Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Janis McCurry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Janis, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

When I was a child, my dad always made me put away the book I’d brought to the dinner table. He knew I’d try to read it in my lap during family meals. That hasn’t changed much since I’ve become an adult.

Throughout grade school, junior high, high school, and university, I loved reading more than anything. I got my degree in English, and I majored in that subject not to be a teacher, but because I’d get to read a lot of books! Books had the magical ability to transport me all over the world.

I wanted to bring that magic to as many people as I could reach. For some readers, friction is less intimidating than textbooks, and they still learn from it. The bottom line for me is to bring joy through reading.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Moment of truth here. I became a romance writer out of arrogance. I have read romance most of my life, and so often the main characters came up short. The choices they made didn’t make sense. By that, I mean “common” sense. For example: a character would see their significant other with another person. Instead of walking up and being introduced, s/he would skulk off and be mad, or even break up with a person without finding out the details. I wanted to do better.

The joke was on me! Writing a good book in any genre is complicated and it takes every ounce of creativity to produce a successful product. But I was determined to write well developed characters who faced their obstacles with courage and perseverance. I wanted to put stories out in the world that readers could relate to and champion. For me, character development has been key for my brand.

I began by writing about “smart women, stubborn men, and love that lasts”. After ten years, I’m in the process of rebranding to write about “seasoned hearts, real love, and lasting fire”. The sub-genre “Seasoned Romance” features characters in their 40s and above. The characters in this age group have experience, they have suffered loss, they have established careers, and homes. They are done with playing games when it comes to love. As you can see in the paragraph above, I want my readers to relate to mature individuals who know how to love. That’s what I want my readers to get from my books.

How did you build your audience on social media?

In the publishing business today, whether a writer is traditional, hybrid, or indie, writers are responsible for building their audiences on social media. My initial fear was that I would be bothering potential readers with too much content. My best advice to those just starting to build their social media presence is do it anyway. I’ve seen various percentages of how much of your content gets to all of your followers and/or new readers, and that percentage is from 10% or less to maybe 15%. That means you have to continually produce content multiple times daily to get to as many viewers as possible.

I began on Facebook with a business profile page, as I already had my personal page and was familiar with how Facebook worked. After that, I went to Instagram and learned how to produce and post content on that platform. I’m now on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Blue Sky. I post content at least two times or more a day on each platform. I also have accounts on the writing-centric platforms Goodreads and Bookbub.

It is a lot, and a person starting out might have trouble rationalizing the amount of time it takes away from your initial product which, in my case, is writing books! But I have to do it to gain visibility and build my audience.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Always start writing the next book. Too often after the release of a book, the writer might want a little downtime. But to grow readers and superfans, you have to feed them. Voracious readers are a writer’s bread and butter. Wow, I guess my metaphors are all about food!

A writer’s backlist helps to keep her/his name out in the public. Continue to post content about those books as well as your new ones. Share with your audience partial scenes or snippets of what you’re working on to keep them interested about the one you’re currently writing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.janismccurry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janismccurryauthor
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/JanisMcCurryAuthor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanisMcCurryAuthor
• Other: Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/15421887.Janis_McCurry

  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janiswritesromance

  Linktree: https://linktr.ee/janismccurryauthor