Interview with Todd Marcell

Author of How To Be Cool

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

I’m originally from College Park, Ga but now I reside in Mcdonough, Ga

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

When I met my wife her and family lived in stockbridge, Ga which is minutes away from where we stay now. When we got married we decided to stay in Henry County

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

Well it kind of choose me, I work in the education field and there were so many things I saw on a daily basis that the young kids had no clue about concerning life challenges. So I thought to myself what way can I reach the masses, since I like to read why not write a book telling the kids how to win at life and what to expect and How to be cool was born.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

My books are an easy to read self-help book geared toward teens & young adults boys & girls alike. Primarily to help them understand the ramifications of the decisions they make but also inspire them that they can achieve anything they want as long as they believe in themselves.

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

I feel that at-risk youth who are looking to make a change and young adults who haven’t made plans for their future would really benefit from this book because it speaks on their level of understanding gives them an real world point of view from their perspective.

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

Well for one, the revision process I had to make, you know when you first finish the book you just want to put it out because you are so excited but you have to go through the editing process. So mainly just going through tons of revisions before it is just right for release.

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

I would have did more research on pre-release and how to maximize the book to its fullest potential.

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

As many people as possible. No limit, I would love to sell about One Hundred Thousand copies independent. That’s a tall task but anything is possible. I have reached almost 500 as an self- published Author so that’s something I’m very proud of.

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

My biggest challenge and frustration about the process to date is learning how to streamline to reach my specific readers. In order to make the most impact is getting your intended target to read the book because yes we all like to make money but as an Author our greatest compliment is when our book touches the people it is intended for.

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

My biggest strength is marketing, in the previous question my problem was streamlining but my strength is that I know how to design my ads to get the biggest response. I follow the pattern of an music lab who market their music artist.

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

My biggest weakness is like I mentioned before trying to reach my target audience and that is because many adults liked my books as well. So I get caught up in trying to spread out the marketing strategy and just need to stick with my age group & demographic.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I’m in the process of writing another book called Swag Bible. It’s going to be a sequel to How To Be Cool but this book is going to be geared toward self-motivation, self -confidence.

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

Right now I’m self published but I hope my books will garner the attention of a traditional publisher.