Jane Darrcie interview
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
A little introduction:
My name is Jane Darrcie and this is my debut novel of a planned series. I am a former United States Marine and have also worked with other governmental agencies. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague and even an ex-wife. I love hard, fight hard, write hard, and I am not usually one to give up. I stand up for people and have throughout the years, even when it was not the 'in' thing. Although my book is fiction, some parts of the story are based on my own journey. I have lived all over the world, but now I currently reside in Windsor, Colorado with my son who is attending Colorado State, our ancient cat, Albus and our lovable white husky girl, Thea.
When did your love of books begin?
My love of storybooks began when I was a child. My mother was an English teacher and loved to quote literature and to 'fun' read and really encouraged us to read and write and allow our imaginations to go wild.
When did you start to have the wish to become an author?
I wanted to write a book about 30 years ago. I couldn't figure out how or even what to write about back then, but I knew it was definitely something that I wanted to do. Throughout the years, everyone I have met has told me that my life experiences are so rich that I should write a book. Back in 2019, I really began putting that out into the universe and actually started planning. When the pandemic hit, I figured that would be a great time to put pen to paper. I studied how other authors laid out their storylines and mixed their structure with my story.
How have you found the process for becoming an author?
Challenging for sure. Once I figured out the structural part, how to get the story to flow, versus just being one continuous train of thought, it was really just a matter of releasing the story that was already in me. Sitting down and writing. The story part was the easy part, what came next was the super challenge that I am still dealing with today and that was marketing and sales.
I actually wrote the original rough manuscript in May of 2020 and then I just let it sit. Money was tight and I went back to my occupation once the restrictions let up. So my manuscript just sat. My friend asked me if she could read it, but I was afraid that it wasn't any good. Then I was reading it and was very harsh on myself. I thought, this isn't any good, nobody is going to like this. At that point, I just let it sit again out of fear. January of 2022, I picked it back up again and this time, I re-read each chapter and re-wrote the parts that I didn't like. I read it again and re-wrote more. Until I was really happy with the final product.
Back in 2020, I had sent out several query letters to publishers and heard nothing back. By 2022, I got super impatient and a little too cocky and figured, "I don't need no stinkin' publisher." So, once I was happy with it, I read some more books and did some more research and after reading "How to go from Jobless to Amazon BestSeller", I decided to attempt to self-publish through Amazon.
I went to Fiverr and hired a professional editing team and I also hired a few graphic designers to work up some cover designs. I filed the copyright through the copyright office and also filed to register the trademark of the series name. I went to Bowker and purchased 10 ISBNs. I was dotting my i's and crossing my t's. My editor came back with a few changes and some I used and some I didn't.
Again, once I was happy with it all, I had to then look at how to layout and format the three versions, eBook, paperback and hardcover are all very different. I had to learn what trim and bleed was and what templates would work best for my book and for which versions. At that time, I thought that layout stuff would be the most challenging part. Boy, was I wrong!
I continue to research steps to selling. I created a website and built that up while my team was finishing up the cover and editing processes. I started to establish an online/social media presence. I thought, "once I release this book, it will sell like hotcakes..." And again, I was wrong, but I kept on plugging away.
I set up a Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok first and started making little advertising videos on my laptop. TikTok got the most views and it did drive the hits on my website up a tad, but it also brought all the scammers out of the woodwork, all trying to sell me one thing or another.
The Vanity Publishers all started calling me like crazy as well, saying things like, "Hey, pay us $15,000 and we will make all your dreams come true!" One guy got rather offended with me when I said, "Hmmm, well at the dogtrack, if they just give the dog the bone, will he still run the track? No, I don't think so." But they were all very convincing about their legitimacy. I stuck to my guns though, I had been told in the past, that a legitimate agent and publisher will not make you pay anything up front. If they like it and think it will sell, they will give you an advance check and a contract and it goes from there.
It was still so very hard to watch sales do nothing. I offered a free promo for the eBook and I think only like 9 copies were downloaded and it was FREE. I was very discouraged and felt quite defeated. So, I started taking classes for a fee to just learn the business and how things worked. What did I need to do? What mistakes can I avoid again? My takeaways from those classes were that A) every single mistake that I could have made, I made at least twice and B) I have two options if I want a traditional publisher (which I really do), 1- Unpublish and delete, then rename, rewrite and then query to literary agents or 2- Do anything and everything I can to sell at least 10k books and try to get over 100k followers and then query for an agent/pitch for book #2. It seemed and still seems almost impossible.
So I continued networking and taking anyone and everyone's advice. No stone was left unturned. I created a YouTube channel, a LinkedIn, a Twitter, a GoodReads etc. I started paying for advertisement and promotion through places like Happy Books, Book Monkey, BookRaid, Google Ads, IncomingBooks, BookFunnel, Etsy, Ebay, Reedsy, etc and I continued to post in every Facebook group that would allow it. I posted on every platform that I could think of. Still nothing.
I went to Amazon and tried to pay for an advertisement through their own site. DENIED. No reason was provided, just a notification that your Ad has been denied. Have you ever tried to call someone at Amazon? Make sure you are comfy, because it is no easy feat and it will take you hours, if not days. When I finally got a hold of someone, it was like the man was reading from a script and would not have a normal conversation with me. The bottom line was that they did not approve of the cover art, even though they allowed me to publish it. The man just kept repeating that "Amazon does not allow the depiction of any human or animal in distress. Amazon does not allow anything morally or ethically questionable." When I mentioned that Amazon sells sex toys and Amazon Prime has all kinds of movies that are rated R and extremely violent, the man just repeated his scripted sentences. It was such a frustrating experience. Note to self and others: Amazon rules apply to everyone, except Amazon.
So I started thinking outside of my apartment. I drove a 2-hour radius around my home. I started physically going to bookstores and veteran venues (as I am a veteran) and posted fliers, brought copies, asked about consignment etc. Although the veterans were more than willing to help me and I made a few sales here and there, the bookstores were a different story.
Not a single bookstore agreed to even consign my book. I asked why and was told that bookstores are boycotting Amazon and will not deal with any authors that have self-published through them. They want to punish Amazon. Despite my stating that Amazon is a goliath, and the only ones they are punishing are the little authors like me, they will not do business, even on a no-risk consignment. So back to square one...
I had several people ask me when it would be available as an audiobook, so I started looking into that. Again, the easiest platform was the infamous Amazon. I was considering it until I found research that Amazon fronts the money to make the audio, but then keeps the rights FOREVER. I am not down for that one bit, so I created a Kickstarter Campaign (CODE NAME: JANE DOE by Jane Darrcie — Kickstarter) and hired a social media management company to really promote the campaign. It is to fund the making of a terrific audio book and money for PR and more massive marketing.
I figure that before I unpublish this first book, rename, rewrite, and go back to querying for this book, I will go down swinging and fight tooth and nail to make this a success to the best of my ability. If I try everything that I can do and afford and still nothing, then it may be in my professional best interest to unpublish and start again.
The story part, that is the easy part. It is the marketing and getting people to talk to you and talk about you and and talk about your book and really get it in the hands of readers that is incredibly difficult. So many people and companies and websites will happily take your money and provide no results at all. It is very challenging to do all this yourself.
What would you say to those wanting to become an author?
I would say "Know Yourself!" Know what you want from that book. Do you just want to publish just to say that you did and to mark it off your bucket list? Do you have another source of income where you don't really care if anyone buys it or not? If that is the case, then go ahead and publish through Amazon.
However, if you want that book to sell a ton of copies and you want any kind of income from your writing... or you are looking at having your occupation be "author" and want that route, then my best advice is BE PATIENT. Take the classes, pay for them. You get what you pay for. Take as many as you can. Figure out what you need to do, in order to get on board with a traditional publisher and/or a literary agent, and do it. Keep on querying until someone picks you up.
You can always, file your copyright stuff and then upload your manuscript as an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) and go ahead and get the feedback of readers. That is not a bad investment at all. It is the most honest way for you to know what caliber of writer you actually are and how your audience feels about you, your writing, your characters, etc.
Never be afraid to try. If you have a story in you. Sit down and write it out.
If you never go up to bat because you are afraid that you will strike out, then you are guaranteeing two things. You are guaranteeing that you will never strike out, but you are ALSO guaranteeing that you will never hit a home run either. Don't be afraid to try. If you fail, then you fail, but at least you were brave enough to try.
Tell us about your book/books:
Just imagine if James Bond met G.I. Jane… or Burn Notice met NCIS.
“CODE NAME: JANE DOE – A CALL TO ACTION” at 81,000-words, is a spy action-adventure novel that centers around a young modern-day female Marine, JELENA PRAZICH, who originally just agreed to help the CIA steal a little thumb drive containing some sensitive intel.
Throughout the CIA’s challenging and even heinous training sessions, Jelena’s tenacity and grit continually bring her back from the dead, amazing even her notorious trainer, known for his lack of mercy.
In her last test, which involved killing a Russian operative, she questions her own morality and struggles with justifying her new role as an assassin, even to the point of trying to opt out. However, once the CIA sees what she’s capable of they will never let her go… and neither will he.
This book is a page-turner for sure! It has action, adventure, humor, and characters that at first you may love to hate, but then love to love! So much fun and excitement in a weekend reader.
What do you love about the writing/reading community?
I love how supportive so many writers are to each other. They are a little hard to find in the beginning, but once you find those groups they are truly a blessing! So many writers of varying genres and themes really do a lot to lift each other up. I think it is because we all know just how hard this whole endeavor is.
I really love the absolute dedication of the reading community. I think that the reading community can be a hard club to get into. It's almost like you have to know the secret handshake to get in. They know what they like and don't like and are usually pretty clear about that. I really like that they are so incredibly engaged and once they find an author or book that they like, I love how they really promote that book and author and really give that whole 'word of mouth' thing a much greater intensity. I just hope one day they will be discussing and promoting my book(s). :)
If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?
I would say, THANK YOU!!!!! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!!!
Without readers, and advocates and promoters and believers, then I am just another human tinkering away on my laptop. My readers asking me about certain parts of the book, or laughing out loud or asking when the second book is coming? Asking if I can please sign a copy for them, and telling me how much they LOVED my characters, just makes my heart do happy dances and get all warm and fuzzy.
I love my readers and I work really hard to keep them on their toes. If you are a reader and you enjoy thrillers, suspense, excitement, twists and turns, with both light and bright parts and dark and scary parts then I promise you WON'T be disappointed. Please get a copy. Please tell your friends. Please write a review. Please be an integral part of my success.
Success with a huge media/publishing house standing behind you is one thing, but here... it's just me. All by myself. I can use all the support I can get and I most certainly appreciate every last tiny bit. :)
Where can people connect with you?
Folks can reach me on several different platforms. I will answer every single message. (Ok, maybe not the ones that just say "hi")
Don't be afraid to reach out. Lots of different platforms to reach me.
Website: www.JaneDarrcie.com
Email: Jane.D@JaneDarrcie.com
Facebook: Jane Darrcie | Facebook
LinkedIn: (3) Jane Darrcie | LinkedIn
Kickstarter: CODE NAME: JANE DOE by Jane Darrcie — Kickstarter
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