Cherie Burbach used her experience with meeting her husband online to pen At the Coffee Shop, a humorous look at the world of Internet dating. Cherie went on over sixty coffee dates in just six months. She met lots of great people and one of those turned out to be the guy she would marry just one year later.
Cherie will be on virtual book tour in April 2009 to promote her latest book, Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza. We interviewed her to find out more about her book that is armed with specific illustrations on what really works—from the profile through creating a profile through to the dating stage.
Q: Thank you for this interview, Cherie. Can we begin by having you tell us why you chose to write about Internet dating?
A: I chose to write about Internet dating because I hear from many online daters who have become frustrated with the process. Some try Internet dating and give up, while others are still apprehensive. As a former Internet dater myself, I know that dating sites can be a wonderful way to get introduced to your mate. The key to success with online dating is the right profile and the right approach. I wanted to write about both these things so people could make Internet dating work for them.
Q: Did you outline before you wrote your book or just went with the flow?
A: I definitely outline before writing any nonfiction work. I had a number of points I wanted to cover, and an outline helps me stay on topic.
Q: What kind of research did you do before putting this book together?
A: I work with many online daters with questions they have on their profiles, how to set up coffee dates, how to end dates, and just about every question in between! Since I’ve done Internet dating in the past, I know what these people are going through. The variety of things people write to me about help me determine what Internet daters most want to know about.
Q: Can you tell us if you interviewed people for this book and can you give us an example of who?
A: I didn’t interview people for the book, but I did provide mock questions at the end of most of the chapters, which reflect the common questions I usually receive from online daters.
Q: Did you get endorsements for your book prior to publication and can you tell us how you went about getting them?
A: I didn’t try to get endorsements, but I have received positive reviews on the book thus far.
Q: What was the hardest part to write?
A: The most difficult thing about writing this book was simply making sure I covered all the questions someone should know about Internet dating. I also wanted the tone to be conversational and honest.
Q: What message are you trying to get across to your readers with this book?
A: I want them to know that online dating is a great outlet to get introduced to your perfect mate, but you’ve got to do all you can to make it work for you. You can just “order up” a mate like you do a pizza!
Q: Do you plan on writing more Internet dating books?
A: I don’t have another Internet dating book on the horizon, but I do have several dating and relationship books in the works.
Q: Thank you for this interview, Cherie. Can you tell us where we can find out more about you and your wonderful new book?
A: Thank you! I’ve enjoyed talking with you!
For more information about me, check out my Web site: cherieburbach.com