People often wonder whether success in life is truly earned or happens by chance, and whether accolades are won by luck or truly deserved. However, just one encounter with Sally Kenneth Dadzie in person or through her writings settles the debate, as it gets crystal clear that Sally is a genius indeed, waiting to be more recognised and rewarded.

Furthermore, when you consider the fact that Sally’s bestselling, award-winning and ground-breaking titles are not even in print yet, and are available only at online stores like OkadaBooks, then it gets even clearer that Sally is indeed a miracle waiting to happen and a shinning star getting ready to shine even brighter.

Our Close up Session  with Sally was a very inspiring moment for the entire team, and  you will be greatly motivated as well. Please get ready to be thrilled by her excellent outlook on life and her exceptional work ethics.

Without further ado, let’s please meet the amazing Sally Kenneth Dadzie as interviewed by Funmi Adebayo.

Funmi: Let’s meet Sally Kenneth Dadzie. 

Sally: I am Sally Kenneth Dadzie as you know. I have a degree in sociology and anthropology. I’m an author, blogger and an editor. I’m also married and blessed with two children.

Funmi: In 2016, you emerged an OkadaBooks Bestselling Author, and just last Sunday, you bagged Nigerian Writers’ Awards Fiction Writer of the Year 2017. Kudos to you. Fantastic feat.  When did you start writing/  blogging,  and what incident or whose inspiration triggered it?

Sally: I began writing as a teenager, but I took it seriously years later when I wrote stage plays. I began blogging in 2011. I was inspired by my husband who pushed me to put my work out there.

The normal narrative is to whine about how much of hell we pass through, but it’s like every other job or career out there. There are good and bad days. But there is technology on our side now.

Funmi: Do you write and blog on a full time basis?  If not,  how have you been able to combine writing/ blogging with regular paid employment and family?

Sally: I have written full-time and also written while having a full-time job. I have coped by using my time well. It’s not easy and it gets stressful, but you have to plan each day well and set time for everything and everyone. I relied on discipline and a lot of coffee.

Funmi: Did you start out with the aim of becoming a best seller or an award winner?  

Sally: No, I just wrote. I wasn’t planning on being a best-selling or getting nominated for any award.

I have coped by using my time well. It’s not easy and it gets stressful, but you have to plan each day well and set time for everything and everyone. I relied on discipline and a lot of coffee.

Funmi: So, you’re the best selling author on OkadaBooks and an NWA Fiction Writer of the Year Awardee.. How did you achieve that?  What practical steps / action points would you attribute your success to?

Sally: First of all, I wrote. Hard work comes into play here. Sleepless nights and endless hours paid off. Content is key as well. If I wasn’t writing what people wanted to read, the story would be different. And then there’s marketing, done mostly by the Okadabooks team. They put my work out there and gave it the push it needed.

Funmi: Fantastic. How has it being as a writer in Nigeria?

Sally: Like every profession, it has its highs and lows. The normal narrative is to whine about how much of hell we pass through, but it’s like every other job or career out there. There are good and bad days. But there is technology on our side now.

Funmi: Awesome! Really loving this! Now to our Ground Breaking Three: Times are hard,  yet you achieved your dream right in this economy. First, please tell us about your peak moment so far in the pursuit of your dream as a writer / blogger?

Sally: I don’t have a peak moment. Sometimes, hitting a single scene or getting a character right that has given me tough time, brings immense joy. It could also be a single comment from a fan or notification that I have sold so and so number of books. I tend to latch on to happiness anytime it shows.

Funmi: Awesome. Really learning so much. Now Tell us about your lowest point in actualizing your dream – Have you been close to quitting or actually given up on your dream before e. g. Have you quit writing,  made a loss,  lost a business before? How did you cope and what was the turning point?

Sally: I have been close to quitting so many times. There was a moment I wasn’t making any profit at all. I wanted to quit then, but I realized that my audience was growing and one day, it would pay off. So I kept at it and here we are now.

Funmi: Great! Final words for your friends,  fans and an average Nigerian nursing your kind of dream in this economy

Sally: Whatever your dream, just keep at it. Don’t stop during the lows or highs. Keep going, keep pushing.

First of all, I wrote. Hard work comes into play here. Sleepless nights and endless hours paid off. Content is key as well. If I wasn’t writing what people wanted to read, the story would be different. And then there’s marketing, done mostly by the Okadabooks team. They put my work out there and gave it the push it needed.

 

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Sally blogs at Moskeda Pages. The Forth Finger and her other best selling titles are available at okadabooks.com. Please get your copy.