Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a blogger and I usually write posts about spirituality, psychology, mindfulness and my own poems. I used to write articles and posts on other topics but now I am focused on writing blog posts and books on the above-mentioned topics. My content is based on my own experience and the research that I do for citations. I have written two books so far.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is ‘The Truth About Spiritual Enlightenment: Bridging Science, Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta’. My whole life is the inspiration for writing this book. This book is the summary of insights that I have got on life regarding human suffering and cessation of suffering. Also, I want to do all I can to bridge science and spirituality.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I easily get into the states of flow. So, when I write, I am completely immersed in writing. If I sit down to write, I may spend 4-5 hours together in writing something.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have read many books which are transcribed talks of Osho. He inspired me a lot. I also like the books of Eckhart Tolle, Sam Harris, and many others.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I am not working on anything in specific. I just finished my latest book and published it. But I am considering to write a book on true teachings of Jesus and Christian Mysticism.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books on my own blog and websites like awesomegang.com. My blog receives about a hundred visitors per day. It is not a very high number but the visitors I get usually spend a long time on my blog reading more than one post or page. I also have a Facebook page and Twitter account where I promoted my content.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
When it comes to Search Engine Optimization, there is a saying, ‘Content is the king’. The same applies when writing a book. No matter how much time you spend on promoting a book, the overall success of the book depends on how unique, useful and interesting the content is. So, my advice for new authors is to focus more on writing something that is unique and useful.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The same advice that I just gave to new authors: ‘Content is the king’. Other than that, some suggestions that I read recently were about the importance of formatting your book and editing the book well.
What are you reading now?
Nothing in specific right now. But I may soon start reading about the history of Christianity and some rare gospels which are not included in the New Testament of the Bible. I haven’t made any serious plans yet regarding my next book, but the idea to write a book about Jesus is something that crossed my mind recently.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to learn more about what is it like to be an author. I have just published my book and I hope I will learn some valuable lessons from experience. I am looking forward to seeing how my book is going to be reviewed. So, learning from my mistakes would be the next important thing for me. That will help me to write my next book in a better way.
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?
1. ‘What Can Live in a Desert? (First Step Nonfiction – Animal Adaptations)’ by Sheila Anderson
2. ‘Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness’ by Edward Abbey
3. Hidden Life of the Desert – by Thomas Wiewandt
4. Lost in a Desert (Stranded!: Testing the Limits of Survival) – Meish Goldish
Author Websites and Profiles
Shanmugam P Website
Shanmugam P Amazon Profile
Shanmugam P’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account