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

J. L., appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

As an independent writer, or “indie author”, one of the biggest trends I’ve seen in this industry is a move toward direct sales through social media and author websites. Some experts predict this trend will continue to cut into Amazon’s ebook and hard copy sales.

Such things as author TikTok shops and book box sales have become much more popular, and I like the trend because most writers can then keep a larger share of their profits.

The downside is this creates even more work for indie authors, many of whom act as their own marketing team, editors, book cover designers, book formatters, and create their own social media. I’m sure I’m missing a few tasks. If writers who are just starting out think they’re going to spend most of their time writing, they need to do more research and sit down with other authors in their genre and ask tough questions.

J. L., before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My pen name is J. L. Brannick, and I’m a former attorney turned indie author who writes general fiction and contemporary romance. My novels usually have a legal or professional element to them, and I attempt to write main female characters who are intelligent, reasonable, and kind. I’ve always enjoyed reading general fiction and romance for leisure, although I’ve never been a horror fan; I don’t find getting scared out of my mind that relaxing or enjoyable. I know quite a few people who love it, though.

Over the years, I became frustrated with the vast number of weak, unlikable female characters out there. This is what spurred me to start writing. My daughter is also an epic fantasy writer, and she started working as a writer before I did. As I watched her navigate the world of fiction writing, the entire process both fascinated and frustrated me.

Most successful writers work for years before their “big break” occurs, and there are so many skills a writer either needs to cultivate, or pay for, to be successful. Even for those writers who have larger publishers, they’re usually responsible for their own marketing, advertising, and social media accounts.

Overall, the other writers, narrators, bookstore owners, and professionals I’ve met are engaging, interesting people, and it’s an entertaining, colorful community. My daughter and I also usually have characters, plots, and story ideas running around in our heads, so writing is a perfect outlet.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a writer is working at something I enjoy, and using my imagination and creativity to generate and produce fiction. Writing and developing characters and storylines is also engrossing and entertaining, and it’s amazing to have readers leave positive reviews and ask when your next book in a series is coming out.

Before I began writing full-time, I worked as an attorney where I lived with constant stress and worked with people who were in crisis or were dealing with hardships and complex legal issues. Now, being able to create and develop something engaging and entertaining is rewarding and gratifying.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is not all productive time spent as an author involves actual writing. Fiction writers may spend around twenty percent of their workday physically writing, and the rest working on other related tasks.

Thus, a beginning indie author will often act as their own developmental editor, manager, cover designer, web designer, formatter, marketer, social media consultant, and much more. In addition, finding reliable professionals in these areas takes patience. Writing is more like an endurance triathlon than a sprint, and people who aren’t in it for the long haul will usually burn out and give up.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://jlbrannick.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlbrannick.author/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090518304938
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JLBrannick
• Other: https://linkfly.to/JLBrannick

Image Credits
Location Credit: Trixie Motel, Palm Spring, CA All other photos with licenses through Canva and Deposit Photos, and graphics by Smart Mouth Publishing LLC. Permission to use for this article granted.