Interview with Kitty Arceneaux

Author of RUTH READY

RUTH READY

 

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and raised in New Orleans, La. I now reside in Slidell, La which is only 30 minutes outside of New Orleans.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I was married in 2002 and we both had out own homes, so we decided to buy a home together. It was smaller and not as fast paced as New Orleans. We’re just a bridge away from New Orleans, but it’s completely different.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

My first book was a Prayer book I wrote in 2004 after a women’s breakfast at the church I attended. I made a small book for every lady there and they loved it so much they asked about me adding more prayers and making an actual book. I took them up on the offer and it was published in 2004.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

I write Christian books for all ages,to help inspire and encourage everyone.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I would have to say females and mainly because I’m writing from a female perspective I guess. I do have a prayer book that would draw both males & females and I have a workbook for both young boys & girls. I have 2 other books that are strictly for females of all ages.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

I have been writing since I was a kid so the writing process seems to flow pretty well once I get started. However, the publishing process was more of a challenge. I went through an actual publishing company in the beginning, but now I’m doing self-publishing and although it has it’s minor challenges I’ve learned so much about the marketing side. The companies made it seem like I needed them in order to be a success, but I don’t find that to be the truth. Plus they are so expensive.

If you could, what advice would you give to past self yourself before embarking on this journey?

To research as much as you can before you get started. To talk with more authors and compare what they were doing and find the niche that’s right for you. Trust the process and don’t be afraid.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

Would it be not be ideally to say I would like to reach the world? But really I would like to reach as many women as I could all over the world. My goal is to be effective in the lives of others, so why not aim for the bigger goal, right?

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

The weirdest thing was my book cover spine. Getting the letters the size they wanted it. Mainly because they didn’t tell me this until the last minute.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I would have to say with writing, it’s almost like I have a gift with words on paper so it’s easy once I get started.
Publishing-this is still a learning process for me, but I understand it a little more than before
Marketing-I’m creative, so I can come up with creative ways of doing things even if it seems out of the ordinary for some people.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Writing-I never concentrated on any weaknesses in my writing
Publishing-Not knowing the entire process, since I’m still learning I guess I would say the cover is my weakness because I can’t always come up with a design on my own.
Marketing-marketing can get costly so my weakness right now would be having the expenses to reach the masses or getting my book in the right hands to be even more effective.

When do you think you will you write your next book?

It’s really hard to say because I get an idea or a topic and I just start writing. Before now the last book I published was in 2012 and then out of the blue I got a topic and here you have it, RUTH READY!

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I am self-published

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