About Jessica Drury:
I was always one of those kids more content to sit with my nose stuffed into a book than run around the playground. I journaled before it was ever the cool thing to do and scribbled bits of poetry onto scraps of lined pages while my friends discussed boys and TV.
I love words. I love the emotions they evoke. And I love the firework of ideas they spark in my brain.
Now, as the CEO and Creative Director of Heartlines Copywriting Studio, I’ve turned my obsession with the written word into a paying gig. I help my fellow entrepreneurs capture the attention, earn the trust and strike the right emotional connection with their customers, all through the beauty and power of words.
When I’m not crafting compelling marketing messages for my clients, giving away all my best tips on my blog or, you know, having a life, I’m writing non-fiction books by the early pre-dawn hours while the kids are still asleep and the house has a stillness that embraces the imagination.
What inspires you to write?
I absolutely believe in Elizabeth Gilbert’s description of inspiration. That ideas are rushing around us all the time searching for the right person who will bring them to life and introduce them to the world. I think inspiration is just about being receptive to those ideas and about being a good partner, someone who’s willing to show up and do the work to bring them to life. Everything inspires me from the mundane every day moments that catch my attention, to music, and art and photography, to the beautiful words written by the authors I admire.
Tell us about your writing process.
My process isn’t that glamorous. I would wake up at 5 am every morning before the kids woke up and write for 2 hours. I wrote a non-fiction book. I wrote an outline for my book everything I wanted to cover for each chapter and what I felt the reader had to know first (the bare foundation) went into the introduction. When I was finished I found I still had a few lingering questions so I wrapped up the loose ends in the conclusion and recapped what was taught. Nothing revolutionary.
I can’t create on a computer screen so perhaps a writing quirk for me was that the first draft was done completely by pen and paper. The first round of edits was also an old-fashioned red pen with lots of stars and scratching out and writing in the margin and arrows. I love the organic, messy process of editing on paper. And it harkens back to my days as a high school teacher 😉
What advice would you give other writers?
My biggest stumbling block was having the courage to actually publish. My book sat, professionally edited on my hard drive for a couple of months before I actually launched. I joined a group of very supportive authors online who helped me (mostly) keep my sanity through the launching and marketing phase of publishing. Their knowledge and support were invaluable. And it was so nice to share the wins with others who truly appreciated the journey you were on.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I self-published on Amazon. I know many of my author friends who have also chosen to create soft-cover books on Createspace and publish elsewhere as well. I may do that someday. But as a busy Mom and solopreneur I can only devote so much time to marketing my book. Maybe someday I’ll consider other platforms.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think it’s fabulous that you no longer need an agent or large publishing house to publish your book and that you can still be successful and reach best-seller status on Amazon with a solid launch strategy and marketing plan. I made it to #1 in 3 categories on Amazon.ca and #2 in one of the categories I had chosen on Amazon.com, so it can be done!
It feels amazing to be able to put your work out into the world, to have it be well received and into the hands of so many people.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Non-fiction
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Website(s)
Jessica Drury Home Page Link
Link To Jessica Drury Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
