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J.J. Overton

Goodreads Author

Born

in Coventry, The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.jjoverton.com

Twitter

JJOvertonAuthor

Genre

Science Fiction, History, Self Help

Member Since

May 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomjjoverton

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J.J.Overton is from Coventry, in England’s industrial West Midlands. He studied mechanical engineering and is a Freeman of the City of Coventry. He was a director of Grey and Rushton Precision Tools and subsequently was involved with quality control in various industries. Reading and writing has always been a feature of JJ's leisure time.

In later years, before devoting more time to writing, he was a self-employed stained glass artist. His native Warwickshire, with its rich, and sometimes turbulent history, influences his writing. He is married to Sandra and has two adult sons, David and Chris.

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What’s the best thing about being a writer?

J.J. Overton Entering the exciting world of my characters.

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Hi there, After writing your first draft how did you progress with your work i.e. did you attend writing groups , swap work, ask for the assistance of beta readers e.t.c? Is hiring an editor worthwhile and if so at what stage? I'm a U.K (Coventry) based writer and a little confused as to how to move forward. Thank you.

J.J. Overton Hi Arifah.
After writing my first draft I worked through it a second time, and then beta readers (people who I knew) read my book. Subsequently, I wor…moreHi Arifah.
After writing my first draft I worked through it a second time, and then beta readers (people who I knew) read my book. Subsequently, I worked through the manuscript a number of times. My advice, as a first option, is to try to get people you know, who will give you an honest opinion, to read your manuscript, and then if need be, to make corrections. Other people will spot errors and spelling mistakes you have missed. However, it is your manuscript. What you want is for people to make constructive comments. If your writing is a novel, you don't want those who read it to alter the story!

The next stage would be to have an editor read the manuscript. The obvious problem with that is that it could be expensive. Of course, this depends on your budget and the word count of your manuscript. If money is tight, fiverr could be an option for finding someone to do editing for you. This is the link to fiverr. https://www.fiverr.com/
I used an editor who I found on fiverr. She did a reasonable job, but if you go down this route, do your research, and ask to see some examples of editing work from those you approach, to save being ripped off. Fiverr may also be a good source where you could find beta readers, but here's a link that could be useful. http://betareadershub.tumblr.com/

Really, the more polished your manuscript can be before submitting it to a printer, the better it would be for your readers; of course, that's important. It is also useful to try to put the writing aside for a couple of weeks and then go back to it. You will then be able to view it more objectively yourself. What I found difficult was when to let the manuscript go and say NO MORE REVISIONS, publish now!
Do you intend to opt for print on demand, and e-book publishing?
Regards,
JJ
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J.J. Overton’s books

Average rating: 4.5 · 10 ratings · 6 reviews · 5 distinct works

	Leofwin's Hundred (The Grid Saga, #1) 4.44 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 2016 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Second Pass (The Grid Saga #2) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How to...Write Your First Novel 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2017	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Question of Realities (The Grid Saga # 3) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rhapsody in Black 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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59 posts
J.J. Overton's Blog: Writing and Sci fi

Inspiration on an Autumn Day

With the topsy-turvy sort of experiences we have all been facing over the past months, blogging, for me, receded into the background as other things became more essential.
However, this post follows in a similar vein to the last one that I posted ages ago.
Sometimes an author encounters a special event that speaks volumes to the imagination. There, the image, or maybe the experience lingers, and i Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 29, 2020 13:34

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Series by J.J. Overton

The Grid Saga (1 book)
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J.J. Overton (Goodreads Author)

4.44 avg rating — 9 ratings

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Time Travel — 2882 members — last activity Jul 16, 2026 11:25AM
This is a group for people who enjoy books that transport them to a different time and place through time travel. We have a monthly book club, offer m ...more

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Breaking into the world of writing through the self-publishing gateway can be daunting and overwhelming. This is a support group where indie and aspir ...more

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science fiction, mystery, detective fiction, historical fiction, ancient history, police procedural, Amish fiction: for fans and would-be fans of Dr. ...more

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J.J.’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-3) post a comment »

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message 3: by Carmen

Apr 24, 2018 09:02AM

Thanks for the friend request. : )

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message 2: by J.J.

Feb 05, 2017 03:24AM

Majenta wrote: "Hello, J.J.! Thank you for contacting me! Congratulations on your books. I hope you are well and that 2017 got off to the right start for you and yours. Have a good week ahead. Blessings!

Best wis..."

Hi Majenta, many thanks for your likes and the congrats, etc. You have a good week too!

JJ

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message 1: by Majenta

Feb 04, 2017 06:17PM

Hello, J.J.! Thank you for contacting me! Congratulations on your books. I hope you are well and that 2017 got off to the right start for you and yours. Have a good week ahead. Blessings!

Best wishes from Majenta

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