Interview!

-- Writer Interview #5 --

As many of our readers are aware we are doing a special event throughout April & May - offering author interviews on this blog. Today we have Mary Muhammad... Mary is an author and poetess of five books. You may learn more of her and her books at marysbookplace.com

Mary’s feelings about today’s publishing options will be of interest to our blog readers. In her opinion “as a self-published writer I can say self-publishing has its advantages. The best being you control the wheel of your work. You don’t have deadlines to meet and are for the most part your own advocate. How well your work does depend highly upon how well and far you push it.”

Q: Tell us something about yourself.

A: I’m a single mom of three and an author of now five books. I’m also Book Review Manager and Staff Writer for Poetic Monthly Magazine and on line ezine, which is for authors of all genres. With all my writing I am a poet first.

Q: What are common mistakes authors make?

A: The most common mistakes authors make in writing are editing. It is crucial for an author to read and reread their work. I believe the best way to limit this headache is to have another set of eyes read the work. This makes it easier for the author to see necessary and common mistakes that are made on a regular basis.

Q: What are your greatest obstacles and motivators when it comes to writing?

A: The greatest obstacle for me in writing is the old writers block. When it comes to visit it can takes days and sometimes weeks before the literary juices start to flow again. For motivation, I seek images in art - I study the faces of children as they play or are engaged in conversation with others. This normally does the trick for me even when seeking subjects for poetry.

Q: What is your favorite memory in your career as a writer?

A: My favorite memory in my career as a writer, is when I received my first book in print from the publisher. This has to be the best feeling any author has and it never seems to change from one to the next for me. This is one memory I think every author cherishes for a lifetime. It’s one they reflect on often when speaking about their work or advising new authors of the process.


A: What do you think about self-publishing?

I for one think self-publishing is the now, it’s the wave of new writing. Majority of writers are seeking self-publishing today, simply because it’s not a drawn out process as it is with traditional publishing. I think most writers are avoiding the countless rejection letters and going straight for the meat of publishing. They know how they want their voices heard, the point of what they want to say, where they are going with their writing and just going for it.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?

A: I would advise anyone interested in fiction writing, to follow their heart and write what they feel would be interesting not only to themselves but to readers, and believe in what you write. I found that when an author believes in their writing it shows through the story, the characters and makes for an interesting read. It becomes believable - the reader sees the story in images, scents and feel.

Q: What are some of your favorite websites for writers?

A: My favorite websites for writers are Fanstory.com, Book Marketing Network and Published authors.

Find Dave & Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows & free resources & articles at www.brummet.ca