Monarch Child by Jen If

1/26/2025

Debut author and trafficking survivor Jen If introduces us to her book of poetry, “Monarch Child”:
Monarch Child is a collection of nineteen memoir poems about international child trafficking. Look through the eyes of a small child smuggled abroad for organised abuse. A searing and uncomfortable insight into a world rarely shared.
Our eyes of distant rain.
Remnants of summer sun through
her ever-shifting hair.
Did her hands overflow with love,
shame,
or lies,
when she passed that child,
to not-her-uncle?

This collection may be upsetting or triggering for people who have experienced S.R.A.

This slim volume of poetry is a testament to all survivors and a cry for help from those still caught in such an insidious industry.
I cried on the inside as I read these poems. So much is not said and is just as important as the words on the page. Another part of me wanted to take action to end this abuse.
If you are a survivor heed the warning in the front of the book.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Monarch-Child-Jen-If
https://www.goodreads.com/-monarch-child

You can follow the author:
https://x.com/WriterJenIf
https://www.jen-if.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/-Jen-If

Copyright © Mark L. Schultz 2025 except for the author’s introduction

47 Comments

Jen If link

1/27/2025 03:16:49 pm

Thank you for posting this here, Mark, I appreciate it :) Things like this are an absolute boost for me

Mark

1/27/2025 04:09:47 pm

You're welcome, Jen. I love to read and chat with authors. I am pleased that you chose me to help promote your book. Promotion and marketing are more like an ultra-marathon than a sprint.

First question.

Please, tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

Jen link

1/28/2025 09:10:14 am

Love to! Beyond the bio, hmm. So people know I'm a survivor of trafficking from an early age. This first chapbook of nineteen poems is from a time I left the place I thought of as home and was taken out of the country for organised abuse. I had all my milk teeth and looked up to bigger girls who had wobbly teeth or who had lost theirs so I know I was definitely younger than seven years old. I can tell you more about that, if you like? What would you like to know?

Mark

1/28/2025 09:51:10 am

Not knowing how old you were devastates me. Thank you. Let's move on.

New questions.

What are your three favorite genres to read for pleasure?

Has writing changed the pleasure of reading for you?

Jen link

1/28/2025 10:08:56 am

It is upsetting that it's part of the reality we're in, right now. I'm not even entirely sure it was the first time - it's just the first time I can remember.

Three favourite genres for pleasure? I like to read 'nice' things, gentle stories about women who move to the coast to take over a bookshop and accidentally fall in love with a handsome stranger is always a win. But honestly, my concentration is shot. I find it really difficult to take in what I'm reading and began 'Pandora' by Susan Stokes Chapman a few months ago and am still not a third of the way in. My concentration is why I switched from writing prose to writing poetry - it's more immediate. Easier to hold in my head.

Mark

1/28/2025 10:54:09 am

We do live in a broken world and it's full of broken people. There are no unbroken people.

That sounds like the clean romance genre. I am certain I would enjoy that genre also.

Concentration is a big issue for some people. It sounds like you have it worse than many others.

New questions.

Do you write in a journal?

How has writing changed your life?

Jen If link

1/28/2025 11:30:15 am

Clean romance sounds about right! I used to read a lot of F. Scott-Fitzgerald, Jeanette Winterson, Patrick Suskind, Kate Chopin, Salman Rushdie, Dylan Thomas, George Elliot, Kurt Vonnegut, Sylvia Plath - bit hard to pin to a genre. Beyond that, I'm mostly about poetry.

There's a lot of research supporting how healthy it is to have a writing habit. Writing's certainly changed my life. I began writing by accident. When I was a child, I'd say incongruous things to people from my SRA and trafficking experiences and one a time concerned lady asked my mum about something I'd said and my mum said, 'Oh, she's so good at making up stories'. I didn't realise she was calling me a liar and, because it was the nicest thing that she'd ever said to me, I tried hard from then on to develop good writing skills. I was about thirty when I realised I was always writing always only my own story, my day-to-day.

Now, with poetry, I'm able to express the things I couldn't say. For me, there's a great beauty in that. A neatness. A justice.

Mark

1/28/2025 01:26:53 pm

That is a pretty wide field you are adventuring in. I am reading broadly also. I read almost exclusively sci-fi during my formative years if I had the choice. I think it was in the eighth grade I was given a paperback set of the Lord of the Rings. I fell in love with fantasy and read the set 3 times before graduating from high school.

Poetry makes a great deal of sense for you. Finding your voice and putting words out so others can hear you has to be quite liberating.

New questions.

Does your work, past or present, have any influence on your writing?

Who was the first person to inspire you to write something to publish?

Jen If link

1/29/2025 06:44:46 am

Lord of the Rings hey, I love hobbits! But the whole Sauron thing felt a bit too scary, no? Saying that, I did have a big Stephen King phase. Did you? Does everyone?

About being heard, yes it's incredibly liberating, almost indescribably so. It's true that the truth sets you free.

To your questions. The only effect work has had on my writing is to GET IN THE WAY OF IT. A lot of writers must be able to relate to having to carve out time to write around other commitments. Writing or sleep? Writing or lunch? Writing or having even a moment to think!?

I've written loads of stuff but hardly ever send it out to anyone. Being published always seemed like a very distant dream meant for other people, beautiful people, too good for me. Self-esteem is essential for publishing. It's not only because of the rejection that's part of the process, but you first have to believe that your writing is worthy of being read (if only by an intern working the slush pile). I didn't have any. I thought that even printing the pages and buying a stamp would be a waste of money, that I'd be wasting the readers time and making a fool of myself.

Starting to believe it could be possible for me is a new thing. I've been working on healing from trauma and developing self-esteem and self-compassion for a lo-o-o-ng time and it's gained momentum. I've done a lot of work and learnt a lot. Now, I share what I've learned via my email newsletter because if I can heal from extreme abuse, I can definitely help other people heal from their traumas, too. When you love yourself, you can do anything.

If anyone wants to join the newsletter, they're welcome to via my website :)

Mark

1/29/2025 07:47:41 am

The Eye of Sauron was very intimidating because he controlled so many and was able to extend his power over others.
I am not a big fan of horror, it scares me. Gory horror is even worse for me. Horror that makes me laugh is okay. I love to laugh.

I have not read any of king's novels. I saw the movie, "Carrie" and that was enough for me. I have also watched "Alien" and the other movies in the series and enjoyed them. I enjoy action movies quite a bit, I love figuring out how they accomplish the stunts and costumes.

Work, family and other commitments get in the way of every author writing a book. Finding a balance is tough. If you add in the necessity of marketing and book promotion that every author faces it seems nearly impossible to manage. I have recommended to authors for many years now that they devote an hour or two at least once every two weeks for marketing and promoting their book. Setting up a list of activities to accomplish these goals is crucial.

Every author also struggles with the worth of their work and by extension their self-worth. I tell them to ignore the inner liar and keep writing and moving forward. That enemy wants you to fail.

Helping others at the right time is vital. We all benefit when we help others.

I hope many sign up for your newsletter.

New questions.

Will you keep writing poetry or will you branch out?

Have you ever seen a UFO or UAP, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena?

Jen If link

1/29/2025 10:47:38 am

Thanks for your good wishes :)

Oh, *lightbulb moment* I understand now why I found the Eye of Sauron so terrifying. Thank you for making sense of that.

I've not watched or read Carrie and I'm completely with you that gore isn't the best. I loved 'Gerald's Game' by SK which is a psychological thriller and most of the novel is set on a bed with one character. 'Mrs Todd's Shortcut' was kind of fun, too.

There's gore in my poems, a little in this current chapbook and potentially a lot more in the next. I don't want to be gratuitous or disrespectful to the people I write about but poems are the way I process my experiences so violence does feature. A poetry horror memoir. It's got 'Bestseller' written all over it.

You like action movies? Did you watch Die Hard over the seasonal holidays? It's a Christmas Classic in the UK. You know they make Bruce Willis costumes by giving M&S vests to angry chihuahuas to tear up? #truefact

Marketing. You're giving out good advice and I really appreciate it. I underestimated what was required but it's okay, this is my first book and a helpful learning experience.

For the future, I'd like to share a lot more poetry and a full prose memoir but who knows for sure what the future holds, certainly not me.

There's another question there and it's a really interesting one but I feel like I've been holding the mic a long time. Are you still with me?

Mark

1/29/2025 10:28:00 am

You're welcome.

Life has violence and we are born naked but that doesn't justify violence and nudity in every other scene. There is a time and place for everything. Beauty and love exist also and should be encouraged.

I don't know what an M&S vest means but I love the thought of Chihuahuas having a go at a costume. Years ago, I saw a video on YouTube of a cougar cornered in someone's garage by a pack of angry Chihuahuas. It was funny.

Marketing is the never-ending story. One of my favorite blogs is about pursuing the local author angle. How to be a marketing star right where you live. A copy-and-paste link or search the title in the search box below: https://annerallen.com/2019/08/hometown-book-marketing/

I would add a few tips, seek out literature teachers at the high school and college level to share in their class and there might be a club in the school. Local newspapers are a good resource for an interview as well as local cable access. There might also be a broadcast arts curriculum and/or a club at the high school and college level. Have some questions ready to hand the interviewer if they seem uncertain.

Senior centers are another good possibility and they usually welcome any sort of activity like that. Contact the events director.

If there are tourist destinations try and place your books with the local author angle. Museums, gift stores, motels, hotels, tourist attractions are all possibilities. Keep a box of books in your trunk. Get a counter-top holder for a few books, paste a picture of the cover on the holder behind the books and put re-ordering information on the back of the holder.

Consider renting a table at a comic convention, county fair, farmer's market or a flea market. Have free swag to hand out such as a bookmark and sell mugs or posters. There are so many ways to be the 'local author' I doubt I have exhausted the list of possibilities.

At least a few of these might be useful.

Don't be concerned about holding the mic too long. I share it quite happily.

So, what about those pesky UFOs? Have you seen one?

New question.

Have you ever seen a cryptid, an animal unknown to modern zoologists, or found evidence of one?

Jen If link

1/29/2025 11:38:09 am

Oh my gosh, Mark, these ideas are solid gold! You're so good at what you do. I'm copy and pasting all over this place.

M&S is Marks and Spencer's, a very British high street store and an institution. Sensible undergarments since before the war.

UFO's? I'm open to the idea. Mathematically speaking, considering the infinite number of planets and the size of space, it seems silly to conclude we're the only intelligent life in the universe. I'm not sure if I've seen one, though, pesky or otherwise. How about you?

Now you've had me googling 'cryptid'. The answer's no but I would totally join in a search for Big Foot. I'd love that! So exciting.

And surely there must be unicorns somewhere. Surely. Otherwise, why are they on so many pyjamas, hmm, answer me that. The idea of the world without them just doesn't make sense.

I'm joking around of course but also, I'm open minded. My life has been what other people dismiss as a conspiracy theory so that's forced me to consider everything pretty carefully. Some things we're told as fact, I know aren't true and some things I know are true are flatly denied. It just seems sensible to be open and thoughtful.

Mark

1/29/2025 12:22:59 pm

I love helping authors of any stripe or experience and I learn things along the way.

I am pretty sure we went to a Mark's and Spencer's store on one of our two trips to England. We definitely visited Harrods and did lots of touristy things.

There is certainly something out there. But some of them seem to have evil intentions and don't obey the laws of the physical universe as we know them. Those two facts make me think the UFOs might be spiritual in origin rather than physical. I recognize humans don't know all there is to know yet. I am curious also with some trepidation mixed in.

I lived in Oregon and Washington for quite a few years and some high school friends swore they saw a Bigfoot.

I have not seen a UFO or a Bigfoot. My sisters swear we saw one as children, but I have no recollection of that. The only cryptid I saw turned out to be a scoutmaster in a scary mask.

Being careful and a little bit skeptical seems smart to me.

New questions.

How many drafts did your book go through before publishing?

Is there anything unconventional about your writing technique? Why is that?

Jen If link

1/29/2025 01:37:00 pm

M&S is Harrods but smaller and more 'mumsy'.

You wrote 'spiritual in origin rather than physical' and that's interesting. Can you elaborate on that? Do you mean, from God?

It's fascinating that you have siblings and school friends who talk about having seen things. That must be very persuasive for you. In the UK, the habit is not to talk about anything outside of a typical life. I think I'd have spoken about my experiences much sooner if I lived in America.

My work went through many drafts. It's quite different to the version first approved by the editor and it's even gone through one since being published! I was away and didn't get to see a proof until after some were sold so the first twenty or so copies are different to what's available now. If I ever get super famous, those copies could be valuable after I'm dead. You heard it here first, folks. Lucky, lucky readers.

My writing technique is that the best poems write themselves. They're in my mind for a few days until they ripen and then I sit down and write them, usually in one go. If I force it, the results aren't as good. I think you can tell which ones I made especially for 'Monarch Child' and which ones happened by themselves.

Do you write, Mark?

Craig Crawford

2/2/2025 07:06:36 pm

Hello--I've been following along but not been vocal.

I find poetry fascinating but I don't often connect with it and I certainly can't write it. I took a creative writing class once which focused on poetry, and while I tried, almost every "poem" I tried to write came out as a story. I've never been able to think like a poet.

I guess my question is, how do you think in terms of poetry vs stories, in your creative process? Poetry seems to be more emotional, perhaps visual with the words used, but I don't really understand it :) I'm interested in your creative process as a poet.

Thanks---Craig

Jen If link

2/3/2025 09:02:15 am

Hi Craig,

I've only just seen your question, it's a good one, thanks for asking it.

My process varies. I'm usually writing from memories so sometimes they're pulling at the back of my mind for a few days until I can sit and write it out. It's something bothering me, like a mental feeling of grit in your shoe. I start with thing(s) I know about what's bothering me and then pursue the 'why'. This is a healing process, there's something already in the poem that needs to be said or acknowledged by me. Those poems are easy to write and hard to face.

Sometimes I have an idea of what I want to write and labour intensely, revisiting a poem many times. For those I start with figuring out what I'm trying to say and then try to say it in the clearest, most honest way possible and focus on avoiding poetry pitfalls, such as being driven by rhyme or using out-dated, 'poetic' language.

Remember though, there is a place for narrative poems. A few in my new chapbook, 'Monarch Child' were written deliberately to tell the story to help orientate the reader. If you've written prose instead of poetry, you could try cutting out all the non-essential information and spare words and see what you're left with.

One way to write a poem a poem instead of a story is to stop. Focus in on the exact moment, emotion or event you've chosen and sit in it. It's not a story about how a woman came into the room, poured herself a tumbler of water, became distracted and spilled it down her new dress, the nub of the poem is the spill, so focus on the spill. It's look, it's feel, how the water moves if you saw it in super-slow motion, perhaps the reaction of the woman, her sound, her movement and what makes this moment special and worth talking about. Often a word or two added afterwards can fill in the information the reader needs so they can understand and enjoy the poem. Sometimes, it's not even necessary.

Is this helpful, Craig? I hope so. I'm going to be putting in more about this in my newsletter if you want to join. You can find it via my website.

This was nice, thank you for your question :)

Mark

1/29/2025 04:18:11 pm

I am not a writer. I am a reader. First and foremost, I love to read. I learned to read from a retired schoolteacher before I entered the first grade. I was always reading a couple of grade levels above my current grade. My mother loved to read also. Curiously, I have no memories of her reading to me. I don't have a lot of memories from the first 6 or 7 years of my life.

I know some novelists write like that, by the seat of their pants or without an outline. Some have told me they write the story to find out how it ends.

We tend to reveal more of ourselves on this side of the pond but it does vary by region and age a bit. I have gotten a little more circumspect in my later years.

By spiritual I mean that some of the UFOs might be demonic in nature. "Crash Go the Chariots" by Clifford Wilson wrote an excellent rebuttal to a then very popular book, "The Chariots of the Gods" by Erich Von Daniken. Wilson's book took a lot of the luster off the previously mentioned book.

New questions.

Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.

How many drafts did the cover go through?

Jen If link

1/30/2025 05:43:01 am

Being a reader is a beautiful thing. It sounds like there was a lot of warmth and love in your family. Some people are natural readers and pick it up, easily. You were doubly blessed.

Thanks for the book recommendation, this is fascinating and helpful, I'm slowly starting to understand my childhood experiences as a child of Project Monarch and what their aims were / are.

While I was in their hands, I experienced extreme physical, sexual and psychological abuses. Doctors and scientists brought me to the edge of death more than once, in different ways. When anyone is about to die, it's pretty well-known that our senses sharpen; this is natural reaction of the body to allow it to find a way to save itself. My abusers used those altered states for their own nefarious and petty purposes (for me, later being a child sx slave appeared to be almost a side effect, like the way people kill animals to eat meat but there's an industry around using leather).

I was changed by it, more than just emotionally. Perhaps, vibrationally? Your comments about UFO's are interesting because I
think about the world in terms of energy, vibration and dimensionality. I've seen and experienced things I still can't explain (yet).

In terms of UFO's being 'demonic in nature', some of us humans stay close to God and are motivated towards good, others sadly lose their way and express a different nature. It seems reasonable to assume a spectrum in terms of UFO's both on a species and maybe an individual level. In any case, time for reflection and prayer in nature are very helpful.

To address your question, I did the book cover myself and painted the images in watercolours. It took about three hours in total, no drafts. Something I've noticed about all the survivors of Project Monarch so far is that we are all creative and capable in the arts. I think of creativity as an expression of God, the ultimate creative force that created the universe. It's like we were broken open by horror but now we remain open for God to flow through us. I'm deeply grateful for that part.

Earlier you said, 'There is a time and place for everything. Beauty and love exist also and should be encouraged.' You are so right and the creativity is part of that. Even better, the vibration from survivors doesn't only affect us, it affects all humankind because we are all vibrational we are all linked, we are all, ultimately, one.

Please understand me, Project Monarch must be stopped, child trafficking and paedophilia must stop, crimes against children must be faced so they can be ended. That, I believe, is the will of God and I feel blessed to be any part of that. I hope I can balance out my suffering and make it worthwhile. It's why sales of the book help support an anti-trafficking charity, STOP THE TRAFFIK.

Does any of this make sense? It's slow typing and I might have thought more than I typed.

Mark

1/30/2025 08:41:30 am

You make a lot of sense. I learned a lot about SRA many years ago. A young woman was seeking counseling for the abuse she suffered as a child. My wife and I knew a counselor who worked in that field, a godly woman. The young woman needed transportation and support during and after appointments. We went through the sessions with her and transported her also. God used us in unexpected ways to facilitate her healing.

You are right, those events alter a person in many ways. God's healing does also. The creativity effect is interesting. I love it. God is the ultimate expression of creative power. To be a useful tool in God's hands is a wonderful blessing.

I love your cover. I think it's powerful. I love watercolors.

I had not heard of Project Monarch before, but I am not surprised by its origin or continuance. I can't dwell on that ugliness for very long my blood starts to boil.

You are welcome for the book recommendation.

You made a lot of sense.

New questions.

Have you ever done NaNoWriMo, National November Writing Month?

If you have, what kind of preparation do you do before it starts?

Jen If link

1/30/2025 11:14:14 am

SRA is horrendous and I'm so glad she got help and you got to be a part of that.

God's healing does change us. Thank you for the welcome reminder. It's easy to think healing and recovery from such things isn't possible but in fact they are.

I did NaNoWriMo once, years ago. I finished a novel and put it straight into the kitchen drawer and from there a year later it went in to the bin. I can't even remember what it was about. But it was excellent practice and I 'd recommend it to everyone, writer or not. The act of writing is extremely beneficial.

I didn't do any preparation. Anyone who knows me will not be at all surprised by that. The term is a 'pantser', I believe?

Jen If link

1/30/2025 12:05:01 pm

If anyone reading this hasn't heard of Project Monarch and wants to learn, there's a link in the 'About' section of my website that has copies of de-classified, government documents and links to reputable sources.

Mark

1/30/2025 12:18:49 pm

Pantser is the term for someone who writes without benefit of notes or an outline. Plotter is at the other end of the scale and is a person who makes notes or an outline before starting to write. Many authors do a little of both.

Here is a copy-and-paste link to a guest blog elsewhere on my website. Non-linear writing frees up an author to write the easy parts first. http://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/non-linear-writing Or you can hit the search box below for the title or the blogger's name Rick Hall, he has written several blogs as a guest on my website.

To our visitors: If you click on the arrow beside Jen's name that will tak you to her website.

NaNoWriMo is a great exercise for authors. The challenge to write 50,000 words of a first draft manuscript is very worthwhile. Authors don't publish first draft because it is always a dumpster fire and doesn't come close to being ready to publish. The first draft only needs to be out of the author's head and exist.

Many authors join online groups for mutual support.

New question.

Have you ever written any fan fiction? If so, what storyline were you mimicking or following?

Jen If link

1/31/2025 06:37:43 am

That's a helpful explanation of non-linear writing, great article, thanks!

I've never tried fan-fiction and only recently discovered the genre. I LOVE that it exists. People re-imagining perfect scenarios with favourite characters, creating ideal worlds - what's not to like? Wonderful.

I reimagine my own life in a fan-fiction way in my head. It's good to have dreams and it's good to think about things that make you feel good.

Mark

1/31/2025 07:41:13 am

I like the idea of writing out of sequence. Especially writing the last chapter first. Then you know what you are aiming for. I heard about one pantser, he outlined each chapter after he wrote it. He said it was much easier to find a section in his book that way.

I think we all do that. Imagining our life with perfect circumstances.

New question.

What do you think of the current controversy regarding AI, Artificial Intelligence and books?

Jen If link

1/31/2025 09:20:43 am

Outlined it after he wrote it? That would definitely clarify where it dragged and make editing easier. I'm going to give that a go.

The AI that most of us have access to at the moment is pretty ropey. Most books written by AI are bad, they lack substance and are often riddled with errors. Due to AI regurgitating information that's already available on the internet, they add no value, quite the opposite, they worsen the noise of information overload we all wade through.

There are those who won't engage with it, proponents of humans making their own book covers instead of the uncanny valley creations done by AI. But the world is a changing place. AI will get better at art and writing and what's the difference between enjoying that and any other 'guilty pleasure'?

My favourite newsletter subscription used to be written by the author but is now created by AI, first. I can 'hear' it. I can feel it. And, although the sentences dance off the page, the humour is very entertaining and technically the writing is 'better', I miss the author's voice. It's not authentic. It's missing him.

AI should be a tool. I dream of AI that can do the dishes and wash the floor, giving me more time for writing and art, not the other way round.

We'll adapt, of course. But that's not the same as progress.

What are your thoughts?

Mark

1/31/2025 09:29:47 am

I agree with you about the utility of AI and the crummy stuff it writes. AI has been fed many thousands of books, and I know that every book has errors of one kind or another. I read 30 to 40 books a year, some years more. I find spelling errors in all of them except for one. Once a year for the past 11 years I find a book free of spelling errors. They jump off the page at me I don't have to hunt them down. I am talking only about spelling errors, if I read slower, I see grammar and punctuation errors also. I conclude that AI writing will likely have errors also.

Every author dreams of having more time to write.

Adapting is surviving, not thriving.

New questions.

Have you done any public speaking?

If so, will you be doing more in the future?

Jen If link

1/31/2025 09:50:26 am

That's an uncanny talent. Thank you for sharing it with us less focussed folks. Does it detract from your enjoyment of reading?

Oh no! You've read my book and I doubt it was your one book of the year that was spelling-mistake-free. Mortified.

30 - 40 books a year is very impressive. How do those Goodreads reviewers do it when they review that many in a week? AI must be involved in that.

I've done some public speaking when it's been necessary and can say I prefer when it's not. That said, it's good to do safe things that scare you so I don't shy away from it, either.

Mark

1/31/2025 10:03:01 am

Spelling errors do interrupt my reading pleasure. I can't not see them, I can ignore them, but the damage is done. I am good at recovering, though.

No spelling errors jumped off the page at me in your poetry. At 30 pages, I consider it separate from novels and it's novels I am referring to.

I imagine that those reviewers are reading only the blurb. Huge cheat.

Most authors shy away from public speaking.

New questions.

Have you entered any writing contests?

Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

Jen If link

1/31/2025 12:45:29 pm

I've rarely entered a contest (perhaps the Bridport Prize once) but having work included in literary mags (print or online) feels like winning. I find the process of submission draining so I rarely submit anything, for instance, I only sent 'Monarch Child' out to two publishers.

Wouldn't it be lovely to win a big award, though?

Mark

1/31/2025 01:33:11 pm

Querying and submitting a manuscript is very wearing. Most manuscripts don't get more than a 30-second look, if that.

Traditional publishers and agents are riding a very thin profit margin. Many of them are only one poor launch away from closing the doors. The industry contraction has been going on for more than two decades thanks to Amazon. Amazon let's anyone publish a book and so many have accepted the offer. Recently, Amazon restricted authors to no more than three books uploaded a day. Authors are supposed to disclose when they use AI to write a book, but I don't think many do. The only way an author could publish more than a book a month is if AI was doing most of the writing much less three or more a day.

Winning an award is wonderful and validates your writing.

I have recommended to writers that short story writing contests, especially those that provide feedback from the judges, can help a writer improve their writing skills. I do have a warning, there are a lot of shady contests out there. Some want to extract as much as they can from your wallet, others want to steal your intellectual property. Here is a copy-and-paste link about those things: Beware Bogus Writing Contests! Look for These 8 Red Flags. https://annerallen.com/2019/05/beware-bogus-writing-contests. You can also use the search box below to find the link. There are other blogs I have links for on my Highly Regarded Blogs page.

New questions.

Among present or past friends how many are or have been writers or authors?

Is there anyone you know who might claim you as their inspiration for writing?

Jen If link

2/1/2025 05:55:44 am

A lot of writers come from families of writers, don't they? That's not me. I can't claim to be anyone's inspiration, either, sadly. Are you?

Mark

2/1/2025 04:46:05 pm

My situation is similar to yours. None of my immediate family are writers. I am ignorant of most of my extended family. I know a couple of people at church who are writing memoirs. But that is it, though my church is experiencing rapid growth and I don't know many of them.

I am not a writer. I don't have the feeling that many authors describe that a story is begging to be let out. More than one writer has told me or said they write to keep the voices quiet in their head.

New questions.

Have you ever gone through the query process?

Were you seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers and why did you choose that path?

Jen If link

2/1/2025 05:26:48 pm

What you said about publishers stuck with me, I never thought of it that way, before. I assumed my little collection would be difficult to place because of the subject. I don't shy away from sharing how awful being trafficked was / is and that's naturally likely to be upsetting so I imagined no-one would invest in me.

I sent out to two publishers because releasing the desire for external validation is a gradual process. One of them accepted it and I'm pleased with that 50% success rate.

It never occurred to me in a million years that an agent would sign me. It seems like you need a big publishing back catalogue and some prizes under your belt before they'll take your call and I couldn't think of a way to make 'trafficking survivor' sound remotely hot.

It's all worked out okay, more than okay, I'm really happy. 'Tell Upon Worlds' is a micro-label I've created to publish my entire catalogue and perhaps the stories of other survivors. I feel peaceful and optimistic about how it's all going.

Being independent means you develop a lot of skills - you're forced to - but it also means complete creative control and a marketing team that believes in your work 100% so that's a bonus!

Mark

2/1/2025 06:51:42 pm

There are publishers who specialize in non-mainstream stories. They already know that a book will not sell a lot of copies, so they depend upon the author to cover the cost of publishing either by the author purchasing a hundreds of copies of the book or by charging many hundreds of dollars to publish the book. There is no free lunch.

Some authors experience dozens of rejections. Some more than a hundred. Many authors give up at that point and learn to self-publish.

That is a wise move to create your micro-publishing house. I have recommended that to many authors or at least a label that belongs them alone.

An independent author has all of the responsibility and keeps all of the profits.

You are doing well.

New question.

There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?

Jen If link

2/2/2025 05:37:18 am

Thank you for your kind words about what I'm doing.

The only thing I've experienced is a bunch of people slipping into my DMs offering their services. I don't mind a bit of hustle but none of them have been genuine. Also, no means no.

With any transaction, it's important we take responsibility for doing our research before parting with cash. One thing I do is to assess their work with past clients - are the clients real? Satisfied? Successful?

You're the more informed person when it comes to the publishing world, I'm the one learning as I go and trusting it will all turn out well. What should people watch out for?

Mark

2/2/2025 07:09:41 am

I am glad you are being careful. I report and block those frauds daily.

The old adage of buyer beware truly applies in today's publishing world. There are many scammers and they go to great lengths to empty your wallet. Some of them are spoofing the websites of major publishers and agents watch for slight misspellings, listen to your gut. Sometimes they use a letter from another language that looks like English to complete their ruse. Publishers and agents never ask for money upfront. Hybrid and vanity publishers do ask for money upfront because their business model is different.

SFWA.org has a blog by Victoria Strauss called Writer Beware. Get it because it is very informative and she is revealing the latest scams against publishers.

I personally detest the scammers that take not just your money but your Intellectual Property rights also. You lose control of your book.

New questions.

Is there a book that causes strong emotions to come up no matter how many times you read it?

Do you ever read a book more than once?

If so, which one?

Jen If link

2/2/2025 09:13:53 am

Found it online, there's a lot of information, there, thank you.

I keep books around like old friends but rarely re-read them in their entirety. What's written gets embellished by my mind by time and on re-reading I'm expecting the writer to give more than their original words but all the extra stuff I've inferred or imagined since. So, re-reading usually leaves me with a slight feeling of loss. Like trying to feel a way you did when you went to a place you were once happy. You might get insight into who you were but you won't feel the same way.

And there are so many books! So many stories! And I have only so much concentration! Why re-read?

Some books I remember affecting me greatly at the time are 'White Oleanders' by Janet Fitch, Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening', Nicholas Fisk 'A Rag, a Bone and a Hank of Hair' and Dylan Thomas, 'Under Milk Wood'. But context is everything and I'm not the same person, now.

Do you re-read, Mark? I imagine you have a great memory.

Mark

2/2/2025 09:24:05 am

I reread books a lot when I was in high school. Sometimes for the entertainment value but frequently because I didn't have a lot of books, and the library and school were far away. Before the internet and computers. Sometimes I reread funny stuff because I was sad. I read and re-read Tolkien's Lord of The Rings three times before graduating from high school.

My memory is not so great that I remember a book well. It is usually only the bits that impressed me deeply at the time. Now, I don't have time to read a book more than once though there are several, I would like to reread because I like to laugh.

New questions.

Has a book ever changed your mind about any particular topic?

Can you read a book for the pleasure of reading or do you find yourself analyzing everything you read now?

Jen If link

2/2/2025 10:37:50 am

Sorry, you did say that. You immersed yourself in Tolkien's world. There's my great concentration and ability to absorb information right there.

Actually, yes, a book did change my worldview, very positively. A religious book and I don't remember the name of it. When I was growing up, there were different religious influences and, of course, beliefs inform how people behave. Many of the adults I had contact with worshiped evil and my contact with them was abusive. Their worldview was aggressive, fear-based and rooted in depraved violence. I think that's what I learned first, a 'survival of the fittest' philosophy where kindness or love was exploited as weakness and the only currency was power. Besides being scared, I probably wasn't a very nice little kid.

Alongside being a victim of ritual abuse, I was also sent to a Christian Evangelical church. It's common in evil-worshipping families, as a front to hide their true allegiances. For me, it was a safe place and a lot of fun. At the Christian church, they didn't give us children the Bible, unfortunately, usually flimsy pamphlets with a simplified version of a single story and those didn't make much impact on me. The environment did, though, the kindness.

The book that was pivotal came unexpectedly when I was walking through an unfamiliar city. A man walked up to me in a crowd, put it into my hands and said, "Pass it on when you've read it" and he disappeared into the throng.

Who knows why he gave it to me. It was religious philosophy, something in the vein of Khalil Gibran 'The Prophet' but a hefty book, it took a long time to read. It was worth it and I learned a lot.

It caused me to become curious about religion. I read the Good News Bible I'd been given on leaving primary school, then. I found an old Bible that I still have and read that cover-to-cover several times.

Oh! So I HAVE re-read something!

I learned so much. That 'an eye for an eye' makes you yourself blind, that acceptance is key to healing, that what anyone does matters, and doesn't matter, in equal measure. That loving kindness frees us all. Love is the ultimate strength.

It was a revelation and I passed the book on. I wish I knew what book it was but the not-knowing somehow adds to the enjoyment. I'm beyond grateful it reached me. If I ever figure out what book it was, I'll buy copies and donate them to schools.

Mark

2/3/2025 08:22:08 am

I didn't know that worshippers of evil would take children to churches. It is a good cover. Thanks for letting me know. We take ministry to children very seriously and have many safeguards in place to protect them when they are with us.

You learned a number of good lessons from reading that Bible. I find something new every time I read my Bible. I read it daily now. I am following a plan that rearranges the readings into chronological sense and to read the entire Bible in one year.

Last question.

If you could ask every person, who has read one of your books, only one question what would you ask them?

Jen If link

2/3/2025 08:23:27 am

They do, it's an insidious practice and often the adults will become very active in the church community (though that wasn't the case in my life) so I'm glad your church has robust safeguarding measures. Prevention is easier and better than cure.

Your one-year Bible plan is ambitious. I wish you the very best with it. I fully believe you're going to achieve that.

If I could ask my readers one question, it would be, 'did you feel it?' I'm trying to reach across a gulf of vastly different life experience, trying to connect with people and empower them to act to end trafficking. Are my words making a difference? I don't want to upset anyone but I'd love to know that what I went through and what I'm writing isn't for nothing.

Mark

2/3/2025 08:29:06 am

Your "one question" is very similar to what others have answered.

What you endured was horrible and was not your fault, it was the fault of adults who should have protected you and failed.

Thank you, Jen, you have been a wonderful guest on the Word Refiner channel. I am grateful that you allowed me to help promote your book.

Until next time, keep on writing.

Jen If link

2/3/2025 09:06:12 am

Thank you, Mark. It really has been a pleasure.

Craig Crawford

2/3/2025 07:30:13 pm

Hi Jen--thanks for replying!

Interesting about the way you write. I am a "pantser"--I get an idea of what I want to write about and then feel my way through it too. I rarely outline though occasionally making notes and it sounds like you jump in and figure things out along the way too.

As for how to write poetry, that makes sense to me :) I think I over think when it comes to poetry instead of just approaching it on an emotional level. I will try your suggestions and see what comes of it :)

And I did sign up for your newsletter. I appreciate you doing this--telling your story helps bring these terrible things into the light.

Craig

Jen If link

2/4/2025 10:19:23 am

Hey, Craig, thanks for your kind words.

Good luck with your poetry. I hope our chat helps. Let me know.

See you in the newsletter!

Jen

p.s if any other readers want to join the newsletter, you can find it here https://jen-if.kit.com/e7394df410

Monarch Child by Jen If

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