Heya! I'm Alexandra and I love your books! I'm a complete bookworm and have fallen in love with your books! (Even if I do share my first name with the main character!)
I realise you must get a lot of fan mail and I would rather you be writing than wasting your time with a small note from me but I just wanted to tell you how much I can't wait for your next book! There's nothing like opening your mind up to a new world with characters you grow to love. I've always wanted to become an author but am unsure how to take the first step. How did you do it? Don't worry, I wont be offended if you never read this or answer my small question.
For me, the first step to becoming an author was to write every day and to read absolutely everything I could get my hands on. It sounds so cliche, but it's the truth! The more I wrote and the more I read, the more I discovered my own voice.
As for the books themselves, I simply kept writing one word after another, after another, until I found myself with a finished draft. I’m not saying it’s an easy thing to do… I usually find myself wanting to give up or questioning my work dozens of times before I reach the last page. You just have to keep going and remember that you can fix any issues you have with the story during edits. That first draft? It doesn’t have to be perfect. It never *will* be perfect. That’s what editors and writing partners are for! They help you take your story and polish it until it shines. Until it’s the story you had been hoping to tell from the beginning.
The other big thing for me, was *research*. Before I took the step to become a self-published author, I learned absolutely everything I could about the process, the market, the best advertising methods… Being an author (especially a self-published one) requires you to develop a healthy knowledge of the business side of things, too. It’s not nearly as much fun as the creative side of the job, but it’s important, nonetheless.
For most of us, becoming an author isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s something we all work toward—a long road we all have to walk. A road that doesn’t end once you’re published! You learn and develop as a writer with every book you read and every story you write. And yes, the first step for me was simply to read and to write every day… That’s the best way to discover your voice and to hone your craft. :)
If you have any more questions, you can always drop me a line a jena[@]jenaleighbooks[.]com and I'd be happy to help! So glad to hear you're enjoying the books so far—I can't wait for you to read what comes next. And I always love to hear from readers, so thank you for taking the time to leave me a note!
I just wanted to say I love your books! I have marked the 22nd on to my calender, have re read books 1 and 2 and am now nervously awaiting book 3! I was just wondering... is this the end of Alex's story? Or are there more (amazing!) Books to come?
Hi, Hannah! I'm happy to report that Redux (book 3) will *not* be the last book of the Variant series! There will be (at least!) one more novel to come after this one. In addition to that, I've been toying with some short stories and novellas that take place in Alex's world, that I'm hoping to release while the fourth book is being written—something to keep the wait from feeling too long! Hope you enjoy reading Redux! Only a few more days to wait!! :)
Heya! I'm Alexandra and I love your books! I'm a complete bookworm and have fallen in love with your books! (Even if I do share my first name with the main character!)
ReplyDeleteI realise you must get a lot of fan mail and I would rather you be writing than wasting your time with a small note from me but I just wanted to tell you how much I can't wait for your next book! There's nothing like opening your mind up to a new world with characters you grow to love. I've always wanted to become an author but am unsure how to take the first step. How did you do it? Don't worry, I wont be offended if you never read this or answer my small question.
Thank you! And keep writing!
It's a pleasure to meet you, Alexandra! :)
DeleteFor me, the first step to becoming an author was to write every day and to read absolutely everything I could get my hands on. It sounds so cliche, but it's the truth! The more I wrote and the more I read, the more I discovered my own voice.
As for the books themselves, I simply kept writing one word after another, after another, until I found myself with a finished draft. I’m not saying it’s an easy thing to do… I usually find myself wanting to give up or questioning my work dozens of times before I reach the last page. You just have to keep going and remember that you can fix any issues you have with the story during edits. That first draft? It doesn’t have to be perfect. It never *will* be perfect. That’s what editors and writing partners are for! They help you take your story and polish it until it shines. Until it’s the story you had been hoping to tell from the beginning.
The other big thing for me, was *research*. Before I took the step to become a self-published author, I learned absolutely everything I could about the process, the market, the best advertising methods… Being an author (especially a self-published one) requires you to develop a healthy knowledge of the business side of things, too. It’s not nearly as much fun as the creative side of the job, but it’s important, nonetheless.
For most of us, becoming an author isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s something we all work toward—a long road we all have to walk. A road that doesn’t end once you’re published! You learn and develop as a writer with every book you read and every story you write. And yes, the first step for me was simply to read and to write every day… That’s the best way to discover your voice and to hone your craft. :)
If you have any more questions, you can always drop me a line a jena[@]jenaleighbooks[.]com and I'd be happy to help! So glad to hear you're enjoying the books so far—I can't wait for you to read what comes next. And I always love to hear from readers, so thank you for taking the time to leave me a note!
Kind regards,
Jena
I just wanted to say I love your books! I have marked the 22nd on to my calender, have re read books 1 and 2 and am now nervously awaiting book 3! I was just wondering... is this the end of Alex's story? Or are there more (amazing!) Books to come?
ReplyDeleteHi, Hannah! I'm happy to report that Redux (book 3) will *not* be the last book of the Variant series! There will be (at least!) one more novel to come after this one. In addition to that, I've been toying with some short stories and novellas that take place in Alex's world, that I'm hoping to release while the fourth book is being written—something to keep the wait from feeling too long! Hope you enjoy reading Redux! Only a few more days to wait!! :)
DeleteHappy reading!
Jena