We recently connected with Alyssa Markins and have shared our conversation below.

Alyssa, appreciate you joining us today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

You don’t have to be a good writer to be a successful author.

I’m actually cringing on the inside as I write this, because I LOVE the craft of writing and developing story. Using words to pull people into an experience that originated in your mind and then takes place in theirs… it feels like magic, and it’s the closest humans have ever gotten to telepathy.

But none of that is actually needed to become a bestselling author (especially on Amazon).

If you want to be a successful author, you need to know marketing… or be able to pay for someone who does.

Whether you’re looking to be traditionally published, self-published, or if you’re working with a hybrid publisher, the number one indicator as to whether or not you’ll be able to make sales and profit off your book is whether or not you know how to sell online and your ability to make key relationships.

Of course, you will have more repeat customers and positive reviews if you have good quality content, but at the end of the day, your ability to market is what creates the book sales.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As soon as I was able to form sentences I’ve been writing stories. Reading and writing have always been passions of mine. Growing up, when people asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” my response was always, “An author!”

Unfortunately, society doesn’t hold the arts in very high esteem, especially when it comes to making money. More often than not, my enthusiastic dream was met with, “That’s a really awesome hobby, but what do you want to do for your real job?”

Oof.

Despite that, I never truly gave up on my dream. I kept writing stories all throughout high school, college, and grad school. I never thought it would amount to anything, but I couldn’t escape it. There was a constant tug on my soul to create and write.

Then one year, I moved to South Korea to teach English as a second language… and it was the darkest, most depressing time of my life.

Culture shock and isolation caused me to developed severe anxiety and depression. On my days off from teaching, I would spend 8+ hours a day being a complete vegetable on my bed with YouTube videos droning on in the background. Having another person speaking to me from a video created an illusion that I wasn’t as alone as I felt.

It was during these excruciating hours however, that I discovered Jenna Moreci– an author who was able to quit her 9-5 job after self-publishing her books. I learned that if you treat your writing (and your books) as a business, it IS possible to make money with your “creative hobby.” I still dealt with a lot of depression and anxiety after that epiphany moment, but watching her videos reignited my hope. I started learning everything I could about the publishing industry and began writing a new story that would eventually become my first published novel.

Fast forward a couple of years, I had a super impactful experience where I realized that I’m on this earth to help people write influential stories. I healed from my anxiety and depression and got plugged into a mastermind with a group of business people dedicated to helping each other grow and win. I developed the framework for my publishing company (Kingdom Books), bought the LLC, and met my business partner. In our first year, we published The Writer’s Accountability Planner, You Were Created for Greatness by Jackson Hale, my book Perilous Star, and my business partner’s book (Fae Found by Chi Obasi). During that time we’ve taken on several editing and book coaching clients as well.

Kingdom Books is a hybrid publishing company here to help you share your message with the world. At Kingdom Books, we want walk you through every step of the publishing process. Wherever you are — whether its a hint of inspiration or a completed manuscript — we help you craft your story, make it shine through our four stages of editing, and then get it into the hands of your ideal readers.

​Whether you have a ground breaking process to help people do what you do, an incredible life story you know has the power to impact others’ lives, or a fantastical world inside your head that you just need to get out, Kingdom Books is here to help you craft your legacy.

​Legacy is really the heart behind Kingdom Books. It’s an honor for us to help you co-create something that has the potential to impact multiple generations. We believe that books and stories have the power to change the world because we know how much they’ve changed OUR world. Storytelling is an inherent piece of what it means to be human. We’ve been doing it for forever. It’s how we connect with each other, learn, and better ourselves. Publishing is a modern day extension of this core human characteristic.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was more of a mindset that I had to untangle.

For years, I struggled with the belief that “I’m not worthy.” I didn’t know I struggled with it, but it 100% determined how I lived my life. Even though I had a desire to be an author, I didn’t pursue my dream till my late 20’s because I “wasn’t worthy or capable” of success. I stayed away from social situations and being in the spotlight because my voice “didn’t matter” or other people had “better things” to say. I stayed in a toxic relationship for 6 years because I “wasn’t worthy” of a healthier love.

All of that had to be untangled and reset before I was able to start my business and publish my book. If I can’t operate from a place where I truly believe that I am worthy and capable of running a successful business, of doing great things, of creating wealth, there is no possible way I can make my dreams a reality.

I think a lot of people believe that in order to run a business, you need to start with things like a business plan and financials and company culture/mission statements.

But the reality is that everything first stems from you, and if you have internal issues that are affecting your mind and everyday life, those don’t just go away. They seep into every aspect of everything you do. The most important part of business is cultivating the right mindset and grit needed to persevere and create solutions for all the challenges and obstacles that arise… because they definitely will.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

SO MANY books!

Some of my favorites are There’s No Plan B for Your A Game by Bo Eason, Business Secrets from the Bible by Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, and The Experimentalist by Tracey Armstrong.

But there are definitely more

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kingdombookspublishing.com
• Instagram: @alyssa.markins and @kingdombookspublishing
• Youtube: Alyssa Markins- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7PxUyNkkOArQ6NEeKHhBQA