We recently connected with Jessica Cage and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jessica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

One of the biggest issues I see, and the reason I chose to become an independent author, is the tendency to favor safe, formulaic content that has already proven successful, rather than taking risks on new or unconventional ideas. There is a huge gap for those readers who are looking for stories that step outside the expected and bring them something they’ve never seen before. The indie space is where they are finding those stories.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how corporate publishing often struggles with inclusivity, failing to adequately support diverse authors and perspectives. This can lead to a homogenized market that doesn’t fully reflect the richness of different cultures and experiences. We are seeing in real time how these “own stories” are affecting future readers and writers. To read a story written by someone who has walked the same path as you and can fully understand your perspective in life is something that many people are craving.

Jessica , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a fantasy author who focuses on writing strong characters of color at the forefront of my stories. My publishing journey began in 2011, shortly after giving birth to my son. I wanted to encourage him to follow his dreams and didn’t want to feel like a hypocrite.
Like a lot of writers, I started creating stories as a child. I won many awards from the time I was 10 all the way through college for my writing, but I never thought to make it a career for myself until much later. With the boom of KDP, I was one of the people who jumped on board in the early days of the program, and it changed my life. I could write, and publish books without a publisher, but there was a lot I had to learn about the industry to make it a success.
Now I help (a few) others navigate the publishing landscape. I am in the early stages of launching a new mentorship and community building program for authors. My goal it to expand my services to help new writers gain a foothold in the indie space.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In 2021, I moved from Chicago, IL, to the Atlanta, GA area with approval from my then corporate job. I did it the right way. I let them know I wanted to move, gave ample notice and asked for permission to continue working from Georgia since we were already fully remote. My move was approved.
On my first day back “in the office” and just two days after uprooting myself and my son to move across the country, my job informed me I was being laid off. I sat there, heartbroken. How could they let me take this risk knowing they were going to lay me off? So much for the job being “family”, right?
That moment (well, after a few days of moping around) I decided I needed to make a change. I didn’t want to fill out another series of applications and get another job that would pretend to be my family. Instead, I pivoted and started taking contracted clients where I did the same thing I did for that corporate job but with more control over my time.
Those temporary contracts kept my income flowing while I worked to build up my publishing business. It was one of the scariest times in my life, but three years later, I’m so grateful for it. Because now I work for myself. I get to wake up every day and do what I love. It’s hard work, but it’s worth the peace of mind I have now.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I built my audience through consistency. I think, especially for creatives, that is the hardest part about social media. Sometimes we want to lock ourselves away and do what we do best. But, in my experience, that was the thing that kept me from growing. Once I started to post and show up for my audience consistently, the numbers started growing consistently.
Also, authenticity. I can’t stress this enough. Be yourself. People connect with people. And if you want someone to stick around for your journey they need something to connect with. My social media isn’t a carbon copy of someone else. It’s me. Yes, there are certain parts of my life I choose not to share, but what I do share is real. My community appreciates that I’m not putting on a show for them. I have real discussions and show all facets of my personality.
Be consistent and be authentic. Also, don’t focus so much on those numbers. Really lean into the community you’re building and connect with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jessicacage.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcageauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jcageauthor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMYchGBx-xaf6dyxQTuFcdA
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.instagram.com/jcageauthor/