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

Alright, Jes thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

Sometimes I look back and think, “I could have started so much sooner.”

At fifteen, I began writing stories, mainly during my Algebra II class, in a spiralbound notebook behind an opened-up folder. I had developed a small following of readers online back when AOL was widespread, yet I didn’t take my creative writing seriously. And that was my first mistake. While applying for colleges, I never considered pursuing writing, not even as a minor. And that was my second mistake.

It wasn’t until well after I graduated with a degree in psychology and had properly entered the workforce that the instinctual draw to writing returned. Life, however, had a way of getting in the way, and as such, my seriousness for the craft was once again reduced to an escape and passion project. Until I decided to stop pissing around with my words in 2020— A bit crass, but doing something scared requires some choice expletives every now and then. I set a goal to self-publish, no matter what.

Amongst the clear mistakes I can pinpoint upon looking back on what brought up to this point in my writing career, I do not believe I would have arrived any sooner to where I am now than had I gone through the steps that got me here today.

Jes, 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?

I love to write about love, relationships, and life messes. Or what I call emotional fiction. I am a self-published author under my imprint, Wellium Publishing, LLC. “For those who are better on paper.” Dream for a Second, my second novel releasing in May of 2024, is a a stunner of a story. Time for Once, my debut novel out now, is a gut-punching coming-of-age story.

As someone who has studied human behavior, I am fascinated by the nuances in daily living: the test of wills to thrive and our impulse to do the exact opposite, our wish to strive, even in the face of impossibility, and our desire to connect, not just with ourselves, but with those who shine with just as much passion and light.

All that exists in my heart, mind, and soul often overflows, and whatever I cannot hold goes into my writing. The result is raw, real, and emotional stories about life and love.

For me, a writer is someone who feels too much, who has no other choice but to craft this overflow of emotion into an almost reality.

For those who have made mistakes while in the process of growth, who have grappled with the intimidating possibilities of change, who endured the crushing fear of letting go, and for those who found the path toward unrealized dreams, my books may resonate with you.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The choice to self-publish does not make an author less than those who opt to go the traditional route. Nor does self-publishing mean the work lacks quality. Additionally, self-publishing is not the “easier way” to publish.

There’s an exciting shift that can take place for those who decide to challenge the status quo. In this instance, it’s determining if how you publish will affect the way in which you (and others) see you as an author.

Three years ago, I dove into the word of self-publishing with just one string attached— my belief that being traditionally published would somehow make me more of an author. To see the imprint of a publishing house stamped on the spine of my book made my heart flutter. But the thought of waiting for years to garner the attention of an agent to wait even longer to find a publishing house that would claim the rights to my work simultaneously made my heart weep. I didn’t write a book from start to finish for the first time ever in my life to have it sit in my computer, waiting for someone to love it. I already loved it, and it was ready to be read by those who needed it.

I was lucky enough to have the time and funds to invest in more than just writing book after book; I chose to open my own imprint, Wellium Publishing, LLC, and create my own logo to stamp on the spine of my books. I chose to become not just an author but an entrepreneur.

Had I not intentionally taken the time to unlearn a belief that being published in any other way than traditionally would make me “less than”, I would not have taken the risk and chosen the path I did. And I very likely would not have two books published to date as a result.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I think a commonly held belief of writers and their drive to become authors is to have something people will remember them by. To “leave a legacy”, if you will. I actually revolt rather strongly against this type of mindset. It’s singular in its mission and, for me, at least, a bit selfish as a goal.

My creative drive focuses on exploring what we all share in one way or another: the human experience. My goal is to convey, as best as I know from my own living, an experience of “humanness” through my characters and the situations they are managing. My hope is that a reader feels seen, heard, encouraged, less isolated, and maybe even a bit more healed through reading my stories.

Contact Info:

• Website: jessmyth.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jes.smyth/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jes.SmythAuthor/
• Other: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23034494.Jes_Smyth Amazon Author Profile: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BL8Z4FTJ/#author-footer-B0BL8Z4FTJ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jes.smyth