Amy Bernal: What’s your name and what genre would you consider your books to be?
Lew Bayer: Name is Lew Bayer, books are in business, with focus on civility.
Amy Bernal: Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?
Lew Bayer: The book is based on the work we do every day. We are consultants and trainers who speak and teach on the content.
Amy Bernal: How did you get interested in writing this particular genre (historical novels, mysteries, sci-fi, children’s books, etc.)?
Lew Bayer: In previous jobs, we found people were consistently uncivil. We decided to try understand why and see if we could improve workplaces.
Amy Bernal: What kind of research did you do for this book?
Lew Bayer: We did about 6 years of research.
Amy Bernal: Can you tell me about your Series?
Lew Bayer: It’s not a series- just one book…with an updated edition coming out soon.
Amy Bernal: What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?
Lew Bayer: Because I am a corporate trainer, I write about 4 hours a day every day- devising curriculum, writing books and lesson plans, doing blogs and news articles etc.
Amy Bernal: Do you have a new book in the making and if so, what’s the name of your upcoming book?
Lew Bayer: The Business Case for Civility coming out early 2019
Amy Bernal: How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?
Lew Bayer: It is a nonfiction book.
Amy Bernal: Where do your ideas come from?
Lew Bayer: The everyday work and experiences in my job.
Amy Bernal: Is there a genre that you’ve been wanting to experiment with?
Lew Bayer: NO. Just more nonfiction.
Amy Bernal: What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Lew Bayer: Not having enough time- I would write all day if I could.
Amy Bernal: What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?
Lew Bayer: I like trailers, but we don’t have one.
Amy Bernal: What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
Lew Bayer: I started a business in an untested field with an untested topic/expertise, we are now 20 years later and still going strong.
Amy Bernal: What’s the best thing about being an author?
Lew Bayer: It’s amazing when people read your work and are inspired to think differently.
Amy Bernal: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Lew Bayer: Traveling and writing about civility.
Amy Bernal: Have you always liked to write?
Lew Bayer: Always, every since I was young.
Amy Bernal: What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Lew Bayer: Just do it. Don’t think about what will happen next e.g., don’t plan to publish, don’t worry about what other people think, share your story- and feed your soul.
Amy Bernal: If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?
Lew Bayer: I would still teach civility.
Amy Bernal: Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?
Lew Bayer: I don’t read them, I can’t change what is already done and I don’t really write for others, I write for myself.
Amy Bernal: What is your least favourite part of the writing/publishing process?
Lew Bayer: Relinquishing control, e.g., the branding and wordsmithing for publicity is a bit hard and feels unnatural sometimes.
Amy Bernal: What are you working on now?
Lew Bayer: New book, The Business of Civility
Amy Bernal: Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?
Lew Bayer: We are focusing on how the workplace can impact community and government and global politics…it’s amazing how much power we each have that we don’t recognize or leverage.
Amy Bernal: Why did you choose to write in your genre?
Lew Bayer: If you write in more than one, how do you balance them? I don’t feel there are enough “meaty” solid business books out there, a lot of opinions and anecdotal stuff but not enough real research- especially around soft skills.
Amy Bernal: Where did your love of books come from?
Lew Bayer: We didn’t have much when I was young – but we always had books.
Amy Bernal: Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?
Lew Bayer: I read a lot of philosophy, I like Thoreau.
Amy Bernal: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Lew Bayer: Energizes me.
Amy Bernal: What is your writing Kryptonite?
Lew Bayer: Time, I just need more time.
Amy Bernal: Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
Lew Bayer: Try to be original, but with fact-based writing there isn’t always a lot of room for imagination.
Amy Bernal: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
Lew Bayer: Many of our affiliates are authors, we all write this type of book so lots to share and talk about.
Amy Bernal: If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?
Lew Bayer: Let’s eat cake! I think life is short and you need to take time to enjoy the happy moments with friends and family, indulge a bit.
Amy Bernal: What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
Lew Bayer: What do you hope people take away from your books?
ANSWER. I hope people pause and think about the impact they have on the world – and try to be a little kinder to themselves and others as a result of learning about civility.
Amy Bernal: Where can your fans find you and follow??
Lew Bayer: www.civilityexperts.com @civilityexpert Lew Bayer on Linked In.
Amy Bernal: Thank you for taking your time to do this interview 
