We were lucky to catch up with Juli Valenti recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Juli thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Success is defined as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose; with such a broad definition it can be difficult to instruct or determine what the ‘special’ ingredient is in order to reach such a hope. That said, however, success on any level, begins with the person.

Many claim success in financial form – making money, winning money, investing, all of those good things. Earning a promotion at a workplace, getting raises and bonuses from a job well done, all of these things are to be celebrated in successful terms, for sure.

But for me, success is much more than just a financial aspect. Success is accomplishing what I’ve set out to do. I went back to college a month before I married my husband, while planning our wedding. After six long years, I finally graduated this May with my Bachelor’s Degree – only seven days prior to my twentieth high school graduation anniversary. THAT is success to me – determination. I was determined to show my children that it is never too late, that one can move forward and achieve whatever goals they may have, regardless of their age.

I continue to do the same with my books.

Throughout the course of my education, I wasn’t able to publish as much as I would’ve liked – working a full-time day job, taking care of my family, and school took its toll. But I succeeded in still managing to remain relevant, still publish what I could, and to learn to take pride in the success I found therein. THAT is success – perseverance; the ability to move forward, to persevere, regardless of the challenges that arise ahead.

Ultimately, I feel that in order to be successful, in any sense of the word, you have to be determined, strong-willed, and refuse to give up.

Juli, 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?

For those who don’t know, I’m a ‘contemporary romance’ author. Most of the time when I tell people this, they think Fabio on the covers of old-school harlequin bodice ripper novels their grandmothers used to read late at night. This is not what I do or what I write, though I have a few of those books on my own bookshelf – no hate here!

I’ve been reading and writing for as long as I can remember. My mom’s favorite childhood story of me is one in which I was about three or four years old, reading the names of the dinosaurs to my grandma from all the Jurassic Park advertisements. It was never just a dinosaur, but a velociraptor or a brachiosaurus. My mom was my best friend, my hero, and she was a voracious reader as well, one of those who reads books SO FAST. Because of that, I used to snatch my mom’s books from her bookshelf when she was done, and got lost in the worlds she read. In adult hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have been reading some of what I did, like V.C. Andrews (man, I still love those books) but I couldn’t get enough.

Throughout the years, I delved deeper into the book world and was lucky enough to win a contracted editing position with a publishing company. It was the best of both worlds – I got to read and edit books AND get paid for it. It was the best, and, while I loved it, I knew my ultimate goal was to always write my own novels… even if I didn’t believe in myself enough to do so. I spent a lot of time at book signings, meeting authors and taking in all the information and knowledge I could, as well as making friends with those who encouraged me to reach my goals.

I published my first book, A Little Broken, in 2013, a heartbreaking novel that I hold near and dear to my heart. It is a partially non-fiction romance novel that chronicles the journey of a young woman who loses her child to SIDS. I lost my oldest son, EJ, when he was two months and seventeen days old to the same, and the tragedy shaped who I am as a person. Ironically, it was my therapist who encouraged me to write the story, to provide some internal distance as well as a tool to find some healing. I was met with an overwhelming amount of support, along with an outpouring of love and rave reviews, which helped to bolster my self-writing-confidence.

Since then, I’ve managed to publish sixteen novels or novellas/short stories, and edited more than I can count. I take pride in that I don’t write like everyone else, other than myself, and it is what makes me unique. For example: I have a romantic suspense motorcycle club series, which features women in leading roles within male dominated worlds – something that would never happen in the real world. Sadie Hawkins is a women’s fiction book about the disease of addiction and sheds light on the difficulties from it. I deal with death and abuse, and things that happen in the real world that aren’t as openly discussed or talked about.

Throughout my author career, I’ve stayed true to myself, regardless of sales or reviews. I’m incredibly proud of that fact, as well as my growth – as a person, as a writer, as a parent, and as a friend.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new readers for me is honestly conventions and book signings. I joke all the time and tell people that it’s my personality that sells my books, but it’s my writing that keeps my readers coming back.

I am known within the industry as someone who is loud, and I am. I can be heard a solid six blocks away due to the fact that my husband is a professional musician and after many years in front of loud speakers, I’m losing my hearing. I tend to forget that I shouldn’t say everything that comes to my mind, and struggle with severe social anxiety. Because of that, I over compensate, loudly, and with all kinds of random.

I’m also very vocal in regard to certain aspects – especially when it comes to acceptance. I uphold a steady determination to allow others to be exactly who they are, regardless of whether it is within a social ‘norm’ or not. Many can spot me in a crowd due to my knack of wearing very small shorts, rather than pants. I’ve been nicknamed “pantsless” and “hot pantsless” in some crowds due to my displeasure of the offensive garment. I believe in body positivity, wearing what someone is comfortable in — for me pants are not the jam. For others it’s a perpetual cycle of yoga pants and t-shirts. Some like basketball jerseys, while others like circa 1990 blue flame, short-sleeved button downs.

One hundred percent authenticity is important to me, and those who meet me seem to like that aspect.

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

I have a massive appreciation for all things artistic/creative. It is not only who I am, but what I gravitate to. The most rewarding part of being creative is fostering that creativity for those around me. I’ve watched other authors grow, expanding in their own journeys. My mom (Jeanine Binder), for one, became a published author after me and now has seven (I think?) books of her own. My little sister is working on her debut novel, which will be coming soon too.

My readers are also incredibly rewarding. If I can reach just one person, then I’ve done my job and done it well. If I can take them out of whatever is going on in their lives, allowing them an escape? Nothing is better than that. If I can help them through something difficult they’ve gone through in their past, shown them what it is to remain hopeful? Man. what an honor.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.julivalenti.com
• Instagram: @thejulivalenti
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjulivalenti
• Twitter: @thejulivalenti
• Other: TikTok: thejulivalenti