Jennifer Irwin's Blog
October 13, 2018
International Publishing Award Winner
A Dress the Color of the Sky ties for first place in the romance category for the International Publishing Awards!
September 8, 2018
Reader's Favorite Winner!
A Dress the Color of the Sky has been awarded the Reader's Favorite Bronze medal for Women's Fiction!A Dress the Color of the Sky
June 27, 2018
Book Excellence Award Winner
A Dress the Color of the Sky has been awarded a Book Excellence Award for Contemporary Fiction!
May 3, 2018
Kindle edition 99cents
Grab the Kindle edition of A Dress the Color of the Sky, the much talked about debut novel by Jennifer Irwin for 99cents through 5/6/18. The reviews for this award-winning novel are coming in strong. 82 posted on Amazon, 4.9 stars!!
May 1, 2018
Interview for BookPound
INTERVIEW with JENNIFER IRWIN, author of A DRESS THE COLOR OF THE SKY
Twitter is a great place for readers and writers to find each other, learn about the latest releases, and chat about their challenges, triumphs, and everyday lives. That's where I ran into Jennifer Irwin, the author we're spotlighting today at the BookPound.
Originally from New York, Jennifer now lives in Los Angeles, and she has a well-rounded writing background. Having written screenplays and short stories in the past, she's now working on novels, and you can get her first novel, A Dress the Color of the Sky, at Amazon. Many thanks to Jennifer for this great interview!
Have you always enjoyed writing? If not, what prompted you to start?
Yes, my passion for school was always writing. I took the craft more seriously in college when I wrote a screenplay. It is only recently that I started writing again because I took quite a bit of time off to focus on raising my three sons.
Do you see any connections between the writing process and teaching Pilates? Do you feel that these two parts of your lives intersect in any interesting ways?
When I teach Pilates, I connect with my clients on a much deeper level than just helping their bodies feel and look better. There is an element of personal sharing as well. Much of my character development for, A Dress the Color of the Sky, came from getting to know all kinds of women while teaching Pilates.
Who are some of your favorite authors? Do you get writing inspiration from certain authors or genres?
At the moment, I’m only reading books in the genre I write which is some advice I received from a literary agent. I tend to choose books based on recommendations from bloggers on Instagram or are highly ranked on Amazon so I can see what readers are drawn to. As far as my favorite authors, I have been hugely influenced by various authors during different times in my life. In my pre-teen years, I loved Judy Blume. I’d say in high school and college I loved John Steinbeck, Dominick Dunne, and John Irving. Frank McCourt’s book Angela’s Ashes hit me hard and triggered an interest in the strength of the human spirit. I enjoy books where the protagonist is overcoming hardship. I love meaningful, poignant stories like House of Sand and Fog, White Oleander, The Poisonwood Bible, and The Help. I could go on all day answering this question!
Tell us about the process of turning your novel into a feature film. Have there been any major surprises along the way?
The only surprise is that it’s been a far slower process than I had imagined. In my mind, the process would move as fast as Reese Witherspoon when she purchases the rights to books. The producer who is making the film based on my book is not in a rush. I have absolutely nothing to update you on regarding the film other than it will happen, I just don’t know when. I am not sure how involved I will in the production process.
What's next for you as a writer?
I’m about to hunker down and write a sequel.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell Book Pound readers?
I am incredibly grateful to readers and bloggers who support indie published authors.
Twitter is a great place for readers and writers to find each other, learn about the latest releases, and chat about their challenges, triumphs, and everyday lives. That's where I ran into Jennifer Irwin, the author we're spotlighting today at the BookPound.
Originally from New York, Jennifer now lives in Los Angeles, and she has a well-rounded writing background. Having written screenplays and short stories in the past, she's now working on novels, and you can get her first novel, A Dress the Color of the Sky, at Amazon. Many thanks to Jennifer for this great interview!
Have you always enjoyed writing? If not, what prompted you to start?
Yes, my passion for school was always writing. I took the craft more seriously in college when I wrote a screenplay. It is only recently that I started writing again because I took quite a bit of time off to focus on raising my three sons.
Do you see any connections between the writing process and teaching Pilates? Do you feel that these two parts of your lives intersect in any interesting ways?
When I teach Pilates, I connect with my clients on a much deeper level than just helping their bodies feel and look better. There is an element of personal sharing as well. Much of my character development for, A Dress the Color of the Sky, came from getting to know all kinds of women while teaching Pilates.
Who are some of your favorite authors? Do you get writing inspiration from certain authors or genres?
At the moment, I’m only reading books in the genre I write which is some advice I received from a literary agent. I tend to choose books based on recommendations from bloggers on Instagram or are highly ranked on Amazon so I can see what readers are drawn to. As far as my favorite authors, I have been hugely influenced by various authors during different times in my life. In my pre-teen years, I loved Judy Blume. I’d say in high school and college I loved John Steinbeck, Dominick Dunne, and John Irving. Frank McCourt’s book Angela’s Ashes hit me hard and triggered an interest in the strength of the human spirit. I enjoy books where the protagonist is overcoming hardship. I love meaningful, poignant stories like House of Sand and Fog, White Oleander, The Poisonwood Bible, and The Help. I could go on all day answering this question!
Tell us about the process of turning your novel into a feature film. Have there been any major surprises along the way?
The only surprise is that it’s been a far slower process than I had imagined. In my mind, the process would move as fast as Reese Witherspoon when she purchases the rights to books. The producer who is making the film based on my book is not in a rush. I have absolutely nothing to update you on regarding the film other than it will happen, I just don’t know when. I am not sure how involved I will in the production process.
What's next for you as a writer?
I’m about to hunker down and write a sequel.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell Book Pound readers?
I am incredibly grateful to readers and bloggers who support indie published authors.
April 26, 2018
How To Beat the Amazon Algorithm
Whether you publish with a big five, indie, or self-publish, authors are now expected to be involved in their book marketing. The most powerful platform for authors to sell their books is Amazon. When I think of Amazon, I picture myself as Ann Darrow in King Kong’s hand. Amazon is a force to be reckoned with, and I’m going to shed some light as to how to hit the hot new release spot and keep your book in the top 100 in your category.
As an author, your number one goal should be to get your book ranked on the Amazon algorithm. The trick is to start marketing before publication. One of your most tremendous assets will be your email list. Be sure your website collects emails from viewers. Send out email blasts as soon as you are ready to let your readers know that your book is available for pre-order. Your first email blast should include the link to your Amazon page.
The Amazon rankings are controlled by two variables. An hourly rank which compares your book sales to other books, and a thirty-day rolling average which compares your sales from the past thirty days and divides it by thirty as compared to other titles. This number determines where you will rank in visibility. Since Amazon has gotten smarter with things like bogus or paid for reviews and inexplicable sales spikes, there is a buffer in place. If your book does have a spike in sales, perhaps due to an ad or promotion, Amazon divides the burst in half and spreads it over the thirty-day algorithm. In other words, authors want a trickle of sales with small bursts to prove to Amazon that you are a dedicated merchant who is committed to bringing visibility to your book. The trickles of sales will come in through posting and marketing on your social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and my current favorite, Pinterest. Your first lesson here is that Amazon prefers a trickle over a burst.
The next important piece to the Amazon algorithm puzzle is categories and keywords – how your book is found on Amazon. The visibility of your book on Amazon is broken down into two groups, hourly rank and thirty days. The hourly visibility is controlled by sales ranks such as best seller list and hot new releases. Both have to be within the first thirty days of your release date. This is where preorders become extremely important because they are a great way to stay on this list longer. The thirty-day algorithm is based on popularity. The way to gain popularity is through the search engine which is done by choosing keywords that will match anyone who is searching for a book like yours. By picking strong keywords, you gain visibility in the “also bought” and “customers also viewed” rankings. So, to recap, a spike gives visibility on the sales rank areas of the store after which, you can ride the algorithm down or use well placed social media ads to hold onto those ranks a little longer.
Choose high traffic, low competition keywords. Think about what keywords your readers would use to find your book then type it in the search bar. Check the sales of the books that come up in your search. Place your book in one high ranking category, one medium, and one low. When looking at categories, check the sales ranks of the first ten books. If they are relatively high (20k or better) and the number of books is low (5k or less per keyword), then you found a winner. If the ranks are 5k for 2-3 books and 500k for the rest, the keyword likely has little traffic, and the first few books are getting traffic elsewhere. Categories determine what bestseller list you will land in so do your research. You need to know what sales number you need to hit to make it to the top of that category and how to stay there. The highest ranked categories get a lot of customer views but try to choose one with 5k in the 100 spot and another with 50k in the 100 position. Once you have your keywords are selected, you can run strategic ads on Amazon using your keywords. I suggest running short-term, low-cost ads while you test out keywords to see which ones get you the sales you want.
While you are working on pre-orders, send out ARC’s (advance review copies) to readers who are committed to writing you a review. Amazon does not allow paid reviews, and the algorithm prefers a trickle over a dump. One of the factors Amazon takes into consideration is when a book has a minimum of fifty reviews posted within the first 30 days. The review process is a numbers game. The more people you ask to write reviews, the better chance you will have some posted. I suggest you ask your readers to post a review inside your book, either in the beginning, or in the end. When you send out email blasts encourage readers to write a review.
An intriguing book cover is critical. The book description must grab the reader and pull them in. I suggest you take advantage of the free view option so that viewers can read the first few pages of your book to hook them in. The title needs to grab your audience, and if you use a subtitle, utilize your keywords in the subtitle to create more draw to the book. If you are an indie or self-published author, create a good price point during your launch then feel free to raise the price to an acceptable range depending on your genre.
When you promote your book through well-placed advertisements, think about creating a slow boil you can prop up with bursts. If you are doing a free promotion, push hard on the first day and prop up ranks for the remainder of the days through your social media and email blasts. The price of your book during your launch should be 99 cents to get the possible sales in a rolling average during that critical first month. In case your head is spinning right now, I’m going to recap what I’ve told you.
Your keywords must be high traffic, low competition. Be sure to choose one high, one medium, and one low category. Your book cover should be visually appealing and professional. The title of your book should grab the attention of your target audience. Write a description that hooks the readers. The first five pages should be intriguing. Set up your review strategy and be sure it builds over time. Set a competitive price point during your launch.
As an author, your number one goal should be to get your book ranked on the Amazon algorithm. The trick is to start marketing before publication. One of your most tremendous assets will be your email list. Be sure your website collects emails from viewers. Send out email blasts as soon as you are ready to let your readers know that your book is available for pre-order. Your first email blast should include the link to your Amazon page.
The Amazon rankings are controlled by two variables. An hourly rank which compares your book sales to other books, and a thirty-day rolling average which compares your sales from the past thirty days and divides it by thirty as compared to other titles. This number determines where you will rank in visibility. Since Amazon has gotten smarter with things like bogus or paid for reviews and inexplicable sales spikes, there is a buffer in place. If your book does have a spike in sales, perhaps due to an ad or promotion, Amazon divides the burst in half and spreads it over the thirty-day algorithm. In other words, authors want a trickle of sales with small bursts to prove to Amazon that you are a dedicated merchant who is committed to bringing visibility to your book. The trickles of sales will come in through posting and marketing on your social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and my current favorite, Pinterest. Your first lesson here is that Amazon prefers a trickle over a burst.
The next important piece to the Amazon algorithm puzzle is categories and keywords – how your book is found on Amazon. The visibility of your book on Amazon is broken down into two groups, hourly rank and thirty days. The hourly visibility is controlled by sales ranks such as best seller list and hot new releases. Both have to be within the first thirty days of your release date. This is where preorders become extremely important because they are a great way to stay on this list longer. The thirty-day algorithm is based on popularity. The way to gain popularity is through the search engine which is done by choosing keywords that will match anyone who is searching for a book like yours. By picking strong keywords, you gain visibility in the “also bought” and “customers also viewed” rankings. So, to recap, a spike gives visibility on the sales rank areas of the store after which, you can ride the algorithm down or use well placed social media ads to hold onto those ranks a little longer.
Choose high traffic, low competition keywords. Think about what keywords your readers would use to find your book then type it in the search bar. Check the sales of the books that come up in your search. Place your book in one high ranking category, one medium, and one low. When looking at categories, check the sales ranks of the first ten books. If they are relatively high (20k or better) and the number of books is low (5k or less per keyword), then you found a winner. If the ranks are 5k for 2-3 books and 500k for the rest, the keyword likely has little traffic, and the first few books are getting traffic elsewhere. Categories determine what bestseller list you will land in so do your research. You need to know what sales number you need to hit to make it to the top of that category and how to stay there. The highest ranked categories get a lot of customer views but try to choose one with 5k in the 100 spot and another with 50k in the 100 position. Once you have your keywords are selected, you can run strategic ads on Amazon using your keywords. I suggest running short-term, low-cost ads while you test out keywords to see which ones get you the sales you want.
While you are working on pre-orders, send out ARC’s (advance review copies) to readers who are committed to writing you a review. Amazon does not allow paid reviews, and the algorithm prefers a trickle over a dump. One of the factors Amazon takes into consideration is when a book has a minimum of fifty reviews posted within the first 30 days. The review process is a numbers game. The more people you ask to write reviews, the better chance you will have some posted. I suggest you ask your readers to post a review inside your book, either in the beginning, or in the end. When you send out email blasts encourage readers to write a review.
An intriguing book cover is critical. The book description must grab the reader and pull them in. I suggest you take advantage of the free view option so that viewers can read the first few pages of your book to hook them in. The title needs to grab your audience, and if you use a subtitle, utilize your keywords in the subtitle to create more draw to the book. If you are an indie or self-published author, create a good price point during your launch then feel free to raise the price to an acceptable range depending on your genre.
When you promote your book through well-placed advertisements, think about creating a slow boil you can prop up with bursts. If you are doing a free promotion, push hard on the first day and prop up ranks for the remainder of the days through your social media and email blasts. The price of your book during your launch should be 99 cents to get the possible sales in a rolling average during that critical first month. In case your head is spinning right now, I’m going to recap what I’ve told you.
Your keywords must be high traffic, low competition. Be sure to choose one high, one medium, and one low category. Your book cover should be visually appealing and professional. The title of your book should grab the attention of your target audience. Write a description that hooks the readers. The first five pages should be intriguing. Set up your review strategy and be sure it builds over time. Set a competitive price point during your launch.
Kindle edition 99cents
In honor of my three sons, Chase, Campbell and Bailey, for all of their love, support and encouragement throughout this writing journey, the Kindle edition of my book is on sale for 99cents for a limited time.
April 17, 2018
A Dress the Color of the Sky Wins three Feathered Quill Book Awards!
A Dress the Color of the SkyA Dress the Color of the Sky is awarded three Feathered Quill Book Awards! Gold/First place in Women's Fiction, Silver/Second Place in the Debut Author category, and Bronze/Third place in Adult Fiction.https://featheredquill.com/2018-winners/
March 16, 2018
What Happens After the News Crews Leave; The Aftermath of Sexual Abuse
In the last year, many victims of abuse have chosen to speak out against their abusers. Every day we are inundated with new reports of misconduct by men in positions of power. The accused movie moguls, politicians, executives, and others are swiftly knocked from their perches and we move on to the next new incident. Because of these recent newsworthy events, awareness regarding sexual abuse has increased. We have learned it is far more common than anyone believed. This newfound awareness is mostly limited to the “crime and punishment” aspect of abuse, rarely delving into the after effects of abuse on the victims. This is not an indictment of the news, for there are many reasons why victims do not want to share their story of recovery, but the aftermath of abuse is very real and stays with its victims for much longer than the news cycle concerning the incident du jour.
Over the past year, a Hollywood tycoon fell from grace as numerous women came forward, each story hauntingly similar, equally shocking. The women recounted their nightmares in articles, on the news, wherever their voices would be heard and I applauded them. More stories emerged—producers, directors, and actors who abused or assaulted their victims fell from grace one after the other in spectacular fashion. This continued into politics and corporate America in an unprecedented blur of accusations and immediate fallout. As shown by the millions of women who tweeted their sexual assault stories in response to Kelly Oxford’s story of abuse under the hashtag #notokay, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Most victims still suffer in silence—afraid to speak up, afraid no one will believe them, too broken to take any more pain.
Recently, courtroom cameras allowed viewers to witness over 100 brave young women confront the doctor who abused them while they chased their dreams of being Olympic gymnasts. The judge granted each woman an opportunity to voice her rage at this demon, while he squirmed in his chair, dropping his head in his hands. Those who watched were given a chance to feel better about the situation, to believe this moment will help the women put this behind them. The apparent catharsis provided in such moments, however, is likely just the beginning of each victim’s efforts to address the damage done.
At this year’s Grammy awards, Kesha gave a moving performance of her ballad “Praying,” which expresses her story of strength and healing from the abuse she endured at the hands of a music producer. It was impossible to watch that performance and not be moved by this glimpse into the aftermath of abuse, unseen to the naked eye, buried deep in the victim’s soul. Most women who suffered abuse will not have a creative outlet to express themselves, to attempt to heal and find peace with what happened to them. Nor is a song or other creative outlet a panacea for victims of abuse.
Each victim will heal differently, without a fixed timeframe—some may never be the same. Their innocence was stolen, their childhoods robbed from them. Those who seek professional help will have a better chance at healing and finding peace in their past experiences. Some of the victims may be haunted by their memories, riddled with guilt, their self-esteem broken, their ability to maintain healthy, balanced relationships off kilter. The subject is difficult to talk about, with friends and family perhaps feeling their own sense of guilt and pain.
We cannot close the door on our past, but we can heal and lead healthy, happy lives. Like many others, (#metoo #TimesUp) I am a survivor of abuse. It has taken me a long time and tremendous personal work to put the dark memories behind me. Hopefully, my story and so many others will inspire victims of sexual abuse to have hope, to seek help from therapists who specialize in treating victims of abuse, so they too can heal, walk into the light and leave the darkness behind.
Jennifer Irwin is the author of, A Dress the Color of the Sky, a novel published in 2017 which portrays one woman’s struggle to overcome sexual abuse.
Over the past year, a Hollywood tycoon fell from grace as numerous women came forward, each story hauntingly similar, equally shocking. The women recounted their nightmares in articles, on the news, wherever their voices would be heard and I applauded them. More stories emerged—producers, directors, and actors who abused or assaulted their victims fell from grace one after the other in spectacular fashion. This continued into politics and corporate America in an unprecedented blur of accusations and immediate fallout. As shown by the millions of women who tweeted their sexual assault stories in response to Kelly Oxford’s story of abuse under the hashtag #notokay, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Most victims still suffer in silence—afraid to speak up, afraid no one will believe them, too broken to take any more pain.
Recently, courtroom cameras allowed viewers to witness over 100 brave young women confront the doctor who abused them while they chased their dreams of being Olympic gymnasts. The judge granted each woman an opportunity to voice her rage at this demon, while he squirmed in his chair, dropping his head in his hands. Those who watched were given a chance to feel better about the situation, to believe this moment will help the women put this behind them. The apparent catharsis provided in such moments, however, is likely just the beginning of each victim’s efforts to address the damage done.
At this year’s Grammy awards, Kesha gave a moving performance of her ballad “Praying,” which expresses her story of strength and healing from the abuse she endured at the hands of a music producer. It was impossible to watch that performance and not be moved by this glimpse into the aftermath of abuse, unseen to the naked eye, buried deep in the victim’s soul. Most women who suffered abuse will not have a creative outlet to express themselves, to attempt to heal and find peace with what happened to them. Nor is a song or other creative outlet a panacea for victims of abuse.
Each victim will heal differently, without a fixed timeframe—some may never be the same. Their innocence was stolen, their childhoods robbed from them. Those who seek professional help will have a better chance at healing and finding peace in their past experiences. Some of the victims may be haunted by their memories, riddled with guilt, their self-esteem broken, their ability to maintain healthy, balanced relationships off kilter. The subject is difficult to talk about, with friends and family perhaps feeling their own sense of guilt and pain.
We cannot close the door on our past, but we can heal and lead healthy, happy lives. Like many others, (#metoo #TimesUp) I am a survivor of abuse. It has taken me a long time and tremendous personal work to put the dark memories behind me. Hopefully, my story and so many others will inspire victims of sexual abuse to have hope, to seek help from therapists who specialize in treating victims of abuse, so they too can heal, walk into the light and leave the darkness behind.
Jennifer Irwin is the author of, A Dress the Color of the Sky, a novel published in 2017 which portrays one woman’s struggle to overcome sexual abuse.
February 2, 2018
A Dress the Color of the Sky wins three Feathered Quill Book Awards!
Jennifer Irwin's debut novel has just been awarded three 2018 Feathered Quill Book Awards. A Dress the Color of the Sky Gold/First Place in the Women's Fiction category, Silver/Second Place in the Debut Author category and, Bronze/Third Place in the Adult Fiction category.
