It’s safe to say I was at once shocked and pleased upon meeting Munir Bello. He’s a promising writer who’s not afraid to bare all … as you shall see upon scrolling down. Please welcome Munir by reading about his writing journey thus far.

1. Please provide a brief synopsis of your book.

The name of the book is The Break Up Recipe. It is a romantic comedy mixed with a lot of explicit humor. It is about a very funny, cynical salesman called Mark Mutton who finds out that his fiancé doesn’t want to go through with their wedding, which results in him having various flashbacks to scenarios that have occurred in his sex life from past to present, some of which will make you cringe, some of which will make you smile, all of which will make you laugh like mad.

2. Tell us a little bit about what motivates or inspires your writing.

I have written from a young age and have always enjoyed it. I was always encouraged at school by my teachers to consider it as a profession. During conversations with many people I have met they have also encouraged me to write, citing the fact that they thought I was funny and should commit some of my lewd, rude humor to paper. As a writer my goal is to make heavy hitting subjects light-hearted and identifiable. In the case of The Break Up Recipe it sees the funny side of heartbreak and it’s a good book for anyone to read regardless of gender or relationship status.

3. It’s hard to pick just one, but what do you consider your favorite novel and why? 

My favorite novel is The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I was very drawn to his story and the intensity of his character. His integrity and sacrifice come to life in the pages of that book which will always have a special place in my heart.

4. What is the name of your blog and what can readers expect to find there?

I don’t have a blog due to time constraints, I have been writing this book whilst working full time and have lived on three hours of sleep a night for nearly a year. The best way to find out more about the book and its author is to either follow me on the social media sites given at the end of this interview. UPDATE: Munir Bello has since launched a website where he interviews indie talent from all varieties of creative endeavors. The link is located at the end of this post.

5. Are you traditionally published or self-published?

I am self-published. The reason I decided to go down this road was because I wanted sole control of the creative side of things. I also wanted The Break-Up Recipe to grow as a result of people choosing to read it and spreading the word. This approach seems to be working at the moment because I have had a fantastic reception and great reviews. I did all the writing and then got a proofreader to make sure it was grammatically correct. I hired a friend to do a naked photoshoot of me which is the main poster I use to promote the book and have been handing out flyers with every bit of spare time I have to raise awareness for the book and really engage with future readers.

6. Can you offer one or two helpful tips for fellow writers when it comes to marketing and publicity?

When it comes to marketing, no audience is too small and never take no for an answer. The best way to start is to make sure your friends spread the word and let it grow from there. Regardless of how good you think your book is get people who you don’t know to do test reads as friends can never be truly objective. The naked shoot I did for the book has really gotten a lot of attention, so I guess do something outside the box, but make sure it relates. The naked image I used was because I was baring myself to my audience. The book is held where my crotch should be because it is my baby.

7. Describe your writing background.

I have been very lucky that writing is something I excelled at in school and the extra attention and care given to me by all my teachers helped hone my skills. I do not have a degree or qualification in any form of literature. I did film studies and English literature at university but dropped out after the first year. The other training tool was to read a lot of books. Every book I read including the ones I didn’t like were helpful in teaching me something.

8. What does your drafting and/or editing process entail?

My book was easy to write. First thing I did was write a summary of all the chapters. That became my point of reference throughout the process. I worked to a specific time limit which was after work, go to the gym, and then write for three hours. I also wrote some of the funnier parts of the book after nights out. If I got drunk and had an idea for the book that I thought was funny, I would immediately pull out the laptop and start writing as soon as I got home. When reviewing the previous nights efforts sober they seemed to work just fine.

9. What future projects can we look forward?

Due to the volume of demand there will definitely be a follow up to The Break Up Recipe and then after that there is a book that will be tackling an extremely sensitive subject, which at this moment I can’t reveal. The purpose of that particular book will be to make the subject accessible while also injecting humor into it.

10. Is there anything else you want your potential readers to know?

This book was written as the result of a very painful break-up. I wanted to keep my spirits up, so I decided to write a funny book on relationships that anyone could read. There is something in it for everyone and I can genuinely say there is nothing out there on the market like it. I originally wrote the book for men, but women seem to really like it. They feel like it gives them an insight into the way men think and act in the dating world.

“I hired a friend to do a naked photoshoot of me.” @munirbello1983 #bookmarketing

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You can connect with Munir Bello and his social media accounts via his website and blog.

Is there anything else you’d like to know about Munir Bello?

Please share responsibly. Jeri Walker, 2013.