Goss is the author of Automate it with Zapier, we got the chance to sit down with her and find out more about her experience of writing with Packt.

Q: What is/are your specialist tech area(s)?

Kelly: Business process improvement and automation with Zapier

Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey. What was your motivation for writing this book?

Kelly: I was contacted by Nitin Nainani and offered the opportunity to become an author. The whole process was very smooth but it took me some time to decide as I knew the time commitment would be large. I spoke to another recently published Packt author who was very forthcoming with her praise for the Packt book writing process and editorial team. I decided to write the book as I am extremely passionate about helping business owners increase productivity in their companies, and also because I love Zapier.

Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?

Kelly: I researched topics on business process automation and other content available on Zapier. The time I spent was mainly to be able to write an outline for the book chapters. I didn’t spend much time researching as I knew quite quickly what content I thought would be useful for new users of Zapier and those trying to level their skills. I really wanted to encourage the principle of simplifying and improving processes before automating them.

Q: Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?

Kelly: My two main challenges were developing adequate write skills (and quickly) as I have never authored a book before, and time, being the biggest one. In terms of my time, trying to juggle running my business and tending to my clients was a challenge. I found myself often writing on weekends. And then my mum was diagnosed with cancer and I was her carer for several months prior to her passing in April this year. We can never plan for these things, it was tough. But I’m grateful to the Packt team for the flexibility they offered me as the book should have been published in February 2021.

Q: What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?

Kelly: I see no-code technologies becoming more popular with less technical users. There is a huge opportunity for tools like Zapier to really make an impact for businesses. This is especially true for small and medium sized companies that may have smaller budgets to work with and can’t afford developer resource. Essentially, Zapier is a do-it-yourself platform that can be learned and harnessed by anyone.

Q: Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?

Kelly: This book not only covers the all-important basics of how to start using Zapier, it will also help more experienced users make the most of the built-in functionality in the platform. More importantly, readers will be encouraged to get a better handle on their processes by understanding them, simplifying them and improving them before they start using a no-code automation tool like Zapier to supercharge their businesses. “Automate it With Zapier” is the most comprehensive guide about business process automation with Zapier on the market.

Q. What are the key takeaways you want readers to come away from the book with?

Kelly: To understand simple methods to improve their processes, and the best way to use Zapier to automate their business processes.

Q. What advice would you give to readers learning tech? Do you have any top tips?

Kelly: Be patient, follow the guidance and do the groundwork, and don’t give up.

Q. Do you have a blog that readers can follow?

Kelly: Yes: https://solvaa.co.uk/blog

Q. Can you share any blogs, websites and forums to help readers gain a holistic view of the tech they are learning?

Kelly: https://zapier.com/blog/

Q. How would you describe your author journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?

Kelly: Simple, seamless, supportive and encouraging. I would absolutely recommend Packt.

Q. Do you belong to any tech community groups?

Kelly: Yes – Zapier, Pipedrive and Xero communities.

Q. What are your favorite tech journals? How do you keep yourself up to date on tech?

Kelly: Constantly learning but focus on my 3 key tools – Zapier, Pipedrive and Xero

Q. How did you organize, plan, and prioritize your work and write the book?

Kelly: I blocked out whole days to write.

Q. What is that one writing tip that you found most crucial and would like to share with aspiring authors?

Kelly: Don’t underestimate the amount of time it takes to write a book.

You can find Kelly’s book on Amazon by following this link: Please click here

Automate it with Zapier is Available on Amazon.com