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Self-Published Authors Interview Series: Jenny Bravo

7/30/2014

5 Comments

 
Photo byAlex Stoddard
Being that I am a future self-publisher myself (releasing Book One of my steampunk fantasy series this Fall! AGH!), I have met so many wonderful and intelligent self-published/publishing authors to learn from and be inspired by. One of those great people is Jenny Bravo, a gorgeous brunette who shares my affinity for Ever After (shout out to you as well, Marissa Fuller!), among other things. For somewhat selfish reasons, I wanted to interview Jenny and learn more about her, her current WIP, and why she decided to self-publish. I hope you are all as inspired by her as I have been, as we all press on to revolutionize the publishing industry. Without further ado-take it away, Jenny!
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AC: Go back to little Jenny. What was she like? Were there ever any warning signs back then that you’d grow up to be a writer? (I was a weirdo; a teacher even told my mother once she was afraid I lacked a substantial grasp of reality…)

JB: Oh, little Jenny. Growing up, the writer gene was evident. I made up stories constantly, and would tell them to whoever would listen. Fairies, princesses, mermaids, you name it. I remember when I first read A Bridge to Terabithia. I invented a whole language for my sister and me and we’d escape to our own world. Books took me places. I loved my childhood, because I lived so many different lives in my small corner of the world.

AC: What have been your best and worst experiences in writing so far?

JB: My best writing experience was in college. I had just taken the leap from a “stable” degree to pursue an English major. I signed up for a short story workshop with Chris Tusa, and I wrote my first story, my first real finished work, about a little girl with cancer who idealizes her Barbie dolls. Chris took me aside after class and told me that he didn’t do this with most students, but he saw potential in me. He said I was a writer, and that led me to where I am today. You need that validation, especially at the beginning. I strapped on that writer title and said, “Okay, let’s do this.”

My worst experience? The low points. We all have those days where we just don’t feel good enough, where we want to quit. It can get lonely, and only writer people fully understand the effort that goes into a piece of writing. Thankfully, this writer community is extremely welcoming, and that makes all of the difference.

AC: Can you tell us a little bit about your current WIP, how the idea came to you, and what you’re most excited about with it?

JB: The book I’m writing now is the book that I’ve been meaning to write for years. It’s the perfect first book for me. These are the Moments is an NA/YA crossover novel about Wendy Lake, a twenty-something straddling adultdom and her slowly slipping youth. When her best friend Vivian gets engaged, Simon, the boy she can’t forget, comes ricocheting back into her life. I’m really excited about the dual timeline. Half of the story is told in the present while the other half is told from Wendy and Simon’s history. It’s so cool seeing how the two fit together. The idea came from life, and in some ways, it’s kind of a collection of characters, events and experiences of people I’ve met. Of course, it’s fictionalized, so I get to change and manipulate it for the overall message. Writer perk!

AC: Sounds amazing! So, why did you decide to self-publish your book? Did you query at all, begin the traditional route and redirect?

JB: Honestly, I had never even imagined self-publishing until a few months ago. I had all of those writer books, you know, the ones that talk about how to get an agent and how to write a query letter. Then I found Ksenia Anske. I was so impressed by her openness with writing, and her ability to speak directly to her readers, and I wanted that. So, I did the research. Soon enough, I’d found a cover designer, then an editor, and now it’s slowly just building itself up into an actual book. What I love about self-publishing is the ability to control the future of my story. I get to do all of the marketing, the planning, the promotion, and then it’s up to readers. I think it’s a beautiful relationship, and I can’t wait to get started. On that note, I still admire and appreciate traditional publishing. If it’s right for another story, I will definitely explore that route.

AC: What tips do you have for aspiring self-publishers and writers in general about this crazy business?

JB: There’s so much to know about writing, so much that I’m still figuring out! I think that there’s a small recipe for success here. First, write. Often. Always. You learn so much from your own experience. Second, reach out. There’s an amazing community of writers and readers just waiting for you. Social media makes this so easy now! Writers no longer have to hide out in dark corners all by themselves. It’s awesome. Still, don’t compromise your writing for the glitz of followers on your blog. Balance will get you very far, my friends. Oh, and coffee. Lots of coffee.

AC: And finally: Tell us something about yourself that we don’t know. Your DEEPEST, DARKEST SECRET. Or maybe a hobby you enjoy. 

JB: Ahh! Deepest darkest secret? I’ll never tell! (Because it’s probably just really dorky and embarrassing.) So instead, let’s see. A hobby. I’m a big musical theater buff. I performed in musicals all throughout high school and into college. I’ve seen Wicked three times. And I was practically raised on The Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. Does that work? Kind of a letdown?

AC: Not a letdown at all. Final question: what charity do you especially feel strong about, so that I can add it to my "Charity Page" to raise awareness?

JB: I’m so glad you asked this question! There’s a foundation called the JuCan Foundation that has a special place in my heart. Julia Cobb is a young girl who lost her life to pediatric cancer, and I had the pleasure of meeting her while working at Disney last year. Her parents are walking from Disneyland to Disney World for the upcoming months to raise awareness. You can find their website here.

AC: Fantastic! Thank you so much for your time Jenny, and I can say with confidence that we as your readers and fans are very excited about These Are The Moments when it releases.

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Jenny Bravo is an-almost novelist from Covington, Louisiana. Sometimes, she sings Frozen to random strangers on the Internet. Her book, These are the Moments, should be finished… eventually. She blogs here, tweets here and pins here.

5 Comments
Anja
8/4/2014 06:35:44 am

Thank you so much for that inspiring interview, Jenny and Ashley. I have one (perhaps stupid) question, because this is a thing I am still struggling with. Jenny, you prompted us to 'Reach out' to the writing community, and I think that's very valid, but I am not sure how to go about it. I do not have a blog or website (yet), I am only using Facebook for social media and not even that very frequently. I may ask questions once in a while on blogs I follow, like this, but it is not really enough to form a long-lasting relationship with people. How do you do it?

Reply
Ashley R. Carlson link
8/4/2014 01:41:40 pm

Hi Anja!

Firstly, NOT a stupid question at all. Until a few months ago, I barely used social media and definitely didn't know how to make a website (thank you Weebly and my friend Rachel).

My advice would be this regarding where to start, and hopefully Jenny can share her expertise/experience as well. I actually also write another blog for Midnight Publishing, in which I talk about tips for self-publishing authors and actually wrote a three-series post on social media and what my recommendations are. But here's a quick rundown:

1) You should have a Twitter. That is how I met Jenny Bravo, and how I have met a whole range of other writers (check out my Blogs I Follow page for an idea) and bloggers. This is the hub for making connections, learning about writing contests, and just having fun.

2) Secondly, you want to have a website. Weebly offers one for free (unless you purchase a domain name, as I have), and Jenny's is with Wordpress. There are loads of YouTube video that show you how to set up your site, and personally I am not a tech whiz so I find Weebly a lot more user-friendly than Wordpress (albeit not as flexible with design elements).

Regarding other social media outlets, Facebook is good, Pinterest is good for making boards about your WIPs, Google+ is ridiculously confusing, and Instagram is also nice. In my opinion, none of them are truly necessary-the keys you want for building your author platform are Twitter and your own website. Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions! Thanks again for your awesome feedback. :)

Reply
Anja
8/5/2014 06:17:42 am

Thank you very much for your reply! See, I always figured I'd build my website once my first book is actually ready for publishing (still working on the manuscript), but now I see that you and some others are using it to announce a date for your first book to appear, this way at least somebody will already know about it. Makes sense. And I suppose the deadline helps keep you on track. I'll definitely check out Weebly.
You are not the first person and/or writer to tell me that they prefer Twitter, I really have to check that out :).So what do you tweet about? I guess if I want to know more about how to use that platform I have to just get into it.

Reply
Ashley R. Carlson link
8/5/2014 03:25:30 pm

Hi Anja!

Yes, build your author platform AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. That is what I have heard from many corners of the publishing world; not only are you building some friends/potential readers before you release your book, but also giving yourself that deadline that people can hold you accountable for. :)

Regarding Twitter, I was really weird at first about it, because I didn't feel I had much worthwhile to say. A great "Tweeter" would be Ksenia Anske, and Jenny is great too. Talk about writing, talk about your day, talk about your struggles. Retweet things you think are helpful, and share blog articles that other writers will like. Soon you'll get the hang of it.

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seo content writing service link
10/5/2017 10:25:56 am

You have really shared a informative and interesting blog post with people..

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