Please welcome this week’s guest to the Showcase.
A little about myself
I go by Joe or Jonas (depending on which alias I choose). I’m generally a calm, laid-back, creative guy who’s a bit of an introvert. I’m born and raised from Wisconsin so I get to experience all four seasons sometimes in one day! I come from a close-knit, religious, Nigerian-American family that taught me the value of hard work and education. I’ve been in the IT field for over 8 years but my true passion is in creating things whether it’s art or stories. I just so happen to write both fiction and nonfiction writer. I have also been blogging for over 8 years. My most active blog site is “Writer’s Nook.” Over the years I shared everything from my favorite books, to advice on writing, self-publishing, and marketing.
When I’m not writing I also enjoy spending time with family, listening to music, playing Sims games, hiking, and traveling when I can.
How I discovered my love for writing
I think my love for books was kindled in fourth grade where we were encouraged to read. I had a teacher that was passionate about helping her students bring their stories to life. It was in her class that I created my first book for a class project called “Will’s Problem.” It was about a boy who had to find a creative way to beat a bully so it was something that a lot of students including myself could relate to.
I didn’t start writing as a hobby until middle school when I first created my story series revolving around a boy living in the shadows of the Roman empire. My story series followed him from four years old to when he’s sixteen. What most don’t know is that debut book, Before the Legend was not the first one written! The idea came after the first two stories were already written and I was in college. I wanted to write a prologue to explore early events that would shape the young protagonist. Never did I think back then that my debut story “Before the Legend” would be sold on Amazon!
My favorite authors/genres to read
My favorite authors to read is Lois Lowry. She’s inspired me to create complex, introspective characters that question their worlds such as Jonas in “The Giver.” Another author I’ve come to deeply admire is Suzanne Collins who’s well known for the popular Hunger Games’ trilogy. My favorite genre to read is historical fiction, although I also enjoy reading different genres including YA, middle grade, and Sci-fi/dystopian.
Here’s a blurb from my latest how-to book:
Finally, self-publishing advice that’s recession-proof.
Are you a struggling indie writer trying to make sales? Or maybe you are out there thinking about self-publishing but feel overwhelmed by the process. How do you publish a book people actually want to buy? Before you hit “Publish,” discover the important steps involved in the process so you can avoid common pitfalls that many new writers make. In my comprehensive step-by-step guide, I will teach you how to “package” and position your book for optimal success all while not going broke in the process. You have little to lose but everything to gain by following these 15 basic steps:
• How to draft your best manuscript
• How to self-edit your work
• Where to find beta readers
• How to find out what editing your book needs
• How to avoid the biggest mistakes in cover design and where to find affordable cover designers
• Formatting your manuscript for print, eBook, and audiobook
• How to market your book for success
• And more!
Excerpt from How to Self-Publish Without Going Broke:
Figure out what steps you can do yourself but be honest with your abilities.
“While each of the steps I listed earlier is important, you can learn to do some steps on your own (with the guidance of this book and other resources I list later on). This will save you money. The biggest steps for which you’ll need outside help are cover design and editing because of the level of difficulty involved and how critical those two steps are in ensuring a quality product. Coincidentally, they tend to be the costliest steps. But even with editing, I will give you tips to self-edit, so you can reduce the amount of editing your book will need. This is critical because the less editing your book needs, the more money you save.
Editorial Review
Reading Joseph Umeseaka’s book, How to Self-Publish Without Going Broke, was like discovering a secret map to a writer’s treasure trove. This book, as the title promises, invites the reader into the world of writing and self-publishing, revealing every imaginable detail to navigating this often uncharted process and empowering writers to embrace their professional autonomy and success. I recommend this book to my friends, my colleagues, my students, and strangers alike. It is a must-have guide for all writers!
– Ellen Bitterman, teacher, author, editor.
Buy Links
Before the Legend
How to Self-Publish Without Going Broke
MOBI – Amazon | Nook- B&N | Apple | Kobo |
Connect with the author on his website and social media profiles
My thanks to this weeks guest for a great post. I hope you all enjoyed it.
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Have a good week,
Richard.
