Please welcome the Award winning, multi-talented International Best selling author, Illustrator, CEO, Organizer, Cover designer, Booktuber, Social media junky, Marketing Expert and MOM!

Ladies & Gents I present to you….

 

JO LINSDELL

 

 

Books

 

 

 

 

 

Book Covers

 

 

 

 

 

CEO

Of Writers and Authors  which is in the Top 50  Writing Blogs of 2016.  A one stop place for people in the writing industry to learn, promote and network.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organizer

And the brains behind Promo Day a FREE annual online event for people in the publishing industry. Mark you calendar! The next event is Saturday May 6th 2017. #PromoDay2017. Please see Promoday.net for more info.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*What part of England are you from?

This is actually a tough question for me. I was born in Gillingham but never actually lived there. I moved around a lot as a kid so the most truthful answer here would have to be ‘the South’. When I think of my ‘home’ in the UK, I tend to think of Kent, and Berkshire.

I would love to take a grand tour the UK one day. 

 

*What’s it like living in Rome, Italy? 

I love it here. I came for 3 days back in 2001 and ended up staying (it was actually a lot easier to do than a lot of people think). Anyway, to cut a long story short, I’m now married to an Italian and together we have two sons. 

 

I love how much history and art is just scattered around here. Not just the big tourist stuff you find in the centre either. In fact, in the centre, there is so much there that you can walk by ancient monuments and not really notice them.

 

This is a photo I took when I took my kids for a walk in a local park.

I bet it’s very scenic!

 

 

That’s part of an ancient roman aqueduct just sat there in the field. There were also parts of the old cobble roads in places. Made for a great history lesson for my boys, and was really beautiful.

Nice.

 

*Have you been to the Vatican?

One of my first jobs here was at a hostel very close to the Vatican so I know the area well. I’ve been to St. Peters several times. It’s just as impressive on the third or fourth visit as it was on the first. There is so much to see in there. I notice things I didn’t previously every time I go. 

I’d better put this one on the bucket list! 

*You wear many different hats, which one do you enjoy most?

I love all of my jobs. My favourite varies depending on my mood. I’ve got a creative soul and so I’m always working on something; whether it’s writing a book, illustrating, or doing graphic design.

 

You are truly a multi-talented person.

 

*Can you tell us about some of the books you have written?

I started out with non fiction books about Italy; Italian for Tourists, which is an Italian-English phrasebook, and A Guide To Weddings In Italy.

 

I’ve also published children’s picture story books; Out and About at the Zoo, Fairy May, and The Box.

 

Then there are my other non fiction books; my award winning Virtual Book Tours: Effective Book Promotion From the Comfort of Your Own Home, and How to be Twittertastic.

I’m currently working on more non fiction and some more children’s books, plus some novels (romance, and thrillers). 

When you have a book release let me know, I’d love to help!

 

 

*How did you get into illustrating book covers? 

I started designing book covers just for fun in the beginning. I love playing around with photoshop and illustrator. A few friends said they really liked my designs and suggested that I add cover design to my list of services.

 

As I’m used to making my own covers for both digital and print I know exactly what an author needs. The right book cover can make all the difference when it comes to sales.

That’s so true! 

 

*Tell us about the benefits of your website writersandauthors.info. 

I started Writers and Authors back in 2006. I was just starting out in my writing career and thought it would be a good way to share my experiences, and learn from other authors at the same time.

 

The website has evolved a lot over the years and picked up numerous awards along the way. It’s turned into a real community for people in the writing/publishing industry, and often gets mentioned on other websites in their ‘Top sites lists”.

 

I offer writers the opportunity to be featured on the website and promote their books. Interviews, guest posts, book showcases, and excerpts. I’m an avid reviewer and so feature those on site too. There are also advertising options available.

 

Authors can have their books listed in the online bookstore too. It gives them more free publicity for their books (something us authors love ;)), and as I’m an Amazon affiliate, gain a little pocket money for me.

 

I work directly with authors, but also with PR companies, agents, and publishers. I love how the website allows me to connect with people from all parts of the publishing industry. 

Put this one on your blogroll folks! Lots of great material and resources.

 

*How did Promo day get started?

There were lots of online writers conferences but none that dealt with the marketing side of things so I created one.

 

Promo Day started out as a small event in a chatroom that I used to host on my author website. It turned out to be a huge success and so grew into an annual event with it’s own branding at http://www.promoday.net/

 

Can’t wait to tell people about this. Sounds great!

 

*What are the benefits of participating in Promo day? 

 

Promo Day is a whole day dedicated to promoting, networking, and learning. It’s completely free to attend and everyone is welcome.  All you need to do is register on the website.

 

There are; webinars with industry experts, forums where you can connect with other attendees and discover promotional opportunities, and pitch sessions with publishers. Publishers take pitches during the event and get back to you the same day to let you know if they are interested or not. No waiting for weeks, or even months for a reply.

 

There are a lot of social activities throughout the day too. Activities are announced in the event forums, so you can put what you learn in the webinars into action straight away. You can join in a LIVE Twitterchat, or Facebook chat. You can even get interviewed about your book, or join in a LIVE video discussion streamed to YouTube. Promo Day teaches you how to build your author brand and market your books, helps you make connection in the publishing industry, and gives you opportunities to put your new skills in action so you can start seeing instant results.

 

Wow. Sounds really fun. 

 

*How do you personally benefit from Promo day?

 

Organising an event like Promo Day is a huge amount of work but I love it. It’s enabled me to make lots of new connections within the industry, and helped establish my own author brand.

 

There are sponsorship opportunities available that help cover the costs of putting the event together. Every year I come away with invitations to be hosted on websites, and always note an increase in sales of my own books following the event. The event has also lead to numerous collaborations and other business projects.

Lovely. This is very beneficial is many ways. I’m so glad you started it!

Jo Linsdell

Thanks for joining us Jo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

 

 

Up for a challenge? Join the Book Hoarders Bucket List Reading Challenge

 

A Challenge for Book Hoarders Like Me at SallyAllenBooks.com

 

Don’t miss the inaugural powerhouse event of 2017!! Check out Mystery Thriller Week on my other site: Mysterythrillerweek.com

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com