We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jen Craven. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jen below.

Alright, Jen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

The publishing industry is seeing massive changes and shifts compared to ten, twenty, thirty years ago. The growth of self-publishing means there are more books than ever being published. We’re talking millions of books! With this saturated market, it’s harder for authors to gain visibility. Additionally, authors must stay up to date on digital trends, including ebooks and audiobooks, which continue to rise in market share. Audiobooks, in particular, are becoming more popular–capturing a whole new set of readers. For instance, the traditional publishing model used to be that books were first released in hardback, followed a year later with paperback, and then possibly (but not a guarantee) audio. Now, some publishers are skipping directly to paperback due to printing costs, or even releasing all versions simultaneously to give readers more options. This is the way my publisher, Bookouture, workd. For self-published authors, there is a huge opportunity to produce their books in a variety of formats. Amazon continues to be the category leader, offering tools such as KDP and ACX, which make it easier than ever to publish.

Jen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My writing journey began a decade ago writing personal essays for publications such as Huffington Post, Washington Post, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy and more. A lifelong reader, I’d never considered writing a book until the idea fell into my lap. What started as an essay about a family member, turned into a full novel. From there, I discovered a love of fiction writing. My first three novels were self-published, and then I signed a 2-book deal with Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) in February 2023. Those two books have since been released and have sold over 8,000 copies in less than six months. I currently have two new projects in the works!

My author tagline is: “Stories where one decision can change everything.” I love writing books centered on an ethical dilemma or an impossible choice, and putting my readers in “what would you do” situations. My novels are fast-paced and full of emotional suspense…all with a hidden plot twist!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

After writing my third novel, Best Years of Your Life, I decided I would query literary agents and try to get a traditional publishing deal (instead of self-publishing again). This process is notoriously difficult, as it involves not only a lot of waiting but a lot of rejection. Right out the gates, I had several requests from agents who wanted to read my manuscript. I was elated! However… the whole time I was sending pitches and hoping for responses, my gut was telling me it wasn’t the right path for this book. In the writing world, traditional publishing is considered the gold standard, and self-publishing still comes with a good amount of stigma. I was pursuing something simply because I felt like that’s what I *should* do, or what *legit* authors did.

Despite the generally positive success rate of requests to my queries, I ended up withdrawing them all. In the end, the traditional publishing model didn’t feel right. I wanted to retain creative control over my book, including timeline to publication, cover, title, and so much more. Once I made the decision to pivot, a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. It was 100% the right choice for me at that time.

Since then, I have signed with a publisher–however, I did not have to go through the querying process. I’m currently self-publishing AND traditionally publishing my books, and have found the perfect balance for my career. The biggest lesson in this story is to trust your gut when it comes to your work. What is right for some isn’t right for all. Flexibility is key, and something I’m constantly reminding myself. In an industry like publishing where things are constantly evolving, I have to be able to make key decisions that make the most sense for me.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media can be intimidating for a lot of people, especially those who consider themselves introverts (as many creatives are!). For me, I try to approach social media as a way to connect with my readers. I’ve found that consumers care about the person behind the brand, and so I introduce myself to my followers and tell them a little about my interests, hobbies, etc. Posts that include my face tend to do better than “flat” posts (say, of a book cover). But sometimes it’s hard to put yourself out there! Some days you’re confident and others not so much. I try to remind myself that social media should be fun, not stressful. I don’t have posting rules or a quota I must reach. There are times I post several days in a row and others where I’ll go stretches without posting. As long as I’m not putting pressure on myself, social media remains a fun component of my writing career. I enjoy seeing what others post and thinking of ways to make it work for me. Authenticity is key–people want to follow creators who are genuine and real. My following has grown slowly over the last couple years, but I don’t focus on follower count. It’s much better to have a smaller, more engaged following than a huge number of followers who don’t really care about you and your work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jencraven.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jencravenauthor/f
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferCravenAuthor/