Meet Sarabeth!!!! We “met” on Instagram and I love following her from a religious perspective because as a Christian it is so interesting to learn about her Jewish heritage. She is SO creative (hello ms. writer/author/jewelry maker) and I know that you will love her as much as I do!
Tell us a little about yourself and your career
I published my first book in 2012, when I was 23: a memoir about being a Christian with Jewish roots called Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter. I wrote it after college while living with my parents, waiting tables, and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I just knew I wanted to do something with writing. My husband’s job gave me the ability to write more books full time (two novels, a poetry collection, and eventually my thesis) and eventually go back to school for a master’s in creative writing. Today, I’m a full-time freelance writer and editor working from home, and I blog about interfaith identity at sbethcaplin.com. I also have a side hustle of making jewelry for Etsy (etsy.com/shop/sbethdesigns).
How does your community of women you surround yourself with support you?
My community of women is mostly online right now. I’m sad to say I don’t know a lot of writers in “real life,” but their support has still been an incredible blessing. I have a network of writing friends who critique each other’s manuscripts, recommend freelance postings, share each other’s blogs, promote each other’s social media content, and vent to about 1-star reviews. We also regularly trade pictures of our kids, both furry and human ones 📷
You often discuss your faith on social media. Why is it important for you to share that aspect of your life?
It’s important for me to talk about faith on social media because my perspective is one that is not commonly represented. I don’t know too many people who converted to Christianity from an entirely different religion (as opposed to Protestant to Catholic, or vice versa), but I still believe that the Jewish understanding of the Old Testament is important and relevant, even if Jews and Christians disagree about who the messiah is. I would love to see the two religions come together more to discuss their similarities and differences. It also makes sense that Christians should learn more about Judaism since it’s the tradition that Jesus and his audience knew.
What do you wish you could go back and tell your younger self re: your career aspirations?
I would tell my younger self to never cut corners when it comes to self publishing, no matter how impatient you are to see your name in print! That experience is why I’m also passionate about helping authors learn the basics of content marketing and producing quality content. I made so many mistakes in the beginning, from not using an editor to doing no marketing at all before publication, and just expecting the book to be a bestseller by chance. I no longer measure success by numbers. Just putting a book out there and having people read it who aren’t already my friends or family is an accomplishment.
What is your career-related mantra?
I don’t have one career-related mantra, specifically, but I do have some quotes tacked on the bulletin board in my office that remind me to persist even when sales are dry. There is no “one size fits all” success story.
