My
Interview with JUDE OUVRARD!
Jude,
you are both a friend and a colleague
of mine, and I thrilled to introduce my readers to you! You’re simply an amazing human being; kind,
generous, and loving. I have great
respect for you, so thank you for meeting with us today!
1.
Not only am I fascinated by
the way people view themselves, but I think it’s also very telling about them
as well. Therefore, please tell us how
you’d describe yourself?
Funny, insecure and honest.
I think honesty is the key to building a
good friendship or business relationship. I also believe humour can influence the connection between
two persons. People tends to be more themselves around someone who has a good
sense of humour compared to someone who takes himself/herself too seriously.
Insecure, because I always doubt myself.
2.
This section of questions,
I’d like to focus on you as a person.
·
I
know you love tattoos. What about them
draws your intrigue?
o
The meaning behind
them. Individuality and creativity. I've always been a fan of Art and I love
having the possibility of wearing it on my skin.
·
Your
first language is French. How’d you come
to learn English and what made you decide to publish in it instead of your
native tongue?
o
When I was in my
first year of high school, I could barely make the difference between how
are you? and who are you?. I was terrible at it until my English teacher told me about a
program where I could buy discounted book in English. I remember buying a few
of them and I started reading more in English.
o
I also was a huge
fan of 90210 and hated to wait for the episodes
to be translated in French so I started watching them in English and slowly, it
started making sense. Then came Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill. I started watching TV or movies
in English only. Same for books or the radio.
o
I can't say that my
English is perfect but I'm getting there. I decided to write in English because
writing in French didn't feel natural. I have been reading in English for so
many years that my brain started to think in English. Maybe one day I will but
not now.
·
Do
you have any publications in French? Why
or why not?
o
I've started
translating two of my books but I'm far from being done.
·
Do
you prefer to read in French or English, or doesn’t it really matter?
o
In English. When I
read in French, I roll my eyes all the time. The words they use. For me, it's
like watching a movie with bad actors. I know what they meant but I would have
said it differently. It's hard to explain...
3.
I’d like to speak to you as a reader in this set of questions.
·
I
know you write romance, but what is your favorite genre to read? Why, and what do you prefer about it?
o
As long as there is
romance in the book, I'll read it. I need a love story, passion or some kind of
connection.
·
What
do you look for in a book? What makes
you want to read it?
o
Sometimes it's the
cover, the author or the blurb. I will pick anything Colleen Hoover or Jamie McGuire
publish and I'm sure I'll love it. I love their style. They also happen to have
nice covers.
·
Do
you have any ‘pet peeves’ as a reader?
If yes, what are they, and have they changed in any way since you’ve
become an author yourself?
o
I don't like when I
feel like the author is trying too hard or when a book gets too trashy. I don't
mind erotica but it doesn't mean every character needs to be called a whore or
hooker.
·
What
authors have influences you?
o
Nicholas Sparks, Jamie McGuire and Colleen Hoover. Colleen once said, “Don't write what people
want you to write, write what you want to write. Be different and step out of
your comfort zone.” That's what I try to do. EL James also makes me believe that a dream can
become reality.
Ø
What
authors or books continue to pull you back to them as a reader? What do you love about them?
ü
I can read the same
book over and over again. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie
Mcguire, Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks,
Maybe Someday by Colleen
Hoover, The Driven series by K. Bromberg,
This man series by Jodi Ellen
Malpas or Fifty shades of Grey by EL
James. I have read them all so many times, I've lost count.
Ø
What
authors or books inspired you to become a writer yourself? What about them sparks your creativity?
ü
I always love
writing books but the Twilight series by
Stephenie Meyer is the reason why I decided to work harder and make
it happen.
4.
The next questions will be
focused on you as a writer.
·
You’ve
said words have haunted you for years.
As a writer myself, I know what you mean – you’re saying the stories
live inside you. What I am curious to
know is how those voices and tales not only got written down, but became
published works. What led you to pursue
being an author?
o
It was a dream. I
started writing Fanfiction and next thing I knew, I was sending a manuscript to
a small publisher and it was accepted.
·
Though
I’m an international author, I lack some of the same challenges you have. For example: I
can easily gift ebooks through Amazon and being in
the United States (or if I were in Great Britain), the Kindle Countdown Deals are valid in my region. In your opinion, what challenges do you face,
and how do they different from US and UK authors?
o
The result is that I
give away many copies of ebooks. MANY. In hope of having new reviews or a new
follower.
o
Amazon is difficult
to work with, and they won't change for me, so I have to adapt.
Ø
What
do you feel are the benefits for being a Canadian author? Do you have other publishing avenues
unavailable to writers from other nations?
ü
Audiobooks are
impossible to work on unless I'm a super amazing successful author and I'm not
there yet.
Ø
What
most surprised you about the publishing world?
ü
How many people care
about my books.
Ø
Is
there anything you wish would change in regards to your publishing options and
marketing reach? If yes, what, and why?
ü
I wish marketing
wasn't so damn expensive. Sometimes it's more expensive than my mortgage
payment. Crazy!!!
·
A
street team is a great tool for authors and publishers to connect with readers
and literary communities. In your
opinion, what is a ‘street team’ and how does it work?
o
A street team should
be a group where readers and authors interact together. I don't think an author
has the right to demand her/his readers to promote every day. Some do and I
don't agree with this.
Ø
Do
you use your Facebook group, JUDE’S
STARS, as
your street team? If so, what benefits
do your group members have?
ü
It’s more a group
where I share what I'm working on. I show my covers before they’re released or a
short excerpt. It's a group where I get to be selfish and talk about my books
or projects.
Ø
What
benefits do you feel you receive from your street team?
ü
They are nice
people. They give nice advices. Some of them are friends. I'm happy.
·
Like
most authors, you have a website. How does this differ from a street team, and
what can readers expect to find on your site?
o
My website is where
you have all the information about me you might need when it's up to date. I'm
not good at keeping it up to date. I try though.
·
Can
readers subscribe to your website? If
so, how?
5.
I’d like to get your opinion
on the Indie vs Traditional debate. Personally, I don’t understand the
controversy. This is a tough business no
matter how you become a published author.
I see no reason to make it more difficult.
·
Does
this debate really matter? Why or why
not?
o
Of course, I would
LOVE to publish with one of the top publisher but it's almost impossible. There
are so many authors and it keeps growing. For now, I'm okay with the Indie world.
·
What
made you decide to self-publish instead of going a more traditional route?
o
I didn't have a good
experience with a publisher. It was a small publisher and one of the owners was
difficult to work with. I decided to self-publish because it seemed to be the
easiest way to put a book on the market. I also love the fact that I have full
control over my books.
·
Do
you have any predictions for the future of the business? Anything you foresee for Indie’s in
particular?
o
Writing and
surviving on royalties is almost impossible. I think, years from now, many
authors are going to give up. Its A LOT of work, a lot of promoting. It's time
consuming and sometimes the royalties don't represent the amount of time or
love we put into it. I see many authors complaining but I'm not giving up yet.
·
Is
there anything you’d want readers to specifically know about the world of Indie
publishing?
o
It’s a fun world to
be part but it's hard. It's not a game.
6.
What can we expect to see
from you over the coming year?
Many books :) I'm currently working on a
few projects.
·
Do
you maintain an annual writing strategy or do you sort of “wing it”, based on
the characters and stories that dominate your mind?
o
I don't have a plan.
I bought an agenda for 2017 because I had too many dates to remember but that's
it. I don't have a precise plan. I go with the flow.
·
What
is your current WIP?
o
HER. It's a book I'm
very excited about. I don't want to say too much about it but it's a romance.
·
Do
you have an annual marketing strategy?
Why or why not, and what do you feel is the best promotional opportunity
to reach readers?
o
I don't. I go with
the flow. It also depends on my finance. Marketing isn't cheap. FREE sales
always get more readers. It also helps when I give away ebooks or when I get to
talk with bloggers or readers. They like when they get to know YOU.
Ø
Do
your answers change if you’re answering about the Canadian market vs the
American or International markets? Why
or why not?
ü
US is steady.
ü
UK is my second best
market.
ü
Canada isn't much of
a market. I sell a few ebooks here and there but it's almost nothing.
ü
I promote all three
of them equally. I mean I always have all three links when I promote my books.
Amazon in the US offers a wider range of service, I believe.
Thank
you for allowing me to pick your brain.
You know I adore you and I’m certain my readers will too. I appreciate your time and pray you success in
all you do!
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