PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with Diana Sims, author of 'Forever King: Surviving the Loss of My Unborn Child'

As a self-publishing author, Diana Sims has felt compelled to share her journey regarding the loss of her son, and the miracle that took place after his passing. She simply wants to let other women, who have lost children, know that there is still light at the end of the tunnel.

Aimed primarily at all mothers ranging from teenagers to the older women, Forever King: Surviving the Loss of My Unborn Child particularly addresses those who have lost a child, no matter the circumstance.

Diana is committed to humanitarian services whether in her field or position. She worked for many years helping customers keep their homes from foreclosure during the economic fall in 2008. Currently, she is assisting physicians and patients as a Patient Liaison. Diana is a California native and resides in Southern California with her loving husband Cory Sims, and three handsome Kings in training: Isaiah, Solomon, and Anthony Sims.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

About the Book:

Sims life has been one of a survivor… a survivor of grief and distraught after having lost a child. Today, she is using the journey, to help other women, who have had similar experience of losing a child, whether through early pregnancy, miscarriage or stillbirth, to have hope.

Watch the book trailer at YouTube.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I chose to self-publish my book. I wanted to have full creative control over every factor going into this very special book. Forever King is the first book released on my own company called Forever King Publishing.

If self-published, did you hire someone to format the ebook version for you or did you do it yourself?  Can you tell us what that was like?

I hired a wonderful editor/proof reading company to format and edit my book. It is available on paperback as well as e-book.

If self-published, how did you determine the price?

I wanted to make sure that the price of the book was fair but at the same time competitive to cover all the cost involved. I factored in the total number of pages in the book, the rich content in the book, as well as making sure this book can be affordable so people can and would want to purchase it. I also checked with reliable sources for input for pricing.

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

Yes, I chose the month of March and the day because it is my Mother’s birthday and I wanted to honor the woman who gave birth to me with releasing it on her birthday.

How did you choose your cover?

I wrestled very hard on the cover. I wanted it to be meaningful and captivate the audience’s attention. I wanted to share his beautiful face with the world. I wanted his memory to forever being present each time someone picks up the book to read it.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

Yes, I wrote the book completely and then made revisions. Once that was completed. I forwarded the manuscript to the editor to review and proof read along with formatting it to be professional.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book? 

Yes, I came up with a special bookmark for Forever King as well as a t-shirt I am working on to be released soon.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link?

https://youtu.be/RfQ7cK2nD00

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I believe this is a great tool to market a book, creating buzz is vital to any product being sold. This is also a great promotion that will create “Word of Mouth.” The best time of promotion!

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

The three most important things to do before your book is released are: Having the book professionally edited, spend money on a professional book cover, and have book reviews prior to release.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Have several book signings, give-a-ways to bring traffic to your social media pages and website, ask customers who attended a book signing to review book once they complete it.

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out? 

Set up Social media pages for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Created an Author website to refer customers and potential buyers to, completed a couple of Facebook Ad’s to bring customers to my social media pages.

Do you have a long term plan with your book?

My long term goal for my book is to get them into hospital gift shop, women prisons, and become a keynote speaker to spread the message of hope from my book.

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

I would like them to believe that there is hope, and if they know anyone whom lost a child prior to giving birth, to purchase a book for them and be there for them by just listening and giving hugs. I pray that the peace of God overshadows all the hurt, trauma from this experience, and that a new joy will come in time. Thank you for participating in taking a glimpse into my heart.