We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Grace A. Johnson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Grace A. below.

Alright, Grace A. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

When it comes to learning how to write, most people’s first thought (if they don’t immediately write off writing as “easy” or child’s play) is getting an English degree or taking a creative writing course. As beneficial as formal education can be, no ten-year-old girl is going to college…so I learned how to write by reading and writing.

There can be, and is, a lot of trial and error involved in teaching oneself, but the age-old adage “experience is the best teacher” nonetheless remains true! Eight years and eleven published books later, I still believe that taking the time to read as much as I could and absorbing what I read, and practicing my writing and honing my skills was the best route for me to learn the writing craft. I love looking back (and cringing) at my old writing from ages ten, twelve, fourteen, and seeing how much I’ve grown and changed!

That’s not to say there isn’t more to learn. There absolutely always is! Which is why online articles or even classes can’t continually teach you the skills you need as a writer – not like writing itself can!

If you feel stuck with your growth, are struggling to understand and apply new techniques, or want to truly master your skillset, nothing beats practice and hands-on experience!

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?

I’m an indie author going on four years in the self-publishing industry and eight years as a writer! I first began writing Christian historical romance at the age of ten and soon began seriously pursuing writing as a career and ministry when I finished my second book, which is now my debut novel Held Captive and the first of three (more on the way!) novels in my Christian pirate romance series, Daughters of the Seven Seas. Throughout the last four years, I’ve published several short stories, a novella, and a devotional alongside my novels, and have grown from a hermit to an author with an active blog, blossoming social media following, and actual fangirls! ;)

I’m also an editor with S&J Editors and founder of Sky’s the Limit Press, a small Christian publishing company launching this year with the release of Tell Me You Love Me anthology! I love being an author and working with other young writers in creating edifying, inspiring stories!

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’m still in the process of building my audience, because there is always room for more growth and improvement! But so much has changed since I first started out with 0.00 readers, followers, etc. And it all started when I took the chance and put myself out there in the writing community! I started with Goodreads, which has been one of the best places to meet readers and fellow authors, and eventually set up my website and blog, and finally dipped my toes in the Instagram community last year, which has quickly become a huge blessing by introducing me to so many readers and opening up many different doors for marketing opportunities!

My advice is to put yourself out there! You can’t expect your audience to just appear out of thin air and huddle around you – you’ve got to get into the world of readers, eaters, buyers – whoever it is your business caters to – and discover who they are, what they love, and how you can communicate with them in a genuine and memorable way! Take the time to try new platforms and avenues and figure out what works best for you! Don’t be afraid to make a splash! ;)

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

So many, and all in the form of community! From writers forums to social media communities like bookstagram to platforms like Goodreads, there are so many resources and platforms out there that foster growth and community around authors and readers, effectively creating lasting relationships and supporting writers throughout their writing journey!

Had I known when I first began writing and publishing that there was a wealth of other writers just like me and readers hungry for the kind of stories I was writing, I imagine my first book would have gone over so much better, and I would have gained the knowledge and encouragement to write more and write better!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.graceajohnson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graceajohnsonauthor
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graceajohnsonauthor

Image Credits
Grace A. Johnson & Jennifer W. Johnson