Showing posts with label writing for success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing for success. Show all posts

Thursday, 16 April 2026

WHY I WROTE ‘HOW TO WRITE FOR SUCCESS – VOLUME I, II, and III

 




My writing journey began after I retired from the corporate

 world, and my first memoir, I am Cancer Free, was published

 in June 2013. 

I was a successful banker, and after I retired from banking, I

 moved on to insurance, where I excelled. I qualified for the

 prestigious Million Dollar Round Table six times in a row and

 gained Life Membership. As I was an MDRT member, I had

 the privilege to attend the MDRT Conferences abroad. 

Those opportunities helped me to expand my knowledge in

 new areas. After my near-death experience with cancer, I

 wrote, I am Cancer Free. I also wrote four other memoirs, My Life as a Banker, and one about my life after banking, Retirement is Fun.  I travelled extensively on vacations and conferences for many years of my life during my Banking and Insurance careers, and I wrote Travel Memoirs

I compiled and published my father’s memoirs, Memoirs of Dr.

 A. M. Khan. He was an Educator.

When I wrote my first book in 2013, I was just writing for

 pleasure. In fact, it was not for pleasure because the book

 was about my bout with cancer. I wanted to relate my experience with that dreaded disease so that others in similar circumstances could learn from it. I made no effort to do any marketing of the book. I did not realise that although I had written one book, I was a writer, a business manager, marketer, and entrepreneur.

The book sold on its own because of the name, but if I had

 marketed it properly, I could have obtained a greater amount

 of sales. I kept on writing. I wrote a few more books, but I was

 not doing anything to put them into the hands of readers or

 obtain reviews. I did not even have social media accounts.

One day, I heard my niece talking about Facebook, and I

 decided to open a Facebook page. I joined several Facebook

 discussion groups for authors. From the discussions, I

 realized I needed to advertise my books if I wanted reviews.

I decided to take the easy way out and give up writing. I

 thought that I was a failure at it. However, I remembered the

 words of Anthony Robbins in his international bestseller,

 “Unlimited Power.”

‘There is no such thing as failure. There are only results.

 Failure is something that is not perceived by people who

 achieve greatness. They do not dwell on it.’ 

 Another small voice within me reminded me that my motto all

 my life was, “Never give up.” 

I reflected on my life. When things were rough, I never gave up

 on banking, and I climbed the ladder to success.

In 2014, I wrote Heart-Warming Tales and Stories People

 Love. Both books are short story collections.  They each

 received five-star reviews from readers, but I still felt that I

 needed to write some more exciting stories.

In 2016, an idea for a science fiction series came to me, and in

 February 2016, I published Zeeka and the

 ZombiesRevenge of Zeeka Book 1. Within a few months, I

 released Zeeka’s Child Book 2 and Zeeka Returns Book 3.

I had compiled the first three books into a trilogy

 called Revenge of Zeeka: Horror Trilogy. In September

 2016, I submitted the trilogy to Reader’s Favorite for a free

 review. The book received a five-star review and a five-star

 seal.

In 2017, I added two more books to the series - Zeeka’s

 Ghost Book 4 and Resurrection Book 5. I compiled the five

 books into one book called Zeeka Chronicles

I sent Zeeka Chronicles to Reader’s Favorite International,

 and it received a five-star review and five-star seal. In

 September 2017, the book won an award in the Best Science

 Fiction category of the SIBA Awards.   

Because of the many successes that I achieved in 2017, I

 decided to write How to Write for Success as a guide for

 new authors.

In that book, which I published on my birthday, 1st December

 2017, I explained the steps I took to become a better writer.

I had a burning desire to share my knowledge with new

 writers. 

I believe that mistakes are stepping-stones to success.

The book covers how to plan a story, draft the plot, write

 narrative and dialogue, build characters, build a story world,

 and do the nitty-gritty stuff before and after you publish your

 book. I also delved into how to market the book, get sales,

 and reviews, and gave a practical example of how to publish a

 book. When these salient matters are clear in your mind, you

 can feel comfortable starting your writing journey. The book

 received a five-star review from Reader’s Favorite

 International.

In 2018, I was elated to receive the gold award for Zeeka

Chronicles in the Science Fiction category of the Emagazine

 Reader’s Choice Awards. The book also placed in the top ten

 finalists for the Author Academy Global Awards.

In 2018, I received the best news. Zeeka Chronicles won an

 award in the Reader’s Favorite International Book Awards

 2018, in the category of young adult, and I am Cancer Free

 won an award in the category of Health and Fitness at the

 same award function. It was a double celebration.

I travelled to Miami to receive those awards.

In 2018, Memoirs of Dr. A.M. Khan: Journey of an Educator

 received four five-star reviews from Reader’s Favorite

 International.

I continued to receive awards for Stories People Love, How to

 Write for Success, and Zeeka Chronicles.

I also wrote Volume II of How to Write for Success, which

 focuses not only on publishing and marketing, but on writing

 characters, writing for kids, memoirs, and fiction.  Self-

Publishing Tips is the third in the How to Write for Success

 three-book series, and a simple guide for new and aspiring

 authors who want to be independent and learn the art of self-

publishing.

To date, I have published 68 books, 68 audiobooks spanning

 various genres, including science fiction, memoir, horror,

 mystery, romance, self-help, poetry, children's books,

 anthologies, magazines, and three screenplays for my sci-fi,

 horror, and romance novels.

My horror screenplay for Zeeka and the Zombies II was

 selected as a finalist in the 13Horror-com Film & Screenplay

 Contest in September 2025.

My romance/mystery screenplay, The Gift of Love, was

 selected in the Quarterfinals Stage 32 + DramaBox

 Screenwriting Competition in April 2026.

NEVER GIVE UP!

FOLLOW ME ON MY WEBSITE


Saturday, 23 October 2021

FIVE STARS FOR HOW TO WRITE FOR SUCCESS: VOLUME TWO

 



FIVE STARS FOR HOW TO WRITE FOR SUCCESS: VOLUME TWO

Book Review by Aneeta Chitale aka Shanita Vichare) from India

Multiple - award-winning Author Brenda Mohammed has published 42 books.

Her 42nd book was Tea Time Poetry.

Her hot pick from Amazon basket is her widely read books HOW TO WRITE FOR SUCCESS: Volumes 1 & 2.

Most meticulous in her authorpreneurship, prolific in her writing craft, and expertise in using the writing analog extensively, using the most recent tenets, is her cup of tea!

I must agree. Brenda Mohammed has written this outstanding book- How To Write For Success: Volume 2, in the most lucid style. It is a very apt book for self-publishing/ indie authors and poets.

She has given detailed information from writing your manuscript, editing, how to fetch ISBN code, and how to format and publish it on Amazon.

KDP option to scale is very well explained, but you must read the book to find out more.

Let me give you some background on Brenda Mohammed.

Stories That Intrigue, Stories People Love, Barry Holmes Mysteries, How To Write For Success Volumes 1 & 2, Zeeka Chronicles, and I am Cancer Free, are page-turners in the collectibles written by her.

How to Write for Success made waves globally as it went on to feature in the Readers’ Choice Awards.

In November 2018 Brenda won two awards from Readers Favorite International for her science fiction book, ‘Zeeka Chronicles’ in the category Young Adult Thriller, and her Memoir, ‘I am Cancer Free’ in the category Health and Fitness.

Three of her books won gold awards in Connection EMagazine Readers’ Choice Awards in 2018 and 2019 - Zeeka Chronicles, Stories People love, and How to Write for Success.

In Sept 2021 her mystery book, Barry Holmes Mysteries, won her the Writer – Best Fantasy Award in the CLR Awards.

In Brenda's Mohammed’s group project - Break The Silence: Volumes 1-2 Poetry Anthologies, she raises voices against domestic violence, for women who have a caged bird existence.  She has co-authored both books with 178 International poets and both books achieved Amazon No 1 Bestsellers Ranking.

Another group project for Suicide Prevention, A Spark of Hope: Volumes One and Two, also achieved Amazon No 1 Best Sellers ranking.

In her book on her fight Against Cancer – I AM CANCER FREE, her success story and fecund penmanship is strongly wired with her strong grit and survival instinct, when the verdant writer Brenda Mohammed fought her battle against cancer. She has never looked back since then, and the axiom 'Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword' is absolutely true for this Evergreen Writer.

Ten of her publications are Poetry books

With her outstanding contributions to Literature, she is well-placed to advise on How to Write for Success. I give the book HOW TO WRITE FOR SUCCESS: VOLUME TWO Five-stars.

GET HER BOOK AT ALL AMAZON STORES.

Book Review by Aneeta Chitale

(aka Shanita Vichare) from India.

Author of Sojourn to Maldives, and a famous poet.

Administrator in How to Write for Success Literary Forum.

Shanita does interviews for literary icons in the HTWFS Magazine.

 




Tuesday, 12 October 2021

BARRY HOLMES MYSTERIES FOR THE READER WHO LOVES SOLVING MYSTERIES

 



BARRY HOLMES MYSTERIES FOR THE READER WHO LOVES SOLVING MYSTERIES

BARRY HOLMES MYSTERIES received a five-star review from Readers' Favorite International in September 2021.

The book also won for the author the CLR Award for Best Writer- Fantasy.
Driven by love, Barry Holmes, a former soldier, returned to his country to search for his ex-girlfriend's kidnapped daughter and discovered he was a father too.
Young adults will love BARRY HOLMES MYSTERIES with three thrilling and exciting tales of kidnapping, and mysterious disappearances. The stories are interspersed with clean romantic scenes to delight you.
In three mind-blowing episodes, the author weaved the first story, THE GIFT OF LOVE, to introduce Barry as an amateur detective.
At the request of his ex-girlfriend Crystal, Barry took time off to return to his homeland to find her kidnapped daughter.
After many twists and turns, Barry found her, and discovered a secret that made him so happy, he left the military to become a full-time detective.
In THE AXE MURDERER, which is well written in the author's humourous style, Barry faced many obstacles to identify the real perpetrator, as there were others who fit the profile. Readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride to capture the real culprit. The end is surprising.
WHAT HAPPENED TO MARY LOO, revolves around the bizarre disappearance of a businessman's wife immediately after the lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic is lifted. Did she really disappear?
You will not want to put down this 314 page - book of unusual mysteries until you have read to the end.

GET THE BOOK ON AMAZON AT THIS LINK. CLICK HERE.

Wednesday, 14 July 2021

DISCOVERING METADATA

                                              



                                                      WHAT IS METADATA

 

Metadata is "data that provides information about your published books.

It is descriptive information for the discovery and identification of your books. 

It includes the following elements.

Title

Subtitle

Author Name

Description

Editorial Reviews

Author Bio

Keywords

Categories

Product Details

Community Reviews

Legal metadata provides information about the creator, copyright holder, and public licensing if provided.

Simply put, Amazon uses categories and keywords that you use when publishing your books, so they can be found by readers, libraries, etc.

It is therefore of utmost importance that you choose the correct keywords and categories when publishing your book

The importance of metadata is explained in the video.


 

 

 

 

Tuesday, 13 July 2021

HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE BIO

 




                            HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE  AUTHOR BIO

Look at this video from Scribe Book School

If you’re a writer with few publication credits or none at all, crafting a compelling bio can be challenging. Don’t worry. You do not need stellar credits to have a great bio.

Present yourself in a polite, and professional way.

 

Don’t pad your bio with irrelevant info. 

Most editors and readers love the opportunity to discover new writers with unique voices. It does not matter how many publications you have, as long as your writing is strong. Your bio can be as short as a few sentences that mention the country you live in and your profession.

 

Establish expertise. You will want your bio to influence people to read your work. If the main character in your book has a trait or hobby that you happen to share, or the story takes place in a setting you know like the back of your hand, your expertise will lend your work authenticity. For example, if you write a book that takes place in a bank, it would be a good idea to mention that you’ve worked in a bank for years.

 

Show that you take your writing seriously. Even though you may not have published any books before, you can show your dedication to writing by mentioning popular writing groups or organizations of which you’re a member.

 

Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. No one wants to read a long-winded version of your life story. Avoid clichés like “It’s always been my dream to be a writer” or “I’ve been writing since I was three years old.”


FOLLOW BRENDA MOHAMMED ON AMAZON

 


HOW TO FORMAT A POETRY BOOK FOR PUBLISHING ON AMAZON.

 



HOW TO FORMAT A POETRY BOOK FOR PUBLISHING ON AMAZON.
I know of many poets who want to publish poetry books on Amazon, and today I will explain HOW TO FORMAT A POETRY BOOK IN EBOOK FORMAT AND PAPERBACK FOR PUBLISHING. Self-publishing fiction or nonfiction is as easy as having a Word document and then uploading it. But for poets, when you format a poetry eBook, it can cause some problems.
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to overcome these formatting issues by learning how to publish a poetry book in an eBook format, as well as paperback.
HOW TO FORMAT A POETRY EBOOK FOR AMAZON KINDLE.
To prepare your Manuscript, compile all of your poems in a Word Document with one poem on each page. Some poems may be longer and may take more than one page, but that is okay. You can also use a short quote above each poem, and an image for each poem.
Make sure that your Word document is formatted exactly the way you want.
Check your page breaks, line and paragraph breaks, title page, and perhaps chapter titles if you have them. These might be your poem titles.
If you are using Microsoft Word, follow all instructions at the top for Design, Layout, References, Table of Contents, etc.
In Design, you will select a theme, fonts, spacing, etc.
With respect to Layout, here is where you choose the book size, margins and indentations.
In References, you select a Table of Content. Readers love you to have a clickable table of Content in the EBook format.
To design the Table of Contents is a bit tricky, but it is worth your reputation as a reputable writer, to provide one for your readers. Some writers omit this important feature from their eBooks and lose future sales.
Page numbers will not work with an eBook.
Do not include anything in either the headers or footers.
Make sure you save your document in .docx format. That is your Manuscript.
If you want to use Amazon Kindle Create you need to download Kindle Create from Amazon. It is available for free for both Windows and Mac.
However, for me, I prefer to upload my Document to Draft2Digital as they convert it to Mobi and EPub. I can upload either one to Amazon and get a properly formatted Poetry Book.
I have published 9 poetry books this way.
PUBLISHING IN PAPERBACK
To publish the same book in paperback, make another copy of the EBook, insert the page numbers from the Header in Microsoft Word, add a copyright page, and convert the document to a PDF, which you must use to publish to Amazon.
Feel free to ask questions in the comments.
Next, we will discuss Book Title and Cover.
Copyright@BrendaMohammed


PUBLISHING WITH BRENDA MOHAMMED

 



Let us look at the benefits of self-publishing.
NO GATEKEEPERS
There are no gatekeepers—no literary agents or publishers standing in your way. This allows for diversity to flourish and for underrepresented voices to finally have a space to share their work.
HIGHER ROYALTIES
Not only are the barriers to entry lower, but the royalties are higher. When you work with a traditional publisher, they have to take their cut. By self-publishing your own book, you can earn more for each book that you sell.
MORE CONTROL
When you self-publish, you own your work and have complete control over the publishing process. For a lot of authors who have poured their hearts and souls into writing a book, it’s very important for them to have the power to make decisions throughout the publishing process.
EQUAL QUALITY
As technology has improved, self-published authors now have access to high-quality printing and book distribution networks similar to traditionally published authors. Your self-published book will look like the other books on the pages of Amazon.
If you are considering publishing a book of poetry or even a fiction novel, let us look at the steps to get your book in front of readers.
1.Preparing a Manuscript with the poems you plan to publish. It must be in document form.
2. Choosing a Book Title
3. Formatting the Manuscript for Amazon Kindle.
4 Choosing an Editor to edit your manuscript.
5. Writing a book description.
6. Writing a Biography
7. Most Important – Making sure you have a Cover that stands out, and represents your content.
8 Signing up for an account on Amazon Kindle Publishing.
9. Preparing your Book, Metadata, Categories, Pricing, Copyright, etc.
10. Marketing and Distribution of your book
11. Amazon Reports on Sales.
These steps may seem simple at first glance.
During this week I will go into detail to explain each one.
However, if you have burning questions, please leave them in the comments to this post and I will answer each one tomorrow.
Copyright@BrendaMohammed

Wednesday, 7 July 2021

A TRAVEL COFFEE TABLE BOOK TO INSPIRE YOUR TRAVELS

 


TRAVEL MEMOIRS WITH PICTURES: EXPLORING THE WORLD is a Dreamy Coffee Table Book to Inspire Your Summer Travels.

‘To where should we travel?’ is the number one question on everyone’s mind.

 After many long months of lockdown without the opportunity to discover and explore new places, this book written by Author Brenda Mohammed can help you decide on destinations both near and far.

Travel Memoirs with Pictures: Exploring the World is a beautifully illustrated picture book filled with reflections of the author's travels around the world.

In this pictorial travel book of the author's priceless memories, she describes places visited and the wonderful times she and her family had in their tourist trips.

This is one of the five-star reviews on Amazon:

"REVIEW

An informative and enjoyable book to read. The author writes of her world travels with her family. She shares her experiences with the reader.
You'll read of the various sites to see in each location, the restaurants with delicious foods, and which restaurants are more reasonable in cost and which more expensive. She writes of the various ways to travel and of the climate of the location. You read her travels to different locations in the world:
Paris, Germany, Amsterdam (Holland), New York (USA), Los Angeles, California(USA), Las Vegas, Nevada (USA), London (United Kingdom), Toronto (Canada), Colorado (USA), New Orleans (USA), Italy, Spain, Miami (USA), Orlando (USA), Caribbean Vacations, Anguilla, Puerto Rico, Caracas, Barbados, Cruise to the Bahamas, Cartegena, Cruise to Cozumel (Mexico), Trinidad and Tobago.
Nearing the end of her book she ends with a delightful poem of her travels.
This was a nice touch."
Amazon Reviewer


Saturday, 3 July 2021

ONLY FOR READERS WHO LOVES MYSTERIES

 



FOR READERS WHO LOVE MYSTERIES
Driven by love, Barry Holmes, a former soldier, returned to his country to search for his ex-girlfriend's kidnapped daughter and discovered he was a father too.
If you love mysteries, BARRY HOLMES MYSTERIES with three thrilling and exciting tales of kidnapping, murder, and mysterious disappearances, interspersed with romantic scenes, will delight you
In three mind-blowing episodes, the author weaved the first story, THE GIFT OF LOVE, to introduce Barry as an amateur detective.
At the request of his ex-girlfriend Crystal, Barry took time off to return to his homeland to find her kidnapped daughter.
After many twists and turns, Barry found her, and discovered a secret that made him so happy, he left the military to become a full-time detective.
In THE AXE MURDERER, Barry faced many obstacles to identify the real perpetrator, as there were others who fit the profile. Readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride to capture the real culprit.
WHAT HAPPENED TO MARY LOO, revolves around the bizarre disappearance of a businessman’s wife immediately after the lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic is lifted.
You will not want to put down this 314 page – book of mysteries until you have read to the end.

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

ZEEKA CHRONICLES WAS INSPIRED BY A DANGEROUS VIRUS

 



INTRODUCTION
ZEEKA CHRONICLES: REVENGE OF ZEEKA [SCIENCE FICTION]
A Police officer met and fell in love with the daughter of a renowned doctor at a Carnival event. She was a registered nurse at the same hospital in which her father worked. Her name was Margaret.
They dated a while and when he proposed marriage to her, she agreed to marry him. He bought her an engagement ring, but her father disapproved of their relationship. He wanted her to marry a doctor. Not wishing to displease her father, she broke off the relationship with the police officer.
The officer was extremely hurt, even to the point of great bitterness. He tried to win back her love but without his knowledge, she married another – a doctor who worked in the hospital with her, Dr. Carl Sharpe.
When he found out, she had jilted him, something inside of him tripped off. He was never again the same person that he was. He vowed to take revenge one day.
Seven years passed and Margaret bore two sons for her husband – Steven and Raynor. The officer always felt that her first son Steven was his child. He planned to kidnap him.
One fateful day Steven, who was just seven years old, was riding his bike home after visiting a friend who lived in a secluded part of the city. His bike broke down, and he was trying to fix it. A police jeep stopped, and the police officer asked if he could help. There was no one else in the vehicle.
Steven saw no harm in allowing a police officer to help since they are there to protect and serve. Or, so he thought. The police officer came out of the vehicle, looked at his bike, turned it over, and tried to repair it. He then said that he needed to go to a bicycle shop. He offered to drive Steven home. Steven accepted the lift and never saw his home again.
The man threatened the boy to kill his parents and brother if he ever tried to escape from him. He boasted about his police connections and Steven was fearful of him and did whatever he asked. The man could not legally adopt him and changed the boy’s name to Jason Stephens.
If you have not yet read the award-winning and best-selling novel ZEEKA CHRONICLES, a futuristic thriller and award-winning novel inspired by the scare of the zika virus, you will be unaware of what can take place in the minds of mad scientists who try to use a virus to control lives.
Brenda Mohammed
Love
Love
Comment
Share