This month we are starting a new feature, the Author Spotlight.

The Author Spotlight is a feature focusing on New Generation Publishing authors, written by the author offering an insight and hopefully inspiration to each of you.

Best-Selling Author - Joanna Jackson

Success is an exciting, sometimes frustrating, yet utterly interesting and rewarding journey which is open to us all, via the many different areas of life in which we can explore opportunities and achieve our own personal success. I embarked upon my journey in 2015, when I first sat down to write a short story for a magazine. As the word-count grew, I toyed with the idea that it might be enough to become a book, meaning I would also become an author. I remember how that tentative suggestion triggered an immediate negative thought, one which tried to deny me that possibility by laughing and saying, “You’re not an Author,” whilst another voice in my head questioned, “Why not?” I remember grinning and thinking, “Yeah, why not?” So, I kicked that negative voice into touch and carried on writing.

Taking the plunge into the world of publishing was a steep learning curve for me, with research constantly reminding me to expect dozens of publisher rejections. Having tried one and spent three months waiting for their decision, I decided that I didn’t have enough life left, to waste years of submitting and waiting, so, I dove into the emerging world of self-publishing. After all, E. L. James had just achieved great success with her first book in the ‘Fifty Shades’ series. I had not read it, and still haven’t actually. I decided not to, because I didn’t want to be influenced by anyone else’s style or storyline. In fact, I rejected all other romantic fiction books for that very same reason. I wanted to do my own thing and see where it took me, and yes, back then, like many other new authors, my naïve thoughts saw me writing a best-selling movie, as I imagined my success. I came to realise that there is nothing wrong with having that dream, you just have to be realistic and put in the work to make it happen. 

Now that path is the long and slightly more arduous one. In fact, writing the book is the easy part. Marketing on the other hand, is a whole different ball-game and one I have worked equally hard at. Thankfully, now three books in, my success has grown, along with requests to write articles like, How to write a sex-scene, and media interviews with the likes of Spirit & Destiny Magazine, The Glasgow Sunday Post and BBC Radio Cornwall - you can read and listen to some of these articles and interviews on my website, https://www.johannajackson.co.uk.

I feel thankful that life is so good to me now and I am especially grateful that my readers love my writing so much. Just hearing that they can’t put my books down and how they can relate to certain characters and places I describe, makes my heart sing with delight. I measure my success from this wonderful feedback, which proves my readers love to keep turning the pages, and I thank each and every one of them, for buying my books and letting me know how much they have enjoyed them. I wish them and you, much love, laughter and happiness, as you each work towards your own personal success story.

Johanna Jackson © 2019

If you would like to know more about Johanna or information on how you can become a published author, simply call us on 01234 711956.