Ask the Author: Jennifer Foehner Wells
Answered Questions (33)
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Hi! Glad to hear it! This series is a little different from most. Books 1, 2, and 4 are about Jane and the crew of the Speroancora. Books 3 and 5 are about another set of characters. The series will converge in book 6 when both individual storylines come together. So 5 is not the last book. And 6 will not be the last book either, as I have ideas for continuing these characters' adventures. I expect book 6 to be available sometime in mid-2020 as I'm finishing up another couple of side-projects first. Thanks for the question!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Thank you, Jon! I am serene! Maybe a little too serene! I'm at a place in life where I no longer feel the urgency to rush things. Which my readers do not like! That's really my only source of stress these days--the constant queries about the next book. But I think that's a good problem to have. Again, thank you.
Jennifer Foehner Wells
I don’t know if you’ve read my blog recently but I’ve had some challenges, roadblocks, and setback over the last year since my last publication. Things are starting to smooth out now and I expect to publish the next Confluence book in 2020, but I can’t be more specific than that. A lot of things have changed. I’m thinking about going back to school for my MFA, and my most beloved editor has quit the industry too. Sigh. Thank you so much for your note—it’s always lovely to hear from readers that they’re enjoying my work.
Jennifer Foehner Wells
I don’t know if you’ve read my blog recently but I’ve had some challenges, roadblocks, and setback over the last year since my last publication. Things are starting to smooth out now and I expect to publish the next Confluence book in 2020, but I can’t be more specific than that. A lot of things have changed. I’m thinking about going back to school for my MFA, and my most beloved editor has quit the industry too. Sigh. Thank you so much for your note—it’s always lovely to hear from readers that they’re enjoying my work.
Jennifer Foehner Wells
I don’t know if you’ve read my blog recently but I’ve had some challenges, roadblocks, and setback over the last year since my last publication. Things are starting to smooth out now and I expect to publish the next Confluence book in 2020, but I can’t be more specific than that. A lot of things have changed. I’m thinking about going back to school for my MFA, and my most beloved editor has quit the industry too. Sigh. Thank you so much for your note—it’s always lovely to hear from readers that they’re enjoying my work.
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Thanks, Tom! I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying my work!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Meg,
Thank you! Yes, I do specifically choose to make my lead characters female. I feel like the default in sci-fi is male and I want to balance that and give young women heroines that they can feel connected to and can identify with.
Thank you! Yes, I do specifically choose to make my lead characters female. I feel like the default in sci-fi is male and I want to balance that and give young women heroines that they can feel connected to and can identify with.
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Oldklingon,
I'm very sorry for this problem. Ugh. This is the second time this has happened with no real explanation. It has something to do with the fact that I renamed the book (It was originally titled "The Druid Gene") and put a new cover on it. But that happens in this industry all the time so they should have measures in place. I've contacted Amazon and they say they are working on a solution, hopefully within 48 hours. Stay tuned. It should be made available again quickly. Thank you for taking the time to contact me. Rest assured I started working on it as soon as I discovered the problem, but the wheels turn slowly there. All my best!
I'm very sorry for this problem. Ugh. This is the second time this has happened with no real explanation. It has something to do with the fact that I renamed the book (It was originally titled "The Druid Gene") and put a new cover on it. But that happens in this industry all the time so they should have measures in place. I've contacted Amazon and they say they are working on a solution, hopefully within 48 hours. Stay tuned. It should be made available again quickly. Thank you for taking the time to contact me. Rest assured I started working on it as soon as I discovered the problem, but the wheels turn slowly there. All my best!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Wonderful! Thank you! I'm working on the next book now and am hoping for a summer 2018 release but these things are innately unpredictable. It all depends on availability of editors, cover artists, and my own muse. I'll do my very best to get it out by then! Read on!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Inheritance was previously sold under the title The Druid Gene. There has been some confusion as amazon updates proliferate through the system. The content of the book is identical, however. Thank you for asking! Enjoy!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
The book is about to go into production. I'm expecting it to be ready for sale in early February, barring disaster. ;D Read on!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Yes! Although the series is now in the recommended reading order and Jane's story and Darcy's story (from Inheritance) twine together! Read on!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
It's going to be released within a week to ten days. The editor needed to keep it longer. I'll have it back soon to finish up the work and publish. Stay tuned!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Oh, yes. Most definitely! Those kinds of summaries are hard to write but they will be included, never fear!
Read on!
Read on!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Thank you! Yes, a third book is currently in the works. Valence: Confluence Book 3 will be released this summer, near the end of June or early July.
Read on!
Read on!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Well that's a very nice complement. Thank you.
The logistics are very different for me, as an independent author, as compared to a traditionally published author. Though I go through all the same pre-publication steps with professional subcontractors (content editing, copy editing, artists for the cover art, formatting, narrator for the audio book etc) there is a significant difference. I'm the one organizing all of this, one book at a time.
Traditional publishers are going through this process with dozens if not hundreds of books a year and that's why there is such a long wait time between when the author finishes a book and publication--usually at least a year, sometimes two.
As an independent author, I can cut that process down to just about three months or even less--between the last word written on the final draft and the finished product. But what that doesn't allow for is the time needed to produce an audio book. The moment the book is finished I usually pass it on to the narrator.
Now that's when it gets sticky. If the narrator is really good, they've got other gigs. In the case of the narrators I use, one of them is also a working actor and the other is also a college professor. Both also do other types of voice work and have other books in their queues. Most of my books run 10 to 14 hours and they typically spend twice that time in the booth--that's after the extensive prep work they do, refining voices, and we discuss and record any new word pronunciations they need to use. It takes time.
The only way I can release all formats on the same day is to hold the other formats. I don't think most of my readers would be on board with that.
Now, believe me, I sympathize. I consume most of the books I read these days through audio. And sometimes even traditionally published audio books are released late. I know, because I've waited for them with great anticipation.
Just know that I'm working, always, to cut down the gap as much as I can!
Read on!
The logistics are very different for me, as an independent author, as compared to a traditionally published author. Though I go through all the same pre-publication steps with professional subcontractors (content editing, copy editing, artists for the cover art, formatting, narrator for the audio book etc) there is a significant difference. I'm the one organizing all of this, one book at a time.
Traditional publishers are going through this process with dozens if not hundreds of books a year and that's why there is such a long wait time between when the author finishes a book and publication--usually at least a year, sometimes two.
As an independent author, I can cut that process down to just about three months or even less--between the last word written on the final draft and the finished product. But what that doesn't allow for is the time needed to produce an audio book. The moment the book is finished I usually pass it on to the narrator.
Now that's when it gets sticky. If the narrator is really good, they've got other gigs. In the case of the narrators I use, one of them is also a working actor and the other is also a college professor. Both also do other types of voice work and have other books in their queues. Most of my books run 10 to 14 hours and they typically spend twice that time in the booth--that's after the extensive prep work they do, refining voices, and we discuss and record any new word pronunciations they need to use. It takes time.
The only way I can release all formats on the same day is to hold the other formats. I don't think most of my readers would be on board with that.
Now, believe me, I sympathize. I consume most of the books I read these days through audio. And sometimes even traditionally published audio books are released late. I know, because I've waited for them with great anticipation.
Just know that I'm working, always, to cut down the gap as much as I can!
Read on!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Yes! The third Confluence book will be released in June 2017. There will likely be another release late in 2017 or early 2018. Read on!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Book 3 will be called Valence and will be published late next year. In the meantime I'll be publishing another book later this year called: The Druid Gene: Gildrut which is in the same universe but with different characters and different challenges. Read on!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
The audio book is in production now and should be released by the end of June! Read on!
Jennifer Foehner Wells
Hm. The Goodreads interface merged my author account with my regular account so I'm not really sure. I'm not very active on Goodreads though, so I think it's safe to say you won't miss anything if you only follow my author account. ;D Read on!
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