Local Couple Makes A Comeback On Steamy E-Book Sales
SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - Jasinda and Jack Wilder are the pen names of a pair of self-publishing superstars.
The Oakland County couple's steamy novels are breaking e-book records. But, just a short time ago, they were on the verge of losing their home.
Eighteen months ago, the parents of five kids found themselves out of work and 30 days from foreclosure, with one child seriously ill.
Both had always loved to write, and a neighbor suggested self-publishing as way to make some fast cash. Right from the start, it paid off.
"We decided to just crank 'em out as fast as we could," Jasinda Wilder told WWJ Newsradio 950's Marie Osborne. "I mean, we can do, both of us, 10,000 words a day. That's pretty prolific; it's a lot."
The first few books sold well enough to save the house. "During that couple-month period, we put out like 20 titles," she said. "And that's when we really saw a huge change in money. We we going from making like around $1,500 a month to $10,000 a month."
To date, the couple has sold over a million ebooks — most of the romances.
"I wanted to write about real women who were flawed that I could relate to, having these really amazing, awesome love stories," Jasinda Wilder said.
One of those books, "Falling Into You," was the first to reach number one on Amazon.
"People were just texting and messaging on Facebook and everything, and I just started screaming. And my kids were so worried that something horrible had happened," Jasinda Wilder said. "You know, 'Did Grandma die? What happened?' ... And I'm like, 'No! We're number one!'"
The couple continues to live modestly — although they now bring in a six-figure monthly income.
They continue to publish one book a month, working side-by-side, for eight hours a day.
"Writing is a very solitary thing," Jack Wilder said. "You sit in a little room or wherever you write and you just do it — and nobody else is involved. For us, we started writing together."
The pair, who met in Bible study class, don't make apologies for their books' adult content.
"We write about love, and love happens in a messy sort of way," Jack Wilder said. "And that's what I think makes our books sell well ... We write about things that stem from real life."
[More about the books at this link].
