Remi Owadokun: Before you write a book, determine what success means to you
Remi Owadokun is a Certified Health Coach, Life Coach and Founder of the Total Makeover Program. The Total Makeover Program is a lifestyle brand dedicated to equipping individuals to live healthy, happy and better lives. She has written not just one, but four bestsellers. In this interview with SLA, she shares her experience as a best selling author. What made you decide to write a book? Well, I was indecisive. I was not sure anyone really wanted to read my story. In fact, I felt it was too ordinary and way too familiar but I had gotten a few requests from people who were interested in reading my book if I wrote it and so I started writing and stopped in chapter 3 or 4. I had never written a book and wasn’t sure what I was I doing. My mentor found out about my book and he served as an accountability partner until it was completed. I was not thinking of the bestseller status at all at the time, just writing the book and holding it in my hand was such a big deal that I did not realize that they were much bigger things to aspire to. So, once I published my hard copy, I put up a new goal. I wanted it to be a bestseller. [bctt tweet=”That your book is an Amazon bestseller does not necessarily mean that your book is a good book. It – @remiowadokun” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As a 4 time best selling author, how did you feel when your books achieved bestseller status? The first time was a very huge deal for me as I held best-seller status for about a week. On Amazon, bestsellers are announced on an hourly basis. The highest number of downloads made per hour determines who is a bestseller. So for me to have this for almost a week was massive. I had set a high standard for myself, I couldn’t go below my first book. If the first book became a bestseller, all my books would be so and that determined how I approached the entire process. How has this benefited your brand and business? I would say for my brand, it gives a nice ring to it when I say I have 4 best selling books. It has also helped position myself as a Thought Leader on the topics I have written about. When I get invited to speak or participate in a panel, the audience is more willing to listen, and the organizers are more open to inviting me on their platforms. Can you share some tips on how intending authors can make their books attain Bestseller status? That your book is an Amazon bestseller does not necessarily mean that your book is a good book. It just means that people bought or downloaded the book on Amazon. It doesn’t even mean that people read it. So I would implore that you invest the time to put out very good work, do your research and put your heart in whatever you are doing. Build a community of people who love your work and be consistent in giving value. If you don’t want to end up with boxes of books in storage, it is important that people are hungry for your book even before you decide to put it out. So share, share and share until they can’t wait for you to write a book they can buy and read. [bctt tweet=”Find your authentic self and be true to it – @remiowadokun” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What would you say are the general worries of potential authors and how can they scale these hurdles as they attempt to write their own books? Everyone is different and so everyone has different brands of fear, so it is hard to call it one thing. It might be the fear that no one will buy the book, that no one will read it, that people will question your work, that people from your past might see it, that it might be a failure, that it might be a success. It could be anything. My recommendations would be to pass the thoughts through the lenses of critical thinking. Determine why you want to write the book and what success in that area means to you. For some people, they just want to complete a writing project, not necessarily put it out. For some people, it is to get it into the hands of people without profit attached, for some they want to become famous or make money. So determine your why and let that guide your process, strategy. When it comes to writing, no one really puts their best works at first, so don’t wait for it to feel perfect, even if it feels so in a few years you will look back and wonder who wrote it. Who are your favorite authors? Paulo Coelho, he is a remarkable storyteller and I love storytelling. Chimamanda Adichie is also a great storyteller and I love her style of writing. Where do you see your work in the coming years? I see my work developing into other expressions of art like plays, films, cartoons etc. Final words for young African women in business and career Find your authentic self and be true to it. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
TOMI ADEYEMI: The Nigerian-American Female Author Making Waves
Tomi Adeyemi is a 24-year-old Nigerian- American author and creative writing coach. She recently started making waves in the writing industry in America, and in Africa, at large. Her debut novel, Children of Blood and Bone, a West African young adult and fantasy novel was released on the 6th of March 2018 and has since been the talk of the globe, literally. Now, let’s focus on the star, Tomi Adeyemi. A young, hardworking, determined and successful woman, who by all means, got herself to the beginning of a successful phase with utmost determination. She is someone who enjoys her passion, to be heard, to impact the lives of others, to change the game and be referenced, amongst others. [bctt tweet=”.@tomi_adeyemi’s first written novel did not yield a positive feedback but that did not stop her. She went ahead to write another after a year gap and guess what, that come back book was #Childrenofbloodandbone.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tomi Adeyemi is a graduate with honors from Harvard University as she studied English literature. Her quest and zeal to know more about her background and culture paved the way for the fellowship she got to study West African Mythology and culture in Salvador, Brazil. Tomi Adeyemi has been writing since she could read but only got serious about writing a book in 2010 and she wasn’t perfect at it on the first trial. She learned everything she could about writing. Things like reading books, talking to authors to get insights and one or two tips to guide her, going to conferences and so on. She even studied her favorite stories just so she could ‘figure out why they were so awesome’ she says. Her first written novel did not yield a positive feedback but that did not stop her. She went ahead to write another after a year gap and guess what, that come back book was Children of Blood and Bone. The book highlights the importance of a black girl being seen and heard, and the high importance of black people, in general. The scenes in the novel depict actual events that have been witnessed over the past couple of years. From brutal murders, treatments and vile issues that the popular movement #BlackLivesMatter brought to light. The book Children of Blood and Bone is the first of the series of the legacy of orisha trilogy and is yielding major positive waves. First, it’s No 1 on the New York Times Young Adult Hardcover bestseller list. [bctt tweet=”@tomi_adeyemi has literally broken the roof with her book #childrenofbloodandbone” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Secondly, it has landed a 7 figure movie deal with Fox and the movie is currently in development. Thirdly, she has changed lives with this book and ignited so much passion and determination in the lives of men, women, and children. I would say that she has literally broken the roof with her book. As we all know, all work and no play makes Jane a dull girl. If Tomi isn’t found writing, she will definitely be found watching Scandal as she loves it much, or blogging or teaching creative writing to her 3500+ subscribers at her website tomiadeyemi.com, which has been named one of the 101 best websites for writers by writer’s digest. Let us all watch out for her new book to be released, titled Children of Virtue and Vengeance. Tomi Adeyemi is an all-rounder. A successful black woman, a creative writer, an author, a writing coach and a mentor to many. We wish her the best in all she does. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.