How do you get your books in front of your perfect reader? Book marketing is one of those areas most authors need a little help with. Author Enewerome talks about her debut novel and shares three simple book marketing tips.
Enewerome’s Book & Writing Process
Table of Contents
Q: What is the title of your book and what is it about?
A: Ready To Be Loved By You is about a hopeless romantic Christian man who falls in love with a woman who wants nothing to do with God and love. But as they spend more time working together, they begin to wonder if starting a love relationship is worth letting go of their beliefs.
Publication date: December 20, 2024
I love books where the characters challenge their beliefs to get to the next level in their lives and relationships.
Q: What genre is Ready To Be Loved By You?
A: Contemporary Christian Nigerian romance
I love how specific you got with your genre and I’m sure your readers appreciate it.
Q: What inspired you to write Ready To Be Loved By You, and how did you come up with the idea for it?
A: Honestly, it was the Holy Spirit. I must have been doing chores one random day when the idea to write a story about how Christians shouldn’t enter into romantic relationships with unbelievers crossed my heart. At the time, I wasn’t even thinking about writing a book, but as the days went by, things became clearer.
Yes! And when God gives you an assignment, it’s best to obey. I love that this assignment pushed you out of your comfort zone.
Q: What themes and tropes are included in Ready To Be Loved By You?
A: Themes: Redemption, forgiveness, handling grief as a Christian, trusting God against all odds, and the power of prayer and intercession.
Tropes:
🔥Slow burn
✝️Contemporary Christian romance
🚫 No spice or smut
💔Forbidden love
💘Enemies to lovers
👩🏭👨🏭Workplace romance
🔐Forced proximity
💬Dual POV
🇳🇬 Culture, language and food
You’ve included several of my favorite tropes.
Q: Who is the ideal reader for Ready To Be Loved By You?
A: Anyone who loves to read clean romance books without spice or smut and books with strong faith themes and faith arcs. If anyone is also looking to explore Nigerian culture, pidgin, and food through books, they can start with Ready to be Loved by You.
Books are a great way to experience a new culture.
Q: What’s the one thing you want readers to take away from reading Ready To Be Loved By You?
A: That obeying God regardless of what or who we stand to lose is always worth it, even though it will hurt. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
This is a powerful reminder and one Christians need to contemplate daily. When we serve God, we must seek Him with all our hearts and sometimes that means letting go of some stuff and people.
Q: Share a favorite quote or two from Ready To Be Loved By You.
A: “Let me tell you exactly what I told Josh a few weeks before he died. He had asked me why I still went to church and served God when He couldn’t heal his dad. I had told him that my love for God wasn’t based on what He could do for me. I also said I may not know why his dad died but I know that God remains a good God regardless of what happens.”
“I don’t know how things will play out if you decide to go visit your dad. And yes, forgiving someone is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone. You can ask God to help you.”
“Vivienne, holding onto a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. You can’t live this way for the rest of your life.”
Q: Are you a plotter, pantser, or plantser? Share a bit of your writing process.
A: I am a plotter. If I don’t plot, I may end up writing five different stories in one book. Haha.
That is funny. I find that I have to hold a story loosely in my head. If I cling to my outline, nothing gets written.
Q: How do you develop your plots?
A: Once an idea comes, I write it down and pray about it. I ask God to help me tell the story He wants to write and the ideas just get clearer and work themselves out.
I do this too because ultimately it’s God’s story, and He’s a wonderful storyteller.
Q: How do you choose your character names?
A: It’s a random thing. Sometimes, God tells me the name to use and sometimes, I use names I like. But I try as much as possible to show my Nigerian roots through my characters’ first or last names.
Choosing names can lead you down rabbit holes! I love how you manage that by including your Nigerian heritage.
Q: What does a typical writing session for you look like?
A: I wouldn’t even say I have a writing session. I have a toddler and run a business. So there are days I wouldn’t write even a word, and there are days I exceed my expectations. But what I try to do is set deadlines.
Deadlines and consistency–I’ve also found these two to be a powerhouse combination to get words on the page.
Q: How do you manage writer’s block?
A: I rarely have this. What I face is burnout instead and I just allow the phase to die off.
You’re fortunate not to have to deal with writer’s block, as so many do. I pray that burnout will be a thing of your past as you move forward in obedience.
Q: How do you deal with imposter syndrome?
A: I remind myself that it was God who gave me the stories to write and since He thought I was good enough to be entrusted with such great work, then I am good enough and deserve good things.
Yes! I love this. If God believes we’re enough, who are we to say otherwise?
Q: How do you handle criticism or negative feedback?
A: I take it with a grain of salt. When I see feedback that is constructive, I open my heart to learn from it. Any other one goes out the window. Lol.
That is a wonderful attitude, one I’m sure will serve you well in this industry and life.
Q: What was the most challenging aspect of writing and publishing? How did you (do you plan to) overcome it?
A: Writing my book was the hardest part for me. I discovered it late, but setting daily writing goals made me complacent to the point I lagged so much that I could no longer keep up. Now I just set deadlines.
Figuring out what works for us is crucial to making progress in any area of our lives. I’m glad you learned what worked for you.
Q: How do you use social media as an author?
A: To build a community of people who love what I write and connect with them. And to collaborate with other authors.
Building community and collaborating with others are crucial aspects of being an author. It’s wonderful to have a plan for engaging in social media.
Q: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
A: The Holy Spirit lays ideas on my heart.
I love this! Thank you for being obedient to the Holy Spirit.
Q: What keeps you writing when you get demotivated?
A: That I have a calling and there is so much to do with very little time.
Having a calling is a powerful motivator. And yes, time is limited because none of us knows how much time we have.
Q: Why do you write?
A: I write because it is one way I can share the love of Jesus with the world so that people will get to know Him and be saved. I call it my global evangelical strategy.
Your ‘global evangelical strategy’–I like that! This is every Christian’s mission: to preach and teach the gospel in every corner of the world and you’re doing it through story.
Writing Advice from Enewerome
Q: What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting?
A: Just start! Don’t overthink the words or the complexity of your story. Just keep writing. You can always fix your errors once your first draft is ready.
One of my favorite writing advice quotes is, ‘You can’t edit a blank page’ because it’s true. We waste time when we believe every word has to be perfect. That’s what the rewriting and editing processes are for.
Q: What are your tips for developing characters?
A: I try to put them in real-life situations and see how they would react while keeping their faith journey in mind.
This makes characters more relatable and might also inspire someone going through a similar situation.
Q: Do you have any advice for setting author goals?
A: Find out what works for you and do it.
It sounds simple, but that’s what it boils down to.
Q: How do you find time to write?
A: I don’t take on too many clients so I can find the space to squeeze in my own writing.
Excellent plan. As authors, it’s important to prioritize our writing time so that it gets done.
Q: What are your tips for meeting deadlines?
A: I do something about the task every day, no matter how little. It reduces the pressure when the deadline starts to draw closer.
I love this approach! Too often, if we don’t have a block of time to dedicate to a task, it doesn’t get done, while underestimating the power of consistency.
Q: What are your suggestions for marketing books and getting them into the hands of new readers?
A: Be authentic about who your book is for and speak directly to them. You can draw inspiration from other authors too. Also, collaborate with authors who have the same audience as you.
Yes! Authenticity and collaboration are key components for marketing our books.
Q: If you could go back and change one thing in your author career, what would it be and why?
A: The long hiatus I had. I regret it, but I have moved on from it.
Sometimes a break is necessary. I love that you could identify this area of regret and move on so it doesn’t become a hindrance.
Q: What is one writing resource that you couldn’t do without?
A: Google Suite.
Isn’t it handy? So many useful tools in one place.
Just for Fun
Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Why?
A: Teleportation. I want to travel the world.
I’m with you! We could travel the world without getting airsick or wasting time in long lines and flights.
Q: If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be and why?
A: The MMC of Ready To Be Loved By You, Levi.
I can imagine that you have loads of questions you’d ask Levi.
Q: What is your favorite book and why?
A: Too many to mention.
Lol. I get that. There are so many excellent books that it’s hard to choose one.
Q: If you were not a writer, what would you want to be and why?
A: A forensic chemist. I love solving crimes and mysteries.
Interesting…any possibility that one day you’ll write mysteries or romantic suspense? Time will tell!
Q: What‘s the scariest thing you’ve ever done for fun?
A: Canopy walk. Never doing it again cos it wasn’t even fun.
Lol. At least now you can check it off your bucket list.
Q: What’s your writing kryptonite—the one thing that can completely derail your progress?
A: My phone.
Ooh, mine too. Sometimes I have to put it in another room so I’m not constantly checking it.
Q: If your characters had access to social media, what kind of content would they post?
A: Vivienne would post lifestyle (hair and wedding) content. Levi would post Christian content but may not show his face.
Oh, I love this, as they give perfect snapshots of your characters.
Let’s Connect with Enewerome
Q: What are you working on next?
A: I’m working on my first series. It’s a three-part standalone contemporary Christian romance series about three sisters and their love lives. It is called the Soul Sisters Series and I hope to release them in 2025.
I wish you all the best with your new series and pray that your readers will enjoy them.
About Ready To Be Loved By You
Haunted by the wounds from her past, Vivienne Adetokunbo, a fiercely independent professional bridesmaid and video content creator, wants nothing to do with God, love, or marriage. Levi Edegware, despite being saddled with the weight of a past mistake, is a devout Christian and hopeless romantic events coordinator who desires a happy family with a woman who shares the same faith and values about marriage as him.
When a wedding mishap throws them together, their first encounter is far from a fairytale. However, things take a turn when Vivienne and Levi become colleagues, which forces them to confront their fears, beliefs, and desires.
As Levi shows Vivienne kindness she’s never known, an undeniable connection grows between them. But will Vivienne let go of her fears to embrace God’s love and a future with Levi, or will her walls remain unbroken? Will Levi forsake all he has ever known to be with the woman he sees a future with?
About Enewerome
Besides being a nonfiction ghostwriter and book editor, Enewerome strives to make her life count by doing the one thing she was put on this earth to do—write books that glorify Jesus Christ and spread the message of salvation one story at a time. Enewerome lives in Abuja, Nigeria, with her husband and toddler.
Connect with Enewerome on her Linktree | Author Central | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram
