Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaer Armstead-Jones.
Hi Jaer, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, I knew I wanted to be a writer and a teacher. I attended a teacher’s college during my first year but transferred during my sophomore year to pursue a writing degree. So I took writing courses, wrote for the school newspaper, and eventually earned a degree in media communications from Webster University. Upon graduating, I began writing as a stringer for a local newspaper in St. Louis. But having a young family, juggling a full-time job with the stringer job became difficult. I needed more than just getting $30 a story and writing two or three news stories a week. So I made a tough decision to drop the writing. My full-time job at the time was as the director of media at a local church, and a few years later, I became the director of the youth group.
After five years, I had a life change and started working as a youth specialist for a state-run juvenile facility. For the few years I was there, I completed a master’s degree in secondary education and began working as a middle school English teacher. My experiences with the juvenile facility and the school prompted me to want to write a book for teens. I saw many students who struggled to read or had no motivation to read. I wanted to write a book that young readers, especially urban readers, could relate to. And because I included music to accompany the novel, I began a publishing and production company to accommodate the vision.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Self-publishing my book did cause heavy investment. I was fortunate to have a good group that helped crowdfund the initial investment. Afterward, the financial heavy lifting was solely placed upon my business. And because I included a musical soundtrack, that caused me to purchase music, studio time, and post-production.
And even though the financial issue was a struggle, a more significant struggle has been marketing the book and the music. Marketing also took a financial toll, but even more, putting my name out there and contacting agencies and media outlets, schools, and libraries was difficult, especially trying to juggle all of that while teaching full-time and working at a library part-time.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the founder of Jaer Media Group, an entity involved in book publishing and music production. Through my research, I understand the profound impact of music on the learning process, particularly its strong influence on teenagers. With this insight, I developed an innovative approach for engaging audiences during live author events. The initial concept revolves around combining music with discussions about my novel, “My Invisible Father.” By incorporating a concert-like atmosphere, I aim to captivate the audience and create an immersive experience that resonates deeply with them. The book delves into the lives of three teens who are desperately searching for meaningful connections with their absent fathers while simultaneously navigating the challenges of school, friendships, racism, and other complex issues that teenagers face on a daily basis.
In addition to incorporating music into my speaking engagements, I have realized the value of making the music easily accessible for download and streaming, particularly for individuals who face challenges in reading. The EP, “Invisible” by Souljaristic ENT features songs that vividly portray the struggles and triumphs experienced by the characters in “My Invisible Father” and these tracks offer a glimpse into the essence of the story, providing an auditory backdrop that enhances the reading experience. Furthermore, we have produced captivating music videos that visually depict key moments from the novel. Inspired by this success, my goal is to continue creating music for a wide range of books catering to teenagers, young adults, and even younger children.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As a kid, I was heavily into sports. I was a three-sport athlete, playing baseball, football, and basketball year-round. I considered myself an introvert (and still do), but I took on a whole other persona when it came to playing ball with my friends and teammates. Sports were my comfort, my everything growing up. It culminated in me having a stellar high school basketball career and earning an athletic college scholarship.
Ironically, I was not a big reader of novels during middle and high school. But here I am, thirty-plus years later as a teacher, imploring students to read stories and I’ve written a novel myself. It’s not that I didn’t read at all as a kid, just not novels and books. I read magazine and newspaper articles which helped develop my desire to become a journalist.
I enjoyed my childhood immensely. Growing up in University City and playing sports was an incredible experience. I gained so many friends; we spent so much time at each others’ houses, at parks, riding bikes, playing, and doing everything together. I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anything.
Pricing:
- My Invisible Father book is $14.00 on my website.
- My Invisible Father book is also on sale on Amazon.
- Invisible EP soundtrack by Souljaristic ENT – available for download on most streaming services.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jaermediagroupllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pen_of_a_skillful_writer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063684576589
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaer-armstead-jones-48947679/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaerAJones
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr3lXBD_FVS_FqxzxH4wtuQ
Image Credits
All images are credited to Jaer Media Group except the second, sixth, & seventh images in the group of 7; credit to St. Louis County Library.
