“Drawing from a lifetime of experiences, the author of Don’t Sit the Bench, Louis S. Sapia, Jr., shares a wealth of knowledge and gives practical advice for young adults starting to pave their own ways in life. Delivered encouragingly, he uses his own real-life trials and tribulations as examples, along with inspirational stories about some successful, well-known names and how they got to where they are today. From high school to college to employment he covers the whole court of life’s challenges and gives tips on everything from study habits to creating social bonds, living on a budget to purchasing a car, all the while focusing on building independent, successful lives. While it’s a great resource for those just starting out in life, there are lessons here that could be valuable to readers of all ages.” Non-Fiction Interview
Please briefly describe the book?
The book is a motivational book to guide young people into becoming secure and successful adults. The book does this by offering strategies and using my personal experiences as well experiences of well-known celebrities to show how taking on challenges leads to success.
What inspired you to write this book?
I have a passion for helping our youth, especially those who lack the proper support and guidance at home. As a college professor, I was able to guide many students on the right path. With the book, I can now reach a wider audience.
How do you make sure the information for your nonfiction books is accurate and up to date?
My mentoring students at the college has proven to be very productive. Students I mentored graduated with good grades and found professional employment.
What does literary success look like to you?
For me, literary success means having the reader feel and comprehend what I write and become inspired by it.
Do you outline your books beforehand? Why or why not?
It is important to outline what I plan on writing because I cover many topics. So an outline is a sort of road map to ensure topics are covered in an orderly fashion.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned while writing? What are some publishing tips?
The most important lesson I have learned is to free my mind of everyday stressful thoughts so that I can free my mind to be creative in my writing.
There are many self-publishing companies that can guide you and provide services for your book launch. Or you can simply do all the work on your own. In either case, below are some of the necessary steps for a successful book launch.
Decide who your target audience is.
Create an appealing cover for the book.
Have your book edited.
Decide on a price.
Purchase an ISBN number.
Pick people to read your book so that you have reviews ready.
Create social media posts for promotion.
Host a book launch party.
How do you make non-fiction interesting and engaging while still being informative?
Many readers of self-help books feel alone in their experiences and thoughts. Reading about others who have had the same experiences helps readers not feel so alone and, often, results in motivating the reader. So, a self-help book can be very engaging.
Biographies are interesting because they can be a mentoring resource. Learning how others overcame struggles and succeeded is very inspiring. Often reading about others can turn our lives around.
What is your favorite part of writing?
My favorite part is thinking about what I want to write. I enjoy thinking and exploring my mind and being creative. That is what I enjoy most.
What do you find enjoyable or difficult about non-fiction?
I enjoy sharing my experiences as well as others as examples to motivate the readers towards a more fulfilling life.
I think the most difficult part, for me, to write non-fiction is deciding how much personal information I want to share.
Was this topic suggested or was it something you were already interested in?
I have a passion for guiding our youth on successful paths in life so it is something I am already interested in.
What other types of research did you need to do for this book?
I did research on learning styles, emotional intelligence, victim mentality and social capital.
Who will this book appeal to? What age range would you recommend it for?
This book was, primarily, written for people in their teens and early twenties. However, there is content that can be used for middle school aged people as well as people well past their twenties.
What is your next project?
My next project is to speak at schools, colleges and events on topics covered in the book.
Talk a little bit about yourself. What is your background? What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I have had two careers at the same time. One as a Data Architect and the other as a Computer Science professor.
My parents never graduated high school and I was the youngest (with my twin) out of four children and the first to graduate college.
Do you have a favorite book – fiction or non-fiction? How about one of your own?
I think a biography on Nelson Mandela that I read is my favorite because of the many lessons it taught on patience and strategy.
Do you have an author website or other platform where readers can find more information about you and your books
Non-Fiction Interview
