An interview with Mirah Selim is live now!

Greetings, authors! 

Please, feel free to read our short interview with Mirah Selim, an author of 'Rogue's Innocent Mate', the winner of the 'Bound by the Moon' contest that share with us their experience on Booknet.

Let's have a go!

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How did you find out about Booknet and why did you choose Booknet to publish your books? 

First of all, thank you so much for this opportunity. And to answer your question I first found booknet through my friend who was a reader on booknet. She read my books and pushed me to enter booknet as well, I can never take the whole credit for my success as I have to thank her again and again for introducing me to such a great platform where I got the chance to improve myself and see what I was capable of achieving. 

Publishing on booknet was only to grab the attention of more readers but I never knew that just by joining this app I can achieve more than I ever bargained for. So in short I wanted to pull more readers to give me a try to my books and I am grateful for the day I joined booknet.  

This is the first time you participated in the Booknet contest. What stimulated you to participate? A monetary prize, promotion, etc. 

Not just my first time participating in a booknet's contest but it was the first ever contest of my writing career. I wouldn't deny the fact that the monetary prize did play a huge role for me to take a part but along with it I got a lot more as a side dish which I haven't expected to get. Most authors take part only for money and I wouldn't deny I wanted the prize too but along with it, my main purpose was to attract more readers. 

Joining a contest on booknet is the biggest opportunity for new authors to get more readers to engage in giving you a try to your books. A massive amount of readers followed me and gave me a try to my books after I joined the contest and the number exceeded when I won the contest. 

The promotion was never my greed to take a part in a contest yet I got it without asking for it. So in short, just by joining the contest on booknet, you can get more than you ever have wished for.  

How was your experience from the contest in general? Did you face any difficulties while writing the book? 

Not gonna lie, it was a hectic yet memorable experience for me that I can never forget. As I am still a student I had to deal with my studies along with striving to complete my book 'Rouge's Innocent Mate' at that time. It was really hard to do both together and when the day I ended the book I remember heaving out a sigh of relief that yes! Finally, I did it. So in my opinion when you work hard for something, when you don't give up your tries you can never go back fruitless. 

Just like I got the sweetest return of my endless efforts by winning it! 

And if I talk about my experience it was more than just great, I would say stupendous! I found a new capability in me as I always thought I can never be good with the fantasy genre but by taking part in the contest I was able to see through my insecurity. So in short, I don't think I would ever have given it a try writing fantasy if it wasn't for the contest.  

What do you think helped you to win the contest? 

Two major aspects helped me in my victory. 

 Readers. Without them, I could never have a chance to hold this prize. They saw capability in me and knew that giving a try to my book wouldn't be wasted and the continuous enthusiastic comments and even exciting DMs on my social media that I got asking me again and again for updates played a huge role for me to not give up and keep on writing. Without my precious readers, I would have never reached this level. And no matter how thankful and appreciable I am for their engagement in my stories, it will always be less. Thank you so much! 

Editors/Administrators. Sometimes editors can be pushovers but I felt like it's always for the author's own good. And during I writing the contest book none of the Editors disturbed me or even try to interrupt my writing until the completion. I only got asked once or maximum twice a simple question that how much of the book is remaining? Which never felt like pressure to me. It always felt like they are encouraging you to do your best and try to not waste the book that you wrote for the contest by not fulfilling the contest requirements. So in my opinion administrator has helped me too in this regard. 

Lastly, I will include my hard work and stern attitude that I can't give up and that I have to get through this book. And not just get through but try and make it as worthy for the readers as much I can.  

Do you recommend authors to participate in the Booknet contests and why? 

It shouldn't even be a question. I highly recommend every author to participate in the contest, doesn't matter if you're a new, less famous, or extremely famous writer, on booknet you are always welcome to take these kinds of opportunities without any restrictions. Just follow the requirements and give your best, you can definitely attain more than what I had gotten!  

Now the question is why should you participate? The answer is present in my first one, readers go through the books in the contest section always and there your book can attract many new readers, it's fine if you couldn't win the contest but see the brightest side too, you can get more than you might get if you skip taking part in the contest. Like:

A heavy amount of readers. 

Your book on promotion section. 

A chance to be recognized by readers who never had heard about you before. 

Lastly contest on booknet has been really a blessing for me and I am sure if I can do this in just a year then there are a lot more writers who have more talent than me. So never miss this kind of chance.  

All commercial authors get free advertisements for their new ebooks among their target audience on Booknet. It means that if an author writes Romance, the ebooks of this author will be advertised among buffs of that genre. Do you find this advertising support noticeable for you? 

Yes, most probably yes. As my main genres are romance, Erotica and now fantasy as well so yes, most of my readers that prefer such genres gets to know about my books through the advertisement by booknet. My every paid book has gotten the advertising banner being displayed on the booknet's for you page. Most of my readers got an access to my books because of those displayed banners and fortunately those readers became my regular ones as through reading my paid book they decided to give a try to my other books as well. 

Ebooks are sold more during the bookscription period than after their completion. What do you think? 

I can't deny this fact but my book Vengeful Redemption and Rogue's Innocent Mate says something else. Well there are two possibilities in my opinion. 

1. The people who were reading it before the book become paid, spent on it right after it went to bookscription that's why the readers who were interested already bought the book in the initial days and only a little amount was left to read it after completion. 

2. The myth of it's not being sold after completion as much as during the bookscription is just an assumption because my book Vengeful Redemption got sold more after completion than during the bookscription. 

So in conclusion it depends on a person's perspective, and for me, your book earns a lot after completion as well with steady pace but it never stops gaining audience and the income, it's just initial days of bookscription is considered golden days because the readers buys the book in a bulk amount that time. 

Please share your thoughts about ‘Bookscription’. What benefits and disadvantages of this book-selling model can you see? 

For a writer who have a capability and an ambition to achieve more through their writing bookscription can do a lot benefit to you. For me there are a few benefits. 

- Readers can encourage the author not only by buying the book but following the story and commenting their views. 

- When the book is on going the comments helps to increase the curiosity in readers who wants to give a try to the book. 

- As a reader myself if the readers will get a full complete book, I can say the enthusiasm and excitement of updates just gets lost somewhere when you don't follow an on going book. So for me bookscription is a great way not only for authors but readers also who loves to comment theories and engaging with other fellow readers. 

In my opinion, the disadvantages are almost none. You could possibly say that some readers have a habit of reading a completed books but they still will buy your book if the comments will get on their heads. Waiting for completion of book to buy it is not bad, not even a bit. It's all about your comfort and level of tolerance but for me, when you get engage with fellow readers, drop theories and comment your heart out for the author to see. Trust me it's another level of motivation for the authors. 

Give some tips for the newbie authors that hesitate to give it a try in the contests. 

I would repeat the same thing again never miss the Chance of letting your book float in the multiple sections of the booknet app by taking the part in the contest. The moment your book will be approved by the moderators, doesn't matter if it's famous or not it definitely will be seen on many sections of the app where readers could have easy access to it. 

If your personal life labor is too much for you then don't let the book get over your head, instead just fix the time that is available for you to do what you wish. Even though I know it's hard to make up your mind, imagine and put it in proper words but if you're ambitious and you know that you can get through this then you have to move your fingers get your phone/laptop, and start typing so you could finish what you have started. 

Starting a story is easy but finishing it with the same pace and power is hard, and I know it's sometimes close to impossible but the moment you get a hold of your schedule and understand your priorities you will definitely be able to win multiple contests ahead. 

I will conclude my words with a small piece of advice, never leave any of your book half-written, not only you will lose the readers but also you will lose potential as well. Start a story, give it your best, and take it till the end because that's what artists do. And we writers are not less than any artists. We paint characters, we give them emotions and we are the ones to decide their endings as well to entertain our audience who knows the value of art. So never leave a book incomplete.  

Lastly, if you ever had a chance to then surely take a part in the booknet's contest, it can give you more than what you ask for. Speaking from experience.