Welcome to "The Writers Room" blog—a special space dedicated to self-published authors, offering them a chance to shine and inspire others. Dive into our Q&A sessions, where digital first authors openly share their writing journeys, experiences, and valuable insights with our community.
Let's meet this month's indie author, and MUSO Ambassador, J.B Wright— who writes compelling fantasy fiction. Here is the Q&A we had with JB;
MUSO: Can you give a brief introduction about yourself?
Well, hi, I'm JB! I live in Texas with my three kids, german shepherd (Churro), and husband. I used to be extremely social and then found I was burnt out from "peopling" and became a homebody. My ADHD had me picking up a number of hobbies but mainly baking, reading, and writing. The latter two stuck more because I hate doing dishes.
MUSO: How did you first get into writing and self-publishing your books?
I finished a book (House of Salt and Sorrow - Erin A. Craig) and went into a deep funk when it was over. nothing else quite scratched the itch in the same way. At this point in my life, I was feeling really low and lonely, so I wrote a world I would want to live in. I'd dabbled in writing since grade school but never fully committed. I like to say I'm a starter and not a finisher, and didn't expect I'd get a full book out. So, I wrote with low expectation and only shared the chapters with my moms (mother, step-mother, and god mother) their encouragement and excitement is what really pushed me. One day my step mom said "this is really good, you should publish this." This began my journey into publishing.
MUSO: What are the benefits and challenges of writing and self-publishing?
Whew, this is a loaded question. The obvious benefits are the control and creativity you are allowed to have as an indie. A not so obvious benefit is the community. Never have I ever felt such a sense of camaraderie. We are each other's biggest cheerleaders. The downside? Marketing. I loathe marketing. Though, now-a-days even trad- published authors seem to be doing a lot of their own marketing too. Traditional sounds great because you get a "team" but in less than a year after publishing my first book, Tears of Astoria has its own team; an editor, two narrators, a PA, over 200 ARC readers, and the support of the most amazing peers. It is a team and one I am so grateful for. Honestly, it's not easy but if you really buckle down and put the leg work in, it is so rewarding.
MUSO: How many books have you published?
1 - Tears of Astoria (7/7/23). Though, Son of Astoria publishes in 2 weeks (4/23/24).
MUSO: What are the technologies that are essential for your work and or self-publishing business?
Atticus for formatting, Canva for literally ALL marketing, and, of course, Muso to have my back and watch for pirates!
MUSO: What advice would you give to anyone just starting out?
Do your research. Find your target market, start talking about your book early on and get people excited for your release! Don't be afraid to put your work out there but also expect some people not to like it. You have to have thick skin because reading is subjective and there is a book for everyone, but that book won't always be yours.
MUSO: How do you feel piracy impact your work?
It's irritating. Especially as an indie. We put our entire soul into these books and to have someone steal it feels like a personal attack. Not to mention how detrimental it can be to the author if they're enrolled in exclusive programs such as KU.
MUSO: How long have you been using MUSO and how has the service been?
I've been with Muso for over a year now with three campaigns running. When I published Tears of Astoria I was afraid to have more than 30 ARC members because of pirating. With Muso I was comfortable enough to have over 200 this round with Son of Astoria. I did get pirated (as expected) but Muso caught it within a day and took everything down. I don't really worry about pirating anymore thanks to them.
MUSO: How does it feel to be an ambassador?
It's really cool. I post about them all the time anyway so I'm glad they reached out! I'm one of those people that hates pushing products and services, heck, I rarely even market my own books except to make fun of myself and the characters. When I tell you Muso is a must, I mean it.
Thank you, JB! If you would like to be featured in the next writers room please email authors@muso.com