It
is always a pleasure to speak with fellow authors, learning about their
experiences and writing process. I know
how busy your life is, Julia, so I want to thank you for giving
us a moment of your precious time! J
1.
I think the way a person sees
themselves is very telling about who they really are as a person. Therefore, would you please start by
describing yourself to us?
Hello
there, I’m Julia, 44 years old, married with two children, a dog and a
rabbit. I live in Wolverhampton, which
is in the West Midlands area of England.
I’ve always lived here, surrounded by family and friends, but I love
travelling and visiting new places. I
currently work in a primary school, looking after young children, which I love,
and I spend any spare time I have writing.
I
enjoy swimming, walking and of course reading.
I
would describe myself as a kind, open minded person with a happy and fun
personality.
2.
When did you begin writing,
and what motivated you to publish?
I
began writing when I was about ten years old. I have always loved books and my goal has
always been to become a published author.
I have written poetry, children’s stories and, most recently,
contemporary adult fiction.
3.
You’re a new author in the
publishing world so I am thrilled to pick your brain. Every
writer has a unique path leading them to the literary profession. The next set of questions will be focus on
yours.
·
Have
you ever tried to self-publish or go traditional, seeking a literary agent, for
access to the large publishing houses? If yes, can you tell us about that
experience?
o
I did send my work to a few literary agents and received some
positive feedback but found it very challenging to get noticed by a big,
traditional publisher.
o
Self-publishing works well for many authors, but I felt I needed
guidance and wanted to be part of a community of writers, such as Creativia is.
o
I sent my work in and was overjoyed that Creativia wanted to publish it. I
was impressed by Creativia’s website and
their success stories and found them to be very professional and approachable.
·
What
has been the hardest thing about publishing?
Did you expect this challenge?
How do you deal with it?
o
For me, the publishing process has been completely pain free and
a lot simpler than I anticipated, all thanks to Creativia.
·
Has
joining Creativia made a difference for you
where this challenge is concerned? How
do you think it has or hasn’t helped, and why?
o Creativia has been so supportive and able to offer me a complete service
from editing to book cover design.
o Any queries I
have had have been quickly and professionally dealt with.
·
What
do you think has been the best part of publishing, and why?
o
The best part of publishing is seeing your work condensed into
an actual book and being made available for others to read.
·
What
advice would you give to a novice author trying to publish?
o
Don’t give up; keep persevering.
o
Try not to take criticism to heart.
·
What
was the best advice you feel you received?
o
To write each day, even if it is just a paragraph.
4.
There are a lot of opinions
about being an indie author. As a new
writer on the scene, I’m curious about how you viewed indie publishing before
and after you jumped into the mix.
·
Do
you view yourself as an indie author, or how do you define ‘indie’? What does ‘indie’ mean you? Does it mean
you’re self-published, or do you consider being signed with a small press as
being indie as well? Why or why not?
o
I define an indie author as someone who has not taken the
traditional route of publishing (i.e. someone who does not have a literary
agent or who is not signed to a big, mainstream publisher), so yes; I do view
myself as an ‘indie’ author.
·
What
did you think of indie authors before you became one yourself? Do you think there is a stigmatism regarding
the ‘Indie’ label?
o
I do think there is a stigmatism attached to the indie
label. A view of which can be that
writing quality is poor and bad editing.
Having read many indie authors’ work, I can say that this is not true at
all. I have read and enjoyed many
‘indie’ works just as much as ‘traditional.’
5.
I am always intrigued by the
writing process of fellow authors. I’d
like to talk about your creative inspirations and development techniques.
·
I’ve
read you outline your stories. Is that correct?
o
I used to be a planner, in that I outlined each chapter, made
notes, typed it up and then edited each chapter, but found that method was too
time consuming.
o
Now, I am more of a ‘pantser’, in that I sit down in front of my
laptop and let the story write itself.
It seems to be working and I have progressed well with my WIP.
·
If
so, what does your outline look like? I
mean, do you put together notes in order to stay on track or do you actually
draw a true outline of the entire novel you intend to write? How detailed do you go during this step of
the process?
o
I make character lists and use bullet points to highlight the
main areas I wish to focus on in my novel.
·
What
happens to your outline as you progress with the story? I mean, do you develop the story in the
outline, replacing the bullets with the text, or do you start clean with the
outline as a guide?
o
I use my outlines as a rough guide and often my story alters
when I least expect it!
·
Some
people target a specific amount of words they want to write in a day while
others wait for inspiration. What
motivates you to write?
o
I set a daily target of a 1000 words, this has helped me
progress well with my novel in a relatively short time frame.
·
I
previously asked about publishing, but I specifically want to ask what you
enjoy the best about writing?
o
Being able to utilize my vivid imagination to produce work which
others gain enjoyment from.
·
What
do you find least appealing when it comes to writing? I can tell you, most authors will answer with
one word: editing! LOL J
o
I used to find editing tiring but actually quite enjoy it
now.
o
I truly love everything about writing, although I do find it
challenging to try to encapsulate the essence of my work into a small
blurb.
o
I find the self-promotion hard, as I don’t want to come across
as being too pushy, but I am getting better at this and have been touched by
the encouragement of others, such as friends, family and those on social media.
6.
Being indie, authors are
required to do a large amount of promotion and networking, whether they’ve
signed with a small press or not. What’s
your approach to marketing?
I think that Facebook is a great way to connect with others and
get your work noticed.
·
Did
you have a strong presence on social media before you published, or has
publishing changed your views or activity levels in any way?
o
I love Facebook and have connected with some lovely people on
there.
o
I’m still getting used to Twitter J
·
What
do you feel is the best marketing tool available?
o
Social media and word of mouth.
7.
What can we expect to see
from you over the coming year?
Hopefully,
the second book of the ‘School of Dreams’ series will be completed and accepted
for publication – very exciting!
I
am also working on a series of children’s books, which I hope to complete in
the near future.
·
Would
you tell us about your current WIP?
o
My current WIP is called ‘Visions of the Heart’ and is the
second instalment in ‘the school of dreams’ series, which is a romantic saga
about five people who become friends at university. I have just sent it off to Creativia, fingers crossed they will like it and want to publish it.
Again,
thank you for allowing me to introduce you to my readers. I wish you all the best in life, Julia. Happy reading and writing!
Ways to Connect with
Julia Sutton
Follow
her on Twitter: @juliasu48342015
Friend her on Facebook: @julia.sutton.author
Find her on Amazon
Find her on Goodreads
Friend her on Facebook: @julia.sutton.author
Find her on Amazon
Find her on Goodreads
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