Best-selling author Peter Tzemis on his journey to success
Critically and commercially acclaimed author Peter Tzemis opens up on his Amazon best-seller “77 Laws Of Six Pack Abs”, shares his nuggets to being an accomplished writer, and reveals what’s next on his bucket-list. Tzemis offers words of wisdom as he reflects on his career and looks towards the future of what’s upcoming for him.
He got his first start in writing when he was a kid. He said that he would write short stories for fun and got his first poem in school published when he was 9 years old.
“Growing up I’d spend a lot of time at Indigo (the Barnes & Noble of Canada) daydreaming that I’ll see my book on the shelves one day and be a bestselling author,” he said.
He always knew since he was a child that being an author was in his future.
“I honestly don’t remember NOT wanting to be a writer,” he continued.
His vision came to fruition, as now, Tzemis has seen commercial success for many of his books and is the author of over a dozen published books. In fact, his very first self-published book, “Anabolic Stretching,” sold over 11,000 copies in the first few months of release. For Peter, this confirmed that he had the ability to not only write a book, but market it, and realize what makes a “good book.”
“The most surprising thing is learning that the angle and positioning matters more than how good of a writer you are,” he said. “And that good writing isn’t fancy. It’s clear and easy to read. Also, this isn’t English class, you can break all the grammar rules and it doesn’t matter.”
Now, as a #1 best-selling author, entrepreneur, and storyteller, he has plenty more things in the works including an upcoming men’s health book that will encompass the past 10 years of his research. He is also working on a mental and emotional health book with a celebrity therapist, and a “super secret R-rated project.”
For more about Peter, visit his personal blog petertzemis.com or his now infamous marketing blog beatyourcontrol.com. You can also follow him on twitter or Instagram @petertzemis. Keep reading below to learn more about his journey.
Check out our exclusive sit-down with him:
When and how did you start writing?
I guess you could say I’ve always been a writer. As a kid, I used to write short stories for fun and when I was 9 I got my first poem published at school.
Growing up I’d spend a lot of time at Indigo (the Barnes & Noble of Canada) daydreaming that I’ll see my book on the shelves one day and be a bestselling author.
I honestly don’t remember NOT wanting to be a writer.
How long do you take to write an entire book?
It ranges. I’ve written a book in as little as a month, or as long as 2 years. It really depends on the topic and how familiar I am with it.
What’s your daily routine?
I normally wake up and write for 3-4 hours every day. Then I’ll take a long break mid day from writing, where I’ll do business calls, consuming, go for walks and hit the gym. Then after dinner I’ll write some more, around 90-120min
What’s something interesting about you?
I don’t get writers block. Seriously, it’s so weird.
What’s the secret to being a best-selling author?
Book publishing is hard and long process, but the most important thing is: can you convince the publisher that you can actually sell books. If you can’t do that, it doesn’t matter how good your writing is.
What are some gems you have learnt about writing along the way?
I make it a point to write from lived experience which means anything I write about, I have to have either gone through or experimented with. I also research academic journals, especially if there’s heavy science involved in the book I’m writing.
Stay tuned for what’s next from Peter Tzemis.
