The Amy Binegar-Kimmes-Lyle Book of Failures
By Amy Lyle
Genre: Funny Memoir
THE AMY BINEGAR-KIMMES-LYLE BOOK OF FAILURES is a humor memoir. If you have ever failed at love, finances, been fired, not fit in, self-diagnosed yourself with disorders and conditions and/or said, "I really need to get my s*** together," this is the book for you.
You may appreciate your own dysfunction a little more as you take a journey through Amy’s debacles including: “I Was Not Talking to You,” where Amy mistakes a handsome man waving at her as a potential suitor but in reality, he was only trying to inform her that her belt was dragging on the freeway and “In the Neighborhood,” where members of a cult moving in concurred with a suspicious decline in the cat population. You will relish the chapters entitled “Calls from Sharon,” where Amy’s best friend rants about her kids not getting a fair shot because public schools are ‘so political,’ as her OB/GYN reported her vagina was ‘too clean’ and how the most eligible bachelor from 1982 married a whore. Enjoy “I’m Going to Kill You,” where Amy compares her lack of sleep from her husband’s snoring to CIA agents extracting secrets from a POW. Feel 20-32% better about your own life after reading “Getting Divorced Sucks,” where 911 was called after Amy had an adverse reaction from taking Xanax.
The book has been featured in Scoop OTP, Georgia Followers, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Points North Atlanta Magazine, Just4Fun Radio and the WXIA-TV morning show, "Atlanta & Company.”
Ten percent of book proceeds are donated to The Place of Forsyth County, a non-profit helping people to become self-sufficient.
About the Author
Amy Lyle is an author, comedienne, actor and screenwriter who works as a playwright for a large nonprofit in Alpharetta, Ga. Obsessed with fellow female comedians, Amy developed a writing style that is self-deprecating, hilarious and slightly neurotic.
Although she describes her book, The Amy Binegar-Kimmes-Lyle Book of Failures, as a “how not to” book, her message of “You are not a failure, you’re just having a little bit of trouble right now” is prompting people to share how the book made them feel (#bookoffailures), including the relief of knowing they are not alone in the world of missteps. Fan posts of people reading the book have been popping up from all over the world, including Lake Como, Italy, Amsterdam and The Great Wall of China.
The funny memoir, dealing with everything from getting fired to trying to blend a family, has been described as relatable and authentic, while sparking conversations about how we all handle failure.
The author has been featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Points North magazine and the WXIA-TV morning show, "Atlanta & Company,” in addition to writing a monthly column for My Forsyth magazine.
Amy grew up in Marietta, Ohio, in the heart of Appalachia, a place known for a population that is partial to moonshine and prone to acts of violence. She currently lives in Cumming, Ga., with her second husband, Peter, lots of teenagers and a large dog. Ten percent of book proceeds are donated to The Place of Forsyth County, a non-profit helping people to become self-sufficient.
To learn more, visit www.amylyle.me/.
Twitter: @amylyle
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/amylyle.me/
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/amylyle.me/
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vZg1xn
On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2woXefR
On B&N: http://bit.ly/2w5hyjY
Interview with author
What do you find most challenging about the writing process, and how do you deal with it?
The intricate rules of grammar. I’ve been a playwright for years. Scripts require writing dialog and short scene descriptions: no one cares if I miss a comma, even if it’s a list joined by a conjunction. I hired a content editor to fix all of my errors.
When and where do you do your writing? Picture below
I write in my pantry. There’s a window to my right and a lot of snacks within arms reach to my left. The number of Cheetos I eat a day depends on variables such as writer’s block and looming deadlines.
What have you learned about promoting your books?
If you do not ask, the answer will always be no. I called producers and editors and pitched them a few ideas of WHY (the what’s in it for their listeners or readers) a woman with a book about failures would be a great topic. If you only email, it’s really easy for them to say no.
I use Hootsuite, a software that allows you to post across multiple social media platforms at once. CreatorCollab is a great tool as well. You pick a post to share, select topics you’re interested in and agree to share posts of your choosing. My first post with CreatorCollab got 48K views. Have a plan with social media, no one wants to follow someone that posts ”BUY, BUY, BUY!” I post twice a day and rotate funny quotes, famous comedienne photos, beautiful places I that inspire me to write and occasionally, quotes from my own book. Thank everyone that follows you and be generous with sharing other’s posts.
The most important promotional tool I would recommend for self-published authors is Dave Chesson’s KDP Rocket software. It will help you identify the critical keywords you will need for Kindle and Amazon and help you build your ad campaigns within Amazon. Dave also offers free videos about self-publishing and marketing, I would encourage authors to take advantage of them.
Have daily goals and weekly goals specific to promotion. Daily, I reach out to several bloggers and editors. Weekly, I call producers television and radio shows and to women’s groups to be considered for speaking engagements. Once you get something, even one write up from a blogger or local magazine, you will be able to build from it. I get plenty of nos, but I’m shocked at how many times people say yes.
What are you most proud of as a writer? (pic below
Seeing my self-published book wedged between David Sedaris, Jenny Lawson and Tina Fey as a number seven ebook is surreal. All the blood, sweat and tears is finally starting to pay off.
If you could have dinner with any writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?
Wally Lamb. His book, I know This Much is True, had a profound effect on me. It’s one of the few books that I have read multiple times. If I pick it up it’s as if I’m possessed, reading it while drying my hair and waiting in traffic. He is such a powerful storyteller. I’m not sure what we would talk about, I would serve him lots of wine and just wait to hear what he had to share.
#FailingForward Confessions Contest
Amy Lyle is encouraging readers to join her “Failing Forward” movement (#failingforward), which promotes the idea that perfection is not realistic, while failure is, and failure can lead to laughter and improved perspective.
SUBMIT YOUR funniest and most interesting stories of personal failure, which can cover topics such as marriage, divorce, kids, professional life, etc. The entry deadline for submissions is Oct. 16. The winning submission(s) will receive a Book of Fails prize pack, including an autographed copy of The Amy Binegar-Kimmes-Lyle Book of Failures, a t-shirt, stress ball, and hamburger panties.
You must use the #FailingForward hashtag in order to be considered. Participants are encouraged to share via the Book of Failures social sites also: https://www.facebook.com/amylyle.me/, https://twitter.com/amylyle, or https://www.instagram.com/authoramylyle/.
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