Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Haddad.
Hi Paul, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have spent much of my adult life producing and writing for television, often documentary programs, but also comedy, scripted, and animation. As an L.A. native, I also write about the history of Los Angeles, in particular, retracing how the city came to be and some of the untold stories of its past. In recent years, I have focused more on these books about Los Angeles for my publisher, Santa Monica Press.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I spent much of my life training to be a published author. As early as five years old, I was writing books — short stories, novels, comic books, “encyclopedias,” even cookbooks — for my friends and just for myself. My discipline as a writer came in handy in high school and college and was instrumental in launching my TV career as a writer. In 2012, I parlayed my experience and passion as a writer into my first published book. Since then, I have had seven books published in the marketplace (four nonfiction, three fiction), with an eighth book due to come out in May 2024. All those books I wrote as a kid were building a writing muscle. While no one ever really read them, they prepared me for the rigors of writing in my adult life and set me up for later success.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What most excites me is the ability to reach out to people and effect change. The platforms that I most utilize to reach others are documentaries, nonfiction books, and social media. I have been fortunate enough to have produced documentaries for networks like Nat Geo, Discovery, Travel, and producers like the late, great Norman Lear — programs about how to help save our planet’s resources, creating a more equitable society, how to help aging populations and the like. On the nonfiction book side, my niche is exploring how Los Angeles evolved and how we can make the city a better place. I love nothing more than hosting book events in which I meet readers, often leading them on hikes throughout the city. If I have any sort of “brand,” it’s that I am able to deliver these messages through accessible, conversational language and humor. I moonlight on X/Twitter as LA Dork, in which I reveal daily posts about something Angelenos may not know about their city.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Identify your passion, keep at it, and know that you do not have to give up your dream if you end up getting a job that merely pays the rent and keeps food on the table. You can do both. Even if it’s only ten minutes a day, ask yourself what you’re doing to pursue your ultimate goal as you work your regular job. It’s good to have something you can call your own so your life is not always answering to “the man.” What makes you unique? If you’re extraordinary at your area of expertise, followers will come. Don’t worry about monetizing it right away. Start with establishing your cred, and the money will follow but know that it could take some time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.paulhaddadbooks.com
- Instagram: @la_dorkout
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulhaddadbooks/
- Twitter: @la_dorkout
