Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Ipswich, Suffolk in the UK. As a busy wife, mother, ex- nurse and now a published author life is never dull. I have been married three times and I have four children, three stepchildren and two playful Australian Cattle dogs. As a modern day mum to my ‘Brady bunch’, I love every minute of our convoluted lives enjoying both the happiness and challenges that it provides.
I am nicknamed the ‘roving Florence Nightingale’ because my nursing qualifications and later my teaching qualifications have taken my family and I across the world in the pursuit of our dreams. I feel very privileged to now be able to call myself an international best-selling author as my travel memoirs set in Australia and France have gained popularity and are building an expanding worldwide fan base. In February 2015 I released Book 1 in a new series called the ‘What, Why, Where, When, Who & How of Book Promotion Series.’ book 1 ‘The Accidental Author’, is aimed at helping aspiring and debut self-published authors. Book 2, The Amateur Authorpreneur is due for release on 27th May 2015.
My other books include Glass Half Full: Our Australian Adventure, which was my debut travel memoir, and the sequel Two dogs and a suitcase: Clueless in Charente. These books are regularly found high in the Amazon rankings. in categories including parenting, grief, Christian faith, step-parenting, travel in France. Our Frugal Summer in Charente, is a kitchen garden journal about how, with my reputation as a woman who can’t keep a houseplant alive and can burn water, I manage to feed my family from my vegetable garden and the hedgerows. This has turned out to be just as entertaining and is hugely popular.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book due for release on 27th May is called The Amateur Authorpreneur and it is Book 2 in a new series I am writing aimed at aspiring and new authors which is inspired by my writing journey and experiences to date.
The Amateur Authorpreneur is a beginners guide to setting up as an author who intends to develop their writing into a business, based on my personal experience as a best-selling travel memoir author. It addresses the important task of book promotion and marketing and takes a look at the authorpreneur basic toolkit, how to start building a fan base on social media and much more. It is packed with hints, tips and practical advice making this an essential resource for attracting readers to new authors.
Here is some of the beta reader feedback:
Aspiring authors feel reassured that whatever their age or IT ability all of the skills needed are achievable.
Our non-author beta readers said they have discovered skills and tips that now helps them in both their personal and professional social media interactions.
Readers who enjoy the work of indie authors are amazed at what’s involved behind the scenes.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think my habits are unusual in the writing world. I drink a lot of coffee and I have started talking to myself. I like to call it reading aloud. My kids find this unnerving and say ‘Mother dear, you know this is a sign of madness!’
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Since I started writing book reviews across all genre’s I have been influenced by authors outside of my previous comfort zone. The majority of the books I read now are by self-published authors, therefore I find myself inspired by not only fellow memoir writers such as Susan Joyce and Richard Klein, but also fiction authors including The Black Rose, Mike Martin and John Holt. As I still dream of one day publishing my romance novel, I try to learn and develop this new genre of writing by reading novels from international best-selling indie authors including Tom Winton and Laura Taylor.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a new medical memoir called ‘Ooh Matron’ which I aim to publish this summer. It is based on my 28-year career as a nurse and it is a compilation of funny, interesting and occasionally sad stories originating from my work in a variety of healthcare settings both in Uk and Australia.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have found, to date, that promoting my books from my author website and the Rukia Publishing website, which I set up to help other indie authors, works really well. I also utilise sites like Awesome Gang, who network with indies on social media. This is because social media, as part of an indie author marketing and promotion platform, is an essential component of the authorpreneur toolkit.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t try and re-invent the wheel and don’t go it alone. Networking and ‘paying it forward’ works well for indies as helping to promote someone else’s work says a lot about you as author and promotes the fact that we are not in competition with one another.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write your first draft as if no one will ever read it.
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading A Twist of Fortune by Mike Martin for a Rukia the Reader review.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have so many ideas for future books that I have to try and stop myself from starting them all and not finishing any! However, my next big project is the prequel to my travel memoir series called, ‘Yesterday Once More’ which will give readers an insight in my childhood, my relationships with my parents and later my marriages and divorces including how these factors influenced some of the decisions I made. There are some emotionally charged subjects to handle including inappropriate childhood experiences, emotional abuse and losing custody of my daughter.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Well, I think a Bear Grylls survival book of some description would be a must, not only for the life-saving tips, but also for his use of a positive mental attitude to survive anything that life throws at you. Obviously, I would need a couple of books that provide me with some entertainment therefore I would choose ‘Cloud Street’ by Tim Winton, ‘The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year’ by Sue Townsend and any book by Gerry McCullough.
Author Websites and Profiles
Sarah Jane Butfield Website
Sarah Jane Butfield Amazon Profile
Sarah Jane Butfield Author Profile on Smashwords
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