Name: J.J.Sherwood
Book Title:
Kings or Pawns (Steps of Power: The Kings Book I)
Genre: High
Fantasy
Publisher:
Silver Helm
Thank you for your time in
answering our questions about getting published. Let’s begin by having
you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
J. J. Sherwood: I’ve been
writing since kindergarten and working on this particular world (and the
characters within) since I was—literally—seven years old. It was never a
choice—it was always a calling. Once I discovered the fantasy genre, I was
entirely hooked and despite my previous love of sci-fi, horror, historical
fiction, fiction, and even non-fiction, I can’t see myself ever leaving the
fantasy genre. The world’s history holds crucial information for the readers
and so this particular book was chosen.
Is this your first book?
J. J. Sherwood: It is the first
I have chosen to publish, but it’s far from the first I have written.
With this particular book, how
did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you
choose this method?
J. J. Sherwood: I chose to
Indie publish so that I could maintain control over the series—my editor, my
webdesigner, my artists, my deadlines, etc… I know exactly where I want the
series to go and quality is top on my concerns: Indie publishing allows me to
ensure the series meets those high standards.
Can you tell us a little about
your publishing journey? The pros and
cons?
J. J. Sherwood: The biggest
thing about self-publishing is the time. Not only in researching just how
everything has to be done, but in things like finding your artist, running
social media, and managing all other business ends. Writing a novel is a
full-time job—the business end of publishing is easily a part-time job even
after having the help of two fantastic individuals.
What lessons do you feel you
learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing
industry as a whole?
J. J. Sherwood: Go big or go
home. There are thousands of books to compete with—don’t cut corners—not in
art. Not in editing. Do not go with a cheap cover—everyone judges a book by its
cover. The cover is the reflection of the work within. Do not self-edit your
book—get a real, professional editor. It makes all the difference to be able to look both professional and sell a high-quality novel.
Would you recommend this method
of publishing to other authors?
J. J. Sherwood: If you have the
money, drive, and discipline to work for yourself, yes. Let no one tell you
that Indie publishing is the cheaper or easier method—it is infinitely more
work and more money than traditional publishing—but you get to keep your rights
and ensure that your book reaches your high standards. I cannot stress this
enough: hire an editor—a good editor—and a great cover artist.
Covers draw readers to your book and once they open your novel up, you need to
be certain—without a shadow of a doubt—that the content inside meets
traditional publishing standards.
What’s the best advice you can
give to aspiring authors?
J. J. Sherwood: Write. Everyone
says it but so, so many authors say
they are too busy or hit a writer’s block. Write. Even if you are “too busy”
and even when you have hit a writer’s block, write every day. Even when your
writing is terrible because you don’t know what to write—write anyways. Barrel
through it and edit it later. The most important thing is to actually write. And then, when your book is
“done” but still “not perfect,” edit/rewrite/revise as long as you see an error
and know how to fix it. Once you
still see/know there is “something” wrong but no longer have a solution, your
book is done. We are all our own worst critic and trust me, you will always
find something supposedly “wrong” with your own work. Work on the novel as long
as there is a known solution. After that, it’s time to take a deep breath and
publish.
No comments:
Post a Comment