The idea behind the book was to come up with a collection of interviews from Self Published authors who made it big. The idea came to me after I interviewed Hugh Howey for my blog at Successilism.com. You see, as a self-published author myself, I’m interested in reading success stories from fellow authors, and I thought it would be great to come up with a book that contains those stories and help inspire other people.

Which other authors did you interview for the book and how did you select them?
I selected authors based on their books’ success. There are a lot of them out there, and I believe that I had emailed about double the number of what I actually ended up interviewing. Most of the authors I interviewed were New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, though I’ve also included authors who just started but are already making big waves in the industry.

Are there common lessons to be learned from all your interviewees?
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other people. You’d be surprised how willing they are to help you.

Where there some fundamental questions that some of them disagreed upon?
None that I can remember. But they all agreed that those people who look down on indie authors were either scared or just plain stupid.

If a reader is on this site they might be wondering why they need to buy this book. Convince them.
If you’re thinking of self-publishing your book, I’m a hundred and one percent sure that you’ve googled the words “successful self-published authors” to learn about their experiences. I know because that’s what I do. In BEHIND THE STORY, I interviewed 20 self published authors who graciously shared their experiences, and I also made sure to include some great marketing tips from Mark Schaefer and Peter Bowerman, (since we all suck at that…sort of) as well as some useful resources that can help you in your self publishing journey.

The indie revolution has changed the publishing industry. What further changes to the books we read should we expect to see?
I think we should expect more interesting books. When I say interesting, I’m talking about books stories we haven’t read before. Unique books. There are great writers out there who have a great story to tell, but they couldn’t share it out to the world due to the rejections they receive from submitting to literary agents. The indie revolution greatly changed that.

Tell us about your own fiction. What is Please Stay about?

Oh, that. Please Stay is a short novel about regret, second chances and love. It explores the sweet ignorance of youth and the unpredictability of life.

You mentioned Succesilism.com. What’s that?
Successilism is a blog I started last year where I interview people who have found success doing the things they’re passionate about. It’s also a place where I write about things I’ve learned regarding my own adventures on achieving my own success. It’s an ongoing journey, by the way.

How else can we keep up with you online? Do you use social media?
Yes, I do. You can reach me through Twitter @denisewy or at my blog at successilism.com

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m an Industrial Designer who’s also passionate about graphic design and writing. I dream of becoming successful by pursuing my passion and to be able to help inspire others find theirs. I hate raisins.

Down with raisins!  What’s next for you?
Right now, I plan on focusing on BEHIND THE STORY’s book launch, though I’m thinking about writing another interview book. Sorry but I can’t share the topic just yet. It’s a surprise.