For a while now, I’ve been talking about Authors in a Pickle, my  internationally-based networking and support group. This month, I want to turn the spotlight on another of my Pickle Jar buddies. Jess Kotzer is one of the younger members of the group and a professional marketeer. As such, she’s our go-person when we have questions about technology and the newer social media platforms. She’s currently trying to educate us, with varying degrees of success, on the opportunities and benefits of blockchain and NFTs (no, me neither!). Jess started out as a non-fiction author, but is currently working on her first novel. Her latest project is SelfPubHub, a support community for authors who are going down the indie route. 

Hello Jess, and welcome to the blog. Let’s start by taking you back to childhood. What was your favourite subject at school — and which was the lesson you always wanted to avoid?

I loved art and hated gym class. I always made a great effort to come in second last (instead of dead last) in track ‘n’ field.

Talking about yourself, how would you finish the sentence “not a lot of people know…”?

…I have a history of doing drunken stand up comedy at Second City.

How do you relax?

Nothing relaxes me more than being around animals. Dogs give me more love than I know possible. There’s also a petting farm nearby, with goats, llamas, cows, emus, deer, alpacas, chickens, and pigs…and that is as close to heaven as it gets for me!

If you knew you only had 24 hours left, how would you spend them?

That’s not a lot of time, Elizabeth! I’d throw a party with my friends and family, so I could introduce everyone who I always planned on connecting, and so everyone could say nice things about me, of course—like a living funeral. Then I’d lie on a pyre to die, where they could conveniently light me up and send me off to sea.

If you could change one law, what would it be?

I believe in decentralized governance and finance and would like voting and self-autonomy to be more granular, using carbon-neutral or carbon-negative technologies we already have available to us. I think a good starting point, though, is to make government ledgers completely transparent to the public so we can see where our money is going.

If you could change one thing about yourself or your life so far, what would it be?

I’d love to be more confident and unhinged. I admire people who freestyle ad-lib. They’re free in a way I’m not.

Watch a film, go to the theatre, read a book or talk to friends — which would you prefer?

Life is short. Always talk to friends.

If you could take part in one television programme, which one would it be?

I love offbeat deadpan humour, so it would be something like The Office.

Would you describe yourself as left-brain (analytical), right-brain (intuitive) or a mix of both?

I don’t know anymore! I used to think I was all intuition, because I love to write and have a good read on people’s inner desires. But I also love experimenting with software and automation tools. I might be a master of none with this lateralization stuff.

And finally, Jess. I know you primarily as a writer. Why write?

Whether you write for you or others, write from the heart. We are all more or less the same, so when you tap into your own emotions to make good art, you can help others tap into theirs.

Thank you, Jess, for finding the time to drop by today. Readers, if you would like to find out more about Jess and her projects, you can find her on the SelfPubHub website and on Facebook.