5 Questions About Writing With . . . Nick Daws
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing, Non-fiction on April 8, 2025
Nick Daws is a semi-retired freelance writer, age 69. 
He’s written over 100 non-fiction books, from The Internet for Writers to Living and Working in Germany. He is also an award-winning short-story writer. Nick runs a personal finance blog called Pounds and Sense and writes as a freelance about finance and matters pertaining to older people.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
When I was a full-time freelance with no other source of income, the work imposed its own discipline, because if I didn’t write, I wouldn’t have any money to pay the bills! Nowadays I’m semi-retired and have income from other sources such as pensions so that isn’t such a big issue. Still, I set myself daily and weekly targets, and am a great believer in the value of to-do lists.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
You must be able to focus on work and shut out distractions while you are writing. In this day and age that can be difficult, of course. You must be happy with your own company, as writing is by nature a solitary occupation. And while you don’t need to be Shakespeare, you do need a basic grasp of spelling, grammar and punctuation. It helps a lot if you enjoy reading too, not just in your own field but more widely. I’d like to think I have all these qualities, though I do sometimes struggle getting down to work. I’m prone to procrastination and can find a million and one other things to do before sitting down to write. Once I’ve started, though, I often have to force myself to step away from the computer for the sake of my health!
How do you market yourself?
In the past I found word of mouth and personal recommendation among the best ways to market myself. Going to writers’ conferences (as a speaker or participant) definitely helped get my name (and face) known and sometimes generated commissions and bookings too. Some of my best long-term writing gigs actually came from replying to ads in the Guardian newspaper and specialist writing magazines. I was also lucky to get referrals over the years from clients and colleagues, including fellow writers. These days I rely more on social media, mainly Twitter/X and Facebook. My blog also acts as a calling card. I regularly get approached by people wanting to advertise and/or have content published there. It has also generated writing commissions for me, including from the Sun and Daily Telegraph.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
I think every writer should have a style guide such as the one published for many years by the Economist magazine. The latest version, available from Amazon UK, is titled Writing With Style. I’m also a big fan of On Writing by horror author Stephen King. This is an entertaining read and has many good tips for fiction writers in particular. As regards websites, I regularly visit the free Thesaurus.com if I’m struggling to find the exact word I need or just require an alternative to avoid repeating myself!
A top tip for other writers?
Writing is a very competitive field and talent only gets you so far. You also need to be persistent and never give up, even in the face of repeated rejection. I’d also advise joining a local writers’ group. I have belonged to various groups over the years and the support and constructive criticism I have received from members has been invaluable.
About Nick’s Pounds and Sense blog
Nick has been running his Pounds and Sense personal finance blog since 2016. It covers making money, saving money and investing from an older person’s perspective. The blog also covers other subjects relevant to over-50s, including health, diet, holidays, and so on.
I Missed My Publication Day
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Lifestyle, Promotion, Successes, Travel on March 18, 2025
Tuesday March 11th was a big day in the literary world: My third novel for ChocLit/Joffe Books hit the Amazon shelves!
But I was away from my laptop and most of social media. I was in Athens on a trip booked long before the publication date for Out of Control was announced. Being on holiday was a happy, lovely experience which I’m grateful for but it did mean I missed my chance to do much proud shouting about my brand new book. So I’m going to make up for it now! (Close your eyes or look away if you’re averse to a bit of book publicity).
Out of Control was inspired by my (winning!) entry for the 2023 RNA Elizabeth Goudge Award. The brief had been to write the opening chapter of a novel with the theme, Absence Makes the Heart grow fonder. I created the character of Fiona. She’s sixty years old and enjoys seeing Joe, her man friend, just once a week. She doesn’t have to do his washing, put up with his snoring or tolerate any of the other annoying things that run alongside living with a partner. His absence for six days a week makes her grow more fond of him. Then he turns up on her doorstep with his suitcases – his house is flooded and he needs somewhere to live. Soon after, Joe’s daughter turns up eight months pregnant with nowhere to go. Fiona has no choice but to let them both stay. Suddenly Fiona has a full house and is way out of her comfort zone. But just as she starts to regain control, an unexpected revelation shakes everything she thought she knew about life and love.
Now Fiona must decide: does she stay in control, or surrender to the chaos of love?
Out of Control is billed as a later-in-life, feel-good, friends-to-lovers romance. And it’s currently only 99p on Kindle (it will go up but I have no control over when) or free if you have Kindle Unlimited.
P.S. There are also book group discussion questions in the back of the book if that helps to persuade you that its worth downloading!
And here I am on publication day!
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Joanna Toye
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing on March 4, 2025
Joanna Toye spent 35 years on the writing and production team of ‘The Archers’ with forays into TV scriptwriting for ‘Crossroads’, ‘Doctors’ and ‘EastEnders’ before launching a new career as a novelist.
After six sagas about a WW2 department store, her new series about The Little Penguin Bookshop is set around a station bookstall, also in WW2, a period she loves and has researched widely. She lives near Bath.
Joanna can be found on Facebook, X and Instagram.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
I work best in the mornings, starting early and finishing around lunchtime. Then I take a break, preferably a walk, mulling over what I’ve done and come back to refine it. Every day I read through what I’ve done the day before, or at least the end of it. Often, I’ll have written on beyond the hook of a chapter ending with a couple of sentences of the next chapter to give myself a jumping off point. In lockdown, with no distractions, I set myself a target of 2000 words a day. I gave up after about a week. Quality not quantity for me, every time.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
Determination, for sure. Determination to get it done, determination to get it published and determination to get the word out there. I don’t think I’m tough, but I’m tenacious.
How do you market yourself and your books?
All my books have been published by traditional publishers, but I was amazed and quite thrown by the amount of self-publicity involved on social media, and it’s not what I feel I’m good at. I’m on X, and a little bit on Instagram, but the best vehicle for connecting with the saga audience, for me anyway, is my Facebook Page. I feel comfortable and among friends there. Best of all I like meeting readers in person at library events and festivals, which I set up myself – I’m not reaching hundreds of people but I like the personal contact.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
The Romantic Novelists Association runs several courses. The most useful one I did was about ‘building your brand’ – I’ve tried to put its lessons into practice. I was in the Writers’ Guild for many years when I was scriptwriting and did several of their courses – everything from accounting for writers (boring but vital) to the all-important ‘elevator pitch’ – the one-sentence summary of your idea. I’ve recently moved to Somerset. There are a couple of local writers’ groups and we meet for lunch or coffee. Some of them are writing saga, some contemporary romance, some YA or children’s books – it’s fascinating hearing about their writing ‘journeys’ – both setbacks and successes.
A top tip for other writers?
Never give up. Believe in yourself.
About A New Chapter at the Little Penguin Bookshop – published January 2025
With her soldier boyfriend posted away, Carrie’s busy running her station bookshop specialising in sixpenny Penguin books, but worries about her friends. Porter Penny has a secret, tearoom manageress Bette a family crisis and waitress Ruby lands herself in trouble. And when Carrie’s twin brother is shot down and the bookstall itself looks threatened, will a handsome American turn her head?
Cover Reveal plus a Free Book
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Books, Promotion, Successes on February 21, 2025
It’s an exciting week: the cover for Out of Control, my third novel with Choc Lit/Joffe Books is now in the public domain and the Kindle version is available for preorder at only 99p. 
Plus Little Museum of Hope is available on Kindle for FREE for today only (Friday 21st February 2025).
Out of Control is about learning to loosen the reins of life, trying to go with the flow, learning to trust and letting others in. Three decades ago Fiona was married to a man with a gambling problem. He lost everything they had and the stress this caused may have played a part in Fiona’s miscarriage. Fiona divorced Rob and vowed never to let anyone else get too close to her again. She keeps that promise. Fast forward to the present day. Fiona is on the verge of retirement. She sees boyfriend Joe only once a week – which she loves because she still has her own space and complete control of her life. Plus absence makes the heart grow fonder!
Then Joe turns up on her doorstep with his suitcases: his house has been flooded and he needs somewhere to stay. He’s swiftly followed by his heavily pregnant student daughter who has nowhere else to go. Fiona’s ordered existence is suddenly out of control. Will her relationship with Joe survive? Can she cope with the presence of his daughter and the reminder of the baby she lost?
Out of Control will be published on March 11th 2025 and can be preordered now for only 99p on Kindle!
And if you missed out on reading Little Museum of Hope – now is your one-day only opportunity to grab it for FREE! (That means you can get two of my novels for a combined price of only 99p – don’t miss out!).
Book Fairs
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Events, Markets, Promotion on February 15, 2025
Book Fairs appear to be growing in popularity. These are gatherings of large numbers of authors for the purpose of signing and selling books to the reading public. Authors pay for a table at these events. Sometimes readers have to pay an entrance fee and sometimes the events are free entry. 
These are not the same as Literature/Book Festivals where there is a program based around authors speaking about their books. Nor are they the same as events like The London Book Fair which is principally for the publishing industry, not the reading community.
There has been some discussion amongst the members of the New Street Authors Collective about whether Book Fairs are financially worthwhile. Tables usually cost upwards of £25 with those located in prime spots, and thus receiving the most footfall, priced higher. Many events cost significantly more than that. Adding in the cost of travel, parking and food and drink increases the financial outlay even more. Depending on how much authors charge for their books, the profit per book over cost price may be around £3. The sheer number of authors at these events means that competition is fierce and therefore the number of books sold may well only be in single figures. This means that many authors won’t make money at these events.
I’ve never attended one of these book signings and so I asked my fellow writers what the attraction was, given that they were likely to end up out of pocket.
F. D. Lee – “You don’t get many sales but more often than not you do get fans and fans will be loyal to you whatever you do.”
Dawn Abigail – “For me it’s a question of having some ulterior motive, i.e., Do I want to go, irrespective of how much I sell? If so, then sales are just a bonus.”
Jill Griffin – “It’s a good way to meet other authors and share information.”
Lee Benson – “I enjoy meeting people in the flesh and, at the shows I’ve attended, I’ve always sold books as well as getting school performance bookings and meeting other authors who want to be interviewed for my radio show and vice versa.”
The attraction of Book Fairs for authors is not wealth and riches – we all know that the average writer earns a pittance from his work – but the social aspect of mixing with other bookish people and comparing notes.
If you’d like to dip your toe into this world, whether as an author or a reader, here are a few places to try:
Book Extravaganzas (Midlands) organised by Rosie’s Retro Bazaar and Fantom Publishing
Book Signing Events in the UK A range of genres and locations
UK Book Signing Events Private Facebook Group
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Peter Raposo
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing on February 11, 2025
Peter Raposo was born in London to Portuguese parents and now lives in Coventry.
His first book dUst came out in 2021. Peter writes science-fiction novels, fiction, romance, and he’s now working on a horror novel. He’s also a member of the New Street Authors and has a YouTube channel called that boring dude.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
I always make sure to take a couple of hours to write or to do a bit of research every day, but if no ideas are coming to mind, I take a break where I either read something or do a bit of meditation. As I get older, the writing tends to get a bit easier, but I don’t set myself any daily targets. I just wait for the words to come to me. There are days when I can write 10 to 20 pages in one go, and then there are days where I find it hard to write half a page.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
Imagination. Pain. Love. Be a bit funny. Or dramatic. I think I’m a bit of both.
I’ve written some of my best work while going through some of the most painful moments in my life. It’s almost as if I’m a sadomasochist that craves the pain just so I can write. Maybe I should have been a poet.
How do you market yourself and your books?
I use a lot of social media, including my YouTube channel, and I email magazines, radio stations and other writers/bloggers asking if they would like to have me on their show or interview me for their blogs.
I also email libraries and independent bookshops asking if I could do a book event, and I usually get good replies. Plus I’m a member of a local writing group and we always find a few events to do throughout the year. And then there’s Facebook and Instagram, but, to be honest, I’m still learning the process of marketing myself.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
Communicate with people. Go out there, see the world, talk to people, to other writers, etc. During the lockdown of 2020-2021, I started to help out at a food bank and I met so many people who had such crazy stories to tell me that, in the end, I ended up writing a trilogy of books.
A top tip for other writers?
Only one: write. If you’re stuck and you don’t know what to write, just start journaling. That will help you to write.
About The Mechanical Tears of the Immortal Being – published January 2024
A famous author is invited to a party in the middle of nowhere, a party attended by some of the most powerful people in the world. On the way there, he meets a porn star. Later, when they’re already at the party, he watches as the poor woman is taken away because some people want to have fun with her. And why was he invited to that party?
Years later, that same writer takes a private flight to New Zealand. One of the passengers on that flight is the billionaire Samuel Obberbrunner. Unknown to everyone, Samuel is heading to his bunker where immortality is waiting for him. But to achieve immortality he will have to leave love and everything else behind him for a long time.
Island Song by Pepsi Demacque-Crockett
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Authors, Books, Resources on January 30, 2025
I’ve just finished reading Island Song, the debut novel by Pepsi Demacque-Crockett – published today, 30th January 2025 (No, I didn’t speed read 300+ pages! I received an advance review copy). 
If the name of the author seems familiar to you, you are right. Pepsi enjoyed a career in the pop industry in the 1980s and 1990s as part of Wham! and later in the singing duo Pepsi & Shirlie. Pepsi’s parents came to the UK in the 1950s from Saint Lucia and Island Song is inspired by their experience. I enjoyed this book in two different ways, as a reader and as a writer:
The blurb: When their father dies, Agnes Deterville and her sister Ella must forge their own paths in life. Headstrong Agnes dreams of a new life far away. Cautious Ella fears the world beyond their small village in St Lucia. When Agnes departs for a new life in 1950s London, they are both confronted by heartbreak, loneliness, and tragedy. Separated by an ocean, but bound by love, can the sisters keep their island song singing in their hearts?
My reader review: Island Song is a book of contrasts. The reader travels from the bright and colourful island of St. Lucia to grey and dismal London. We experience the friendly, inclusive Caribbean culture and then witness the hostility and suspicion of people in 1950s UK. We get to know Agnes and her adventurous, determined spirit compared with her older, much more cautious sister, who is very much a home bird.
Pepsi Demacque-Crockett weaves all of these threads together to create an absorbing, timely, thought-provoking but easy-to-read novel. It is reminiscent of ‘A Small Island’ by Andrea Levy and would make a great book club read.
With thanks to HarperCollins and The Reading Agency for my Advance Review Copy.
My writer review: The word ‘contrast’ sums up what I learned as a writer from Island Song. We are always told the importance of differentiating our characters to avoid them homogenising into one voice. However, this can be difficult if our protagonists are similar ages, from similar backgrounds and have similar lifestyles. Pepsi got around this difficulty by giving the two sisters, Agnes and Ella, very different personalities: Agnes wants to conquer the world but Ella fears even leaving their village. But they still share the same basic philosophy that family is all important. For me, the lesson to take away is that I should concentrate on what makes my characters different to one another, especially when they are conversing or otherwise interacting with each other.
Copyediting and a Kindle Deal
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Short Story, Writing on January 14, 2025
![20250105_175958[1]](https://sally-jenkins.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20250105_1759581.jpg)
Along with all the usual extra December activities and preparations, the copyedits for my third novel with ChocLit/Joffe Books landed just before Christmas with a deadline of 6th January. I spent the holiday period squeezing in as much editing time as possible – but still ensuring I got to see all the family and didn’t miss out on the turkey and wine!
Copyedits are suggested changes at sentence level (it’s assumed that the structure of the story as a whole is working by this point) to ensure clarity and a smooth read, plus continuity/timeline issues will be highlighted and the odd incorrect fact might be spotted. During this process I learned a couple of things:
The book is set at Christmas and I mention that one character is watching a rerun of the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film from 1971. My editor correctly pointed out that this version of the film actually has the title, ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory‘. A few reasons have been put forward on Wikipedia for this title change, some political and one relating to product placement of the Wonka chocolate bar. Make of them what you will.
I also refer to Slade’s hit Merry Christmas Everybody, but again I had that title wrong. It should be Merry Xmas Everybody. I was grateful to have these errors pointed out to me – and it just goes to show that we should always double check everything before inclusion!
In other news, Amazon have picked one of my earlier books, A Coffee Break Story Collection: 36 Short Stories, for one of their ‘deals’. For the month of January they have reduced the Kindle edition from £2.99 to only 99p and are promoting it! This is a rare happening – so, if you enjoy a short story or 36, fill your boots (and your Kindles!) while you can.
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Victoria Walker
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing on January 7, 2025
Victoria Walker has been writing romantic fiction since a visit to Iceland in 2014 inspired her first novel. 
As well as writing, she spends her free time dressmaking, knitting and reading an inordinate amount of contemporary romance. She lives in the Malvern Hills.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
When I start a new book, I set myself a deadline for completing the first draft and use Pacemaker.press to work out how many words per day I need to write. Typically, this ends up being around 1200 words per day, but if I do fewer or extra, it changes the total for the subsequent days. Because I have a day job, I need the discipline of knowing I have this target to meet every day, otherwise it won’t get done. Also, it stops me from being overwhelmed by thinking of the total word count as a target.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
I think discipline is one of the most important things, and I have that quality, although it doesn’t come easily! Belief in yourself and what you’re writing is also important, especially if you’re indie published, or a debut novelist and don’t yet have the validation of a publisher or readers to know you’re on the right track. I’ve always loved the saying – ‘the only difference between someone who’s published and someone who isn’t, is persistence’. That’s definitely true.
How do you market yourself and your books?
I started out doing everything but have narrowed it down over the past year, concentrating on what’s working for me. I have an author Facebook page, which came to life when I started doing Facebook ads. People who see the ads follow my page, so the ads have had that unintended consequence as well as generating sales. After three years, I have stopped doing Amazon ads because the Facebook ads work so much better for me. They’ve boosted sales of my Icelandic Romance series by at least 100% since I started using them in July. It’s trial and error to find what works, but they’ve been a game changer for me. I also offer a bonus epilogue in the back of most of my books in return for a newsletter sign-up. This has been very successful, and I get a lot of engagement from my subscribers. For my latest release, I had a huge (for me) number of pre-orders just off the back of the newsletter.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
Most of my knowledge of the writing craft has come from attending the Romantic Novelists’ Association annual conference. I’ve been to six. There is such a wealth of knowledge and experience amongst their members, it’s been invaluable to me.
A top tip for other writers?
Write as much as you can. The more you write, the better you’ll become at recognising what is good and what isn’t. And reading in your genre helps enormously with this too.
About Ignited in Iceland – published November 2024
Iris, an English volcanologist, arrives in Iceland focused solely on her research. But she meets Siggi, a charismatic local with a complicated past, and a passion for showing her Iceland’s geological wonders.
Set in the land of ice and fire, this is a compelling tale of love, risk, and finding the courage to trust again.
Author Newsletters?
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Computers & Technical, Promotion, Resources on December 28, 2024
It appears to be a truth universally acknowledged that an author should have an email list, to which they regularly send a newsletter detailing their writing exploits.
There are, apparently, good reasons for this:
- Social media platforms bob in and out of popularity (X/Twitter is a good example). When a platform wanes or goes out of business, authors lose followers. However, a list of email addresses is yours to keep.
- Email is a more personal way to communicate with readers rather than ‘shouting’ to all and sundry via social media. Plus, the reader can hit ‘reply’ and open a genuine conversation with you.
- Keep readers engaged in between books coming out.
- Have a look at the Book Cave website for many more compelling reasons.
I have such an email list (you can signup here) but send out pitifully few newsletters and therefore I’m not properly connecting with all those wonderful people who have bought my books and been kind enough to trust me with their email address. (I use the Mailchimp platform to manage my newsletter and all the email addresses are securely held there and comply with GDPR rules). So, I was pleased to attend a Zoom seminar by Rebecca Fearnley about how she manages her author newsletter.
Rebecca uses the Mailerlite platform and regularly curates her subscribers in order to only keep those who are actually interested in her and her books. She offers a freebie to encourage signups but people who don’t open emails after they’ve received the free offer are eventually culled. This enable Rebecca to keep her subscribers below 1,000 and thus she can stick with the free version of Mailerlite. She uses BookFunnel to distribute her free e-book offer but this is a paid-for tool. Within Mailerlite, Rebecca has set up various email onboarding logic flows so that she can tell who has signed up from where and automatically send out different messages and measure their responses to gauge whether they are a worthwhile subscriber. At the end of each book she puts her newsletter signup link and the associated QR code. Rebecca sends out weekly newsletters – which really impressed me, it’s something I wouldn’t have the time, or the content, to do!
Going forward into 2025, I’m hoping to make more of my newsletter, possibly sending one every couple of months. It’s aimed at readers (this blog will continue because it’s aimed more at writers – but I hope you’re all readers as well!) and it usually contains information about books and TV programs I’ve enjoyed, how my my writing is going and a little bit about life in general. You’d be most welcome to find out how I get on.
In the meantime, I’d love to know your feelings on author newsletters:
Are you signed up to any? What keeps you opening and reading them? Do they encourage you to buy books? When/why do you unsubscribe?
Please let me know in the comments.
Sally Jenkins 