Meet Jessica Bell

We recently connected with Jessica Bell and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?

Slow and steady wins the race. When you believe in what you do–I mean REALLY believe in it–there is no voice in your head telling you otherwise, or instilling doubt. Your own voice is your rock. If you trust your own voice, there is no reason to listen to others if their opinions do not resonate with you. If your passion, or path in life, was not meant to be, you would feel it in your gut. I rely on instinct to propel me forward. So far, professionally, my instinct has not been wrong. My instinct, however, has meant that building my businesses, has been slow (but risk free.) I’ve never felt comfortable borrowing money or using a credit card, so I have always done what I can afford from my own income. I’ve needed incredible patience. I’ve been building my businesses very small steps at a time, since 2010. I started Vine Leaves Press in 2011 while working a 9-5 day job. I started Jessica Bell Design in 2015, and worked on designing book covers in the evenings and weekends, until I was so inundated with orders that quitting the ‘day job’ in 2017 seemed like the best thing to do. I’d never trained as a graphic designer, but I discovered I had talent when I decided to design my own covers for books I’d written myself. Jessica Bell Design is now how I make a living and support my family. I’m still not exactly where I want to be with Vine Leaves Press, but I am very very close, and it continues to sustain itself, without me having to invest anything other than my own time. I was told that I was “doing it all wrong”. That in order for Vine Leaves Press to be successful, we needed an investor. Growth needs money. Without money there is no growth. Perhaps. But patience can also get you VERY far. In 2011 we were an unknown. By 2014 we had only published a handful of books. Now, in 2025, we can only open for submissions 2 months out of every year. We now publish 30 per year. During our last submissions period, we received 1000+ submissions (in just two months!) We are now a very popular, respected, and successful small press. Literary agents also submit to us. It took more than a decade. It took incredible patience. It took inner-strength and really believing in myself and in my vision. It took finding like-minded people to help us grow. There was no five-year business plan. I trusted my own voice: Just take it slow. What’s the rush? I was right.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Well, as a child of parents who were songwriters and musicians, and also artists in other ways such as painting and drawing, I was singing before I could speak. Around the age of 11, this turned into poetry writing, and then song writing, and playing piano and guitar. When I reached high school, I became extremely passionate about creative writing too. Already by age 16 I was writing short stories and at least one new song a week on my 12-string guitar.

During my last year of school, I had a strange obsession with graphic design. But as I was terrible at maths, I failed my graphic design class, and didn’t pursue it, because the school put a huge emphasis on graphic design leading into a career as an architect, and I just wanted to be creative. I was told to sign up for an ‘Art’ class. All the meanwhile, my music was going strong, but my grades weren’t perfect. All As and Bs in the English and Creative subjects, and mostly Ds in maths and science, etc.

Those Ds meant I couldn’t even get into my first choice of university course, Professional Writing at Deakin University, and I had to settle for Arts at Latrobe, which had a very low entry score point. At Latrobe I majored in English and focussed all my energy on my band. We were called spAnk, and we won some major competitions, got radio airplay, and TV appearances. But then, I fell in love with a boy in Greece and moved here, leaving behind everything I had achieved music-wise by the time I’d turned 22.

The responsibility of being an adult in a foreign country wasn’t easy so many of my first years were spent earning a living working in bars and restaurants. By the time I turned 25, I had landed a job at a publishing company as an editor of English Language Teaching books, where I learned the ins and outs of editing, publishing, and eventually into writing ELT text books. I stayed in that career for eleven years. Around age 29/30 I had the urge to write a novel. So, I did, sneaking in writing time before and after my day job. That novel was titled String Bridge, and was published in 2011 by a small press called Lucky Press.

Unfortunately, just six months after its release Lucky Press liquidated, and so I chose to self-publish it. This was the beginning of me becoming my own boss. I had the publishing and editing know-how, so I thought, why not try my hand at designing my own book covers? Turns out that teacher in high school who told me to do ‘Art’ didn’t know what-fff they were talking about, because now being a self-taught freelance graphic designer is how I earn a living. Designing book covers may be my main income, but I am still writing books and music, and of course, running a very successful publishing company.

From 2016-2021, I was the lead singer of a group called Keep Shelly in Athens. While I was with the band we toured Europe, and also released a cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s song, (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, which landed in a Russell Crowe movie, called Unhinged. That garnered millions of plays on Spotify and YouTube. It’s one of my biggest music successes. One of the tracks I co-wrote with the band (Eternal) also landed in an advert for Samsung Galaxy and Netflix, advertising both the new phone and the next season of Stranger Things. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxEOwC5-Jqg. I also have my own music projects which can be discovered at iamjessicabell.com.

To date I have published 4 poetry books, ‘Twisted Velvet Chains’, ‘Fabric’, ‘Muted & She’, and ‘A Tide Should Be Able to Rise Despite Its Moon’. ‘Fabric’ was a Semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2012 for Best Poetry.

Five novels, ‘String Bridge’, ‘The Book’, ‘Bitter Like Orange Peel’, ‘White Lady’, and my latest, ‘How Icasia Blook Touched Happiness’, a speculative novel, which has won three literary awards:
First place in The 2021 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in Science Fiction/Fantasy.
Silver medalist in the 2021 Wishing Shelf Book Awards in Fiction for Adults.
Bronze Winner of the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in Science Fiction.

A few nonfiction/reference books: the writing a nutshell series of 6 pocket guides on writing, editing, and publishing, and a reference book entitled, ‘Can You Make the Title Bigga? The Chemistry of Book Cover Design’.

And my memoir which is called, ‘GO: A memoir about binge-drinking, self-hatred, and finding happiness’, recently received Gold in the 2021 Wishing Shelf Book Awards in Nonfiction for Adults.

My fiction style is quite literary and cinematic. One of my fans described my writing as artistic and musical. My poetry is very hard-hitting and, in your face, and my reference books are light-hearted, witty, and entertaining as well as informative.

And last but not least, I am the Publisher of Vine Leaves Press, which has been going strong since 2011. We like to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. We publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent.

Vine Leaves Press wouldn’t be the success that it is today without my writing and design know-how. I know what makes a good book on the inside, and I know how to sell a good book from the outside. I think they all feed very well off each other. Despite that beautifully aligned synergy, I get bored doing just one thing. I really thrive off having a variety of creative tasks to sink my teeth into.

Last year we started the International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition, which is currently open for submissions: https://www.vineleavespress.com/international-voices-in-cnf.html

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1) Allow yourself to start small. Don’t think about the “end goal” too much. It’s overwhelming and emotional. Build on each step only when you don’t feel stressed about taking the next step.

2) Write to-do lists with small actionable tasks, alongside the bigger things that take a lot of time, so you can feel like you are completing some things. It helps you stay motivated.

3) Don’t discard ideas that you think won’t work. Write everything down, because they might trigger other ideas that WILL work.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

As a global publisher committed to showcasing a rich and diverse tapestry of literature worldwide, Vine Leaves Press faces an uphill battle to sustain our efforts. The escalating costs of paper, production, and distribution are making it increasingly challenging for us to continue bringing our books to bookshelves. Unlike publishers focused on specific regions or countries, Vine Leaves Press does not qualify for grants tailored to support localized initiatives. Severe passion and a pursuit for expression is essential for a small press who is not funded by corporate entities. You have to LOVE it to be in it. Our staff work for very little, often on a volunteer basis, and book advances are non-existent. Our commitment to representing a spectrum of voices worldwide means that we rely heavily on the generosity of individuals who share our passion for literature and cultural diversity.

Small presses have potential for significant impact, and at Vine Leaves Press, we take this responsibility quite seriously. It is our responsibility to give marginalized groups the opportunity to establish literary legacies that feel rich and vast. Why? To sustain hope for the world to become a more loving, tolerable, and open space. It always begins with art.

We are now making an effort to go to readers for support to ensure that Vine Leaves Press will continue to be a platform for underrepresented voices from all around the world. (Age, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), Body positivity, Chronic illness, LatinX, LGBTQ+, Neurodivergent, People living with disabilities (intellectual and physical), People living with HIV, People with a history of incarceration, Sex workers, Undocumented people, Unhoused people, Women, among others.)

Every dollar contributed goes directly towards covering the costs of publishing and promoting books from diverse backgrounds. By supporting us, you’re not just helping a press stay afloat; you’re contributing to the enrichment of literary landscapes worldwide.

Ways we suggest readers can make a difference:

1. Make a Donation: Every contribution, big or small, plays a vital role in sustaining our mission.

2. Spread the Word: Share our donation page on social media, with friends, and within your community. The more people who know about our cause, the closer we get to achieving our fundraising goals.

3. Become a Monthly Supporter: Pledge your ongoing support by becoming a monthly donor. With every payment, you will receive electronic copies of that month’s new releases. This provides us with a steady source of funding, allowing us to plan for the future with confidence.

4. Host a Virtual Fundraiser: Consider organizing a virtual event to raise funds for Vine Leaves Press. Whether it’s a book club discussion, a reading marathon, or a themed virtual gathering, your creativity can make a meaningful impact. We can provide speakers, book readings, and other resources to make it a memorable and impactful experience.

Here is the link to our fundraising page: https://www.vineleavespress.com/donate.html

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Niki Topouslidou
Valentina Vagena

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