Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?
I wrote a few stories but it in the end it took another two
years until I decided to publish the first of the Tovi books. Really, it was
the birth of my daughter that motivated me to have the books out there in the
real word and not just on my
How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?
I tend to write in the evenings after a full day of work or
sometimes at the weekends, when my daughter is having her nap. I try never to
give myself any time pressures, so I won’t publish a book until I think it’s perfect.
How and where do you
write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?
I write and illustrate at home on my desktop. I do a lot of the
illustrations on paper beforehand and then I scan them in and redraw them on
the computer.
What's your favorite
part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?
I love to be able to put the ideas that are going around in my
head onto paper and to create a story out of them that can reach so many
people. The only negative aspect of the whole process is that I wish I had more
time to dedicate to it, since it takes time to create and to write and as a mum
working a full-time job, it can be hard to find a spare minute!
How did you come up
with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?
My inspiration tends to come from my own experiences, which I
can then mould into a fun little story.
For the Christmas themed book, for example, the idea came to me
a few years ago when my family and I celebrated Christmas by blending our
different traditions. My husband is English and traditionally celebrates on the
25th, whereas my family and I are German and celebrate on Christmas Eve. For
me, the tradition has always been to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, with the
25th and 26th being a holiday when we would visit our extended family. So when
we decided to do it the English way (on December 25th), it meant that we
enjoyed Christmas Eve simply having a nice dinner and taking more time to just
talk to each other without a thought for presents. For most people Christmas
has become a commercial event that is often associated with the stress of
getting the right gifts, so I wanted to focus on a story that was not about the
presents but about spending time with the people you love and having fun
together.
What types of
marketing do you do to promote your writing?
I only work with Bookbub and I’ve been fortunate in that it’s
been very successful each time. I do also post a lot on Facebook and Instagram
for my followers to see what Tovi is up to and when new books are coming up,
etc.
What are you currently
working on? Do you have a new book out?
I am currently working on Tovi’s next adventure: Tovi the
Penguin goes away to the Seaside. The inspiration for this book came last
summer when my family and I all went off to Britany for our summer holiday. I
am very excited about the book and I’m looking forward to publish it and
getting it out there for others to read!
Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell
me about it.
Not really. As long as I have new ideas I will keep writing the Tovi adventures.
What would you tell a
beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough
talent?
For me, writing and illustrating means doing what I love, so I would encourage anyone who is thinking about it to give it a try. There is no more satisfying feeling than to see your own creation come to life.
The best piece of advice I could give though is to remember that
while starting a project of your own will always mean putting a little of
yourself out there, you shouldn’t be scared of doing so as this is also what
will inspire you to keep going when it gets tough. One of the biggest lessons I
learned has been not to be embarrassed about what I create and to be proud of
it no matter what others may think.
Question for me:
What advice would you give a writer? Would you prefer the traditional publishing route or do you also believe in self-publishing?
Great question. I think the answer to the question depends on the writer. I started out in the traditional venue and sent out book requests until my fingers turned blue. When a local publishing house finally accept my work, I was ecstatic, though, as it turned out, I wasn't completely happy with my choice.
I had very little say on the cover and the price of the book was much higher than I thought it should be. In the end, and a few years later, my brother helped me by purchasing the rights back to my book and I have been on my own ever since.
Self-publishing has been the best choice for me. I have much more control on what I do including book covers, price and more. I have also been able to help other writers, through Idea Creations Press, to get their own dream book in print.
What advice would you give a writer? Would you prefer the traditional publishing route or do you also believe in self-publishing?
Great question. I think the answer to the question depends on the writer. I started out in the traditional venue and sent out book requests until my fingers turned blue. When a local publishing house finally accept my work, I was ecstatic, though, as it turned out, I wasn't completely happy with my choice.
I had very little say on the cover and the price of the book was much higher than I thought it should be. In the end, and a few years later, my brother helped me by purchasing the rights back to my book and I have been on my own ever since.
Self-publishing has been the best choice for me. I have much more control on what I do including book covers, price and more. I have also been able to help other writers, through Idea Creations Press, to get their own dream book in print.
***
Thank you, Janina!
Look for Janina and her books at the following sites:
Look for Janina and her books at the following sites:
https://www.facebook.com/ToviThePenguin/
Tovi the Penguin: goes
Camping (Volume 1)
by Janina Rossiter
Tovi the Penguin: goes
away for Christmas (Volume 2)
by Janina Rossiter
Tovi the Penguin: goes to
London (Volume 3)
by Janina Rossiter
Tovi the Penguin: goes
into space (Volume 4)
by Janina Rossiter
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