Elle Rivers, a writer of romance novels, self-published her books and printed through 48 Hour Books. The Failure to Thrive series is a must-read for books lovers who love a good romance. At eleven years old, Elle began writing. Beginning in fantasy, she quickly noticed a passion for romance and has been writing in that genre ever since. Elle noted, “All I want to do is write about real problems tied together with a lovely happily ever after.”
Failure to Thrive Summary
Riley Emerson is the last person anyone would expect to be a nanny. Her life has fallen apart. Her boyfriend just cheated on her. She lives with her mom, and she might have a drinking problem.
But Oliver Brian is desperate. His daughter, Zoe, has refused to go to sleep for anyone else in four years and with his career, Oliver can't always be there for her. Riley is only supposed to watch Zoe for one night, but somehow she gets Zoe to bed on her own. He's so shocked that he offers her a job on the spot.
Riley needs the money, and Oliver needs the time for himself. It’s a match made in Heaven… until feelings get involved.
Q&A with Elle Rivers
We asked Elle Rivers a few questions to help aspiring self-publishers like her in navigating their writing journey and getting a book published.
What is one piece of writing advice you would give to other authors?
Get the words down. No matter how bad they are, you can edit any book, but you can’t edit an empty page.
What do you view as the hardest thing about writing a book?
The first draft. It’s so easy to overthink and never actually draft it.
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how long does it usually last?
Sometimes I do, and it usually lasts a few weeks. It always happens when I’ve worked too much and not given myself breaks.
Do you have any tips you would like to share to overcome writer’s block?
Give yourself time. Go for walks or do something else that inspires you. The desire will return!
Describe your writing process. Do you have a routine?
I write the first draft, which is usually a dumpster fire, and then let it sit for a bit before returning it. I usually either re-write it, or heavily edit it until it feels like a real novel. Then I send it to my editors and let them have at it!
Who are some of your favorite authors or who inspires you?
Rick Riordan is the author that got me into reading when I was a little kid, so he is the main inspiration. In the romance genre specifically, I love Lucy Score, Christina Lauren, and Julie Olivia.
I tried to publish traditionally, but the querying process was very disheartening. I then played around with graphic design and worked with some editors, and I really enjoyed owning the entire process from start to finish.
As a self-published author, what was the most difficult part of the process?
Trying not to second guess my own decisions. It’s hard not to when I am the only one making them.
How did you conceptualize the look of your books? Can you tell us what kind of binding or cover design you used and why you made that decision?
I make all of my covers myself in Canva, though I am dabbling in InDesign. I like paperbacks for the first editions of books, but I like hardbacks for special editions. I usually have an idea for a color and then I draw it out or hire a designer to draw my characters. I am a big fan of seeing the characters on the cover, but I may switch it up soon!
Any advice you would like to give to aspiring writers or authors looking to self-publish?
Find a good editor, and then just get a draft down! It may take time, but if you’re dedicated, it will all come together.
What is the most rewarding part of releasing a book?
Getting comments on my social media saying they related to the characters and that it helped them as a person.
Where can people find your books and follow you?
I currently sell my books on TikTok shop, but I should have my books on my website by July.
· TikTok - @authorellerivers
· Instagram - @elleswrites
· Website - ellerivers.com
Print with 48 Hour Books
As a high-quality book printing company, we make the book printing process simple and fun for authors like Elle Rivers. Working with Elle has been great, and we love that she enjoyed printing her book through us as she shares, “48 Hours has been the most reliable book printer I have found. Amazon kept taking weeks to print, and then they destroy a lot of them in shipping, and others took far too long to ship.”
If you are ready to publish your book, we are here to help. Learn more about printing with us by reading our beginner’s guide to printing.
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