We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Margaret Johnson-Hodge. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Margaret below.

Hi Margaret, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Writing first came as a desire. I was twelve years when I started my first novel, but I had been reading since the age of four. I loved books and would pick up any tome laying around the house, whether it was age-appropriate or not. Like many of my fellow writers, it was Maya Angelou who truly inspired me to ‘try’ to become a writer. I just kept at it and 28 years after I first sat down to the electric typewriter in my home, to begin my writing journey, I got my first book deal.

Obstacles were honing my craft and finessing my novel enough to first get a literary agent interested and ultimately a major publishing house to sign me. In hindsight. there was nothing I could have done to speed up the process. I needed to learn as I went along and til this day, I am still learning. Being a writer means never settling. You have to be open to attaining more skills.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

After I had attained a literary agent, she un-expectantly moved to Budapest without telling me and so I was agent-less. A few months later a good friend told me about a editor at St. Martin’s Press who was looking for fiction and told me to reach out. I did. A few months after that, I got signed. They published my first four novels. I moved on to Kensington Publishing thereafter, which published my next three novels.

What truly warms my heart was when I started giving writing workshops and working, one-on-one, with aspiring authors. I guide them from working on a first draft right through getting published. What makes me the most delighted is when someone I helped gets to see the manifestation of the dream–their book in print. It makes me feel like a proud Mother Hen when that happens.

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

I had produced four novels for St. Martin’s Press, with 3 of the 4, gaining ‘National Bestselling Author’ status. When it was time to negotiate a new contract, we could not see eye to eye. I knew my worth and felt that my then publisher did not, so I walked away. I left my mainstream publisher and my literary agent, with nothing in the wings. I stepped out on faith.

Less than a year later, I got a new literary agent and received my first six-figure book deal, complete with a total of 78 city book tour (spread out over 3 book releases.) Town Cars picked me up to take me to airports and book event escorts were waiting for me when I landed. I stayed in four-star hotels and had book signings across the country. My previous publisher never provided any of those things. The point is, I believed in myself and my talents as a writer enough to embrace that I deserved better. Without being able to even see the next step, I stepped out on faith and was greatly rewarded.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I believe that we are all born with a gift. Sometimes we pursue it and some times we don’t. It takes a lot of dedication to do something with the gift given and it’s easy to just give up. I am grateful for mines. I understand the ability to tell stories that readers can not only enjoy, but relate to, is a very special thing. It is a ‘gift’ not to be wasted, residing in my soul like a tree deeply rooted and when the ‘leaves began to sway’ (an idea for a story stirs) I know it a sign to start a new book. That ‘tree’ is my driving force. I’m here to share stories of fictional people living real-life experiences and I feel so honored to do so.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mjhodge.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjhwriting/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/booksofmargaret.johonshodge

Image Credits

Margaret Johnson-Hodge