About Molly Larkin:
My first book, co-authored with my spiritual teacher, Bear Heart, was published in 1996: The Wind Is My Mother; the Life and Teachings of a Native American Shaman. It was the first thing I ever wrote and was written out of my passion for Bear Heart’s beautiful Native American spiritual teachings. I was lucky: I got one of the top literary agents in the country to represent us; it was published by Random House; is still in print after 19 years, and has been translated into 12 languages. I didn’t write again until I started blogging four years ago. My muse finally came back home and I have just self-published my second book: The Fountain of Youth Is Just a Breath Away; Breathing Exercises for Relaxation, Health and Vitality. I have several other books lined up to write. I found my passion for book writing again!
What inspires you to write?
I write about what inspires me: my passions are health, human potential, meditation, qualities of being, native american spirituality. If I’m not passionate about it, there is no chance I would be able to write about it. So I could never be a copywriter for hire. My newest book is about breathing exercises, something I’ve been doing daily for 15 years. I feel they have done much to calm me down and keep me balanced and healthy, so I wanted to write a book about it to share that information with others.
Tell us about your writing process.
Many of my ideas come while I’m meditating or taking a walk. So I come home and type them up. I might keep coming back to the same document for awhile and adding notes. When I’m ready to get serious, or feel I have enough to start with, I’ll sit down and start to organize it all into sub-topics or chapters. I don’t use any software other than Microsoft Word. So I suppose I would fall in the haphazard category.
What advice would you give other writers?
“Start before you’re ready.” I had wanted to write for years but kept putting it off because I lacked confidence. While I was working on my first book, several people who saw early drafts told me I couldn’t write. Yet the book went on to become a best-seller. So don’t let anyone discourage you. JK Rowling was turned down by 12 publishers before the first Harry Potter book was published; Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected 140 times. Don’t give up!!!!!!!!!
How did you decide how to publish your books?
My first book was published by Random House and it was a disillusioning experience. They did no marketing; the book became a bestseller mostly by word of mouth! Also, the royalty the authors get is so small it makes you feel like you had nothing to do with the book.
I decided to self-publish my new book because Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing and Create Space make it so darn easy. I took a course on how to market ebooks and am working hard to get the word out. You have to be willing to do the marketing work so your book doesn’t disappear.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think self-publishing is the wave of the future.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: non-fiction: health, self-help, inspiration, spirituality
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Molly Larkin Home Page Link
Link To Molly Larkin Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
