#JusJoJan 17th – Free For All

Today, we’re trying something a little different. Basically, there is no prompt. It’s a free-for-all, and all this post is here for is to give you a place to link back to.

So go ahead and jot! And …

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 17th, 2025 is whatever you want it to be. Have fun!

So, I had a conversation with my publisher yesterday…

She has all sorts of ideas and plans for me, lol!

As you may know, I haven’t started writing the next book, yet, as I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.

So there are some options…

  • two new Rishtay Series books
  • a two volume anthology I have been planning…
  • Another anthology…
  • A totally different story

Then she mentioned the possibility of some of my side character ideas, that could become a collection of Rishtay Series novelettes in one book, following certain other characters who aren’t the main event, but who have captured readers attention. She made me teary by saying how I have made readers so invested in the Gill family, they want more, and that is both something to be proud of, and as quite scary!

Plus, and this is really exciting, my publisher, alongside some others, are in the throes of arranging their own festival, specifically for Independent Publishers, authors and artists! And they want me to be a big part of this two-day event, next year… eeek! It will be in London around the end of June, I believe.

Then our Zoom call cut off!

Details below:

SpellBound Books are thrilled to bring you 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒 a brand new, 2 day London based festival coming in Summer 2026, dedicated entirely to the vibrant world of Independent Publishers, Authors & Artists.

Forget stuffy literary gatherings; founded by four women, 2 Indie Publishers & 2 Best Selling Indie authors, IM aims to be a community hub, fostering connections between writers and readers, offering workshops and panels that delve into the intricacies of Indie publishing and providing a platform for unheard voices to finally find their tribe

IM is more than a festival; it is a revolution, a vibrant declaration that the future of storytelling is diverse, innovative, and independent.

Give our Festival Social Media Pages a like to keep updated with all the news on the hottest new festival in town. 👇

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/37d8ty8j

Instagram. https://tinyurl.com/yuhck3hs

And, this morning, in a message, I mentioned some picture book text that I have written, for two different children’s books, and they are interested in taking a look! Yesterday at school, I read what I had written to one of my experienced colleagues, and she said when I read it, it sounded like the work of an established children’s author, and that made me cry!

So who knows, I could be a children’s author, too!

Platform: Self-Publishing

Fabulous advice and tips for an indie author!

via Platform: Self-Publishing

Quote

The Big Reread Has Commenced #AmWriting #AmRereading #AmCringing

Well, some told me to leave it ages, up to three-six months, before rereading my baby. Others said get right on it. By the time you are ready to reread from the start, it will have been a while since you began anyway.

#AmWriting new

Updated this too!

I decided to take the middle road, and it’s been around three weeks.

Yesterday, I took to my printout with pencils and post-its, and read the first few chapters…

Sonu Singh was at the ready to help me along.

And it really struck me, as I read, just how much my writing has come along since I started this project 18 years ago.

Sure the ideas are good (I think) and the characters are forming, but some of the writing!

Wow!

It’s clumsy and repetitive in places.

I didn’t know exactly how much I used the words actually and really in my manuscript, and that was the first three chapters!

But at least I’m looking at it with a more mature head now, and hopefully, I can rectify these issues.

I need to use this reread to find silly errors and plot holes and make copious notes about what needs rewriting… EEK!!!

And even though I’m not remotely at the stage where I will be ready to publish anything, I started wondering what the cover could look like.

#ProcrastiQueen – yes I believe that may be me!

This is what I came up with…

Mock Up cover

The bangles have some significance which you find out as you read the story…

I’ve been looking into the whole self vs. traditional publishing thing too, and researched agents… It’s a bit mad!

I’ve had quotes for editing/formatting too if I was to go down the ‘self’ route, and I have had some wonderful offers from great friends, to help along the way.

Once I do this mammoth reread and first change around, my next step will be beta readers.

I need to know if this is WOW! enough to even go down the agent/traditional route. Or if I get decent feedback, whether to push myself on the self-publishing route. Or if it is truly awful, and needs a lot more work!

This whole writing journey is a long and winding one, and I hope you are enjoying following it with me, Peeps! Your input has been invaluable so far!

In case you didn’t get it before, the prospective blurb is:

Aashi’s life was all set.
Or so she thought.
After finding out her fiancé was not the man she thought, she vows to put him, and her innocence behind her.
Accompanied by her brothers and best friend, she embarks upon an enlightening journey, where memories created and new relationships forged, have far-reaching effects.

I will also need to work on a synopsis too!!

This whole writing journey is a long and winding one, and I hope you are enjoying following it with me, Peeps! Your input has been invaluable so far!

How Do You Publish? #AmWriting #Publishing

I’m still staying away from that first re-read of my legendary WIP…

#AmWriting

But it doesn’t stop me from having plenty of questions about what to do next.

I know I need to give it a once over, or twice, or thrice… you get the gist.

Ideally, then I will have a couple of Beta Readers check it out and see whether it is actually worthwhile and if it makes sense.

Then the next BIG decision is the whole publishing malarkey.

With Poetic RITUals, my poetry book, I went totally self-published. It was almost on a whim that I collated my poems, and got a great cover designed by Chris Graham of The Story Reading Ape Fame, stuck it on Createspace and KDP and bam! I had a book out there!

Poetic RITUals by [Bhathal, Ritu]

I didn’t go too crazy with my promotions, but then I was just happy to have something with my name on it, in print!

(But it’s available here of you want! myBook.to/PoeticRITUals)

Now I want to know which avenue to take with my fiction book.

Authors out there, please tell me… are you independently published, self-published, vanity or traditionally published?

What is your advice?

If I was to seek traditional publishing, who are good publishers to target?

Thank you in advance Peeps!

 

 

I Have A Little Secret… But I Need A Little Input…

  
…I’m working on something… Hopefully I can realise my dreams in a slightly different way…

My novel Wedded Stress has hit a block purely because of time, but I fancy being published, still… So I am taking inspiration from my Blogily, amd possibly publishing some bits I have written…

What I want to know from you is, 

A) Poems only?

B) Short stories only?

C) a compilation of both?

What would be more appealing to you?

I even have a possible name… But that will only be revealed if I actually do this!

My Create Space account has been set up…. I just need to fill it!

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