Marketing Advice from Successful Young Adult Author Jenni James

As I was writing that first book I knew it would be published one day. I had six kids when I started writing—I really didn’t have a bunch of time to waste on something just for fun. I couldn’t imagine putting six weeks of my life into something and storing it in a drawer. I did a ton of research trying to figure out the publishing world. I read blog after blog, book after book, and once I learned the craft of querying, I was able to branch out and get people interested. Landing my agent gave me the boost in confidence I needed to really get out there.

What challenges did you face in the publishing process?

My most memorable setback was the day my agent had Pride & Popularity going up for auction in late 2008, right around the time of the financial crisis. I had three publishers interested to buy the book when suddenly all three pulled out that morning. Everything was chaos. They told my agent to come back in six months.

When my book went up for auction again my agent went into preterm labor with her twins—three months early. She retired after that. By then I had done enough research to learn I wanted a little more freedom with my career than the big publishers would have given me. I queried a few small publishing houses. All of them were interested and I chose one and we went from there. The small publishers really helped me build a platform. Now that I have a following I can completely go on my own very easily, and I am now slowly buying back my works and republishing myself.

What else helped you stay motivated through the years?

I won’t go into the sordid details but halfway through 2012 I suddenly found myself on food stamps for the first time in my life, living in my parents’ home, with seven kids to provide for on my own. I hustled like I’ve never hustled before and wrote thirteen books the next year. I pushed through the grief, fear, and pain I was experiencing and eventually bought a minivan and the cottage and small farm I currently live in, all from the royalties of my writing. It is the greatest accomplishment I’ve achieved. Oh, and I found a handsome prince and married him too!

What’s your approach to using Goodreads?

I love to read what others are saying about other authors in my genres on Goodreads. It keeps me on the pulse in what people are reading and what they love. I’ve also had great success with Goodreads Giveaways. Goodreads lets me advertise and put up books before they’re written to drum up early interest. I’ve been able to connect not just with fans, but business professionals, conference committees, and school librarians and teachers. I also see a significant jump in sales every single time I review my own book with a message to my fans in the review. (See an example here.)

Any advice you can share with other self-published writers looking to follow your success?

Start a writing goal today. No more “If there’s time…” Make time. If you’d like to quit your job one day and write books for a living, then you’ve got to meet your goals today. Even if it’s just 500 words a day, it’s a goal. It’s a deadline, treat it as one.

You really need to be looking at ways to create a series as a fiction writer. Continue to build upon what is already there is the best way to get noticed. Don’t expect sales until you’ve got that third book out. Use your free online resources. Goodreads is an amazing way to connect with readers and authors that you love.

Learn to love edits. Realize very early on that all you’re doing is creating the cake. The rewrites and edits are the frosting that actually sells that cake. If you love them then you can whip through them easily, without the vicious pride factor taking over.

Learn how to query. You’ve got to be able to sell yourself and do it well, or no one will see your work. Query newspapers, magazines, conferences to get yourself on panels, query schools to do visits, query anything you can think of, but you’ve got to be able to write to professionals as a professional.

Librarians are your best friends and have all your friends, family, coworkers and contacts, who seem interested, request the book at your local library. If it’s being requested, it’s a great way for others to read the book and build a fanbase. That library might have you come and speak about writing too.

There is real money here, but you have to be in it for the long haul. You have to be constantly looking outside the box. Actually, remove the box completely. It’s not worth it to pigeonhole yourself.

And last but not least, enjoy the ride. This journey is a thousand different experiences and emotions, but it’s so rewarding as well. Your voice needs to be heard. Don’t hold that back.



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