Jean M. Grant Interview

Do you think the cover of your book is important? Why or why not?

Yes, but that’s just my opinion. I am a visual person, but not everyone is. I like a cover to capture the theme, mood, and any symbolism in the book, but without giving too much away. I prefer no close ups of characters to allow a reader to draw their own image of them.

What part of your writing time do you devote to marketing your book?

The rule is 70/30, with more time on writing/editing. Up until this year, most of my time has been spent on writing and editing. But this spring, I had 3 new books release back-to-back (each a month apart…not planned in any way, it was just how the stars aligned with the submission and publication timeline at the publisher). These past few months 95% of my time has been on promotion work. So, it’s not the norm. I think most writers have goals of writing a book per year (plus or minus, depending), so you always have one being written, one in the edit queue, and one promoting. I’m looking forward to returning to the 70/30 rule come summer, but for now, it’s hovering at 95/5!

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

I work (write) from home full-time, after years of part-time or full-time jobs outside of the home. I’m still a “nooks and crannies” writer though, working around my family’s schedule when needed. I work almost every day, but not always for long stretches. Some days I can put in a good 5-6 hours, others maybe 1-2. I must be flexible. I do enjoy my early morning writing sessions and that’s when I’m most productive. Night time is family and rest time.

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

This was my first book written in first person, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought (and quite enjoyable). Also, it was my first completed contemporary book, after spending years in historical Scotland (and contemporary also turned out to be enjoyable! I’ve been told by some beta readers that they enjoyed my modern day “voice”). The hardest parts came with editing. I had to kill a lot of darlings in his manuscript, many that were part of the original concept or I sliced out complete scenes/plot points! There were a few other craft elements that caused hiccups along the way as well. However, beta readers, critique partners, and my editor were all correct in their feedback and I was happy with the finished product…though some of those darlings were quite hard to toss!

Did I really toss those darlings? Well, many are saved in a Word document on my harddrive. Just in case… 😊

What’s next?

Right now, I’m writing the third book my historical romance trilogy. Next after that? I have a few ideas in development on the contemporary romance or mainstream/women’s fiction front. This summer…I hope to relax a bit and just write. Take some time off from promo.