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

Hi M. S., thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

Very few writers can actually live off their royalties. The old line publishers—if they publish anything that isn’t by a celebrity—give a tiny portion of the cover price in royalties to the creator. Independent, traditional publishers like mine are more generous, with royalties as high as 40% of the cover price for e-books. However, with e-books you are limited to online sales and thus don’t have the browsing feature of bookstores. Authors make up for this with a high social media presence, participation in book signings and other events, or individual contracts with small businesses to display books for a share of sales.

M. S., 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 writer. I have always been a writer, since the first time I held a chunk of sidewalk chalk in my chubby little hand. I can’t live without stories, telling them, writing them, entertaining with them.
My youth was adventurous—not for the faint of heart. I once counted up the number of significant moves in my life…and stopped at twenty-five. I have lived or traveled in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the US, Central America, and South America. I currently divide my time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.
Since 2009 I have published seventeen romantic suspense and mystery novels. Before that I was a librarian, an anthropologist, a research assistant, a US Senate committee aide, a speechwriter, a nonprofit director, a copy editor, and a parent. I’ve worked for professors, a magazine, the US Senate, the Department of the Interior, and Arlington County public schools. I hold degrees in Anthropology, Middle East Studies, and Library Science. All this tends to find its way into my literary work. Several of my books have received awards, including from the prestigious Royal Palms Literary Awards competition.
My first novels were spicy suspense stories with a heat index 3 of 5 flames. My husband had died and I missed, well, you know. Gradually the s*x scenes grew less and less heated, to the point that I simply wrote in [s*x scene here] and moved on, never to return. Meanwhile, dead bodies began to crop up, eventually becoming so insistent that I was forced to accept with modest grace that I’d moved on from romance to full-fledged murder mysteries. I think my readers are happier too.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I shan’t dwell on the horrors of discovering my husband had accidentally tossed the only copy of the manuscript for my first novel. Suffice it to say, I didn’t forgive him. But I did go on to write another, even better, first novel. By that time I could submit online, rather than schlepping to the copy center and post office.
Once I submitted my baby—a thriller suspense set in 1991 featuring a DC pundit and a spy—the requisite resilience kicked in. The first rejection was dealt with without tears. The second was a little more painful…until I read the acquisition editor’s comments. She went through the entire manuscript, giving me pointers and advice. Although she did not suggest I re-submit, I did anyway after following all her suggestions. That rejection did hurt, but I learned the value of beta readers. The next try was successful, launching me into a career that now boasts seventeen releases.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I find that very few non-writers have any interest in the process of publication—or even the process of writing. I generally field comments like, “How do you do it?” or “I’ve got a great idea for your next story.” They rarely want to discuss any roadblocks or issues I have with a story. They also don’t understand that writers are generally introverted. We like being alone. The jokes were legion during covid of writers not noticing the slightest difference in their daily lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencermysteries
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor
• Other: Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/
  Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer
  Shepherd: https://shepherd.com/search/author/21204
  Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002ZOEUC8