TREGOLLS LODGE BOOK CLUB
BIOGRAPHY SPOTLIGHT
Kathleen Jones
Kathleen Jones is a Canadian novelist and a former book editor. Her latest novel, The War on Sarah Morris (Legacy Book Press, April 2024), deals with a middle-aged woman’s struggle to stay employed when the company she works for is reorganized and her boss tries to bully her out of her job. Kathleen’s first novel, Love Is the Punch Line, an offbeat, midlife romance set in the world of stand-up comedy, was published by Moonshine Cove in 2018. Both books have received several 4- and 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
Kathleen also writes frequent book reviews for Goodreads, Amazon, and LibraryThing. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with her husband, son, and German Shepherd dog.
AUTHORS Q&A
Featuring Kathleen Jones
What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?
There are countless publishing, marketing, and promotional scams that target inexperienced authors. These con artists make extravagant promises—always for a hefty fee of course—but fail to deliver the goods. Paid book reviewers are a particularly aggressive bunch! I’ve been approached by far too many of them.
Does writing energise or exhaust you?
Writing energises me. I often don’t know where it will lead me; one idea seems to lead to another and another and another.
Do you think that someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
Someone who doesn’t feel emotions strongly might succeed as a non-fiction writer because a lot of non-fiction writing is based on facts. However, it’s unlikely that she or he would have the emotional depth and imagination to write good fiction.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you to become a better writer?
I’ve connected online with a number of good writers, including KD Sherrinford, Kathy Coatney, Bernie Bro Brown, and Kathleen Duhamel. We read and review each other’s novels. When I read their books, I often spot what’s missing in my own writing.
What’s the best way to market your books?
The best way to market your books is to sell them yourself. First, get your book listed on a store’s website. Then meet with the store’s manager, try to get him or her to carry the book in their store and schedule an in-store book signing. The book signing will give you the opportunity to pitch your novel directly to customers.
Do you read your book reviews, and how do you deal with bad or good ones?
I read all my book reviews. I thank people who liked my book. I don’t respond to people who didn’t, and I try not to take their feedback personally. Instead, I keep in mind a comment from author Margaret Atwood: if some people like your writing but others don’t, you’ve succeeded as an author.
What advice would you give a budding novelist?
Read good fiction, learn how the book publishing business works, hire professionals (a substantive and line editor, a copy editor, a proofreader) to polish your manuscript before you submit it, research book publishers before you approach them, create a marketing plan for your book several months before it’s released.
Are your books plot driven or character driven?
My books are character driven; however, I try to create interesting plots for my characters.
How much of you is there in your books?
There is a lot of me in my books; I base them—loosely— on my personal experiences.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It takes me five or six years to write a book. I write three drafts before I show the manuscript to anyone. I then hire a substantive and line editor. After I get feedback from the editor, I do a substantial rewrite of the entire book. I’ll then hire a copy editor and a proof reader and rewrite the book again and again. The book usually goes through ten drafts before I submit it to agents and book publishers.
Where do you write?
I write at home on the couch in my living room.
Do you prefer paper books or an e-reader?
I prefer paper books. It’s much more comfortable to curl up with a paper book.
CHAPTER ONE
… I stare at the email on my computer screen, my mind suddenly flooded
with questions.
Why on earth did the company do this to me? Maybe it’s my age. I’m forty-nine, practically a wizened old geezer as far as the business world is concerned. Or maybe …”
– Kathleen Jones, The War on Sarah Morris
Kathleen Jones, The Quirky Novelist 