Why I Chose to Dedicate my Book to my Grandfather

Hi all!

This week I'm going to talk about dedicating Blood and Water to my grandfather.

At first, I wasn't really sure if I would use the 'dedications' page in my book, I didn't really think about it too much. But, then my grandfather got admitted to hospital. Although he's much better now, the thought of him being so ill hasn't left me.

So, I thought I'd put his name in Blood and Water.

Yesterday I gave him the very first physical copy of my book and he absolutely loved it. He even said he would read it before he went to bed!

Throughout my writing journey, he has always supported me and read my stories. Even when I was younger writing about Warrior Cats and stories about my own cat, he continued to read them and encouraged me to keep going. He loved hearing my ideas about Rocky being a spy cat or a runaway feline trying to find his way back home. The ideas were silly, but he still encouraged he to keep going.

Almost every time I see him, without fail, he'll ask how my writing is going. He's known of my plans to become an author since I was young, and never tried to dissuade me from following my dream.

Although there are many people (and cats) I can dedicate my books to, I wanted him to be the very first. I wanted to thank him for supporting me.

He didn't notice the dedication at first because he was so excited, but once I pointed it out he was ecstatic.

Me and my grandfather

In my mind, there was no-one who deserved the first dedication more than him. Some authors choose not to dedicate their books to anyone, which is their own choice. Don't feel put off by adding a dedication, it just shows that you want to highlight the person in your work as a thank you. You don't even have to dedicate books to a person, you can pick an animal or organisation if you want. It's your work, do whatever you want with it, and don't let other people tell you otherwise.

That's it for this week! Next week I will be attending the launch party for the anthologies that I was published in earlier in the year: Adverbially Challenged Volume Four and Sensorially Challenged Volume Two. So, my next post will be about that experience and how I'm going to attempt to reduce my anxiety beforehand.

See you next week!

Why I Didn't Use a Pen Name

Hi all,

This week I'm going to talk about why I didn't use a pen name instead of my real name for my books. For those who don't know, a pen name is a pseudonym for an author to write under instead of using their real name. There's a variety of reasons why authors choose pen names, but that's not what this blog post is about.

As I've written about in the past, I do suffer from depression and anxiety and have done so for many years. Although I'm much better now, I spent years in the dark with regards to my mental health as not many people listened. I only got diagnosed three years ago, after going to three separate doctors at three separate surgeries.

I was so tempted to use a pen name because I thought that the people who I went to school with wouldn't be able to find me. I wanted to hide from them, in case they decided to go after me again and everyone sided with them. Many of my 'friends' ignored how I was feeling, and thought I was just making it up for attention. I was worried that they would find my books and slam me online if I used my real name. I thought they would just tell people that I'm lying and they would be instantly believed.

I didn't want my career dragged through the mud.

I didn't want those people dragging me back to my darkest days.

However, once I started taking medication my mindset changed. I didn't want to hide from those people anymore.

I wanted them to find me.

I wanted them to see that despite everything I've still kept going and I haven't succumbed to their idea of me - a quiet girl doing absolutely nothing with her life.

I want them to see that despite mentally being destroyed for years, I'm still pursuing my dreams. I don't care if they find me now. I don't care if they find my books and hate them.

I beat them.

I beat their preconceived idea of me.

Now that my anxiety has lessened, I now realise that it was silly to think that everyone would side with them. Many people I've met on Twitter have been extremely supportive of me, and I doubt one nasty person slamming me online would sway them so easily.

Many authors use pen names for a variety of reasons, but I realised that a pen name won't protect me from these people. It was the wrong reason to use a pen name, to hide from people I hadn't seen for years.

So, I am using my real name.

If people want to use a pen name to hide their identity - so be it. I'm just glad that they're getting their work out there. It's just that using one wasn't for me.

Some of these people have found my Facebook or Twitter pages I'm sure, but I'm not bothered. It means they can see what I've become now - a strong woman rather than the timid little girl they still envision me as.

That's it for this week, hope you enjoyed the post! A little update on Blood and Water - it will be available for preorder over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out!

Elemental Dragons Artist Showcase

Hi all!

This week I thought I'd do something a little different. There have been so many people involved in bringing Elemental Dragons to life, and I want to dedicate a blog post to them. This week I'm going to showcase the artists that have been involved in Elemental Dragons. From posters, illustrations to book covers.

First off, I'm going to start with Deranged Doctor Design.

They designed the ebook and print covers for Blood and Water, which look gorgeous. They also designed the banners for my website, Facebook page and Twitter page. They are always so helpful and seem to know exactly what I want! That's why I have booked all the covers for Elemental Dragons with them. If you want to check them out, I have linked their website below:

http://www.derangeddoctordesign.com

Blood and Water Ebook cover

The rest of the artists I discovered when I signed up to Fiverr. Their art is gorgeous and affordable, so if budget is a problem I would recommend going there for book covers, illustrations or promotional work.

The first Fiverr artist I want to showcase is stevcelazarevsk. They created the picture of Aqueous which I will be using for promotion. They're really talented, and I would highly recommend checking them out below:

https://www.fiverr.com/stevcelazarevsk

Aqueous, which I will use when promoting Blood and Water

Another Fiverr artist that I commissioned is Autumn9th, who created the illustrations inside the Elemental Dragons Short Story Collection. (Which you get for free when you sign up to my mailing list!) They knew exactly what I wanted and always delivered on time. You can check them out here:

https://www.fiverr.com/autumn9th?source=Order+page+seller+link

One of the four illustrations in the Elemental Dragons Short Story Collection

The last artist is shashika2, who made the cover for the Short Story Collection. I wasn't totally sure what I wanted and gave them the option of doing whatever they thought was best. I was very surprised at the end result as I loved it and it was better than I'd imagined. You can see their work below:

https://www.fiverr.com/shashika2?source=Order+page+seller+link

The cover for the Short Story Collection

That's it for this week! One day I'll do a showcase for everyone else who has helped with Elemental Dragons, which includes: my editor, blurb writer and poster designer.

See you next week!

Pros and Cons of Facebook Pages

Hi all!

This week I'm going to talk about the pros and cons of Facebook pages. A Facebook page is a business page you can create on Facebook that fans can follow to see your posts. Many authors have Facebook pages for themselves, their books or both.

I currently just have a Facebook page for myself, which you can follow here:

https://m.facebook.com/jessicaturnbullauthor/?ref=bbookmarks

Pros

It's another platform to communicate with readers.

Millions of people use Facebook daily, which is a big potential audience for you. By tapping into this audience, people may discover you that wouldn't have done so otherwise.

You can create Facebook ads.

Having a business page means that you can create ads on Facebook to advertise your page, website or books. You can pick what audience you want to target and what budget you're comfortable with. This means more people can discover your book.

You don't have to post as often.

On many social media pages you have to make sure you post daily to keep your audience interested. However, on Facebook most only make one or two posts a week and will manage to keep interest. I only post on mine once a week, twice if I have any announcements. This makes managing the page much easier.

Image and video posts do better.

I have found that posts with an image attached get more engagement than just a regular status update. This can allow you to be creative with your posts and take pictures of your writing routine, excerpts or stationery.

You can choose to make a separate page for book series.

This is good if people are a huge fan of one particular series of yours. You can then manage this page and connect with fans before an unofficial fan page pops up.

Cons

It's harder for people to find you.

Unlike Twitter where you can connect with others via hashtags and games, Facebook isn't really like that. Many people won't stumble on your page without advertising.

Too many pages.

If you have, or are planning to write, several different series then the amount of Facebook pages can get out of control. At first I created an Elemental Dragons page, but I deleted that when I realised that I would have to do that for every book series and run them all. I've currently got three other series planned as well, which means that plus my author Facebook page I would have to run five pages. I decided that it wasn't worth the hassle and have decided to stick to just my author page, which saves a lot of time.

Ads might not do as well as you'd hoped.

You have to do a lot of testing to find the perfect ad that draws people in, which can cost a lot of money you don't have. When you post that perfect ad, you may be disappointed that it didn't do as well as you'd hoped.

People are more likely to miss your posts.

With the way Facebook is set up, you can easily miss posts from pages you are following. Although people can pin your page so that your posts are the first they see, most people won't do that as they want to see other posts first.

Unofficial fan pages.

Although a fan creating a page for your book can be flattering, you have no say in what they post. If they post things that you don't agree with, people might think that it's your view and they won't be interested in your books anymore.

I hope you enjoyed this week's post, see you next week!

Why Authors Need to Promote Their Books

Hi all,

As promised, this week I'm going to talk about book promotion. Specifically why authors, both traditionally and self published, need to promote their work.

For those who don't know, book promotion is essentially advertising your book. There are many ways to promote your book:

- Social media.

- Facebook ads.

- Amazon ads.

- Posters.

- Social media banners.

- Book trailers.

- Interviews.

- Newsletter.

- Mailing list.

- Author website.

- Articles.

- Book Awards.

- Q&A.

- Promotion sites.

- Giveaways.

- Book signing.

- Book tour.

- Contests.

- Discounts.

- Reviews.

- Book bloggers.

Some of these are free, but most of them cost money. What's important is that you find what works for you, instead of dumping hundreds on a marketing strategy that doesn't deliver.

Now, onto why authors need to promote their books.

While traditionally published authors do get some help from their publisher, they still need to promote themselves. The publisher won't do everything, it's up to you to make posts on your social media and update your website.

Readers will find your work.

Without promoting your book, how will readers know it exists? You can't expect them to magically find you. With thousands of books being published every year, you need to make sure that they find yours.

Reviews.

The more reviews you get, the easier it is for readers to find you. A good mix of reviews will interest readers in buying your book, as people have rated it before. Plus, many promotion sites won't promote you unless you have a certain number of reviews.

You can't just rely on word of mouth.

This only goes so far, plus you need to find people to talk about your book first. Once you start getting more readers, you can rely on word of mouth a bit more.

You'll build an audience.

If you build an audience that like your work, they are more likely to buy your next book. You can't just rely on your family and friends for book sales.

You can be creative.

It's your brand, so you can market how you like. You can pick how you want to promote your book and target your audience.

You don't need to spend loads of money.

Although marketing can be expensive when you create ads, they aren't the only way to market your book. Posting on your website and social media doesn't cost a penny, and using promotional sites doesn't have to cost much. If your budget is low, choose wisely what marketing options to choose.

Self publishers need to.

If you don't promote your work when you're self published, no-one will find it. You'll miss out on so many potential readers by not marketing your book.

You don't have to do it alone.

This is especially true with social media, as your fans can post about your book and share your posts. Every like, comment, post and share helps.

Next week I'm going to talk about the pros and cons of authors having a Facebook page. Hope you enjoyed, see you next week!

The Pros and Cons of Having an Author Logo

Hi all!

This week I thought I would go back to another pros and cons blog post. In March I made a poll on Twitter asking how many authors had logos. The results are below:

Screenshot from my Twitter account

As you can see, not many authors have logos.

It got me thinking about whether author logos are necessary.

So, I thought I'd make a post weighing up the pros and cons of authors having logos.

Pros:

Your brand is easily identifiable.

Logos are the first thing that pops up in people's heads when you talk about companies. Some companies have logos that are more recognisable than the rest of their brand. To make your author brand stand out, a logo may be necessary.

It looks professional.

Brands with logos look more professional than ones without. Think about how you want your readers to perceive your brand.

You can put it on everything.

Your website, social media and even your books can display your logo for all to see.

Design.

You can have your logo designed specifically to convey a message or draw readers in. It is unique to you, so you can be as creative as you want with it.

Cons:

Authors don't typically have logos.

As you can see from the results of my poll, very few authors actually have a logo. It could be argued in this case that you don't need one.

It can add to your budget.

A logo is an easy to thing to overlook if you have a budget, and you don't necessarily need one. Getting a logo designed can be expensive, and many people don't have the funds to spare when publishing.

People don't remember authors for their logos.

Readers remember a certain author for writing their favourite book, not for having a logo.

Readers won't notice an author logo.

Even if you put it in everything, it's usually the last thing people will notice. Readers will read your book and may not even notice your logo.

It's another thing to remember.

When you have a huge checklist of things to get done before your book comes out, you don't want to worry about a logo. It can be an extra stress you don't need.

I thought about getting a logo, but I've decided against it for now. It's not necessary to publish a book with one so it means I have one less thing to worry about. One day I might change my mind, but for now I'm happy without a logo.

Next week I'll talk about how pets can be a fantastic influence on your writing.

See you next week!

The Pros and Cons of Writing Your Own Blurb

Hi all!

As promised, this week I'm going to talk about the pros and cons of writing your own blurb. At the end I've also included the blurb for Blood and Water which I will add to my books page, along with promotional artwork I commissioned for the book.

Pros:

No-one knows your story better than you do.

No matter what, no-one can explain your story better than you. You have all the inside details and spoilers, you know what's going to happen. That's an advantage when writing blurbs.

It costs nothing.

Writing your own blurb is free because you have written it yourself. Perfect for authors on a budget.

You can choose what keywords to include.

This is a good thing as if you publish on Amazon you need certain keywords to appear in certain categories. This, in turn, will lead to more sales.

You can choose what to include.

You can leave out certain unimportant characters and plot points that are unnecessary in a blurb.

Cons:

You will forever be editing it.

As writers, we want to make sure our work is perfect. The blurb is the first thing a reader sees after the cover, and you want to make it count.

Compressing your book into a few paragraphs is daunting.

Crafting a synopsis is bad enough. A blurb is even shorter, you might struggle to fit everything in there.

You may not know how to draw readers in.

Using the correct keywords and terms to get readers in the first place is hard. Hiring someone who already knows how to navigate this will make it easier.

It's stressful.

Publishing a book on your own is hard. If you can make your life a little easier by getting someone else to do it for you, then do so. There's no shame in it whatsoever. You've already written a book which is an achievement in itself!

I have added the blurb for Blood and Water below. I hired someone to do it for me as I didn't think I could craft one that's good enough. I'm glad I didn't do it myself as I'm very happy with the final result:

Being an elemental is hard.

Just ask Hazel Adams who at fifteen finds herself being sent off for the next step in her training where she will receive her dragon egg. But, the camp harbours many dangers in disguise, she will soon find out that not all dragons are born equal.

Soon Hazel, along with her new family and friends, will have to learn to navigate the shifting political alliances and social castes that come along with being an elemental. But, among the political turmoil an even greater danger lurks. One that hasn’t been seen in centuries.

Will Hazel be able to raise her dragon and prove that it’s more than meets the eye or will she be defeated by the dark forces working against her?

Find out in Blood and Water, the first book in a new YA fantasy series that is sure to keep you glued to every page.

Check out my books page to see the promotional artwork for Blood and Water! The cover will follow over the next few months.

I am also excited to announce that I am planning on publishing Blood and Water in October 2019 (as long as everything goes to plan). See you next week!

Tips For Hiring a Cover Designer

Hi all!

This week I'll be talking about cover designers. Whether you are self publishing or traditional publishing, you will work with a cover designer for your book. Although traditional authors won't have as much say in the process like self publishing authors do.

Unless you are a great artist or master of Photoshop, I would highly recommend hiring someone to do your cover instead of doing it yourself. It may be costly, but you've got to remember: your cover is the first thing potential readers see. As much as we like to think people don't judge books on their covers, they do. So you want to make this first impression as a good as possible to convince them to buy.

Research covers in your genre.

Make sure your book cover fits in with your genre. Don't stick a topless man on the cover if you're writing historical fiction, it doesn't really work.

Specify your colour scheme.

If you want specific colours on the cover, tell your designer. If they think the colours won't work or don't fit, they'll suggest others to use.

Don't have your name bigger than the title.

Unless you're an award winning multi-million selling author, don't have your name be the biggest text on the cover. That should be reserved for your title.

Pick a font people can read.

Although fancy swirly fonts look nice, they're a pain to try to decipher. Pick a readable font with a nice flair.

Specify the dimensions of your cover.

If you're having your book available in print this is very important, as there are different sizes depending on book size and length.

If you want an art cover, research carefully.

There are loads of artists out there to hire who can draw specific scenes, landmarks and creatures from your book. Just make sure you look around, look through their previous work and reviews and check their prices.

Specify what you don't like as well as what you do like.

This will help the designer know what to not add to your cover.

Book in advance.

Covers can be a lengthy process, make sure you book one with plenty of time before your launch date. If you have a series of books that need covers, book them all at the same time to be done on different dates.

Don't share any of the designers work before the final cover.

Unless you have their permission, it is for your eyes only. Don't post any sketches or designs before the final design has been sent.

Send them a synopsis.

Let them know what your book is about, the characters and their goals. It will help them understand what needs to go on the cover.

Listen to your designer.

Nine times out of ten they will know what's best for your cover. Don't immediately ignore them if you don't agree with their vision of your cover.

Research carefully.

There are so many cover designers out there. Shop around before picking one or ask published authors for recommendations.

That's it for this post! See you next week!

Why Self Publishers Need a Professional Editor

Hi all!

This week I'm going to talk about editors for self publishers, and why they are vital to self publish your book. I got Blood and Water edited professionally, and I am so thankful I did. She was wonderful, and she helped me fix things that I didn't even notice when I was editing it myself. I am hoping to go back to her to edit the rest of the Elemental Dragons series.

First off, the big question: if I can edit myself, why do I need an editor?

There are several reasons you need an editor, and if you want your book to be the best it can be, you're going to need at least one person professionally looking over your work.

They will not hold back.

Your book is your baby, of course you're going to be soft on it. I know I was with Blood and Water, I was too nervous to cut things that, in hindsight, I didn't need. Editors will not think about your book in this way, and they will critique it fairly.

They can spot things you've missed.

After reading your book and editing it over and over there are things you will miss, but that's okay. An editor is more likely to pick up spelling and grammar mistakes because they have never read your book before. Their eyes are not used to the words like you are.

It's a fresh pair of eyes.

As above, they can spot mistakes and suggest corrections better than you can. They can look at your manuscript with a clean slate.

Family and friends aren't enough.

Their feedback will be biased, no matter how they try to convince you other wise. You need someone who will give you truly honest feedback.

It will make your book more professional.

When selling a book it needs to be the best it can be, no-one wants to read a book full of spelling and continuity errors when there are thousands out there that have been edited. Don't shoot yourself in the foot before you've even started.

They can sort plot holes.

I didn't realise that Blood and Water had any plot holes left until I got my editor. I had completely forgotten that a dragon was supposed to be patrolling hallways as stated in the first chapter! So I quickly fixed that.

They can make suggestions.

My editor didn't like the ending to Blood and Water, so I revamped it. It was a huge cliffhanger, but she suggested I change it to something a little more subtle, so I did.

They can point out character flaws.

One flaw that I had was the relationship between two siblings, Hazel and Rocky. She thought some parts were a bit out of character and suggested I remove chapters that are in his point of view. I did, and it made the story flow so much better!

They're not all bad, they'll tell you what they love about your work too.

It's not all criticism, they will let you know what parts they liked and how to improve the rest of the story to reflect the good parts.

Of course, editors are expensive. But, they are so worth it. To get feedback on how to improve your work is priceless. You do have to pick the right editor of course. I picked mine because I felt that she corrected my test pages the best and was also in my price range. I looked her up and saw that she had a lot of experience of editing in my genre, which was great. You don't really want a sci-fi editor for your historical mystery, do you?

That's it for this week! Next week I'm going to write about writing as a teenager. See you then!

Ways to Spot a Vanity Publisher

Hi all!

As promised, this week's blog post is about vanity publishers.

First off, what is a vanity publisher?

A vanity publisher is a publishing house where authors pay a high fee to get their book published. Unlike hybrid publishers, they do not give you a high quality product in return or help with marketing. Many vanity publishers attempt to disguise themselves as hybrid publishers, but don't do a good job of doing so.

Here are a few ways you can spot a vanity publisher:

They charge extremely high fees.

Most will charge in the thousands to produce your book. This is supposed to cover the costs of editing, marketing, printing and distribution. However, most of the books come out as low quality and difficult to read.

When you Google their names, hundreds of bad reviews come up.

Look at what other authors have to say. Have they received a horrible book in return for a £4000 fee? Run. These people are not trying to destroy a legitimate business, they are warning others against making the same mistakes.

You pay thousands for their logo to be slapped on your book.

That's it. They don't pay for anything. You simply give them money to have their logo on your book for 'exposure' to their fan base. This is a scam, you will pay for everything else as well. You're basically a self publisher who sunk thousands into a company who let you slap their image on your cover. Not worth it.

Their other books are poor quality.

If other authors are left with a shoddy book, so will you. They will pay as little as possible to editors and cover designers, so don't expect your book to look professional.

They follow a lot of people on social media but very few follow back.

You can tell when a vanity publisher is looking for new authors as they might go on a following spree to make more people notice their business.

They approach you directly to submit.

You might get a message from them telling you that they're interested in your project and would like you to submit. But how do they know your project is right for them? They don't! They're just preying on authors who want to achieve their dream of publishing.

There's little, or no, criteria for submitting.

Anything goes, from picture books to erotica. Many publishing houses focus on a few genres and try not to mix the age ranges inappropriately. If they accept anything and everything in one department, there's a high chance they'll take anything they can get for money.

No one seems to get rejected by them.

Everyone who submits gets accepted. Strange, huh? The more clients they accept, the more money they make. They're highly unlikely to turn potential clients away.

They accept you, then send a contract asking for money.

Publishers do not accept money from authors to publish books. The author only pays for their own marketing, unless they're going down the hybrid route.

They publish a lot of books, but don't sell many.

Why would they need to? They've taken your money, they don't need to actually well books to make a profit, they just charge their clients.

Their books aren't in book shops.

If you can't find any of their titles in book shops despite the claims that they distribute to them, they don't distribute. Ask the shop owner. Have they heard of the publishing house? Have they ever stocked any of their books?

When pressed for more information, they get defensive.

If you ask a few questions about any queries you have that might shine them in a bad light, they'll get defensive or stop talking to you completely.

Their website is under another business name.

This means that they have changed the name of their business. It's usually a way of them hiding the fact that their previous name was a vanity, so they think that a change of them might trick new clients. Make sure to check online if they've changed their name for a legitimate reason.

That's it for this week! Feel free to share any stories you have about vanity publishers in the comments!