Welcome to Day 11 of #NJ12DaysOfAuthors (May) Series! @NonnieJules #NoPedigree @RRBC_Org @RRBC_RWISA @Tweets4RWISA #RRBC

THIS IS DETAILED BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS ANY OF THE INFO!

GIVEAWAY:

At the end of this series, 1 lucky visitor will win a (12) Kindle e-book pack which will include a copy of each book featured in this series + a $10 Amazon gift card!  Simply leave a comment below to be entered into the drawing!

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On the 11th day of the May “12 Days of Authors” Series… Nonnie’s gift to you…

AUTHOR, NONNIE JULES!

Author bio:

I’m lazy, so I’m going to use the simple bio from my Twitter account:  Mommy, Wife, RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB President. Goal: To instill the importance of Professionalism & Reputation in the literary arena.

NJ:   Well, hi, Nonnie!  I’m so pleased I get to interview you, of all people, today!  Since you’re having a conversation with yourself in this interview, let’s jump right into it and entertain and enlighten these folks !  Is your author name a pen name or your birth name?

Nonnie:  Birth with a variation in the spelling of one of the names, because it wasn’t my favorite.  But, it’s all still pronounced the same.

NJ:  How long have you been writing?

Nonnie:  I’ve been writing since 3rd grade.  I published my first book in the 6th grade (printed the sheets and had it spiral-bound at a copy shop).  I became a real published author, where more than just my family could purchase my books, in 2012.

NJ:  What genre or genres do you write under?

Nonnie:  I am a multi-genre author.  Thus far, I have published under Literature & Fiction, Poetry, and Short Stories.  My quotes book will be out in time for RRBC’s 6th Annual Writers’ Conference & Book Expo!  I’m so excited about that one as it contains a huge collection of my very own “life” quotes which I think EVERYONE should take to heart, implement, and grow from.

NJ:  Are you indie-published or traditionally published?

Nonnie:  I am so proud to say that I am an Indie author!  I can’t wrap my mind around someone else directing and controlling something I carried inside of me for so long, and labored to give birth to.  It makes absolutely no sense to me, but, I suppose everyone has their own reasons for going the Indie route and the traditional route in publishing.  Nonnie likes to drive her own cars… in every area of her life.  That way, if there are issues with those cars, I won’t have to worry that I won’t be given permission to fix them.  And, I’d like to dispel a big non-truth here:  being traditionally published does not mean that your books will be edited better than any Indie-published books.  I’ve seen too many traditionally published books that were awful in the editing department, just as I’ve seen with some Indie books.  I hope to never hear that misconception spoken again.

NJ:  How many books have you published to date?

Nonnie:  Oh, you had to ask that question.  Well, Nonnie Jules has published 7 books to date (I think). In another arena, I write under a pen name which I don’t advertise in these circles, but let’s just say, you’ve probably purchased one of my books without knowing it was me.  In total, I have published 14 books.

NJ:  Which is your favorite and why?

Nonnie:  NO PEDIGREE is my most favorite book to date because of the premise of the book.  We’re living through some strange and extremely difficult times.  Racism and bullying are at the forefront of our world’s storyline right now and this story brings to light the difficulties some kids/young adults are facing because of their pedigree or lack thereof.

NJ:  Give us just a little background on that book. What is it about?

Nonnie:

NO PEDIGREE

Blurb…

Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, Baylee never quite fit in…anywhere. She was taunted and teased because her clothes had no designer labels, and spit upon because her only pair of shoes had holes in the bottom. The butt of many jokes, she was excluded from all social activities, sneered at by the parents of her peers after school as she waited for the bus, watching them drive away in their fancy cars; assaulted in the most unthinkable fashion.

Having been born to a white father and a black native American mother didn’t make things any easier. In fact, that circumstance made her life ten times harder – until the day she made them all stand up, take notice, and regret every ugly word and deed they had inflicted upon her.

NJ:  Where can readers purchase your book and how much is it?

Nonnie:  The book is available on Amazon, in e-book format only at this time for only $2.00.

NJ:  I have been in this business long enough to know that quite a few readers have a purchase price point and will only spend so much on an e-book. How do you price your books and what is your logic behind the pricing?

Nonnie:  I price my books very competitively.  As a writer and a reader, I understand that we all feel our books are so much more than what we are forced to price them at, but here’s the logic behind my pricing – do I want to price my e-book at $7.99 or more and maybe sell 1 book, or, do I want to price it in the arena of the standard of what similar e-books are going for, and sell 100 books?  Whether you want to believe this or not, unless your good friends are purchasing your books, if you want them to move, you need to think along those lines.  No stranger/random reader is going to spend more than $2.99 or $3.99 for an e-book unless they have a special reason for doing so.  Unless you’re a celebrity or a writer with serious name recognition (JK Rowling, Stephen King, etc.) you might need to do some price adjusting.

NJ:  WOW!  Well said, Nonnie!  There are a ton of books that look as if they are really good reads but the cost of the books are way off.  Until then, I’m waiting for those authors to announce a price reduction or a FREE promo.  Moving along.  I got on Twitter many years ago because my social media manager at the time, told me that I needed to be on Twitter. He did not give me an actual reason as to why (I had to learn my “why” on my own), just that I needed to be there.  What was your main reason for getting on Twitter?  For support? For fun?

Nonnie:  I definitely did not get on social media for fun.  I am that person who can’t stand to see people posting pics of the food they are about to eat, or, sharing that they are standing in line at Walmart.  I know that this arena brings attention to my books so, I’m here for work. Connecting and making “friends” along the way, is just a special bonus!

NJ:  What other social media platforms do you use to market your book(s), and have you found them to be beneficial?

Nonnie:  I am on Facebook but kick me for not being very active there.  I have these spurts where I will jump on and engage with my followers by throwing out a question or starting a chat on a topic that’s important to me.  I also have found that when I get on, I’m purchasing a lot of their books.  I don’t know why I do that other than to show that I believe in supporting others, and hoping that others will follow suit and do the same.

NJ:  As you know, Nonnie, supporting others is a huge part of {our} identity. I believe that when you invest your time and support in others, you find that your circle grows by leaps and bounds of others giving the same to you. When I first got involved heavily on Twitter, I was pushing others more than I was pushing myself – I continue to do so. Do you support others on social media?  If so, how?

Nonnie:  I am Nonnie Jules!  Of course, I support others on social media!  LOL!  I somehow feel as if I’m being punked by even being asked this question.  When I joined social media back in 2012, I remember wanting to take my book on a virtual blog tour and asking some of the authors who I was following on Twitter, if they would host me on their blogs.  The response was so disheartening!  I heard things like, “No one even knows who you are,” and “It’s not appropriate for you to ask us to host you – you have to earn your way to that kind of support.”  I was floored!  But, this is how Nonnie reacts to such things.  I had a little chat with my hurt feelings and I moved on in a big way.  I did find some awesome fellow authors who took a chance on little ‘ole, unknown me, who clearly hadn’t earned her way yet, and I decided that I would change that attitude – the attitude of selfishness and being uninterested in supporting others, as they felt it would somehow take away support from them.

I remember writing a blog post back in either 2012 or 2013 that said, “One day, everyone on social media will know the name Nonnie Jules,” in response to the naysayer who said, “No one even knows who you are.” Well, there are many who know who I am now.  I founded the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB in December of 2013 because I wanted authors to feel that they could add their names to our roster and get immediate support.  They didn’t have to be known yet, but, they would have to be willing to support others.  The most crucial aspect of our beautiful club, RRBC, which, unless you’ve been living under a rock, everyone has heard of, is that you are strongly encouraged to support others and you have to give it to get it.  I’m not tooting my horn or anything here,  but I spend so much time pushing and promoting others, that my own writing and the promotion of my own books suffer. I like to push authors in events like the 12 Days of Authors… in hopes that others will get the bug and realize that supporting others more than you support yourself, will garner you support live you’ve never seen before. I strongly believe that what you give you will get back ten-fold.

NJ:  Uh, that was a mouthful but you know what, it was nothing but insightful information.  Do you actually take the time to read tweets from others before you retweet them, or do you just hit “retweet” without ever engaging in the tweet?

Nonnie:  I will not retweet or tweet out anything that I haven’t read beforehand.  When I notice that someone is promoting their event, I jump right in to support it.  If someone is asking that you visit their blog post, I jump over to read the post, leave a comment and share it on social media.  (Special tip:  I keep Trello open so I can copy and paste links of blogsites and books or events I need to check out later, if I am pressed for time and can’t get to them right away). If someone is promoting their book, I click the link to check it out on Amazon and I’m probably purchasing it, as well.  If someone is promoting a FREE download, of course I’m going to download it – I mean, what is it going to hurt to download a FREE book?  If anything, supporting others leaves you with the most amazing feeling ever!

NJ:  If you could map out the perfect way that you would want others to support you on social media, how would you ask your followers to support you? Just imagine that everyone who reads this interview will run out and follow you.  How could they best support you?  What would you have them do?

Nonnie:  If you’re going to follow me on Twitter, I ask that you follow me with purpose – to actually support me as I will be supporting you.  Don’t follow me just to follow me or in hopes that I’m going to follow you back so you’re racking up your followers number.  I do follow back but there has to be some substance there.  Another reason for this 12 Days of Authors, is somehow, some believe that simply because you have a ton of followers, you’re getting a ton of support.  NO! NO! and NO again! Not true. How many of those followers are doing more than just retweeting you?  How many are actually promoting your book, introducing it to others, talking it up to others, purchasing your books?  How many?  THAT’S WHAT WE NEED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.  This is the reason for the 12 Days series – to introduce these authors to other readers/authors/followers so that they can make meaningful connections – connections that will translate into book sales and mutually beneficial lines of support all across the board.

NJ:  We all learn something new almost every day while on social media and I like sharing what I have learned with other authors, in hopes that it will benefit them in some way. Have you come across any writing resources that might benefit other authors?

Nonnie:  The most beneficial writing resources I have ever come across are the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB {RRBC} and RAVE WRITERS – INT’L SOCIETY OF AUTHORS {RWISA}. I know of no other entity like RRBC.  There are many who have tried to mimic what we do within RRBC, but, it takes more than just creating a website and touting how you’re going to support books.  The RRBC community is genuinely concerned with supporting others.  They know that when they are supportive of others, that’s when their support rains down.  I don’t mean trickle, I mean it pours.  There are many who talk a good game, but RRBC is the real deal.  When you’re a member, you have a built-in network of readers waiting to read your books!  Now, RWISA is a community of authors who have been deemed some of the best in the industry.  You have to be accepted into RWISA, you can’t just join.  It is truly a selective group of authors who are extremely concerned about what they put out in written form – down to the comments they leave on a blog post or even a tiny tweet they send out.  They always want it to be quality writing, so, you can only imagine the kinds of books they publish.  RWISA truly makes you want to be the best writer you can be and it shows in the writing of these authors and the care that they take with what they publish.  We’d love to have you join us at RRBC and if you think you’re RWISA material, please, submit a request for membership!

NJ:  Can you share with our audience 2 or 3 of the top methods you use to market your books?

Nonnie:  Blog Tours and book trailers.  A blog tour introduces your writing to readers who may never have heard of you and your book before.  It’s a way to gain a whole new audience of followers and readers.  A great book trailer will sell your book every time – but, it has to have all the right components.  How many times have you sat in a movie theater and before the movie begins, you’re literally enjoying all the trailers of the upcoming movies?  Let me tell you, my phone is out and I am putting those dates of new releases on my calendar because I want to be the first to see those movies!  It works the same way with book trailers.  By the way, 4WillsPub creates some of the most amazing book trailers around!

NJ:  What is the one bit of writing advice you would give to any author, experienced or newbie?

Nonnie:  Care about the writing you put out.  Ensure that it is error-free and just plain good!  Lastly, devils sit behind keyboards, honey, pretending to be nice little lambs.  Protect your reputation … guard it fiercely and know who you’re associating with and who you’re aligned with online.  

NJ:  Is your reputation as a writer important to you, OR might we look up one day and find that you are in a Twitter brawl with someone?

Nonnie:  Since day one, I have made it extremely clear that my reputation, on and offline, is extremely important to me, but here’s a word of advice, when the devils that I mention above know that your reputation is important to you, it’s the first thing they always try to go after.  Be careful.  Twitter brawls?  Not I, said the cat.  I refuse to get into a war of words with anyone.  It is beneath me.  If you feel the same, know that someone is always waiting around the corner to test you.  Don’t walk into their trap.

NJ:  In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between the writers you see today around social media, versus the writers of old? 

Nonnie:  I loved the writers of old!  They had it so much better.  Social media has opened up a can of worms that I never expected to see in the literary arena when I began writing.  It’s so cut-throat and dirty at times.  Some of the behavior I witness online, you would never have heard of such behavior from the writers of our past.  No No. They held themselves to high standards of professionalism and it showed.  And I for one, loved and also miss that.

NJ:  Do you value professionalism in the literary arena and worry that the lack thereof makes it harder for those of us who wish to be taken seriously in this business? Or, does the unprofessional behavior of some around social media not bother you at all?

Nonnie:  I could write a book about the unprofessionalism I have seen from those who purport to be professionals.  Most often, I’ve seen this lack of professionalism when someone has given an honest review of the non-professionals’ books.  It’s not a pretty sight.  Word of advice – when those kind of unprofessional tantrums have been thrown behind receiving a bad book review, I’ve heard many say they would never touch a book by those authors again because they know that if they dare share an honest review, they are setting themselves up to be attacked, most often in some passive-aggressive manner. 

NJ:  If you have ever received any, how do you handle not-so-flattering reviews of your book(s)?

Nonnie:  Yes, I have received a couple of negative ratings/reviews.  Someone who was upset with RRBC decided to go back and change all of their ratings of my books to a 1-star rating, although they forgot to also change the glowing “written” portion of those reviews.  Some of the books they hadn’t even read!  Too funny.  Someone else did the same because readers were challenging her about what she had said about one of my books in her review. Notice I said readers, because Nonnie doesn’t get into discussions about reviews given to her books. I don’t respond to them on Amazon at all. I don’t really read my reviews.  If someone sends me one of my reviews, that’s awesome, but, I don’t go looking to see what others have said about my books.  I know they are only opinions.  But, I will say this, there are some opinions (reviews) that you should value more than others.  If someone is truly a skilled writer and it shows in their books, their email messages, their blog posts, you might want to take those opinions to heart.

NJ:  Do you appreciate honesty regarding your writing because you know that only honest feedback allows you to grow as a writer, or are you one of those who would prefer that others lie to you and tell you only what they know you want to hear?

Nonnie:  This is how I feel about dishonesty in reviews…

Please, tell me nothing but the absolute truth!  I only want to grow and the only way to do that, is to always know the truth about my writing.

NJ:  Do you blog about any specific topics or are you a random-topic-blogger?

Nonnie:  I blog about writing and life in general and the posts are always interesting!  Please do follow me here by clicking the follow button on the sidebar to the right, at the top, or by entering your email address.

NJ: Nonnie, it was such an honor to have you with me today! I enjoyed this so much! You’re my 11th interview this month and I’ve had some awesome guests, but I can’t say that I enjoyed talking to anyone as much as I did you! Please, come back any time!

Nonnie: NJ, I’m exhausted. Thanks for having me. That’s all I’ve got to say.

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OTHER QUICK FACTS ABOUT NONNIE…

• Writes full-time
• Multi-genre author
  

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FOLLOW NONNIE ON…

Twitter:  @NonnieJules & @AskTheGoodMommy and for FREE book promotion on social media @4WillsPub

Facebook

Blog:  Books By Nonnie

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Guests, thank you so much for dropping by to support Nonnie on Day 11 of the May “12 DAYS OF AUTHORS” Series!  It would be awesome if you would pick up a copy of her book above, and after reading, share your review to Amazon.  Ensure that you leave her a comment below, and also LIKE her feature before you leave, for your chance to win the grand prize package listed above!  We’d both appreciate it if you would share her feature to Twitter and Facebook, as well.

To follow along with the rest of the features in this series, visit the “12 DAYS OF AUTHORS” home page!  There will be a new feature tomorrow!  I’d also love it if you would #follow my site, as well as following me on Twitter @NonnieJules, as my truest joy is in service to others.  I’d love to support you, too!

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE FEATURED IN MY #NJ12DaysOfAuthors Series?  Click HERE to sign up!

(I put this post up in a hurry due to the fact that I did not receive info from another scheduled author.  If you notice any typos, please let me know so that I can correct it.  Thanks in advance!)

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