Cassidy: Welcome, Phil, The Blerd Explorer! Please give our readers an introduction of yourself and a little about your book, The Black Traveler’s Guide To Daegu South Korea.
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: Hi, I’m Phil, and I go by The Blerd Explorer! I’m from South Carolina but reside in South Korea.
Cassidy: What inspired you to write your book?
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: I had a lot of fun making the first book, The Black Traveler’s Guide To Incheon South Korea, and wanted to continue to gauge the market. Since the travel market hasn’t made travel content that markets to people of African descent.
Cassidy: Is there a message in your guide you want readers to grasp?
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: That you should travel. Don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone and experience new things.
Cassidy: What words best describe your book?
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: Food, Hiking, Fried Chicken Festival!
Cassidy: Can you share one highlight from the book?
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: Of course! E-world, like many places in Korea, is built on the hills so be prepared to climb up and down. I highly recommend bringing comfortable walking shoes and water should you travel to the park. The E-world excerpt comes from chapter 6, “The Parks, The Lake, The Festivals, & E-World.”
Cassidy: Which character or part of the book was the most fun to write? Which part was the hardest?
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: The hardest part was the hiking chapter. While hiking is a lot of fun in Korea, I wasn’t able to complete the trail because I got lost. The most fun part was eating and trying the various street foods at the local markets.
Cassidy: How do you combat writer’s block? Do you have any advice for other writers?
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: When it comes to writing, take your time and don’t try to force it. Should you get writer’s block, take a break, go for a walk, and come back to it when you’re ready.
Cassidy: What marketing techniques have you used to sell your book and which ones have been most successful?
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: Using Instagram and also reaching out to various Black podcasters have been effective.
Cassidy: What projects are you currently working on?
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: Right now I’m taking a break from writing. This summer 2021, I will begin Project Korea where I’ll write a travel guide for the whole country. I’ll spend the summer in Busan gathering research material.
Cassidy: Thank you! Please share your social media and book contact information, so the readers and I can show support.
Phil, The Blerd Explorer: Thank you! I appreciate the support, and I look forward to sharing my future explorations.
Blog: https://www.theblerdexplorer.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Travelers-Guide-Daegu-South-ebook/dp/B092R7LRPL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_blerd_explorer
TikTok: @theblerdexplorer
Email: minoritytraveler@gmail.com
