DANI JONES
https://www.amazon.co.uk/D-M-Jones/e/B098QTFWRS/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
Q: Please tell me about yourself – what kind of a person you are, your beliefs, your nature, your follies, anything.
A: I was born to immigrant parents form the former Yugoslavia. I was raised in a small village, Denholme, in West Yorkshire where my parents worked in Fosters Mill. I wrote my first play at primary school and went on to Keighley Girls Grammar School where I spent most of her time singing, dancing and getting into trouble. When I was forty I returned to education and gained a B A (Hons) in Home and Community Studies. After gaining a PGCE in further education I went on to study counselling and psychotherapy. I had a variety of jobs which all involved people, in the private and social sectors whilst also running a private practice in psychotherapy. The one thing about me is that once you have met me you will never forget me. My positive attitude, storytelling and ability to make you laugh makes me a natural commedienne whose observations on life and people can not fail to amuse.
Q: Tell me about your writing journey, when and how did it all start?
A: My true writing began when I retired. Having said that I have written all my life and have a box full of early work. A lot of the material is autobiographical. I am the heroine. I believe a person should write what they know. I have had a chaotic varied life which could be a soap opera. Friends kept asking when are you going to write the book. I thought who wants to know about me? Then decided to turn life into fiction and hash it all up.
Q: Tell me about all the difficulties faced in getting a publisher to publish your book.
A: I didn’t have any difficulty getting a publisher. In the first instance I self published in another name then went into partnership with a major publisher. Which means that I invested in myself as a brand and a business. Some people don’t agree with that type of publishing. The whole industry is a minefield. Not every one is a robber and I am quite happy for now.
Q: Do you believe that marketing is essential for the success of a book?
A: Marketing is an absolute ‘yes’. But you can’t sit back and expect the publisher to do it all. You have to remember that you are one of many authors. I have one book and I market it, again working alongside the publisher.
Q: What marketing ideas did you deploy for marketing your book?
A: I did some pretty strange things like leaving book marks in books in service stations and book shops. Took loads of pictures with businesses saying that it would also advertise their business. I contacted the whole of the USA and Australia bookstores. It took four months. Then I had to start work on the second book which the publisher accepted and it’s due out soon.
Q: Do you interact with your readers? What do they say about your book?
A: A lot of my readers were friends and friends of friends but once I got the face book page going people began to contact me. Now they are all waiting for the sequel as they want to know what happens next.
Q: What suggestions would you like to offer potential authors?
A: For potential authors I would say. Have faith in your product and yourself. Don’t expect to make millions, that rarely happens. Edit, edit and re write. They say that there is a book in all of us, but unfortunately not everybody can write a good book. Writing is a craft and a skill so the more you do it the better you should become. The hard work starts after the book is published .
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Dani Jones prides herself on being a writer who seeks to entertain and make people think. Her book, Chasing Rainbows, can be found here.