An Interview with Author James Joseph Wallander

Tell us about yourself.

Married, seven children, granddaughter, six siblings, so family is a big part of my life.

Tell us about your book. What is it about?

The Stableboy is a book that addresses the questions, “Who lived at the inn where Jesus was born? What was their family like? What did they do?” The book is really about family life, relationships and being generous. There are some unexpected twists at the end that have made young children really embrace it.

What motivated you to write and publish a book for children? Is there a moral or message in your book, or is it just for fun?

Yes, there are some moral messages as undertones of the book, but it is really just a fun day in the life kind of book.

Who is your target audience suited for this story? What age group of children do you suggest for your book?

The age group is 2-12. With the great illustrations that Jenn put into the book, it is a book that young children love to have read to them. For their parents and grandparents, it has been more of an experience than a book to read. So many have told me their children and grandchildren have been delighted to realize who the little baby is- it is a great “aha!” moment for them.

Do you have a favorite character in your story?

I think they each have such great qualities that they are all my favorite.

Are you currently working on another book? Is it the same genre?

Not yet but I have some concepts. My Mom has given me a great idea for the second book, and I am exploring that.

Do you find reviews helpful?  Or intimidating?

Helpful.

Why did you decide to self-publish?

This would be a method of publishing that fit my lifestyle better. I am involved in a number of other businesses that demand a lot of my time and attention, so self-publishing provided me the greatest flexibility.

Did you use IngramSpark, Amazon KDP, or another company to handle the printing and distribution of your book?

IngramSpark.

Now that your book is in print, do you have any regrets?

Just that I should have got it to market a long time ago. But no regrets- life is funny and we need to give ourselves grace too.

What parts did you do on your own, and what did you hire out to have done? (Illustrations, editing, book design, cover design, eBook, marketing, etc.)

I wrote the story and am handling the marketing. Jenn Llewellyn did the great illustrations for the book. Jera helped with the cover design, book design and editing and did a great job for me which I really appreciate.

What would you do it differently if you were to self-publish again?

Set aside 90 days exclusively to get the book out and make sure the social media platforms were ready to go.

What is the most difficult part of writing this book?

Since it is a children’s book it needed to be as short as possible. Getting the story into the format and limited number of pages was a challenge but Jera provided great assistance with this.

If you could tell yourself anything as a younger writer, what would it be?

Just get it done.

What marketing have you done for your book? What worked and what did not?

 So far just got a website up and operational. I sent out some text messages to family and friends and made a post on LinkedIn. To my surprise it hit #1 and #3 new release on Amazon for Children’s Christian People/Places Fiction for the hardcover and paperback respectively. The hardcover also hit #2 for new releases in the Children’s Christmas category and the paperback hit #6 there. What a delight!

Did you start marketing before your book was launched? If not, do you regret that decision?

No. No regrets. Life is too short for regrets.

How do you use social media as an author? Has it worked well for you, or is it something you want to do more or less of?

I am just getting to use social media for the book. I set up a website and will be exploring the other social media platforms for opportunities.

Which platform do you use the most?

Just starting.

Any advice you want to pass on to other authors looking to self-publish their book?

Focus on getting the book done as you want it done. Contact Jera Publishing to help you. That’s about all.

Anything else?

Art in any form, in my opinion, allows the artist or singer or writer or whatever to push their very unique talent into the future. For future generations to enjoy. Don’t be shy about your work – be bold.