Hello blogger friends! I'm really excited to introduce to you, Jessica Sorensen. Today we'll be doing a "Jessica Swap." She'll be taking over my blog, and I'll be taking over hers. Fun idea, right? One Jessica for the other. Jessica has been really successful in self-publishing her books, so I thought you'd all be interested in what she had to say. Here is a little more about her and her books:
Jessica Sorensen lives with her husband and three kids in
the snowy mountains of Wyoming, where she spends most of her time reading,
writing, and hanging out with her family.
She is the author of the Fallen Star Series and the
Darkness Falls Series.
For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up
until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she’s
around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that
makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have
crossed over into real-life.
But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma’s
life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn’t be real suddenly
seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her
past becomes a matter of life and death.
When the
disease spread through the world, people had no choice but to go into hiding.
The Colony is hidden deep underground, far away from the vampires—humans that
were transformed by the disease. The vampires are hideous, starving, and they
will kill any human they come across.
Seventeen-year-old Kayla is a Bellator, a warrior that protects The Colony. In
order to survive, there are three rules she must follow:
Rule #1—Never go out after dark.
Rule #2—Always carry a weapon.
Rule #3—No matter what, never EVER get bit.
But what happens when the rules Kayla has always lived by can no longer apply?
The Highers run The Colony and accept nothing less than perfection. One slip up
can mean death. Kayla has always worked hard to follow the rules and strive for
perfection. But during a moment of weakness, she lets her imperfections show.
Her punishment is worse than death. She is chosen for The Gathering and is
thrown out into a world full of starving vampires.
No one has ever survived The Gathering, at least that’s what Kayla’s been told.
But when she runs into a group who insist they were once part of The Gathering,
Kayla discovers the Highers have been keeping secrets. Secrets that could lead
to a cure.
Hi everyone! I’m Jessica Sorensen, author of the Fallen Star
Series and Darkness Falls. I want to give a quick thanks to Jessica Therrien
for having me as a guest!
I was asked to talk about self-publishing, so I’ll start with
why I chose the Indie route.
After I finished writing The Fallen Star, I sent out query
letters to agents, but it never went anywhere. One day when I was browsing through
kindle books on Amazon, I stumbled across a few YA authors who had published
books themselves. That’s when I began researching self-publishing. I discovered
there were some amazing Indie Authors out there, who are really successful. But
I didn’t jump right into it. In fact, my “researching” went on for months, but
this was more because I couldn’t make up my mind. Eventually, I had to make a
decision. I could either keep sending query letters or publish my novel on my
own. In the end, I really wanted to get my story out there. So I went the Indie
route. I’ve never regretted my decision. I love being an Indie Author!
I was also asked to talk about how I managed to be so
successful. When I chose to self-publish,
I didn’t expect much. I knew it was going to be difficult to get my name out
there, since I was doing it on my own. So I went in hoping, but not assuming.
But I promised myself I would try my hardest.
It didn’t come right away. The first few weeks I sold a handful of books, but most were bought by family
members. That’s when I began emailing review requests to book bloggers. I ended
up with 20 to 30 book bloggers who were interested in reviewing The Fallen Star.
So I sent copies out and my book slowly started popping up on blogs. This
boosted my sales a bit. I owe a BIG THANKS to book bloggers (especially to
Natasha and Delephina! You guys rock!). They really help me out by reviewing my
books, reposting my teasers and release dates, and holding giveaways.
Here are a few more things that helped my sales:
1. When I first released The Fallen Star, I had it
at $2.99. About a month before The Underworld (Fallen Star Series, Book 2)
released, I dropped The Fallen Star to 99 cents. This increased my sales.
2. I added my books to Goodreads and listed
giveaways. This helped a tiny bit.
3. I try to release a book every 3-4 months. Yes,
it nearly kills me to do it, but I love to write, so the sleepless nights are
completely worth it.
4. I’m also involved with my fans. I hold giveaways,
post teasers, and keep them updated on release dates and upcoming projects.
Fans are truly amazing and they helped spread the word.
So there’s my story (well, the short version of it). I hope
it helps. I also want to mention that Jessica is featured on my blog today. She
talks about some fun writing tips, so you guys should check it out.
Here's a little extra juicy detail: Regina Wamba from Mae I Design http://www.maeidesign.com/ does all Jessica Sorensen's covers. Jessica says she's really talented and great to work with.
So how did you like our Jessica Swap? Was that fun, or what?
In writing news, I'm in full blown editing mode with Children of the Gods, Book 2. I forgot how hard this editing thing is...yeeesh. I think I've said in a few interviews that editing is my least favorite/the hardest part in my writing process. It is, however, the most rewarding. Once it's over it feels really really really good, but staring down the editing gauntlet ahead is scary. The second time around it seems harder. This time, I know exactly how much work is involved, and the idea monkey in my brain is kind of being a little punk. He's saying..."oh no no no...I know what's coming. Not falling for it this time, lady."
