I used to go into each year hoping that the next year would be perfect. I’d set all these goals and envisage what the year before me would hold. The start of a new year holds a lot of symbolism. It’s an end, and a beginning. It’s a closed door and an open one. IContinue reading “A Reflection on 2022”
Tag Archives: journey
Finding Time to Write
A Top-Tier Procrastinator’s Guide to Finding the Time to Write Your Book Before we start this, there’s something I need to confess. Hi, I’m Sarah and I’m a procrastinator. Much to the annoyance of my long-suffering partner Danny, who likes to joke that I could do twice as much work in a month if I’dContinue reading “Finding Time to Write”
The Frustrating Side of Self-Publishing
This isn’t the blog post I planned to do, but it’s the one that I’m doing anyway. I’ve had a right morning of it, and I needed to vent, so fuck it. Here we go… I ordered some author copies of my book last week from Amazon. Author copies are the same as regular copies,Continue reading “The Frustrating Side of Self-Publishing”
BEHIND THE PEN NAME
Why do some authors use pen names? Something I’ve been asked quite a lot over the last few weeks, is why I chose to publish FOUND YOU, under a pen name, or ‘pseudonym’ if you’re feeling fancy. It’s a good question and something I don’t believe I’ve talked about before. Authors use pen names forContinue reading “BEHIND THE PEN NAME”
A Quick Update
An honest reflection on how self-publishing is working for me, so far. FOUND YOU by Sarah Jules has been live now for two weeks. Well, almost two weeks. It will be two weeks tomorrow evening. Self-publishing has been a massive learning curve for me. I stupidly thought that once FOUND YOU was released into theContinue reading “A Quick Update”
FOUND YOU IS OUT NOW!!
My book is finally live! Full disclosure, it went live on the 13th Oct, but things have been manic. Now that Amazon has finally linked the paperback and eBook versions of Found You together, it is so much easier for me to share the link with you! Found You is an ideal read for theContinue reading “FOUND YOU IS OUT NOW!!”
Journey to Publication: Designing Your Book Cover
You have two choices here: do it yourself or hire a cover designer. If you’re an arty person, maybe you have a penchant for graphic design, then you’re a lucky old thing. If you’re like me, and don’t have an artistic bone in your body, then you may find that you’re starting from scratch. IContinue reading “Journey to Publication: Designing Your Book Cover”
Journey to Publication: The F-Word (Formatting!)
Formatting… I was way out of my depth! When I researched self-publishing, it seemed like there were two schools of thought when it came down to formatting your eBook or paperback. There are valid reasons for each. By paying for a professional to do it, you can ensure that it is done properly and toContinue reading “Journey to Publication: The F-Word (Formatting!)”
Journey to Publication: Proofreading
I ummed and ahhed about whether to get my manuscript proofread. I’ve been running Sarah Jules Writing Services for almost four years now, so I’d like to think I know a thing or two about proofreading! The thing is, proofreading your own writing is actually very difficult because you know what you meant to write,Continue reading “Journey to Publication: Proofreading”
Journey to Publication: Deciding to Self-Publish
I’ll be the first to admit, when it comes to self-publishing, I always saw it as a bit of a cop-out for the people ‘not good enough’ to be traditionally published. My perspective shifted over the last couple of years as I watched clients of mine go through the process themselves. There’s a misconception thatContinue reading “Journey to Publication: Deciding to Self-Publish”
Almost Ready to Publish!
I’ve been terrible at updating you guys on my journey towards publication, but with good reason. Over the last few weeks, my book has been proofread both by myself and by a wonderful proofreader I found on Fiverr. I made the cover, asked for feedback, made edits, and here we are. I will do aContinue reading “Almost Ready to Publish!”
Dealing With Rejection
My Journey to Publication The world of publishing is something I am relatively new to. I have always hidden behind my clients, in that respect. I write the manuscript, make it something they are proud to hold, and then bid them adieu, kind of. What I’m trying to say is that, typically, as a ghostwriter,Continue reading “Dealing With Rejection”
Querying Literary Agents
It’s been a while since I posted an update on my journey to publication. After a lot of deliberation, I decided to give the traditional publication route a go. After another round of edits and proofreading, my manuscript was ready to go. At this point, I started to seriously research which agents I’d like toContinue reading “Querying Literary Agents”
Write the book you want to write.
Your book doesn’t have to be the next Pulitzer Prize winner. There’s this fallacy that the only books worth writing are the ones that are going to win awards. I hear it all the time, “My idea isn’t anything special, so what’s the point of writing it?” First of all, how do you know yourContinue reading “Write the book you want to write.”
Fleshing Out the Story
From First Draft to Publication Let me tell you, finding the motivation to revisit my novel and add in new scenes is tough. I know my book needs it, and I want it to be the absolute best it can be, but the whole process is so bleurgh (that’s the best word to describe it).Continue reading “Fleshing Out the Story”
Back from the Beta Readers
And a huge thank you for their invaluable insight! My manuscript is back from the beta readers and their feedback has been shared. I loved hearing what they thought of the storyline. I have tonnes to work on, a few more scenes to add, and some aspects to tweak. We’ve had a quick meeting whereContinue reading “Back from the Beta Readers”
Second Draft and Sending Manuscripts to Beta Readers
After going through and editing the manuscript on the computer, I thought it was a good idea to print it off and edit it the good old-fashioned way, before then making the same edits into the electronic document. This might sound like a waste of time, but let me tell you, making re-writes and changesContinue reading “Second Draft and Sending Manuscripts to Beta Readers”
Writing a Book: The First Read-Through
With the first draft completed, it’s on to the first read-through. My plan was initially to line-edit, adding in more detail where needed and re-writing sentences that could be clearer. However, I decided to make one considerable change at the same time… The tense of the book. My book is written between (mostly) two characters’Continue reading “Writing a Book: The First Read-Through”
Writing a Book: First Draft
A series of blog posts following the journey of writing a book. From the first draft to publication. Over the past few months, I’ve briefly alluded to the fact that I was writing a book. That’s not out of the ordinary for me. I write multiple books a year, for other people. This one isContinue reading “Writing a Book: First Draft”
Sarah Jules Writing Services 