Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, I’ve been a writer since I was 11. At least back then, I was trying to be one. I would write stories in the genres I liked, Sc-fi, Fantasy, mystery…etc. I watched an ungodly amoung of TV, whenever I could. So I had a love for stories from a very young age.
It took me a while to give writing for a living a serious shot. I first tried out publishing a book when I was 16. I found a publisher and gave it a shot. I published a story titled Theodosius: Kingdom Betrayal. I was so excited at the time but it didn’t work out. A few readers here and there but it was quite far from ideal.
I took a break from trying to publish but kept writing on the side, while pursuing my BA in Business Management. Eventually I got back to publishing and started my own publishing company to retain ownership of all my works but I also plan to start publishing other writers.
So far I’ve written over 40+ books. Many of them will probably never see the light of day, but they’ve all served a purpose, even if only a personal one.
Right now, I’ve got over 10 books published and you bet your right cheek I’ve got more coming.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book I’ve released is a non-fiction book titled No One Will Save You. I’ve been writing self-improvement books for a while but I wanted to do something a little different. The whole idea of self-help is actually well helping yourself but I also noticed that many people have this idea that just reading a book or being told by their friends or parents that they need to do X, Y and Z will transform them. Well, I wanted to dispel that notion and talk about that and really incite self agency. As that can actually change a life sometimes with no external input.
On top of that, the book was packed with observations on many topics about life, ambition and the deeper meaning of it all. There are times when I sort of teetered into the spiritual but I kept that to a minimum in this one. Spending time with this book was quite the internal ride for me, I hope it will be the same for others.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hmm, let me see. I write in bed. Like I can’t sit on a chair for long, especially if it’s in my room. I don’t know why but it’s been like that for a while. If I’m at a cafe or some place public, it somehow goes away but when I’m alone I just sit up with a pillow to my back and one beneath me. And I can spend the whole day writing like that (of course, with the occasional break here and there).
I don’t really know if that’s unusual but I’m the only writer I know who writes like that. That’s the actual issue with this question. Maybe I’m doing way weirder things but I just don’t know it.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
That’s a question that would take a while to answer. So, I’ll keep it short. I’ve loved many writers and stories during the course of my life. Just as with my writing, I’m quite an eclectic reader. If I found a romance, sci-fi, snuff film (or book, if those exist) that was fantastic, I’d watch it with the same verve as anything else of the same calibre.
But some of the writers that really shaped the way I see the world are: Alex Haley, Bernard Werber, Antoine de Saint Exupery, Anne Lamott, Chinua Achebe and there are many more but I don’t want to turn this into a list.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m getting myself mentally ready to work on some fiction projects. The one that’s got me a little nervous is my Sons of God series. It’s going to be epic, I feel, something I’ll spend years working on. So that sense of the unknown is keeping me on my toes right now.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well of course, it would be unfair not to put the Awesome Gang pretty high on that list. You guys are doing, well, awesome work here. I really prefer doing subtle promotions, not the aggressive kind, like posting about my book with every interaction I have online. I’d rather just be a human, I still talk about my book, do interviews and do free promotions like the one I’m doing on awesome gang but I trust that readers love talking about the books they found helpful. So I do my best to focus on that, making helpful and inspiring books, in non-fiction at least.
There’s still much I have to learn and implement but so far just providing value and making that consistent has really provided me with a ton of word-of-mouth promotion.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t do this if it’s only for the money. Like really, you could get rich but it often doesn’t happen on your terms. There’s no set formula either, maybe one thing will work for one guy and to him that’s like the bible or something. Then you try it and you might get totally different results.
So I’d say if you’re going to be serious about being a writer you have to be willing to sacrifice a lot. There’s some esoteric depths to this craft that could take years for you to start sensing. A moral imperative that starts to unveil over time. Until you get to that level where you can’t help but being a writer and you’re ready to burn bridges to write, then I’d say you’re probably better off getting a job.
However, if you’re ready to actually get creative and fight for it. Then yeah, I think you’re made for this.
Another piece of advice, I’d say you, is you should try to make it a habit. That’s nothing novel but this is the single most important piece of advice I ever got. Just make sitting down and writing consistent and try to improve what you’re doing over time.
Lastly, read like it’s your fix. Just reading good books will make such a difference in your own writing. Read as broadly and narrowly as you like, but read.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Consistency is the key. My kryptonite used to be consistency, that and marketing. Well I’ve gotten significantly better at both. If you can make working on whatever you do consistent then over time you’re bound to see results. Just work on refining the process and your focus.
Pick some random guy that works on and off for 10 years and a guy who works only for 3 years but consistently, and guess who is more likely to achieve something significant?
What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading a bit of everything. Marketing books, mystery…. but I’ve just picked up this fiction book Sovereign by C. J. Samson. I’ve had it since 2015 and boy do I regret not reading it earlier.
What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next for me? Well, I have a goal for the next year. A number of readers I’d like to reach and help. That’s pretty much my marketing focus. Personally, my next step is always to keep going deeper, exploring and growing. Whether that’s in fiction or non-fiction.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’m not going to answer that question.
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