We recently connected with Dakota Willink and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dakota thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

Romance authors don’t get the respect they deserve despite being part of a thriving billion-dollar industry that consistently surpasses other genres. The books and those who write them are often dismissed. When people are asked about their opinions on romance novels, they tend to make jokes about “horny housewives,” claiming that the books perpetuate unrealistic notions of love and sex or categorize them as guilty pleasures. The romance genre is unfairly labeled as formulaic, shallow, and unimaginative. “Mommy porn” is a phrase often used, an insult that infuriates me more than anything else.

Why? Because it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Misinformed opinions are so pervasive that the literary world often overlooks romance novels. Just ask any romance author who has ever been alone in a room with non-romance literary folk. The disdain is palpable, accompanied by a regrettable lack of respect. The criticism is unwarranted, especially since it could be extended to numerous other genres. In every crime novel I’ve read, the killer is caught. Predictable. Wizards and dragons? Because that’s entirely plausible. I don’t say this to knock on other genres. Not at all. I love a good detective mystery, and I can easily immerse myself in a world of fire-breathing dragons. I say this because these genres aren’t shunned like romance is, even though they contain just as many, if not more, unrealistic plot and character elements.

Despite it being 2024, pearl-clutching members of society harboring conservative views and making assumptions about romance. But even those who aren’t particularly prudish still disparage the genre, assuming it perpetuates traditional gender and power dynamics. There’s a common belief that a romance novel is limited to portraying a damsel in distress passively awaiting rescue by a hero, leading to the coveted happily ever after. However, the truth is that romance novels often serve as a battlefield for challenging and subverting traditional gender stereotypes. I firmly believe this, and it’s why I’ve never written a damsel. My heroines are their own heroes. Despite critics arguing that sexual interactions in romance novels may reinforce male dominance, a well-written romance novel will prioritize the woman’s pleasure and sexual satisfaction over the man’s.

While the reliance of a helpless female on the brutish male to save her might have been the standard in decades long past, contemporary romance novels have undergone a significant transformation. Have you read a Kennedy Ryan novel lately? Her words are pure power. Or how about Taylor Jenkins Reid or Kate Canterbary? The narratives now populating Kindles are more nuanced, intensely feminist, and infused with sensuality. It’s not uncommon to encounter stories of immigrants carving out a new life in the United States or women overcoming domestic violence to reconstruct their lives. I’ve written both. Stereotypes about migrants are discussed in my second chance romance book, Defined. I also tackle domestic abuse in The Sound of Silence, an emotionally gripping romantic suspense story of survival.

Romance fiction is evolving to be more inclusive, featuring an increasing number of LGBTQ+ protagonists across various subgenres, characters of color from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and individuals of different religions. The experiences of women and marginalized communities worldwide are reflected in romance novels. However, unlike real life, a romance novel promises that everything will eventually be okay in the end.

The heroines in my books are my personal rockstars. I concentrate on crafting resilient and formidable women who take charge of their own lives. These characters propel the narrative, make independent choices, and determine when, how, and whom to love. They embody empowerment, radiating strength, power, and feminism. Even when faced with a dominant male character with subservient expectations, as depicted The Stone Series, my USA Today Bestseller, I empower my heroine to resist the alpha in her life. This power struggle transforms into a journey of mutual respect and love.

Romance authors also have a loyal fandom that is more progressive and relevant than ever. This sisterhood extends beyond the pages, manifesting in online forums, book clubs, and social media groups. These spaces provide women a platform to connect, share, and uplift each other in ways unparalleled by any other genre.

So why is the romance genre looked down upon?

The disdain for “trashy” books is rooted in its ability to disrupt the patriarchy. Those who mock such literature often do so without understanding the reasons behind it. Our societal dismissal of women’s fiction stems from an inherited attitude from an era when a woman’s choices and pleasures were perceived as a threat to the established order, dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Narratives involving choice, adventure, sexual pleasure, and self-love were believed to encourage women to defy societal expectations, challenge norms, embrace their own power, and pursue happiness. Is this really such a bad thing?

Although we’ve moved beyond Colonial America, attitudes toward romance have been slow to change. Romance novels are often stories about women written mostly by women for a reader base that’s 82% female. The genre empowers women at a time when feminism is still a dirty word in many circles. Romance gives feminists like me the happily ever after that can’t always be found in the real world. It’s about women embracing their sexuality and deriving pleasure without guilt, shame, or judgment. Only this genre can provide a story with a happy ending that includes career success, love, respect, family, equality, orgasms, and everything in between.

So, to those who shun the romance genre like we’re a dirty little secret, you can’t pretend that a genre read by 40 million Americans is less than. Romance writers aren’t just authors. We are women entrepreneurs who are silently crushing stereotypes and traditional publishing norms. Romance should be celebrated, not scorned. While our books may not delve into extensive feminist theory, they possess the power to empower feminists. Educate a girl, and she’ll rule the world.

But that’s the problem, isn’t it?

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Dakota Willink. I’m an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Romance Author from New York. I love writing books that are character-driven, emotional, and sexy, yet written with a flare that keeps them real. My books have been translated into five languages, and I’ve sold over 1 million books worldwide.

I first published in 2015. I often say I only survived that experience because of coffee and wine. I’ve fully embraced the work-from-home life, and I can usually be found rocking Lululemon yoga pants (although Beyond Yoga has recently become a new personal fav). I wear lipstick every day even if I have nowhere to go, and color-coded Excel spreadsheets make my organized little heart happy.

Two spoiled Cavaliers are my furry writing companions. I love traveling with my husband and debating social and economic issues with my politically savvy Generation Z son and daughter.

My favorite book genres include contemporary or dark romance, political & psychological thrillers, and autobiographies.

AWARDS, ACCOLADES, AND OTHER PROJECTS:

The Stone Series is my first published book series. It has been recognized for various awards and bestseller lists, including USA Today and the Readers’ Favorite 2017 Gold Medal in Romance, and has since been translated into multiple languages internationally.

The Fade Into You series (formally known as the Cadence duet) was a finalist in the HEAR Now Festival Independent Audiobook Awards.

I’ve also written under the alternate pen name, Marie Christy. Using this name, I wrote and published a children’s book for charity titled, And I Smile. Also writing as Marie Christy, I contributed to the Blunder Woman Productions project, Nevertheless We Persisted: Me Too, a 2019 Audie Award Finalist and Earphones Awards Winner. This project inspired me to write The Sound of Silence, a dark romantic suspense novel that tackles the realities of domestic abuse.

I’m the founder of Dragonfly Ink Publishing, whose mission is to promote a common passion for reading by partnering with like-minded authors and industry professionals. Through this company, Dakota created the Love & Lace Inkorporated Magazine and the Leave Me Breathless World, hosted ALLURE Audiobook Con, and sponsored various charity anthologies.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The book business is constantly evolving. From something as simple as book covers to the complications surrounding social media algorithms, authors have to keep up with it all. So many think we just write books when it’s actually so much more than that. We have to be writers, editors, graphic designers, and marketers. We can hire out for some things, but having at least a basic knowledge is essential to survive.

I only spend about 10-20% of my time writing. The rest is spent on admin tasks and taking classes from those who are doing it better than me. I never stop learning. It’s like being in school all the time. That takes willpower and perseverance.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I first published in 2015. For the first few years, my income was steady. Those were the tail-end “golden years” of indie publishing. At the end of 2018 into 2019, there was a drastic market shift. A lot of stuff happened that I could spend all day talking about, but to stay on topic, I’ll just say that I had to find a new way to do just about everything.

Until then, I thought I’d had the book business figured out. I quickly learned that I knew nothing about what I was doing. I had been throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick, and my mid-five-figure annual income had only been pure luck. When my Amazon ebook income went from $3000 per month to only $197 at the end of 2019, pure panic set in. I loved what I was doing, but I had bills to pay.

In 2020, I made a drastic pivot. I spent much of that year taking classes from romance masterminds like Skye Warren, Alessandra Torre, and countless others. I kept an open mind and learned marketing strategies, book packaging, foreign translations, Photoshop, ad creatives, and so much more. I’m still learning new things today. I can’t stop. The minute I do, I become complacent in a constantly changing industry.

In between this virtual classroom learning, I wrote and published new books and distributed translated backlist titles to foreign markets. I invested in audiobook rights, trimmed back costs and increased revenue by cutting out the “middleman” wherever possible. Facebook ads became an unexpected pot of gold, and my books began to seriously take off for the first time. In 2022, I hit the USA Today Bestseller list with minimal added effort.

I stopped fighting industry changes and leaned into them whenever they made sense for my business. I made mistakes, but I also made a lot of forward progress. After three years of learning and implementing, I turned a failing author career into an annual seven-figure business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dakotawillink.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dakotawillink/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DakotaWillink/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakotawillink/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DakotaWillink