The Holy Grail of Book Launching will show you how to skyrocket your success and find your Holy Grail as an author. My Fun and Easy Marketing Plan and step-by-step Guide make sure that you will have fun and enjoy your book launch. No more overwhelm!
Mimi Emmanuel has kindly joined me today chat about her book ‘The Holy Grail of Book Launching’ to give all of the indie authors in the audience some of her top tips for increasing the success and reducing stress when releasing a self-published book. Mimi, this book is jam packed with an incredible amount of helpful hints, tips and ideas for new and established authors. Where did the idea to collate all of this information into a single resource come from?
The book is in response to questions I received from readers and fellow authors.
Had you been doing much of your own writing and self-publishing at the time when this idea first started?
I’ve been writing for a couple of decades. It was not till I felt the need to share My Story of Survival that I became serious about publishing. I followed Michael Hyatt, Penny Sansevieri, Tim Grahl, John Kremer, Paul Brodie, Dave Chesson and signed up for a course with the Self-Publishing School of Chandler Bolt. The rest, as they say, is history.
Can you tell us a little about your self-publishing and writing history both in and outside of this book?
Everything is based on first hand experience which makes my tutorials more real. For instance in The Holy Grail of Book Launching I go into detail about all the things that went wrong with my first couple of launches (which still became bestsellers). It helps aspiring authors to avoid the pitfalls.
Other than avoiding the pitfalls or better yet let’s include them too, what do you feel was the main takeaway that you hope others find from reading this book?
Launch time can be very stressful because there are so many elements that need to be juggled all at the same time. I aim to prevent overwhelm and make it fun to launch with cheat sheets, plans and stacks of links to resources and promo sites. This makes it easy for authors to plan their launch without stress and some readers already have reported back on a more enjoyable launch after going through some the steps as outlined in my book.
Giving such solid advice to others must be gratifying.
It is enormously satisfying that people read my material and benefit from it. I can hardly think of greater joy than helping people with the titbits of knowledge that I have accumulated over the years.
I’m sure with your accumulated knowledge you’ve already started working on your next writing endeavour. Can you tell us a little about it?
There are a few projects that I’m working on. One is ‘Living Forever’ and that should come up soon.
Good luck with your progress on these projects. As you have multiple projects on the go, it is clear that you are an eager writer. Why do you write?
I love writing. I love being able to contribute in this way and help people make their life a little more enjoyable and a little easier.
As you write for a clear end goal to make someone else’s life easier do you always know the direction your book will take?
I have an idea as to what I’m writing about and who I am writing to and then it all unfolds from there. No plan other than a big rough outline.
Does the use of that big rough outline help you get past writers block?
Have not experienced that, Praise The Lord.
You are very lucky indeed. As you haven’t been burdened by writers block yet, do you have any practices that you engage in that helps you write?
I write till my arms and shoulders ache. Then I rest and do it all over again.
That works too. When you write do you listen to any mood music to keep your head in the game?
The sound of silence. I work with earplugs in and head mufflers on.
With that much sound protection you must feel like you’re working in a little cocoon. Do you also edit in your cocoon, or do you have a third party edit your work for you?
I edit and edit and edit and then give it to the editor.
It sounds like your editing process is down pat. Now, your book is all about writing and self-publishing. What are your top tips for other authors in the self-publishing arena?
Read Mimi’s Book Launch Plan and The Holy Grail of Book Launching. It has all my tips, trick and secrets and some of my friends’ also.
*Laughs* I love the shameless self-promotion, but I do have to agree that reading your book is a very good tip for indie authors. Do you have an overall top tip for authors at any stage in their writing process?
Read my books. No seriously. I held nothing back. Stick with it. Give it the best you have and then let it go. Perfect only exists in your mind. One step at a time will get you there. Have a plan, stick with it.
Today we’ve stuck with the first part of my interview plan rather well, and since our time hasn’t run out yet, I’d like to ask you a few of the random questions that allows me to attempt to dissect my authors guests without the use of a scalpel. Let’s start with a nice simple one, are you a valuable asset on a quiz team?
Yes
Awesome, another contender for my pub quiz team! What is your favourite ocean?
I love them all. I love the hue and I love the feel and I love the smell and I ADORE the sound, the spray, the energy. What is there not to love about the ocean? A complete love affair with all of them.
I haven’t personally visited all of the oceans yet, but I wonder if they all feel different. With your keen descriptions of them I kind of want to go and compare each and every one of them now. In lieu of that I’m going to ask you another question. How about: if you invented a monster what would it look like and what would you call it?
It would be softer than cottonwool and louder than a mere whisper with the colour of nothing, called MINE (spoken with a husky voice)
I want to see this monster in action. It sounds like it could be incredibly creepy. Are you introvert or extrovert?
Extreme introvert.
Have you ever danced in the rain?
I ALWAYS dance in the rain.
What is your favourite quote?
With God all things are possible. He sure is showing this in my life.
If you ruled your own country, who would you get to write the national anthem?
The breeze rustling the trees, the ocean, the birds and the nightlife.
That’s a really neat idea, and really brings in the unique sounds of the physical location. Are you left or right handed?
Right
How are the colours in rainbows made?
God sprinkled them on humanity as a promise.
I like that answer. The idea of rainbows in saltshakers is pretty cool. What color socks are you wearing?
White
Do you have a ‘do not use’ or ‘most hated words’ list when you are writing?
I use yet a lot and just and must watch out for that.
What’s the most unusual name you’ve ever come across?
Zig Ziglar
I have to admit I did wonder if that was real name the first time I heard it too! What is your favourite flavor of ice-cream?
Rum raisin
What is your favourite word?
Awesome!
I always have to make sure that one doesn’t get overused, but it is a very handy word. Do you have any philosophies that you live by?
Be of good cheer. If the day sucks and you are of good cheer this will make the day a little better. If you have a great day and you are of good cheer this will make the day better till. Win/Win.
Win/Win, I think that should always be the aim of the game in life. Mimi, thank you for joining me today, I appreciate your self-publishing advice, tips and tricks and I hope that all indie authors pick up a copy of your book to get them past the overwhelm.
Thank you so very much for having me, it was lovely having a chat with you. And I love your site!
Want to find out more about Mimi? Connect here!