Book Publishing Secrets with Julie Ann James, Author of 'Irish Jewel'

Name: Julie Ann James

Book Title: Irish Jewel

Genre: Fiction/Suspense/Thriller

Publisher: The Peppertree Press

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?

Author: Julie Ann James

Is this your first book?

Author:  Irish Jewel is the 7^th book that I have written and published.   I have published 5 children’s books and one other novel, Haunted Echoes. I do have another novel that is in the works at this moment and the title is, The Ribbon Key.

With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?

Julie Ann: I published through my own company, the Peppertree Press which is an Independent Press that is located in beautiful downtown Sarasota, Florida.

Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?

Julie Ann: I have always wanted to be a writer since I was ten years old. I didn’t actually start writing seriously until after my children were in middle school. All I really wanted is to get a byline and not necessarily be paid for it. I submitted many short stories for parenting magazines and then switched gears and started writing children’s books.  I can recall my first published piece which means that was my first byline. I received a check for $25.00 and because I was so excited, never cashed it.  I later submitted many children’s stories to what I refer to as the “Big Houses” most of their offices are in  New York, and they filled my mailbox with those dreaded rejection letters.  I later found a self-publishing company online and published two books with them.

What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?

Julie Ann: I have learned so much in all these years, especially after self-publishing.  With that said, during this process I decided to start my own publishing company and offer the personal touch that writers so deserve. I have learned that you don’t have to be traditionally published to become a successful author as long as you love writing, work hard and get the word out, literally.  It is important to keep yourself grounded and keep your expectations in check at all times.

Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

Julie Ann: Yes, I absolutely recommend to authors to independently publish their manuscripts.

What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

Julie Ann:  The best advice I can give an aspiring author is to: 

1. Keep a pad of paper by your bedside at all times since you never know when you will be inspired to write, even if it is in the middle of the night.
2. Don’t just talk about becoming a published writer, actually make it happen, and never give up.
3. Be grateful when you sell even one copy because that one copy could make a real impact on the reader.

Book Publishing Secrets with Sophia Bar-Lev, Author of THE SILVER LOCKET

Title:  THE SILVER LOCKET

Genre:  Women’s Fiction

Author:  Sophia Bar-Lev

Website:  www.sophiabarlev.com

Purchase on Amazon  

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?

Sophia: Since I was nine years old, I’ve wanted to be an author and did, in fact, write stories and poems throughout my life but never published anything.  This particular book has been on my mind for about five years and a year ago, I decided to stop thinking about it and just do it. It is based on a true story which I believed would resonate with many readers who have experienced similar difficult situations.

Is this your first book?

Sophia: No, I have published two other novels in the past two years.

With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?

Sophia:  I published through Create Space, an Amazon company so I guess that makes me an ‘Indie’ author.  The staff at Create Space are wonderful to work with and I found it a very satisfying experience.

Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?

Sophia: Publishing was a dream I thought might never come to pass as a few years ago it was very difficult to land a contract with a publishing house.  The dozens of ‘pink slips’ authors have collected in the past are legendary.  About three years ago, a friend of mine told me about the shift happening in the publishing world.  She liked my writing and encouraged me to look into Create Space.  She knew someone else who’d published with them and was very pleased.  I followed her advice and here we are.

What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?

Sophia:  The biggest paradigm shift is that nowadays, an emerging author must be first a good writer and second, a good marketer.  Indie authors need to make their presence known on such outlets as Facebook, Twitter, etc., create a website and stay in touch with their readers.  The publishing world has changed dramatically with the development of digital books.

Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?

Sophia:  Yes I certainly would, especially for emerging authors.  I read recently that some 40,000 new books come out every month or two.  Authors today who believe they have something worthwhile to share with the world need to take the initiative to get their book out there and not waste months, even years, hoping that some publisher might give them a chance.

What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

Sophia:  The only way to become an author is to author!  Write. Write. Write.  If you’re serious about being an author, act like it.  Write something every day.  Make it a priority.

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About the Book:   When The Silver Locket opens, it’s July 1941 in Boston, Massachusetts. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific. But for two young women in a small town in New England waging their own personal battles, the struggle is way too close to home.

When extraordinary circumstances bring these two women together, one decision will alter the course of their lives.  And with that one decision, their lives will be forever changed…and forever intertwined.

Were these two women thrust together by happenstance—or fate?   A tragedy. A decision. A pact. Lives irretrievably changed. A baby girl will grow up in the shadow of a secret that must be kept at all costs. But will this secret ever see the light of day?  And what happens when—or if—a promise made must be broken?

Adopting a child is not for the feint of heart—but neither is being adopted…

A sweeping and suspenseful story that unfolds in a different time and a different place, The Silver Locket explores universal themes that ring true even today. Secrets. Unbreakable bonds. The healing power of love.  Deception. Anguish.  Redemption. 

In this touching and tender tale, novelist Sophia Bar-Lev weaves a confident, quietly moving story about adoption, finding hope in the face of hopelessness, and how true love can overcome any obstacle. With its brilliant juxtaposition of the wars fought both on the battlefield and internally, The Silver Locket is a poignant novel, resplendent with drama.  Featuring an exceedingly real and relatable plot, and characters that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned, The Silver Locket is a sterling new read.