Quick Six PRO with Jean Joachim (Part 2)
Q: What do you look for in a publisher?
Flexbility, good covers, great editing, a caring attitude and respect for writers coupled with some savvy promoting and contacts I don't have. So far I have been quite lucky.
Q: What makes an editor great or...not so great?
A great editor cares almost as much about your book as you do. Loves what you're trying to say and wants to make sure your shortcomings don't get in the way of your fabulous story.
I have to trust that the editor feels this way about my book, then I am very open to changes. If I don't feel this, then the relationship is going nowhere.
Q: Do you have a preference for short stories of longer works?
I prefer longer works so I can have a more complex plot and I love side characters. I feel supporting characters and interesting settings add so much flavor and texture to a story. It's hard to capture all that in a short story, though there are many excellent short story writers who do. Not sure if I'm one of them, at least not yet! I am pursuing writing some shorter books for quick, cheap sales on amazon to promote my other books, but that is still in the planning stages.
Q: If you've ventured into self-publishing, what are the pros and cons?
I have self-published a children's book. I like the control I have over pricing and being able to read results of promotion quickly and accurately and, of course, over the story. However, I had to sacrifice professional editing, which always leaves me wondering if that is the best decision. If you have a story you are burning to tell and no one will publish it, then you must go ahead. I'd prefer to go through my publisher. Sometimes they can't get it out there for a long time, so then I might self-publish if I need to have it out sooner.
Q: Do you find yourself writing for the market and not for YOU, or
self-censoring in any way?
No. I wish I could write for the market. I've already had my book selected and put on a top ten list as a non-forulaic, non-cookie-cutter type of romance and that is true of all the books I write. Most of my books have a darker side to them. I can't write to a formula because then it would be forced. The stories come into my head and I write them down as they appear. I'd like to say I write for myself, the truth is I write for my characters who have stories they want told, as bizarre as that may sound!
self-censoring in any way?
No. I wish I could write for the market. I've already had my book selected and put on a top ten list as a non-forulaic, non-cookie-cutter type of romance and that is true of all the books I write. Most of my books have a darker side to them. I can't write to a formula because then it would be forced. The stories come into my head and I write them down as they appear. I'd like to say I write for myself, the truth is I write for my characters who have stories they want told, as bizarre as that may sound!
Q: How have the people in your life reacted to your career as a writer?
My friends have been very supportive and my immediate family, too, although my 19-year-old son refuses to read my work! LOL. I'm fortunate to have good people around me and that has helped me to stay motivated. Those in my family who might have objected have all passed away.
My friends have been very supportive and my immediate family, too, although my 19-year-old son refuses to read my work! LOL. I'm fortunate to have good people around me and that has helped me to stay motivated. Those in my family who might have objected have all passed away.
Q: Any promo tips for fellow authors?
Don't worry about competition. Helping to promote other authors, sharing the limelight only reflects well back on you and will make you good, reliable friends. Don't overpromote, which can be hard to figure out when you're just starting out.
Jean Joachim
Author
Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights
Now and Forever 1, a Love Story
Don't worry about competition. Helping to promote other authors, sharing the limelight only reflects well back on you and will make you good, reliable friends. Don't overpromote, which can be hard to figure out when you're just starting out.
Jean Joachim
Author
Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights
Now and Forever 1, a Love Story
Blurb for: "Now and Forever 1, a Love Story"
Callie Richards was no stranger to heartache. Her parents were killed when she was sixteen. Left with her older sister, she fell into a romance with good-looking, Kyle Maine. They became engaged and Callie’s future was set until he was killed in Iraq. Two years later, she pulls herself together to get her Master’s degree and restart her life on her own.
Working and studying at Kensington State University, Callie meets Mac Caldwell, the handsome dean. Together they fight a deadly campus drug ring with heart-breaking results. This is an emotional story, not a cookie-cutter romance, that will make you laugh and cry as Callie struggles to make a new life, find love and her happy ending.
Buy link for amazon.com
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