They say to beware when a naked person offers you a shirt. You can’t sacrifice for others to the point that you rob yourself because you cannot give what you don’t already own. But if your well does not run dry, if your cup runs over, if you are overflowing, then you can afford to be of service, truly, to others. If you have a love for yourself then you can give love to others. If you are confident in yourself then you can inspire others, and if you are knowledgeable yourself then you can teach others. It all starts with self. To quote Iyanla Vanzant, ‘what’s outside of the cup is yours, what’s inside the cup is mine.’ In order to be of service to others, you must learn to keep yourself full.
Today I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Sean Mungin. Welcome to The PBS Blog! Let’s get started.
What is your name and where are you from?
My name is Sean Mungin and I live in Los Angeles, California.
I always wanted to visit Cali. What would your perfect writing / reading room look like?
My perfect writing/reading room would have bookshelves (filled with books, of course) covering every wall (except for the window and sitting area) from the ceiling to the floor. It would have soft music and sounds of water running in the background. It would have a comfortable sitting area next to the window.
I love that sound of water, I imagine that would be peaceful. What job do you think you’d be really good at?
I think I would probably be a pretty good counselor. I have always been the person that others would come to talk through their problems. I think the most memorable moment was when I was in high school; a married co-worker of mine came to me and began sharing issues she was having within her marriage. I do not remember what I actually said to her, but I do remember that she returned to me and thanking me because whatever I said to her worked.
That’s what’s up. Speaking of being good at things, what was your childhood dream?
My childhood dream was to be a musician. I have always had an ear for music. I once asked my mother for music lessons, but we were not in a position financially for me to ever begin them.
Cool. Do you play any instruments?
I play around with the keyboard and was teaching myself to play guitar until I broke a finger on my right hand.
Aww. Boo. Speaking of childhood, any siblings?
I have five siblings. Two older brothers, an older sister, and two younger sisters.
What’s your favorite drink?
My favorite drink is coffee. I love to try different blends from around the world. The smell is intoxicating. The taste is awesome. Dark, bold roasts…of course.
A coffee drinker, yaass. What state or country do you never want to go back to?
I never wanted to come back to California, but it is amazing how my life has come full circle and I am right back here in the Greater Los Angeles area again 20 years later.
The Thorn in the Flesh is available now on Amazon.
Lol. Let’s switch it up a bit. Does blogging help you to write?
Blogging has helped me write in a major way. I have always loved to write. It helps me to process my thoughts and life experiences. However, because becoming a successful blogger and growing a larger reading audience requires consistency, it also requires that I pay close attention to the content and the reading patterns of my audience. As we try to interpret the data from our sites, we have to tailor everything towards the things that work and make the necessary adjustments on the things that have not worked.
True. Sean, what’s your favorite food?
I am not certain that I have a favorite food. I like to try different dishes at least once.
C’mon Sean. I know you have a favorite food! If all the food in the world no longer existed and you had to eat one meal every day, what would it be?
If I were in that situation, I would have to choose an egg and cheese sandwich. I can eat breakfast any time of the day.
Nice. I love eggs. Well, except for…anyway. Let’s move on. What’s your favorite color?
I have four favorite colors: white, black, blue, and olive green. I am not certain if white and black qualifies though, but I like them anyway.
Ha! Your one of those “black and white aren’t colors” kinda guy huh? Lol. Who is your favorite writer?
I think it would be blasphemous for me to say that I do not have a favorite writer, but it is true. I like to read across different genres and I believe that my writing has been influenced by each in their own respective ways.
Nice. You said you wanted to be a musician, what kind of music do you like?
I like to listen to Christian, classical and soft instrumental music.
Let’s go back to writing, when did you publish your first book? What was that like?
I published my first book back in 2003, I think. It felt like a great accomplishment. But, as I have matured in my thinking about life, I think I would do a complete overhaul of the work to include my current perspective on things. Back then, I was really just venturing out for the first time in this capacity, so I am certain that there were a lot of errors in need of major editorial assistance.
I feel you. I felt the same way about my first work. Although my baby, I have since pulled it from shelves for that reason. What do you wish you knew more about?
I wish I knew more about public policy. I, for some reason, am in love with policy.
Interesting. What do you think of the world we live in?
I think, at some point, we all have lost our way. Everything has become focused on global competition instead of what is in the best interest of the global community.
What are your thoughts on Race?
Contrary to the beliefs of many, I believe race is still an issue. It has an undeniable presence within our society. I believe that it has become more overt within the past 14 – 15 months. Maybe that was needed to force others to acknowledge its existence. We cannot address something if others are unwilling to meet us at the table to discuss how to best remedy this problem.
What is the most thought provoking book you’ve ever read?
The Bible.
Yasss! What’s your favorite scripture or book?
I love the entire Bible. If I had to choose my favorite books, they would be everything written by Paul. My favorite verse is John 15:5. That verse keeps me grounded.
Powerful verse. What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer? The most exciting thing?
The most difficult thing about being a writer is overcoming writer’s block. One day, things may flow more fluidly than on others. At this point, you are at the mercy of the process. In a world where there is so many negative events taking place, it is sometimes difficult to be inspired.
The most exciting thing is the finished product. The sense of accomplishment is a big deal to any writer, I would imagine.
Indeed.
Thank you Sean for spending this time with us. We enjoyed you!
Sean Mungin is a public figure who has embodied the spirit of individual and corporate success. Sean graduated from Lee University in 2005 with a Bachelors in Theology. He also earned a Masters in Psychology from the University of Phoenix in 2010. He also completed the Masters in Religious Education program from the Mason Kelly Washington Religious Training in Long Island, NY.
Sean’s current positions as an administrator and minister align him with his previous positions as an individual genuinely concerned about the holistic well-being (spiritual, mental, physical, and socio-economical) of all people. His most recent accomplishment was becoming a Certified Writer/Editor for the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors. Sean is currently working on focusing on developing and implementing several entrepreneurial projects. His goal is to create multiple opportunities for a higher quality of living for all within his area of influence.
Sean’s is known for his favorite motto, “Love God…love people…love yourself”
Are you an author? Looking for more exposure? Learn more about my Introduce Yourself FeatureHERE.
April is National Poetry Month and I am gearing up to host my 2nd Annual Poetry Contest this summer! This year we have stepped it up BIG time with some AMAZING prizes! Be sure you’re following this blog, my IG, and my Facebook business page to stay updated. Details on how to enter, rules and guidelines will be published to this blog next month (May). Next week, I’ll be introducing our sponsors and judges.
I came across this article a few months back but I want to share it now because, for the first time in my career, I have noticed that one of my reviews on Amazon (for Renaissance) is missing. Because of how hard it is to get reviews, this is obviously disheartening. I have never bought a review or forced anyone to leave a review and none of my reviews are from family members and the like. To my knowledge, I have followed all of Amazon’s rules for book reviews so to have one missing is weird to me. I have set a personal goal (that I haven’t mentioned before except for now) of reaching at least 20 Amazon reviews for Renaissance before releasing book two. I was at 19 and now I am at 18. My only hope is that those who bought books at the signing will also leave reviews. Just in case, I have disconnected my blog feed on Amazon. My Goodreads page is also not connected to Amazon. Check out the article below for more tips on how to decrease the chances of your reviews being removed.
Yesterday, Love Unscripted had 1145 reviews.
Today, Love Unscripted had 1144 reviews.
This is not the first time reviews have disappeared. Several weeks ago, the number of reviews on all my novels were much higher.
And then, overnight, something mysterious happened. Poof, about 75 reviews disappeared into the nether.
So what’s causing some reviews to disappear while others remain untouched?
Keep reading by visiting the ORIGINAL article HERE.
Be mindful of how you make people feel because that is what they remember most. Whenever sharing negative experiences be sure there is a lesson to be learned or something to be taught from it. Make sure there is something that you can give back as a result of having shared it. Remember that energy you feed gets stronger. If you feed vengeance, complaints, hatred, and strife, these emotions will get stronger and you will unknowingly begin to project these feelings on others and the feelings you don’t feed like love, compassion, forgiveness, and encouragement get choked out.
Listen to Be Mindful of Negative Feelings now on Soundcloud for more and be sure to subscribe for notification of new episodes.
You have to learn to sell to a small audience before you can sell to a larger one.
Sometimes social media can give a false perception of success, whereas we think we have to constantly be working and grinding and that we have to have a lot of people support us. The truth is that we really just need a few committed individuals to build with to lay the foundation for where we ultimately want to be. If ten dedicated readers bought a book at $10 and left an Amazon review, that’s already ten reviews and $100. This is just an example and it may not seem like much to start but over time that number of dedicated people will grow. Don’t look to other people to determine what success is for you. Start off giving your best to the few people who are already there to support you.
Don’t underestimate the power of your worth. People will travel for you and go through great lengths to meet you, hear you speak or buy your book.
I was worried that I had chosen a bad time for the morning signing. I knew that not everyone had that day off work and that the noon time slot meant many were still going to be at work. Tyler Perry’s Acrimony also released that same night and I don’t think myself more important than Mr. Perry in peoples list of priorities (they’ll choose him over me lol) However, the traffic turned out to be decent and a few people had traveled to buy a book in person. They came from Florida, North Carolina, and Gwinnett County Georgia.
It doesn’t matter how much you plan, things do not always go as planned. (and that’s OK)
When things go opposite of your wishes, don’t stress. That’s the plan itself and one day, you will be grateful things didn’t go as you intended. I was late for my own signing but I arrived at just the right time. The original time turned out to be too early for most people anyway but I had not taken into account lunchtime! The one, two o’clock time slot was perfect far as traffic flow.
Genuine kindness goes a long way.
When I explained to people that support was not just financial and that they can take a business card if they didn’t want to buy a book, many of them changed their minds and bought a book. I wasn’t being deceptive, I actually meant what I said and was grateful for the people who did just take cards. If they couldn’t afford a book or maybe they were a passerby who didn’t know me and wasn’t sure, they could just visit me on the web. The fact that I had accepted this as a form of support (just as we do online), people were willing to go the extra mile for me just as my kindness had done for them.
Use what you got.
Another concern of mine was that I didn’t get the chance to get my poster, my colorful table coverings, and other author swag but I just focused on what I did have and put my energy into that. I didn’t have a card reader but I was at a bookstore, we can just use the register for change. I didn’t have author swag but I did have business cards which was the most important thing. I didn’t have a poster but I did have my voice, I can just speak. I shouted and got silly and communicated with the people. I made them laugh so they stopped at my table. I got up and walked around. Sometimes I was inside the store and sometimes I was outside talking to people who passed by. It’s not about what you don’t have, it’s about what you do have that matters most.
Be yourself
I learned you don’t have to have a million strategies in place; you just have to be yourself. I think one of the greatest deceptions of being online is that things are actually a lot less stressful in real life. I thought I was going to be shy and worried about what to say and how to say it and how I was going to sound but none of that mattered. When it was time, I spoke and I didn’t need to have a long list of “author strategies for a book signing.” Just open your mouth and talk. Let the words come from the heart. Just be yourself.
Embrace the growth.
My life since my last big signing event (2016) has changed dramatically. I am no longer a member of the same organizations and no longer communicate with the same people. I was saddened by the reality of that change and how only a select few of some of the people I considered family was still there to support me. However, when I got the chance to sit down and look at the pictures, it occurred to me that I have an almost entirely new group of readers! Of course, there are still my most faithful readers who will always be there and I am immensely grateful for their friendship and dedication. They are the core and the foundation. When I saw all the new faces, however, it helped me to appreciate them too and to notice my growth. Life is not about preaching to the choir all the time; it is also about bringing new people in and building with them.
Keep writing.
I intended to sell some Stella books. I didn’t have to buy any because I still have some in stock. The reality, however, is that the final installment of The Stella Trilogy released two years ago so most people were interested in my new material (Renaissance and I am Soul). This showed me the importance of staying consistent with my writing and always having something fresh in store for my readers. Again, to sell to large audiences is to first sell to a small one and one way to take care of your readers is to consistently produce. There will always be room for older works but this weekend motivated me to write more. Whether it’s novels, poetry, short stories or blog posts! I want to give my best to those who support me.
9. Black men are supportive.
There was a surprisingly large number of Black men who supported me! They came in droves and some of them even traveled. It was humbling. When this group of men surrounded me for the picture, I felt power and powerful. And even though I didn’t know them personally, I felt protected in a way. I could feel the energy. I also thought maybe as women we can be more supportive of each other in this same way. Let’s root for one another and support one another without preconceived notions. Let’s fix each other’s crowns without telling the world it even needed fixing. Let us crown each other the way these men crowned me.
10. Relationships sell books.
Finally, I learned that relationships sell books. Some of the people who traveled to see me did so because they had already known me over the years for my work both in publishing and in ministry. I had known some of them for several years and others I was just meeting for the first time, but they knew me because they are familiar with my work. I love to blog and I enjoy keeping up with an email list for this very reason: it helps to build relationships and to cultivate bonds. It makes live events that much better because you get to meet the people you’ve been building with over the course of time but never met. You get to put a face behind the name and verbally communicate in ways far more powerful than texting will do and that is priceless.
For more pictures of this years signing, visit the pictures page of my website HERE. I also uploaded pictures of the 2016 and 2014 signings.
On March 27, 2017, I opened my blog to authors interested in being interviewed here and promoting their work. I am reposting this for any authors out there interested in taking advantage of this opportunity for free promotion.
Many of you know me from my writing and this blog, but before I dedicated my time to writing full-time, I worked with children, and to an extent, I still do.
I taught creative writing as part of a private Louisiana In-Home School program for about four years, and then I helped run a research and fellowship center in Shreveport for about five more years. My primary job was working with children, tutoring, and teaching them.
What does this have to do with my promotional opportunity for New Authors?
One of my team’s songs to help children break the ice in the children’s bible study class is an Introduce yourself song. It starts:
At the end of last year, I told you that I was looking to implement another promotional opportunity for authors on this blog. It has taken a long time but is finally here!
At the moment, I run two:
Book Reviews (currently open for registry. Visit the Book Review Policy page)
Book Promo. – Where I promote book covers in my email list. Send me your cover, blurb, and buy links to be featured to my email HERE.
Update: The Book Promo service is no longer available.
Now I am implementing a third opportunity. Something I am hoping will give you a bit more exposure. I am calling it Introduce Yourself, inspired by the children. Here’s how it works:
Introduce Yourself – a promotional opportunity for new authors on The PBS Blog. It is an interview conducted by me with questions specifically tailored to helping us to get to know you better.
I enjoy thought-provoking conversation, and so is the tone of this blog, so please be as detailed as possible in your answers. People are less likely to support people they don’t know anything about, so dig deep and let us get to know the real you!
How to Get Involved
All you have to do is choose at least 10 questions from the list below and email them to me with your social media handles, photos, a brief bio, and a link to your website or blog. Email me HERE . Once I receive your email, I will respond in 5-7 business days with the date of your feature.
Again, answer the questions as fully and as detailed as possible. Even though this segment is inspired by new authors (i.e. Introduce Yourself), any author can jump on board!
INDIE AUTHORSANDTRAD. AUTHORS
PUBLISHED AUTHORSANDASPIRING AUTHORS
NEW AUTHORSANDEXPERIENCED AUTHORS
I run into people all the time who didn’t know who I was until they saw me featured on someone’s blog.It is a wonderful opportunity for increased exposure.
If you’re interested please choose your questions* email them HERE along with your photos, bio, and social links.I won’t pull your arm or beg you to participate in this but let’s face it, this is for you!Also, let’s not forget this is a FREE (No longer free AFTER September 1, 2018) opportunity for exposure.
*The questions are not in any particular order. Start with question 30 or question one. Your choice. Just make it an interesting mix.
What is your name and where are you from?
What would your perfect writing / reading room look like?
What is the most annoying habit that you have?
Are you employed outside of writing? Is so, tell us about your job.
What do you hate most about writing advice? What do you love?
What job do you think you’d be really good at?
How many siblings do you have?
What was your childhood dream?
What skill would you like to master?
What skill do you think you’ve mastered?
In your own words, what is humility?
In your own words, what is love?
What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?
If you had unlimited funds to build a house that you would live in for the rest of your life, what would the finished house be like?
What’s your favorite drink?
What state or country do you never want to go back to?
What songs have you completely memorized?
Does blogging help you to write? If not, why so? If so, how so?
What’s your favorite food?
What’s your favorite color?
Who is your favorite writer?
If you could shadow your favorite artist, who would it be?
What kind of music do you like?
When did you publish your first book? What was that like?
If you could live in a movie, which would it be? Why?
Who is your best friend?
Are you married? How long?
Are you single? Would you like to be married?
Do you have children?
Would you like to have children? Why?
What takes up too much of your time?
What do you wish you knew more about?
What small things makes your life easier? What makes it difficult?
Who’s your favorite Historical figure?
What do you think of the world we live in?
What are your thoughts on Race?
In your own words (not Google’s) define racism.
What’s your favorite TV Show? Movie?
What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should?
What TV channel exists but really shouldn’t?
Are you religious? Explain.
Are you political? Explain.
What is the most thought provoking book you’ve ever read?
What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer? The most exciting thing?
Why is writing important to you?
What do you love about yourself?
What don’t you like about yourself?
If you had one superpower that could change the world, what would it be? Why?
What genre do you write in, why?
In your own words, what is truth?
Added Disclaimer:
DO NOT use this as an opportunity to preach your message of salvation.
Bombard/hit us over the heads with your awesome books.
Take advantage of this space in any discriminatory way.
That is NOT how you want to use this feature. This is an opportunity for us to get to know you as a person. Only then will we be interested in your work. That said, try being less “salesy” and more genuine in your answers!
The PBS Blog 